Midterm Art Direction Project

Attitudes Lab

Genre/Target Audience

Genre – Action

Target Audience:

· Gender: Male

· Age: 16 – 30

· Interests: Technology, Video Games, Movies,

· Habits: Web-surfing, social networking,

· Other things they like to watch or read: Heroes, Lost, Star Trek, Star Wars

· Things they buy: Gadgets (cell phones, mp3 players, etc.), Video Games, Movies, Books, Computer Software

· Where they live: Should not matter necessarily, but possibly more focus on the east and west coast

· Income level: $35,000 - $90,000

· Maximum Educational level: Some high school

Highlighted Words:

The USS Valoria SCREAMS to the surface of a desert world, smoke and fire billowing from the rear. Fighter ships fly parallel to the Valoria, running strafing runs along the hull. Lasers shoot from turrets attached to the ship, DESTROYING the occasional fighter but doing little to cut down the swarm.

Fighting the crowds of evacuating crewmen, CAPTAIN James Clefton staggers into the bridge and sits down at the helmsman’s controls. It had been years since he had last been in direct control of a cruiser, but it was comforting to be back in the seat, like coming home.

The terminal lights up as control is returned to the helmsman’s terminal. Clefton begins furiously pressing buttons on his terminal, trying to bring the Valoria out of its FATAL nosedive. Fins and flaps begin tilting and turning, as the ship slowly begins to flatten out. Escape pods start FIRING out of the sides of the ship. Clefton pulls out his pocket watch. Looking at the picture of his wife and daughter on the watch’s cover, he wonders if they were in one of the pods.

Another explosion ROCKS the ship as the fighters pass by again. Clefton braces himself on the terminal and activates the Life Support Warning for the rest of the ship. He then shuts off power to Life Support to every part of the ship other than the bridge. He diverts newly freed power to the guns, and more fighters begin to fall. He takes out his pipe and begins chewing on the tip.

The remaining fighters return again for a pass, but the newly charged turrets destroy them before any more damage can be done. James lets out a sigh, and lights his pipe in a sign of victory. He then activates the mayday alert, hoping that the rest of his fleet will notice it.

He leaves his chair and looks out the viewport. He never had a chance to really see the planet that may claim his life. Trees here were infinitely larger than the trees on home, at least 5 times longer in diameter than the ship was in length, and so high that he could see no end to them in the sky. It appeared that this wasn’t a desert planet at all, and in fact the desert may be segmented off from the rest of the world, given the high walls he was now seeing. Sitting back in the chair, the captain makes some final adjustments to try and alter the angle of the ship. It didn’t matter. It was as though the ship was being forced into the ground at the angle he was at.

The Valoria CRASHES into the ground, digging itself into the sand. Clefton collapses against the terminal, and falls to the ground. He wills himself back onto the chair and looks around. A large beam of blue light appears in front of the view port, creeping towards the ship. The sand outside the ship bubbles and burns, turning into glass as the laser gets closer. The ship starts being cut in half as the laser hits the reactor. The camera pulls back as Billy tosses his toy spaceship into the air, sand flying out of his sandbox, making explosion sounds with his mouth. He picks up the toy and begins running around with it, making more mouth-noises.

James Clefton's Obituary

March 8^th, 2289; Washington D.C. – James Clefton, Captain in the United Space Fleet, has died. He was 53. Clefton’s ship, the Valoria, was heavily damaged and forced to crash land on an uncharted planet, codenamed X-29. In accordance with the Allied Intelligence Code, Clefton was forced to make sure that the ship was not salvageable by the Klikith.

Clefton once held the title for youngest officer to reach the rank of Captain, achieving it when he turned 20. Clefton was given command of the Valoria during this event. The Valoria was the oldest ship still in active service, due largely in part to Clefton’s insistence that the funding required to provide him with a new ship would be better suited in maintenance and upgrades for his ship.

He leaves behind his wife, Cheryl, 50, and daughter, Roberta, 17, who escaped the Valoria during the evacuation process. Cheryl and James met while studying in the Officer’s Academy. Due to the mandatory destruction of the Valoria, Clefton’s body could not be recovered, and his family plans on holding a private service at their house. Roberta has said that her father’s death has in no way changed her plans to join the service and has, in fact, strengthened her resolve.

Short Story - Crash of the Valoria

The USS Valoria screams to the surface of a desert world, smoke and fire billowing from the rear. Fighter ships fly parallel to the Valoria, running strafing runs along the hull. Lasers shoot from turrets attached to the ship, destroying the occasional fighter but doing little to cut down the swarm.

Fighting the crowds of evacuating crewmen, Captain James Clefton staggers into the bridge and sits down at the helmsman’s controls. It had been years since he had last been in direct control of a cruiser, but it was comforting to be back in the seat, like coming home.

The terminal lights up as control is returned to the helmsman’s terminal. Clefton begins furiously pressing buttons on his terminal, trying to bring the Valoria out of its fatal nosedive. Fins and flaps begin tilting and turning, as the ship slowly begins to flatten out. Escape pods start firing out of the sides of the ship. Clefton pulls out his pocket watch. Looking at the picture of his wife and daughter on the watch’s cover, he wonders if they were in one of the pods.

Another explosion rocks the ship as the fighters pass by again. Clefton braces himself on the terminal and activates the Life Support Warning for the rest of the ship. He then shuts off power to Life Support to every part of the ship other than the bridge. He diverts newly freed power to the guns, and more fighters begin to fall. He takes out his pipe and begins chewing on the tip.

The remaining fighters return again for a pass, but the newly charged turrets destroy them before any more damage can be done. James lets out a sigh, and lights his pipe in a sign of victory. He then activates the mayday alert, hoping that the rest of his fleet will notice it.

He leaves his chair and looks out the viewport. He never had a chance to really see the planet that may claim his life. Trees here were infinitely larger than the trees on home, at least 5 times longer in diameter than the ship was in length, and so high that he could see no end to them in the sky. It appeared that this wasn’t a desert planet at all, and in fact the desert may be segmented off from the rest of the world, given the high walls he was now seeing. Sitting back in the chair, the captain makes some final adjustments to try and alter the angle of the ship. It didn’t matter. It was as though the ship was being forced into the ground at the angle he was at.

The Valoria crashes into the ground, digging itself into the sand. Clefton collapses against the terminal, and falls to the ground. He wills himself back onto the chair and looks around. A large beam of blue light appears in front of the view port, creeping towards the ship. The sand bubbles and burns, turning into glass as the laser gets closer. The ship starts being cut in half as the laser hits the reactor. The camera pulls back as Billy tosses his toy spaceship into the air, sand flying out of his sandbox, making explosion sounds with his mouth. He picks up the toy and begins running around with it, making more mouth-noises.