Your Chance To Live: Nuclear Disaster
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Year Published: 1975
Creator: US Defense Civil Preparedness Agency
Description: US Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. "Nine 16mm color films in the series, "Your Chance To Live," were released in fiscal year 1975. The subjects were "Earthwatch," "Pollution," and "Nuclear Disaster." A total of 10,953 prints was released to 46 State Civil Preparedness Education Advisors, and to 4 U. S. Territories for use in suppoting a civil preparedness course of study in public school systems." (DCPA annual report) Home transfer from 16mm original. Print courtesy of Rob Cruickshank. "Your Chance To Live: Nuclear Disaster" showcases the making of a 1970s educational film about the potential impacts of a nuclear attack. The production team grapples with how to effectively portray the seriousness of nuclear threats while maintaining audience engagement. They discuss the importance of preparation, the emotional weight of the subject matter, and the need for a thoughtful approach in both narration and visuals to convey the message without causing panic. Keywords nuclear disaster, educational film, 1970s, preparation, audience engagement, film production, radiation, fallout shelters, emotional impact, public safety
Complete Record: US Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. "Nine 16mm color films in the series, "Your Chance To Live," were released in fiscal year 1975. The subjects were "Earthwatch," "Pollution," and "Nuclear Disaster." A total of 10,953 prints was released to 46 State Civil Preparedness Education Advisors, and to 4 U. S. Territories for use in suppoting a civil preparedness course of study in public school systems." (DCPA annual report) Home transfer from 16mm original. Print courtesy of Rob Cruickshank. "Your Chance To Live: Nuclear Disaster" showcases the making of a 1970s educational film about the potential impacts of a nuclear attack. The production team grapples with how to effectively portray the seriousness of nuclear threats while maintaining audience engagement. They discuss the importance of preparation, the emotional weight of the subject matter, and the need for a thoughtful approach in both narration and visuals to convey the message without causing panic.
Keywords
nuclear disaster, educational film, 1970s, preparation, audience engagement, film production, radiation, fallout shelters, emotional impact, public safetyTranscription
[Music] so we interrupt this program to bring you this special news bulletin after more than six months peace talks between the major powers have just broken off after an hour and a half of a planned three-hour session this morning members of both delegations stalked out of the conference room grim faced none of the delegates would speak to reporters so at this point it is only conjecture as to what caused the rupture but the disagreement obviously was serious confidential sources close to the talks report cut cut cut save the lights people come over here come over here okay look fine that was very good we heard the radio report and everybody was very nonchalant about that we've heard that same report a thousand times nobody's gonna bomb us there's nothing going to go on and everybody was very natural but look when the bomb goes off it's the real thing you'll feel the heat you'll hear the noise eventually it'll be absolutely incredible larry don't eat your donut you've never seen anything in your life like it but i'm hungry but you're hungry i know okay the the important thing is the reaction there's a horrible horrible disaster and somehow or another we're going to have to portray it in your faces folks the first day on the set the moment of truth so to speak when the director and writer and producer finally gets a chance to see their ideas translated into the film medium okay very good okay most often however the start of a new production provides these unexpected moments of sheer congratulations you finally made it okay okay very good now alison not too soon okay now grab it for us the challenge to create a film about nuclear disaster is probably the most difficult in the your chance to live series uh we feel as if the audience is quite apathetic about the potential and reality of a real nuclear attack okay let's get reaction shots now react more keep reacting come on now good good come on look serious okay who's next hey larry okay larry oh larry come on look serious look [Music] it's 14. okay alice we want you to look scared as if the bomb just went off can you do that sweetheart yeah okay you're not really scared do you know what a bomb is yes of course i do what is a bomb thing that goes up in there and comes down and kills people okay i'll tell you what marilyn i don't i don't want to use her she's too precious okay you ready neil ready okay light paul you're okay okay well okay starting positions at last after three days of location photography we were finally ready to analyze the footage in preparation for writing the narration script here comes the new animation looks good good what direction will the script take here well first we ought to talk about radiation and then fallout shelters yeah good that should fall about here and here we'll talk about uh how to stock a uh a fallout shelter i assume yeah we'll pick that point up right about here yeah i think we should pick it up right about here be much better looks nice what follows will be the uh sequence dealing with supplying the uh the shelter with basic necessities i assume right we'll pick that up here good speed it up elsa will you please let's hear the audio track with the sirens please [Music] it's devastating isn't it well let's see what happens when peter thomas gets his hands on the narration he'll make it sing okay peter let's let's take that section again let's take it from the top uh same with mo same emotion it's pretty good you want to put the change in this time away for the next take uh let's do it this time uh i'd like to ask you about the interpretation there two or three ways we could do this like a prophet of doom we could do it like a reporter and sort of factual or maybe underplay it very casual but the words are so frightening i'm not sure which way to go on this what do you think i think we better do it softly i'm afraid i don't want to scare them in the beginning this this narrations over the beginning of the film yeah and later on we'll scare the hell out of them but let's let's do it uh locate now underplay i got you okay no time problem no a warning that hopefully will never be heard but one which should be familiar is a series of three to five minute wavering sounds on the sirens or a series of short blasts on whistles horns or other devices this means that an actual enemy attack against the united states has been detected and that protective action should be initiated immediately the amount of time you and your family will have to prepare yourselves could be as little as five minutes in some locations or as long as an hour and others regardless of the amount of time you have use it wisely and peter on use it wisely can you give us a um a change of emphasis yeah you're right use it why is it let me try it again you want it from the top or in the middle okay uh roll into it okay right the amount of time you and your family will have to prepare yourselves could be as little as five minutes or in some locations as long as an hour regardless of the amount of time you have use it wisely in calm preparation take advantage of the warning you get immediately turn on the radio and follow the official instructions you hear that's good okay maybe a little heavy would kill it huh yeah i think let's let's go on to the next section and uh here it gets a little heavier we're talking we're trying to uh emphasize the uh the magnitude of the blast and whatnot yeah and there again you know you could scare people with all the horrible details what do you think would you still underplay it yeah marilyn i think so yeah yeah it's hard to really underplay because the words are so strong you know and uh well let's let's give it a whirl and see what we come up with the uh the picture here i know you haven't seen it you're doing it while the picture will show mushrooms and we'll show devastation and as opposed to all of the others films we've been doing the devastation here is quite frightening so sort of counterpointed by yeah if we are heavy in the pictures heavy then it'll be just doomsday right to quite afraid yeah i think the the significance here is that i think we want the audience to recognize that they have a personal responsibility to themselves and to their community and it's really it's right near the end of the film and it's really a wind-up leading towards the the very emotional end of the film okay now let's try it again please right it is obvious that the aftermath of a nuclear attack will not be a pretty sight but survival of the blast requires each citizen to act with common sense and responsibility for each individual must become part of an effort to get the community and the nation back to normal as quickly as possible pretty frightening what do you think al you in there yeah hold it um i i have a funny feeling that the rest of the narration should be out on location i don't think we should do it as voice over i think that we have to go back to a location go back to something that um becomes significant what do you think what do you suggest um well we we shot before in front of lincoln and then we had washington memorial and all i was thinking of something like either the capitol or white house something like that well as long as we're doing it why don't we try for the white house yeah the white house yeah i like it okay can we get the white house sure let me call up peter got some changes uh peter okay not going to believe it but uh we're moving location you're what moving location moving location where to have you been to the white house i've passed it i've never been there ready so we're going we may here we are in beautiful downtown washington are you sure you want to make this on camera yeah come on petey we made the white house looking to fall out beautiful let's go back to rodell okay you ready i'm ready okay you want to do a sound level yeah checking one two three here we are in front of the white house you look okay okay focus focus all right are you ready you do a slate that's all right part of the atmosphere are we ready no okay look at the disaster thing 33 take one roll one roll four okay right we start quiet right okay the thought of a nuclear attack and its aftermath is so terrible let me see if i can get this on okay look okay okay you're going to pick up rattle in the jacket dan how is that getting anything it's okay you want to give me a level one two checking here we are in downtown washington you want to do a slate on this you got the phone yeah okay very good nuclear disaster scene 33 take one role the thought of the nuclear attack and its aftermath is so terrible that most people have put it out of their minds but not thinking about it and not really thinking seriously about it will not make a danger disappear it only makes well preparation impossible and this can be fatal for preparation which of course can save your life can only be done in advance of an emergency situation hoping to really prepare when something unexpected occurs is futile because they they can't stop it that's why listen stops okay okay [Music] yeah some luck having always shot over it [Music] yeah all right but not thank you [Applause] what do you think [Music] okay [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so foreign
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