“Pilot” Breakdown and Review Part 6

Sorry for the extended absence I had a lot going on with preparations for a film premiere and just general craziness. Now however things should be much more calm and much less crazy.

EXT. FOREST NEAR RIVER

Tommy, Esther, Miljan searching for mushrooms find water instead.

Esther (VO): Tommy Miljan and I went out looking for mushrooms uh we didn’t find mushrooms but we found a river. And that was a nice bit of relief. 

We have found a river!

Miljan gets right in a splashes water around.

Miljan: I mean it’s fine now you get used to it.

Tommy: This feels so nice, this feels so nice.

Miljan: Come on Esther let’s get wet.

Esther: I haven’t got any other clothes.

Miljan: You don’t need water to get wet.

Esther laughs from the shore.

ESTHER (V.O.): He’s weird, he’s a funny one but our sense of humor we just click.

“Pilot” Breakdown and Review Part 5

Previously on the Pilot Episode Breakdown

16 total strangers were helicoptered into the Siberian Wilderness and told that their bags would not be following them. Their goal to survive the winter and win all of or part of a $500,000 prize.

They would be staying at a recreated settlement for traders in the area. A settlement that was found abandoned 100 years before, food still cooking in pots.

They were to follow a marked path of red flags to make the two mile traverse to the settlement with the warning that the last two people to make it would be eliminated from contention. Berglind tried to blaze her own way and Harpreet followed, and while Tommy helped an injured Daniel- they made it to the settlement not long before Harpreet and Berglind who were eliminated.

Apparently there is one rule: if you go to the safety zone to signal for help by going over the line you are eliminated from the competition.

INT/EXT. SETTLEMENT- LATER

The Settlement

Inside the girls cabin contestants are talking.

“There’s six beds right?”

“There’s only 6 beds.”

“Someone has to sleep on the floor.”

Esther: I’m not sleeping on the floor. I’m just saying that I’m just putting it out there straight away.

ESTHER (V.O.): I was just like nuh-uh-uhh. That’s not gonna happen.

“That’s not going to happen!”

All the other girls are paying very close attention to what’s going on. We see various shots of their reactions.

Beyond-Siberia Board is up!

Well the poll for discussing whether we should have boards closed with a tie so that means I get to choose to cast the tie breaking vote.

As you can tell by the title I’ve chosen to go ahead and open a message board.

It will have a growing list of categories as time goes on and will allow a place for much discussion. Especially enabling fans to discuss episodes of Siberia long before I get there using breakdowns and reviews!

Feel free to check them out by clicking the link in the Blogroll to the right.

Or simply clicking right here: Beyond Siberia Message boards!

Tomorrow we’ll continue with the breakdown of the Pilot Episode.

Ross

“Pilot” Breakdown and Review Part 4

A Brief Introduction

When we last left off some people were about to enter the settlement, only four have yet to arrive Berglind, Harpreet, Daniel and Tommy.

Who’s it going to be?

Pilot Episode Breakdown Continued

EXT/INT. SETTLEMENT- DAY- CONTINUED

Contestants are leaving the cabin.

“I can’t believe they made it!”

MIljan claps as the two are revealed to be Tommy and Daniel!

Daniel and Tommy make it to Camp.

Tommy: Can we get a a little help here guys?

Annie: Yes!

Carolina: Yes!

Annie runs out in front. And then the camera cuts back to one of the cabins and shows Esther looking out at the new arrivals.

Tommy (V.O.): You see the camp and and yeah you’re relieved to be there-

Is Esther annoyed?

(Esther looks annoyed or is that just me?)

Anyway the whole group surrounds Tommy and Daniel

Tommy: Let’s make it to a seat.

(Tons of overlapping dialogue).

Carolina: Why don’t you help him on that side?

George: You want me to be on that side?

George helps Tommy as Carolina looks on.

George moves to the other side and shoulders Daniel’s other arm.

They carry him towards one of the cabins.

Daniel (V.O.): It was a really good feeling, it was like okay if I can get this ankle healed up I’ve got a chance to at least make the effort.

George: Well nice to see you!

Carolina: Take him straight over there that’s the boys cabin.

Victoria and Carolina walk on either side of the boys as they help Daniel into Camp.

Tommy (V.O.): Um I honestly thought we were last. I figured there was a lot of people there when we got there.

Trailers and Synopsis for The Thief in The Night

Hey folks Ross here (who else would it be geeeenius) and I just wanted to share another project that has a lot of my attention at the moment.

The Thief in the Night Banner

Over a year and a half ago now my best friend Daniel Medina Jr. asked me if I would act in a truly low budget, very very independent Christian film called The Thief in the Night for him. I said sure and I joined a mighty fine cast, not to mention writer director as we worked very hard at no cost to bring his set of characters, and a powerful story of redemption and salvation to life.

Issues and Delays

Hey folks!

Sorry there haven’t been posts for a couple of days, I had planned to do at least one more part of the “Pilot” episode’s breakdown/Review today but that will have to wait until at least this evening.

Last night my 1 Tb external drive took an unexpected dive into not working at all, and since I don’t have a job recovering the data on there could take quite some time. This includes a folder called entertainment which was filled with entertainment.

So today I’m going into recovery mode and am getting things back on track.

I just wanted you to know that I’ll be back on schedule A.S.A.P.

Also I’m scouring the internet for news concerning the continuing saga of NBC’s Siberia (whether it returns to NBC is anyone’s guess right now) if you happen to find any articles or comments drop them in a comment, or e-mail me the news to the e-mail address on my about page. You will of course get credit for providing the link.

See you later!

Ross

“Pilot” Breakdown and Review Part 3

INT/EXT. SETTLEMENT- CONTINUING

Carolina (V.O.): When I made it I was incredibly relieved, I was so extremely overwhelmed and happy. 

Female Contestant: Honey I’m home!

Miljan shakes hands with Neeko.

Miljan: How you doing buddy.

Victoria’s Confessional

Victoria (V.O.): Yeah when we got there it was….it was a relief. And then we saw the cabins that was a relief too.

We follow the different contestants into the cabins as they mingle.

(I’ll do my best to get good coverage on incidental dialogue).

Natalie (V.O.): It felt really good to arrive at the settlement especially after our trek there- a huge sigh of relief. But also I was really impressed with what they had given us-

While this is going on there are assorted shots of the settlement and all kinds of items people greeting each other etc.

Natalie checks in.

Natalie (V.O.): I thought maybe we might be in huts or you know imagining what it could look like you know and it’s actually a pretty self sufficient little settlement.

Natalie claims a bed.

Natalie: I’m taking this bed if nobody minds.

Female Contestant: Anything not claimed?

We shift over to the other cabin and George and Sam entering and looking around.

George and Sam enter the men’s cabin.

Miljan: I’m gonna get this one. (Puts his stuff on a top bunk).

The perspective shoots pretty quickly giving a sort of movement to the chaos of meeting and claiming areas.

 Carolina: Hi you made it here so quick what’s your name?

Sabina being Social

Sabina: Sabina.

Carolina: Hey Sabina, I’m Carolina.

Carolina and Sabina awkwardly shake hands, it seems that Sabina perhaps likes to be more internal.

Something to Think About: Why do we even have a show?

Major Spoilers and Speculation after the Break! You have been warned! If you haven’t watched the First Season don’t go beyond the break!

We have a show.

We have a highly polished 11 Episode first season.

This includes about every Survivor style trope you can think of. We have superimposed character names and “Confessionals”. We have tight impressive editing and we have impressive music and shot selection. Heck we have an opening credits! We have seen, having watched the entire first season, that they even manage to record moments that they should’ve been killed for.

I’m thinking specifically of their “rescue” from the research institute and the ensuing mayhem.

This footage, and any other footage/seasons that we may get we have to assume would feature the same things. The same exceptionally high quality which of course does not come about without money.

Which is where $500,000 dollars comes in.

“Pilot” Breakdown and Review Part 2

(Special note since I’m taking 5 minutes segments for each breakdown never counting the credits that ends up making it about 8 Posts of Breakdown…followed by the actual review for the 9th post. This will be par for the course for each episode. That’s a lot of posts!)

EXT. SIBERIAN FOREST- FOOT PURSUIT- DAY

Johnny blazes through the trees and Neeko follows pretty closely. Cut to a couple of shots from a cameraman following the main group.

Race from Above

Then a wide shot from above.

Back to Johnny streaking along, followed once again by Neeko.

Neeko in Pursuit

Back to the middle of the pack with Miljan, Natalie, Sam, Esther, Tommy…

Middle of the Pack

Esther (Voice Over): As soon as he said go…*Laughter* I think I was a bit late off my mark. I was in the last position for quite a while. And so I was a little worried.

I’m laughing now…but later?

Dissecting the Opening Credits

It goes without saying that there will be SPOILERS in this post as just like Survivor the team behind Siberia have filled their opening credits with shots from later in the season. Warning aside I’ll try not to get too spoilery for those that are only finding out about the show now through this blog and other sites like it.

Also from now on I’ll be referring to the cast by their names to make it easier on myself.

Without any further ado let’s look at some moments from the Credits Sequence.

Left Behind

This is an interesting shot since as far as I can recall the helicopter didn’t take off BEFORE the contestants started their 2 mile run to the settlement. And yet here we have exactly that happening…I’ll chalk it up to making it more dramatic.

Blindfolds Off

You’ll notice in this shot that Irene and Miljan (Pronounced Mil-yan) are side by side. They also have a conflict on the show that starts off crazy and escalates from there.

And Go!

From let to right the white coat belongs to Esther, black leather jacket Sam, Red shirt/black vest Neeko, Khaki pants blue hoodie Harpreet, red coat/dark scarf Carolina, many buckled boots belong to Annie, yellow shorts/brown jacket Miljan and finally Irene. Begin their race to the settlement 2 miles away.

Through the Forest

Left to right Sam, Irene and Annie race through the forest in the middle of the pack.