PARAISO BEACH Science-fiction short film and cross-media project. 12 minutes • Visual Quests. 2013
INDEX
» PROJECT STATEMENT » 2012 FANCINE AWARD » SYNOPSIS » REFERENCES » SIDE PROJECTS » CHARACTERS » ILLUSTRATION & DESIGNS
PROJECT STATEMENT 01 / THE STORY IS BORN Upon the need of telling a science-fiction tale about two chracters who are living a very happy moment into a very hostile environment. A beach, two melancholic souls and a post-apocalyptic world where life is almost a miracle. The idea is to create a visually powerful work whilst giving, at a same time, some thoughts on certain mankind's existential aspects, always with a sense of irony and humor.
02 / THE INTENTIONS Are to lampoon and expose current politic and environmental issues, by extrapolating them into a fictional post-apocalyptic future, a sort of invented tomorrow set as a context where to expose, at its best, these thoughts on nowaday's problems... And where also to relate and think about classical arguments on politics, ecology, humankind, survival and freedom, through a thrilling and entertaining plot.
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PROJECT STATEMENT 03 / THE MAIN INGREDIENTS
04 / THE PLOT ROOTS
On which the production is based are few, just in order to let
On a real, easy beach day. Being able to get the most of nature
the work crew only worry about the product's final quality:
whenever we please, suddenly a frightening idea came to
just one location for filming and three characters for a 12
my mind: how it would feel to not be able to enjoy any of
minutes play.
these wonders, nor for me or anybody? How it'll feel not to ever sense the fresh air in the face, the sand running free
We've arranged everything to let all of our energies focus on
between our fingers, the water cooling off our skin? To be
build the most impressive visual and emotional output,
isolated, with seldom traces of life around you.
also by investing most of the budget attained on HQ equipment, locations and art props to make all look amazing!
That terrible scenario set many and very interesting questions. This proposal felt powerful enough to write a story of it... An exercise that has proved to be quite a personal and spiritual liberation for me.
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AWARDS: FANCINE 2012 05 / TO SUMMARIZE
Fancine (Málaga's main fantastic film festival, with a 20 years bac-
Paraiso Beach is a science-fiction tragicomic short story that
kground on the run), granted us
gambles with the destiny of three characters placed into
with the 2012 Best Short Film
a lost beach, where they will have to make up the rules
Project Award, and thus becoming
and where survival itself would be put at stake. In brief, a
project's main producer (indeed,
powerful tale treated with respect, sense of humor and a
thanks to that fact, we've been able
lot of humanity.
to start this amazing adventure) Read full article online
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Big thank you from all the crew!
SYNOPSIS 01 / CONCEPTUAL SYNOPSIS
02 / THE PLOT
When you live in a decadent world without hope,
In a planet Earth isolated because of a big cataclysm that erradicated all traces
there's only one desire that stands up: to
of life in the past, survival is on an edge while the few last human race's
avoid reality.
ones try to endure in colonies under the surface, fighting hard to maintain
Leo and Mónica are two melancholic souls dres-
a proper social structure that would allow them a glimpse of hope.
sed up in anti-radiation suits, recalling on an
Leo and Mónica live into this future, where survival is almost a miracle... Though
impossible past time fact: to have a simple
nonetheless for them is never too late to enjoy an improvised vacation day
beach day, into their future without a future.
in a lost beach. A blue cool keeper, a color fainted umbrella, anti/radiation
That's possibly the only way not to end up un-
cream, beach rackets… All is ready and set up!
hinged in the fight for real survival. A fight for which there is not much strength left… Maybe any…
But the arrival of a Great Colony soldier will change it all. The cruelty of that world is going to put them into a challenge too hard to be eluded, which will push to the limits all their boundaries and most sincere principles.
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REFERENCES
FALLOUT
Paraiso Beach grounds its inspiration in a wide range of works with similar themes and aesthetics, which are clear references and which will be found on the short film's look. Here are some of them.
VIDEOGAME | Tim Cain, Interplay Because of its radioactive and destroyed future where the Earth has been devastated. Because of its radiactive suits and artefacts.
MARTIAN CHRONICLES BOOK | Ray Bradbury Because of its imaginarium full of human details and because of Ray's ability to impregnate incredible thoughts on his stories, all of them adaptable to our present day.
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12 MONKEYS
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
FILM | Terry Guilliam Because of its decadent environment
FILM | Garth Jennings
and its approach on the future. Because
Because of its continuous mix of hu-
of its mix of sense of humour and satire
mour and science-fiction, made in a
and its scenario.
perfect symbiosis.
THE BOOK OF ELI
THE ROAD
FILM | Hughes Brothers
FILM | John Hillcoat
Because of its inhospitable, dry and
Because of its lack of hope in survival
harmful environment.
and its continuous seek for life in a futu-
Because of its slightly hopeful ending
re with no traces of it.
among its general defeatism.
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SIDE PROJECTS
Paraiso Beach's universe lets us easily forge countless intertwined stories, all of them opened to be arranged and made upon many different visual and audiovisual artistic disciplines
SIDE PROJECTS: THE 64 NET 01 / DESCRIPCTION Once the short film and the book are finished, we will develop a series of comics based upon the 64 Nest's story (the subterranean neighborhood where Leo and M贸nica were risen inside The Great Colony)
SIDE PROJECTS: BOOK OF RULES OF THE GREAT COLONY 01 / DESCRIPCTION It's a side work which comes from the short film's fictional world. The plan is to write the book and distri-
02 / CONCEPT Into Paraiso Beach's universe, the cities where people live and struggle to survive against mankind extinction are called Colonies, an organized net of subterranean cities governed by Queens from the Worldwide Oligarchy, the only political structure left.
bute it as an explanatory supple-
These cities are ruled by severe written laws (all compiled in The Book of Rules of the
ment of its political and social
Great Colony) which every citizen must know. This book of rules its a sort of bible
context and to show its huge uni-
and, at a same time, a survival manual, used by the ruling class as a mind-control
verse of rules and laws.
tool and a way to protect their political interests.
links } • 14 •
Website Facebook
SIDE PROJECTS: UTOPIA / ENTROPY / DISTOPIA 01 / DESCRIPCTION
02 / PROJECT'S FRACTIONS Utopia 1/3 Entropy 2/3
Distopía 3/3
Describes a modern and
The same unworried world
All is lost now and, whilst
among them, when screened togheter
prosper world without any
explodes and the chaos
desolation expands upon
they turn into a single visual puzzle.
worries, where technical
turns into self destruction.
the Earth's crust, life
This film side work it's refered to a series of audiovisual footage set as an advance story for the main short film, Paraiso Beach. Made upon three short films which are different
As a creation derived from Paraiso Beach's universe, this work proposes the beginning
development goes on with
seems to stop in every
the current course.
aspect.
of the end of life as related in the main short film.
links } • 15 •
Website Vimeo
SIDE WORKS Book of Rules of the Great Colony
SIDE WORKS Utopia / Entropy / Distopia
CHARACTERS
CHARACTERS: LEÓNIDAS PÉREZ » Héctor Medina « Héctor Medina is an actor from Málaga (Spain) with a long career in the audiovisual environment. He has taken part in many projects such as Pedro Pacheco's Barriobajeros or Enrique García's Malabestia, with whom he is currently on the shooting of his first length fiction feature (321 days in Michigan) playing the role of Carmona, a troublemaker jailed prisioner. Héctor is Paraiso Beach's Leo, the non-conformist explorer who is always questioning everything and gives nothing for plain truth. Impulsive and very sharp, he hates the world in where he has born and only his short breaks with Mónica keeps him away from the cruel reality and, at least, with a trace of hope in his heart.
CHARACTERS: MÓNICA GUILLIAM » Maggie Civantos « Maggie Civantos is an actress born in Malaga (Spain) currently working and living in Madrid. She has a wide experience in cinema and television, having appeared in spanish series such as Toledo (historial fiction), Hospital Central (medical fiction) or Escenas de Matrimonio (situation comedy), showing her great skills as player, both in drama and comedy roles. She becomes Mónica in Paraiso Beach, an enthusiastic girl full of life and willing to serve The Great Colony by taking part in the generation that will lead human race to survive and avoid its near extinction. Cheerful and committed, her imagination will lead her and Leo to a very transcendental day in their lives (and so for the rest), in a lonely lost beach where anything can happen.
ILLUSTRATIONS & DESIGNS
All resources made for Paraiso Beach's short film and its side projects are planned to be used as visual hooks for spectators and science-fiction fans, transforming them into merchandising goods. Its sales profits will be used to reward every professional involved in the construction of this project. + INFO
WEBSITE GALLERY // BEHANCE // VIMEO
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All was built to forget about problems beyond their home doors. Nothing could ever disturb their glorious prosperity. They had no reasons what to worry about but to enjoy life in pure opulence. And so they did, until something they decided to ignore roared...
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