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The Last Man

The year is 1976. Location - Moon. Commander Jack Jones wakes up from a Rover crash, with a broken leg and 30 minutes to reach his Moon lander. Will he make it? Or will he be the last man?

  • Roxie Oliveira
    Director
  • Roxie Oliveira
    Writer
  • Matt O'Dell
    Writer
  • Roxie Oliveira
    Producer
  • Matt Beveridge
    Key Cast
  • Sara Nelson
    Key Cast
  • Nazia Zaman
    Visual Effects
  • Alice Mills
    Score
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-Fi, Drama
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 28, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Roxie Oliveira

Roxie Oliveira is an up-and-coming director/writer and recent graduate from the University of Surrey, where she wrote and directed 'I Close My Eyes to See.' A short film which has gone on to receive multiple awards, including 'Best Original Script' at LIMFF and 'Best Indie Short Film' at the Florence Film Awards.

Roxie is currently the Production Manager of the Institute of Virtual Production, where 'The Last Man' project was a born.

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Director Statement

'The Last Man' was a collaborative project between the Centre for Creative Arts and Technologies (C-CATS) and the Institute of Virtual Production. What began as a Virtual Production technical test evolved into a moving sci-fi short that taught us a lot about working with this new technology.

We originally conceived ‘The Last Man’ as a comedic piece about a faked Moon landing, which would end by revealing the film set and LED wall. As similar ideas have been seen before, we took the idea in a more narrative-based direction, developing the character of Commander Jack Jones. Co-writing the story with Matt O’Dell, we developed the idea of an astronaut stranded on the Moon, desperately trying to reach the spacecraft that will take him home. His lifeline is the voice of the one person on Earth who can guide him - mission controller and true love Maddie. What would you do if you knew the end was near? The woman you love perhaps hearing your final breath?

Matt Beveridge brought Jack’s quiet desperation to life with an incredibly nuanced performance. In the end, the audience is left to decide how Jack’s story ends. Did the events really happen? Were they a hypoxic dream? The effects of concussion?

For this project, a major goal was to achieve a seamless blend between the Moon scenery on the studio floor and the virtual environment on the LED wall. Despite a small team and a tight budget, we felt we not only achieved these technical goals but created a moving cinematic experience.

Alice Mills’ incredible score and Nazia Zaman’s breathtaking Unreal landscape combine to create an impressive spectacle. With poignant moments of hope and loss, the film has you rooting for Jack as he struggles against all odds.