Final Page

 Evaluation, the film, radio advert and preliminary task.

Ancillary Tasks- Magazine Article

This is my final magazine article review. I have used nearly all of the conventions for a review and based the layout and structure almost entirely on an Empire magazine one page spread.

In this third draft, I have added a border and stylised the ‘In Cinemas’ box slightly. I have finished the ‘Verdict’ box with a star rating, and added page number, magazine and date at the bottom. I also altered text sizes and colours to make certain bits stand out and look professional. All I really need to do now is re-write the actual text and I think I have created a good emulation of an Empire Magazine, single spread magazine review

Developed the text, added a fact file and main text. The main text isn’t finished and is just a very rough draft, don’t judge the writing if you can read it.

In this version I have added images and the title. Obviously there is still a lot of work to do, but it’s starting to take shape and actually look like a magazine article. I think the image might take up too much of the page, but I am happy with the images I have decided to use because it doesn’t give much away but still intrigues the audience/reader.

Here is the layout design, based on Empire single spread articles. The only way this differs from the Empire articles is through the three production photos added at the bottom of the main photo, a feature usually confined to double page spreads.

Ancillary Tasks, Similar Products- Looking at Film Reviews

Above are three single page film reviews from Empire magazine. The layout is consistent and defined- there is a shot from the film which dominates the top half of the page. There is a 'look closer' box, which has a few trivia facts about the film. Underneath is the title, with a little by-line of description. Underneath, to the left is a fact file box, followed by the main article. Adding interest is a small extract in a large, different coloured font, from the article in the bottom left and at the end of the article is the 'verdict' and star rating. I will attempt to emmulate this lay-out style for the most part.

Below is a two page spread, which differs mainly in the picture, which is much larger in size and also not a snap from the film, but a shot from the film set. I will probably take this aspect and merge it with mine, possibly with a screenshot from the film as the main image, but with a few smaller shots from the set.

Post-Production- First Edit of 'Another Life'

This is the first edit of 'Another Life', my historical romantic tragedy. There are a few things to change- firstly I need to re-colour it, as some bits are a little rushed. I also need to smooth out audio and try and even it up a bit. Lastly, I need to try and work out why the flashback of Rose pixels... really don't want to do that again as it took me ages to edit. Will also cut the credits down a bit, because it ends exactly on 5 minutes but the credits drag it out to 6.

Post-Production- Colorising (Diary Entry)

I didn’t really do a great deal with colour for the most part. I colourised in Apple’s Color, which I find the easiest, most accessible and most advanced colour program available on a limited budget. Plus its compatibility with Final Cut is excellent, allowing you to put elements into colour, back into Final cut without having to worry about sound or effects put on in Final Cut. I added a basic contrast- deepening and darkening shadows, pulling down mid-tones and pushing up highlights. I also applied a mid-tone red wash to all of the outdoor shots to create a sunrise feel. I pulled down saturation to match the mood of the outdoor shots and also give a suggestion of oldness.

Simple contrast on this shot, which is the grade I applied to most of the outdoor scenes. De-saturated slightly and with a slightly red mid-tone.

When Ernest is reading the letter it is supposed to be night-time, but as I shot the scene in broad daylight, I needed to do a bit of work on it. I applied my usual outdoor contrast grade, but then made the shadows a bluey/purple colour and the midtone a deep blue. I darkened the entire thing and made the shadows deeper, but also made the highlights less light than I usually would in order to try and make it look like night.

Editing- Diary Entry 5

Finished sound, added music and am happy with the cut. Will export into colour and back, then render.

Editing- Diary Entry 4

Started doing more difficult things such as cutting out Helen’s noise piercing, which involves a small overlay of a piece of her skin, key framed to follow the piercing round. Also in the flashback, I used a multilayer overlay with various blurring and lighting effects.

Similar Products- Poster Analysis

Editing- Diary Entry 3

Cut sound and started adding sound effects. Got the majority from Garageband and Soundtrack Pro, but also got some off the internet and recorded some myself (e.g. paper rustling, birds, licking lips).

Editing- Diary Entry 2

Have chopped up all the scenes now, seems to be going pretty well- I don’t think there will be any need for a re-shoot, everything makes sense. Have left in sound for now, but will cut it out and sound effects it to death soon.

Post-Production- Writing Music

The music took 2 days and 1 night to write and record. The basic piano melody was the hardest thing to nail down- I needed to capture the sadness of the scene, but at the same time build up a certain amount of tension and foreboding. So I worked out a pretty simple but effective minor key melody, using chords for the bass notes in a downward progression and a flowing middle F-G refrain with higher notes- middle C,E and high F, A, C and E as measure breakers. The breaking notes get higher as the scene progresses, reaching high E just before Ernest reads the letter. Before he opens the letter, the music is mainly the piano, with some slow strings backing the bass notes and F-G refrain, bass drum in groups of 3 quavers with a semi-quaver break, which builds in volume as the scene builds in tension. There is also a low-volume backing of a high pitched piano and tremolo violin strings that undercuts the bass track and adds another layer of tension.

When Ernest reads the letter, the tremolo strings build at a fast pace to smooth out the transition into the loud, epic finale of the music, which accompanies Ernest’s revelation. Here there is a complex layering of strings, piano (with various effects, including reverb, echo, celestial settings and delay), drums- double pace snare and bass, creating the illusion of a tempo change- the tempo has actually remained the same, with the bass carrying on in the triples in a 4/4 rhythm- crash cymbals backs up the 4/4, with crashes on every 2 and 4 beats. Noise has been added and the main piano that can be heard is a four key arpeggio using the basic notes of the first piano part- middle G,F,C and E. I timed the editing and the music together so the music ends at the end of a measure/bar, the drums tripling to create ultimate tension and tell the audience it is ending before I added the shot effect of gun shots. The music cuts out, Ernest has been shot.

I used Garageband for Mac to record the music, using a small 8-input Mixing desk in which I plugged my Keyboard in to record the piano and string parts. I used a mixture of dynamic Shure and condenser drum mics to record the drum parts, which also went through my mixer. I added effects on recording on the mixer and also on Garageband in production. I also used some Apple loops to add beef and layers to the track. I exported the file as an AIFF and imported it into Final Cut.

Editing- Diary Entry 1

So far with editing I have converted all the clips from HD to SD (MOV. files, COMPRESSION: PRORES 422 (HQ), SOUND: LINEAR PCM, DIMENSIONS: 1024 by 576, BIT RATE: 79,631), put them on my hard-drive, transferred them onto my Mac, created a Rushes folder and new Render folder and imported it into Final Cut.

Production- The Shoots (Diary Entry)

The filming went pretty well I think, spent all of today (Sunday) editing and got a rough draft done. Will post some pictures or videos or something of editing. Don’t think will need to do re-shoots but not 100% sure at this point. Here are some pictures from the two shoots, I didn’t really get chance to take very many...

Pre-Production- Production/Shooting Schedule Saturday 18th February

Production Schedule Saturday

Pre-Production- Production/Shooting Schedule Friday 17th February

Production Schedule

Pre-Production- Story Board

Pre-Production- Setting a date

Spoke to my actors today; filming is scheduled for Friday 17th February (scenes at home) and Saturday the 18^th of February (scenes in Norwich). Re-shoots scheduled for one week later on the 25^th of February, if necessary- I’m hoping they won’t be.

Will draw up a production schedule and shooting schedule soon. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get a recce of the house in which the flashback scenes will be done, because I can’t really get to Norwich before film day. I’ll chuck a few shots of the field up though. Also, can’t do a meet and read through before hand with the actors, as we’re all busy, and don’t have time to get to Norwich/Peterborough.

Pre-Production- Costume Decisions

I looked at the websites for several costume shops and contacted a couple, but they either don’t have an authentic WW1 uniform or they are too expensive, far away or won’t be able to get it before Friday. I have therefore constructed a relatively realistic army uniform. Thankfully, Ernest won’t be wearing one and the Officer is off screen pretty much all the time, so you won’t really see him (hopefully). In terms of Rose's costume, there's not much I can do towards it until I get to Norwich and put something together out of Helen's clothes. I've done some research into WW1 female dress, as seen below, so I know what I'm looking for.

Here are some pictures of the makeshift Officer's uniform:

Just used a green suit, with a greeny/black tie, white shirt and black coat. Hopefully the lapels will show slightly so it looks like a proper uniform e.g.

Unfortunately couldn't get a hat, but hopefully won't either a) have that in shot or b) it will be believable that he could not have worn it for whatever reason. The coat is inspired by the Tommy trench coat, e.g.

But as he’s an Officer, it’s likely to have been a little more up market.

Looking at Ernest, he's wearing a simple white t-shirt/vest/trousers combo with army inspired, but not actual army boots. He will have picked these up at some point in France when on the run. Here's his costume (sorry about dodgy quality):

Pre-Production- Casting

I decided on and contacted some cast members today. Ernest is to be played by my brother, Jamie Leatherbarrow as it’s the easiest in terms of timing etc and he was the lead in my year 12 production, so I thought it would be a nice bit of continuity. He also fits the character profile pretty well.

His wife, Rose is to be played by Helen Haines, a drama student from Norwich who I got to be in one of my previous productions, and so I know that she is reliable, professional and good.

Haven’t cemented the role of Officer yet, but as you don’t see them on screen at all, really, it could be anyone.

 I also found this picture of Helen and Jamie, which is useful and slightly scary.

Pre-Production- Notes on Shot List

There are a couple of things I’m not 100% sure that will work and may need to either review in editing or when I’m filming, hence the notes.

Couple of other things I’ve thought about since posting: Slight red hue graded over most shots will probably work, both to create the sunset illusion and raise connotations of blood, lust, love etc.

Flashbacks always saturated and constant grading. Real time images de-saturated and darker, vary slightly throughout.

Pre-Production- Shot List

Shot List

Pre-Production- Reasons for Changes in Final Script

-          A bit of  added description, just for clearer imagery

-          When Ernest is speaking about the image he keeps having, I’ve taken out the direction which says you’d see it on screen as it may have been a bit patronising for the audience

-          I’ve taken out the Chaplain for two reasons:

1. I read that Chaplains weren’t always present. And it would have been unlikely for there to have been one at a time a crucial and supply stretch as December 1916 in Albert (the Somme was in November).

2. I wanted to remove the notion of God and religion- not entirely, as the Officer says ‘May God have mercy on your soul’, but the idea of the Chaplain passing him from one life to the next, I felt, disrupted my point. Ernest’s death is not so he can meet Rose in heaven, it’s a personal promise, he will see her in death, not in heaven. Ernest probably is a Christian, but his love for Rose is far more important to him than religion.

-          The officer’s speech is changed slightly, and the name of Ernest’s commanding officer has been changed. That was actually just because I made a mistake with who Ernest Beeby’s superior officer was the first time round... Got him mixed up with another case I was reading about... woops.

-          ‘six shots’ changed to twelve because of research

-          Memorial shot added because I thought it would be nice.

Pre-Production- Final Script

1.  EXT- ALBERT LANDSCAPE- SUNRISE

Fade in on a shot of the Albert sunrise, morning light flooding over a desolate and inhabitable landscape. SUPER: Outside Albert, France, December 1916.

Ernest’s face comes into view, staring into the distance, serious, impassive. He has blood and dirt on his face. His hair has grown long out of a short back and sides. Close shot of his eyes, which close, as if in deep internal pain.

*FLASHBACK* A girl stands... her back to the camera... a few metres away. There is a gentle breeze... she is wearing a summer dress. She begins to turn soundlessly... this is ERNEST’S happiest memory of his wife and all of the sounds of war have disappeared

His eyes open again. We see his hands tied behind his back. Scrunched up, but just visible in them is a picture of his wife. He wears a ring. Some birds are nestling in a tree. His lips are chapped and dry. He licks them.

*FLASHBACK* We see ROSE once more, the same shot, she turns slightly more towards the camera

Ernest’s face again. He breathes in slowly and then releases.

2.  INT- ERNEST’S LIVING ROOM- NIGHT

ERNEST and ROSE are lying on the floor, on their backs. They look happy and content- a scene of domestic bliss.

ERNEST

(Frowning, thoughtful)

There’s an image in my mind that I can’t seem to get out

ROSE

Oh? What is it?

ERNEST

Do you remember that day... it was one of the first times we’d met each other... It was summer, and we were on the farm

ROSE

Yes, I remember

ERNEST

And I just remember, you stopped, ahead of me and turned.I couldn’t see your face, but I knew exactly how you would look when you turned around. I didn’t need to see it. It was as if I had known you for years. Like you’d always been with me... and always would

ROSE stares at him, tears in her eyes slightly.

ROSE

I don’t want you to go

ERNEST sighs, he looks stricken now. He glances down

ERNEST

And I don’t want to go

ROSE

(Half joking, half serious)

Couldn’t we just... run away?

ERNEST

If only we could... it would make things easier.

He pauses, staring at the worried expression on her face 

But they say the war’s nearly over. I doubt I’ll even get to shoot anyone. [BEAT] I’ll come back to you at Christmas

ROSE

Make sure you do

ERNEST

Come back or shoot someone?

She smiles

ROSE

Just come back to me

ERNEST smiles

ERNEST

I will. I promise

ROSE

And promise you won’t let a German shoot you

ERNEST

I promise I won’t let a German shoot me

ROSE smiles. They lie back, staring at the ceiling

ROSE

Another thing, Ernest...

             ERNEST

Mmm?

       ROSE

I’ve been to see the Doctor... 

ERNEST sits up, and looks at her, worried

I’m pregnant

ERNEST looks at her for a second in disbelief, and then breaks into a huge, shocked smile

3.  EXT- ALBERT LANDSCAPE- SUNRISE- AS BEFORE

A tear rolls down ERNEST’s cheek. There is movement behind him, and he sniffs. He composes himself. An Officer’s legs comes into view behind him

OFFICER

That’s your five minutes. Come on

The shot remains on his face, which is impassive, emotionless as he is dragged to his feet. We stay on his face as he is lead towards the post, the shot only interrupted by close ups of his feet, squelching in the mud, the OFFICER’S hand on his arm, his arms behind his back. He is bound to the post by the officer, but we never leave the close shot of ERNEST’s face.

OFFICER

Ernest Beeby, you are found guilty of desertion when on active service, under your superior officer, No. 11516 S.Major A. O’Connell on the 29^th October 1916. Under Section 12 of the Army Act, you are sentenced to death by firing squad. In the absence of a chaplain we may only hope God will have mercy on your soul.

Throughout this passage, the focus is mainly on his face, but occasionally there are cuts to the same shot of ROSE, still facing sideways, her hair blowing in the breeze.

The OFFICER walks forward, with a bag in his hand and attempts to place it on ERNEST’s head.

ERNEST

Please- no hood

OFFICER

Very well

ERNEST nods his appreciation

OFFICER

Take aim...

The scene is building pace, the music quickens

ERNEST

I will come back to you.

The music is at a peak, a crescendo

*FLASHBACK* A young soldier is rousing ERNEST from his sleep on the floor. He hands him a letter and leaves. ERNEST opens it- we see his face as he reads the words- shock. Extracts of the letter flash on screen- ‘Mrs Rose Beeby... died in childbirth...25^th October...sorry for your loss... remain on active duty until notified otherwise’. We see a shot of him from behind as he sinks to his knees, shaking. We see him packing his things, and walking off into the sunset. 

Suddenly cuts to the lips of the officer as he screams:

OFFICER

 FIRE!

BANG! Twelve shots are heard, the music stops, a group of birds takes off from a nearby tree and all is quiet. The picture that was behind his back falls from his hands, but is caught by the wind, and falls in front of him. He looks down on it- he is just alive. He smiles, the light in his eyes just about there. A hand comes into view, checks his pulse.

OFFICER

Has he gone?

DOCTOR

Aye, he’s gone.

The hand disappears. His face hasn’t changed- locked eternally in a peaceful smile.

Fades to a memorial shot of Ernest Beeby.

                                                           FADE OUT

Pre-Production- Further Findings from Execution Research

Expectations of war

World War One soldiers knew their king and country expected them to fight to the death. Such was the expectation of their military commanders, their political leaders and even their loved ones that there was no question that if mortal danger came, they should face it like men. It was the only way for good to triumph over evil.
But this conflict quickly became the most brutal war in history and not even the most seasoned serviceman was prepared for the scale of carnage that unfolded before him. For many the horror proved too much. Hundreds were unable to cope, many were driven insane and several simply ran away.
But the army could no more afford to carry cowards than it could traitors, and many of those who did flee faced instant retribution with a court martial and death by firing squad.

... their names still do not appear on official war memorials.

British and Commonwealth military command executed 306 of its own men during the Great War. Those shot brought such shame on their country that nearly a century on, their names still do not appear on official war memorials.
Relatives and supporters of the executed men are fighting to win them a posthumous pardon. Their Shot at Dawn campaign claims the soldiers were blameless because it was severe psychological trauma, not cowardice, that rendered them physically unable to cope with the shocking scenes they had witnessed.
But others believe it is impossible to condemn the events of a century ago from a modern-day perspective. Whatever the rights and wrongs, they say, a pardon is inappropriate and impossible.

Top

Military justice

British troops witnessed the annihilation of their friends on a daily basis ©Most of the three million British troops soon knew they faced almost certain death on the battlefield. Day after day they would witness the annihilation of their friends, never knowing if or when they would be next. On some occasions whole battalions were wiped out, leaving just a handful of confused, terrified men. But those who shirked their responsibility soon learned there was no way out of the horror - if they ran from German guns, they would be shot by British ones.
Private Thomas Highgate was the first to suffer such military justice. Unable to bear the carnage of 7,800 British troops at the Battle of Mons, he had fled and hidden in a barn. He was undefended at his trial because all his comrades from the Royal West Kents had been killed, injured or captured. Just 35 days into the war, Private Highgate was executed at the age of 17.
Many similar stories followed, among them that of 16-year-old Herbert Burden, who had lied that he was two years older so he could join the Northumberland Fusiliers. Ten months later, he was court-martialled for fleeing after seeing his friends massacred at the battlefield of Bellwarde Ridge. He faced the firing squad still officially too young to be in his regiment.

Herbert Burden faced the firing squad still officially too young to be in his regiment...

To their far-off generals, the soldiers' executions served a dual purpose - to punish the deserters and to dispel similar ideas in their comrades. Courts martial were anxious to make an example and those on trial could expect little support from medical officers. One such doctor later recalled, 'I went to the trial determined to give him no help, for I detest his type - I really hoped he would be shot.'
Those condemned to death usually had their sentences confirmed by Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig on the evening following their court-martial. A chaplain was dispatched to spend the night in the cell with the condemned man and execution took place the following dawn, with some men facing their last moments drugged with morphine or alcohol.
When the time came, the offender was tied to a stake, a medical officer placed a piece of white cloth over the man's heart and a priest prayed for him. Then the firing line - usually made up of six soldiers - was given orders to shoot. One round was routinely blank and no soldier could be sure he had fired a fatal shot.
Immediately after the shooting, the medical officer would examine the man. If he was still alive, the officer in charge would finish him off with a revolver.
'So many of those who were executed were just boys,' argues Shot at Dawn campaign leader John Hipkin. 'They made no allowance for that. They and their families were let down. The whole issue was, and still is, a disgrace.'

Top

Shell shock

Not one of the executed soldiers would be shot today - the military death penalty was outlawed in 1930. But psychologist Dr Petra Boynton believes that, even 90 years ago, there was no excuse for killing soldiers who were so obviously under the most extreme stress.
'Letters home from the front line show soldiers in stages of mental collapse,' she says. 'Men were obviously breaking down as they wrote about the horrors they'd seen. Those who did survive were changed forever.'
Shell shock - now called post-traumatic stress disorder - was first recognised in print by Dr Charles Myers of the British Psychological Society in 1915. By the end of the war the army had dealt with more than 80,000 cases.
'Even the ancient Greeks knew about what they called 'war exhaustion', whether it was physical or mental,' says Dr Boynton from the Royal Free and University Medical School.

Many of these men later proved they were brave by refusing to be blindfolded for their executions.

'This condition would make soldiers behave erratically or hysterically, or go to the other extreme and become catatonic. Some who had run away claimed they could no longer stand the noise, and we know that if the eardrums take a constant pounding, the discomfort is too painful to bear. I'm sure thousands of men were terrified, but this is different. This is about inability to cope.
'Many of these men later proved they were brave by refusing to be blindfolded for their executions. They stared down the barrels of the guns which would kill them. That's not cowardice. That's courage.'
Dr Boynton believes those in the firing line would also have suffered. 'It was an extremely powerful form of bullying, having to kill your own friends,' she says. 'It sent out the message that you could be next.'

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The case against a pardon

The Americans often used humiliation as a punishment for desertion ©Britain was not alone in executing its own soldiers. The French are thought to have killed about 600. The Germans, whose troops outnumbered the British by two to one, shot 48 of their own men, and the Belgians 13. In 2001, 23 executed Canadians were posthumously honoured by their government, and five troops killed by New Zealand's military command also recently won a pardon. Not one American or Australian soldier was executed.
Five successive British governments have rejected appeals to pardon the soldiers and the Ministry of Defence refuses to re-open the court martial files, even on the youngest troops.
'There are lots of problems with second-guessing the reasoning behind these actions from today's standpoint,' says an MoD spokesman. 'Anyone over the age of 14 was deemed legally responsible for his actions and army regulations provided no immunity from military law for an underage soldier.
'A blanket pardon is impossible because all the cases were different. It would be very difficult to review each case separately because in 80 years a lot of the papers have disappeared.'

An individual re-assessment of these cases would undoubtedly reconvict the majority...

Offences other than desertion carried the death penalty and Cathryn Corns, co-author of Blindfold and Alone, which examines all 306 courts martial, agrees pardons would be entirely inappropriate.
'The number of rogues outnumbered those with mitigating circumstances by about six to one,' she said. 'Many were repeat deserters who showed no sign of shell shock. An individual re-assessment of these cases would undoubtedly reconvict the majority, which would be a terrible thing for families to bear - even worse, probably, than clinging to the hope of a pardon for the ancestors they believe to be innocent.
'Sometimes there were no witnesses at the original trials. If evidence wasn't available then to say exactly what happened, we certainly won't find it now.
'Military justice was harsh, but life was much harsher then. Capital punishment was still used in Britain. And while the military law used was written for previous campaigns in Africa, and perhaps was not appropriate, every one of the soldiers signed up to those regulations.'

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Changing times

Memorial to those executed, modelled on Herbert Burden who was shot aged 17 ©Opinion continues to be divided. The Royal British Legion supports calls for a pardon and, for the past two years, has invited the Shot at Dawn campaigners to take part in the march past the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday. Last year a memorial to the executed soldiers was erected at the National Memorial Arboretum in Lichfield, Staffs.
'We don't want pardons for villains. We want justice for people who were shot for insubordination because they refused to put on a hat, or who fell asleep at their post, or were just so terrified they simply could not cope.'

...we must be very wary about applying our modern sentiments and values to the 1914-18 war.

But Cathryn Corn's co-author, former Intelligence Corps officer Colonel John Hughes-Wilson, is adamant history should not be rewritten. 'The real issue is not about the convictions but about the severity of the sentences,' he says.
'Some men, and there are tragic cases, were undoubtedly suffering from what we would now recognise as combat stress. But our great-grandfathers didn't understand that any more than they knew about blood transfusions or penicillin.
'If these men were alive today, we would not kill them. But we must be very wary about applying our modern sentiments and values to the 1914-18 war. We cannot re-invent the past to suit ourselves today. And even now we expect our servicemen, and women, to do what they presumably signed up to do - risk their lives and fight.'

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A soldier's story

World War One veteran Smiler Marshall ©Veteran Albert 'Smiler' Marshall recalls only too well the terror of battle. The former Essex Yeomanry soldier, who was 105 in 2002, remembers one incident in 1917 as being even more horrifying than the Somme.
'One afternoon at about 4pm we learned that soldiers from the Oxford and Bucks regiment were to go over the top at 6pm. By nine o'clock every single one of them was dead.
'We went out with the Royal Army Medical Corps to bury them all. An officer held up a white stick as we went into No Man's Land. It was a sign to ask the enemy to stop firing, and they did. We could only dig down a few feet and cover them with a bit of soil, burying them where they lay. It was horrible.'
But having lived through the terror, Smiler, now of Ashtead, Surrey, believes it would be wrong to pardon those who were shot at dawn. 'I didn't know anyone who was executed or who had anything to do with a firing squad but we all knew about the penalty. But it didn't occur to you not to fight. You didn't think about it, you just did it. And you just took what came your way.'

...you regularly lost a friend, or someone near you. The thought never left you that you could be next.

And Smiler saw only too well what came the way of many of his comrades. 'You lived in these trenches for days and days with nothing happening but bombardments, but you regularly lost a friend, or someone near you. The thought never left you that you could be next.'
But Smiler, believed to be the last surviving World War One veteran to have fought on horseback, did have some sympathy with at least one man who was punished. 'One day I was ordered to stand guard over a chap who had been tied to a wheel, without food or water, as a punishment for something. I can't remember what he'd done. But I felt sorry for him so I put my fag up to his lips so he could have a smoke. It was a very risky thing to do because if anyone had seen me they'd have tied me to the wheel as well!
'Years later I was walking down Oxford Street in London and I saw him. He recognised me immediately and thanked me. He said he'd never forgotten that fag.'

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/shot_at_dawn_01.shtml

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Passchendaele

Watch from 3.52 onwards.

Here is the death scene of Michael Dunne at the Battle of Passchendaele- a famous WW1 battle. The obvious links are the time period and the death of a soldier, although he has been shot by Germans rather than executed. His lover Sarah Mann, who is a nurse, finds him dying from multiple wounds. He dies in her arms. He is a tragic hero like Ernest, and dies for love. He, like Ernest, also promises not to die at war, but does- however; he is breaking his promise, whereas Ernest is actually keeping all of his.

Romeo and Juliet

Watch from 4:18 onwards

This is the classic scene, where Romeo, believing Juliet to be dead, drinks poison, as he can’t live without her. Juliet, waking up to find Romeo dead, kills herself. In the original text, Romeo is dead when she wakes up and she stabs herself, whereas in this version, Romeo is dying and she shoots herself through the temple. This is an example of a tragic scene in that the young, in love couple meet a tragic end in death, with family differences and conflict ultimately being the reason for their deaths. The scene is warmly lit by candlelight, as in both Romeo’s suicide and Juliet’s afterwards, despite their sadness at their love’s death; they find themselves dying with a certain amount of happiness at the prospect of dying with their soul-mate. This idea is emulated in Another Life, with both Ernest and Rose dying, and Ernest purposefully dying in order not to break his promise to Rose.

Braveheart

Watch from start

In Braveheart, the tragic hero’s wife also dies, but earlier on in the film, her death acting as the catalyst for all the other events. The real tragic end is William Wallace’s death, out of stubbornness and refusing to surrender his freedom to the English. In Wallace’s final scene, he is publicly tortured and then executed by the army- the similarities between this and Another Life are apparent. It is also a historical drama, following a real person, which departs from facts slightly in order to create an entertaining and moving picture- also similarly to Another Life.

Research- Target Audience

Target audience for tragedy films are pretty hard to pin down as tragedy is such an old, prevalent and well-known genre. Everyone likes a cathartic ending really. As for the romance element, female viewers would definitely be more interested, as romantic films appeal more to women than men. The war element may bring in some male attention, and also the attention of anyone with a historical interest, owing mainly to the fact that the WWI executions are a relatively uncovered topic, especially in film. I rated the film 12A so the target audience is obviously 12 upwards, but the main target will be women, 16-45.

Similar Products- Character Theory

It's difficult to link Ernest to a particular theory. Goffman's protagonist is probably the most obvious, as he is a pretty standard protagonist. He's also a bit of a sacrifice- or rather he sacrifices himself for what he believes in. He is also the focal character, which is nearly always the case with protagonists. Going by Goffman's theory, this makes Rose, Ernest's wife the deuteragonist, dating back from Aeschylus's invention of a second character.
Ernest is representative of the male gender and soldiers from the time period. He fits he male role in that he is fit, works hard and is devoted to his wife. This is especially important when considering the time period. He is stuck in his ways and stubborn up until the end. He is conventional of the time period in many ways and also unconventional. He is also an unconventional soldier in that he would rather die for love than for his country. He is unfazed by the idea that he is seen as a villain and viewed as a coward by his peers as he believes he is doing the right thing for his wife and fulfilling the promises he made her. However, he is nevertheless a good soldier, and was resourceful, economical and clever.

Pre-Production- Script Version 1

1.  EXT- ALBERT LANDSCAPE- SUNRISE

Fade in on a shot of the Albert sunrise, morning light flooding over a desolate and inhabitable landscape. SUPER: Outside Albert, France, December 1916.

Ernest’s face comes into view, staring into the distance, serious, impassive. He has blood and dirt on his face. His hair has grown long out of a short back and sides. Close shot of his eyes, which close, as if in deep internal pain.

*FLASHBACK* A girl stands... her back to the camera... a few metres away. There is a gentle breeze... she is wearing a summer dress. She begins to turn... soundlessly... this is ERNEST’S happiest memory of his wife and all of the sounds of war have disappeared

His eyes open again. We see his hands tied behind his back. Scrunched up, but just visible in them is a picture of his wife. He wears a ring. Some birds are nestling in a tree. His lips are chapped and dry. He licks them.

*FLASHBACK* We see ROSE once more, the same shot, she turns slightly more.

Ernest’s face again. He breathes in slowly and then releases.

2.  INT- ERNEST’S LIVING ROOM- NIGHT

ERNEST and ROSE are lying on the floor, on their backs. They look happy and content- a scene of domestic bliss.

ERNEST

Frowning, thoughtful

There’s an image in my mind that I can’t seem to get out

ROSE

Oh? What is it?

ERNEST

Do you remember that day... it was one of the first times we’d met each other... It was summer, and we were on the farm

As he speaks, slow motion colour blur images match his speech

ROSE

Yes, I remember

ERNEST

And I just remember, you stopped, ahead of me and turned

As he says this, the clip is played of her turning in slow motion

I couldn’t see your face, but I knew exactly how you would look when you did. I didn’t need to see it. It was as if I had known you for years. Like you’d always been with me... and always would

ROSE stares at him, tears in her eyes slightly. She leans over and kisses him

ROSE

I don’t want you to go

ERNEST sighs, he looks stricken now. He glances down, the

ERNEST

And I don’t want to go

ROSE

Half joking, half serious

Couldn’t we just... run away?

ERNEST

If only we could. But they say the war’s nearly over. I doubt I’ll even get to shoot anyone. I’ll come back to you at Christmas

ROSE

Make sure you do

ERNEST

Come home or shoot someone?

She smiles

ROSE

Just come back to me

ERNEST smiles

ERNEST

I will. I promise

ROSE

And promise you won’t be shot by a German

ERNEST

I promise I won’t be shot by a German.

ROSE smiles

ROSE

Oh and one more thing... I’ve been to see the Doctor...

ERNEST sits up, and looks at her, worried

I’m pregnant

ERNEST looks at her, and then breaks into a huge, shocked smile

3.  EXT- ALBERT LANDSCAPE- SUNRISE- AS BEFORE

A tear rolls down ERNEST’s cheek. There is movement behind him, and he sniffs. He composes himself. An Officer’s legs comes into view behind him

OFFICER

That’s your five minutes. Come on

The shot remains on his face, which is impassive, emotionless as he is dragged to his feet. We stay on his face as he is lead towards the post, the shot only interrupted by close ups of his feet, squelching in the mud, the OFFICER’S hand on his arm, his arms behind his back. He is bound to the post by the officer, but we never leave the close shot of ERNEST’s face.

CHAPLAIN

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil

OFFICER

Ernest Beeby, you are found guilty of desertion when on active service, without orders from your superior officer, No.443 Sgt Williams on the 4^th November, 1916. Under Section 12 of the Army Act, you are sentenced to death by firing squad.

Throughout this passage, the focus is mainly on his face, but occasionally there are cuts to the same shot of ROSE, still facing sideways, her hair blowing in the breeze.

The OFFICER walks forward, with a bag in his hand and attempts to place it on ERNEST’s head.

ERNEST

Please- no blindfold

OFFICER

Very well

ERNEST nods his appreciation

OFFICER

Take aim...

The scene is building pace, the music quickens

ERNEST

I will come back to you.

The music is at a peak, a crescendo

*FLASHBACK* A young soldier is rousing ERNEST from his sleep on the floor. He hands him a letter and leaves. ERNEST opens it- we see his face as he reads the words- shock. Extracts of the letter flash on screen- ‘Mrs Rose Beeby... died in childbirth...25^th October...sorry for your loss... remain in active duty’. We see a shot of him from behind as he sinks to his knees, shaking. We see him packing his things, and walking off into the sunset. 

Suddenly cuts back to the lips of the officer as he screams:

OFFICER

 FIRE!

BANG! Six shots are heard, the music stops, a group of birds takes off from a nearby tree and all is quiet. The picture that was behind his back falls from his hands, but is caught by the wind, and falls in front of him. He looks down on it- he is just alive. He smiles, the light in his eyes just about there. A hand comes into view, checks his pulse.

OFFICER

Is he gone?

DOCTOR

Aye, he’s gone.

The hand disappears. His face hasn’t changed- locked eternally in a peaceful smile.

FADE OUT