VISUAL TREATMENT
Terminal life is a film about fear, grief and the isolation one faces when you do not deal with them. Our visual treatment of the film intends to support these themes through practical low-key lighting, wide-angle lenses, and leveraging the geographical variety uniquely offered in Saskatchewan.
The first act of the film takes place in and around a facility that Mason, the main character, spends all of her time. With guidance from ANA, the A.I. caretake, Mason keeps the facility in order, even though they’re running low on power. For these interior scenes, practical lighting will be employed to create a low-key stylized look with strong framing. By placing lights within the scene as the motivated source, we can create an engaging visual design that also helps build tension – we never know when they could go out.
This sense of crushing darkness is also thematically relevant, as Mason struggles to deal with the isolation of being the sole survivor on an entire planet. The use of wide-angle lenses will put the audience in the space with Mason. No longer an observer, but a participant in her emotional journey. As the film progresses and Mason ventures out into the world, there will be a conscious effort to give each sequence along her journey a specific look.
While typically known for its flat and expansive prairies, Saskatchewan is also home to diverse landscapes. At the start of her journey, she enters a forest. This represents the uncertainty of what lies ahead. As the mist burns away from the early morning light, it will create an uneasy ambience, with long shadows cast as the sun touches the treetops. At high noon, Mason will cross the dry sun-baked badlands of southern Saskatchewan. They feel otherworldly in comparison to the prairie wheat fields. Further west, there are The Great Sand Dunes. This unexpected feature on the prairies is a visual wonder and an exciting set-piece where Mason fights to survive. Lastly there are beautiful green valleys that stretch out to the horizon in either direction. A welcome sight, as Mason believes she has accomplished her goal.
It is through the natural beauty of Saskatchewan’s big blue skies and unique landscape that Terminal Life will work to establish the other side of isolation – not crushing darkness, but being nothing more than a speck among overwhelming space.
Natural light will be relied upon, with the use of bounce boards and silks to shape it as needed. This has challenges of its own, but at this budget level, it is important to stay light and mobile in order to make the days. For this reason, handheld camerawork will be employed whenever possible. One, for obvious practical reasons, but also to maintain a sense of forward momentum and energy. This is the adventure Mason has been wanting as a distraction. It is messy and chaotic, and handheld will lend itself to this. It will also punctuate the moments where we choose to be still and intimate.
Terminal life aims to be a visually striking film whose diverse locations and engaging camerawork will serve to support the story and its thematic elements.
