Half-Life: Escape from City-17
Encyclopedia
Half-Life: Escape from City 17 is a Canadian short film written, developed, and filmed by the Purchase Brothers, set in the Half-Life universe
, during the events of Half-Life 2
and Half-Life 2: Episode One
. Both films were critically acclaimed, especially by Valve
, the video game company responsible for the Half-Life series. The first part was released on February 13, 2009, and the second part was released on August 24, 2011.
. Dr. Isaac Kleiner is making his "Kleinercasts" on City 17's PA system, warning that the Combine Citadel is set to explode at any moment. Should the Citadel detonate, the resulting explosion will not only irradiate and destroy the city, but the surrounding area as well. Prior to the film's events, Gordon Freeman
's actions within the Citadel have held down the impending explosion, opening a small window of time for civilians to escape. Members of the Lambda Resistance are seen fighting their way out of the city as the Combine's Civil Protection forces try to hold them back. CP officers are also seen executing captured rebels, while Combine synths wreak havoc on the warzone.
Two male Resistance members (Derek Chan and Ian Purchase) are introduced escaping through a trainyard, which is currently "overrun with Combine." Through radio communication, the two learn from a third rebel (David Purchase) that the last evacuation train has already left 20 minutes ago. Derek and Ian are urged to escape the city on foot through the now-zombie-infested canal system (the same route that Gordon Freeman had used in Half-Life 2
) in order to catch up with David, who is en route to the Resistance's latest hideout in White Forest. After a brief argument, the two resolve to escape City 17 before "the Citadel blows us up first."
Suddenly, CP officers appear and fire on the Resistance members. The two retaliate with their own weaponry (Derek using a 9mm pistol, then a crowbar found hanging on a handrail; Ian using an SMG with a grenade launcher) and manage to escape. They are eventually caught upon an open stretch of railway, where a Hunter-Chopper appears and fires at them, giving chase. The duo disappear behind a cloud of dirt from the wake of the chopper's mounted gun, and the film abruptly cuts to black.
. During the battle for City 17, a Russian Resistance member (Julia Tourianski) is about to be killed by CP officers when the third Resistance member (David Purchase), who was only heard in a radio transmission during Part One, saves her by killing the officers. At first, she doesn't trust him, but after partnering up together to survive the battle, they become closer to each other. At one point in the film, they make out in an abandonded restroom after destroying a Combine Strider. Sometime later, David gives Julia a present: a 9mm pistol with the slogan "Never Gone" written on the side. She starts to weep, because she hadn't been "given a gift in over a decade."
Soon after, the final events of Half-Life 2
, as well as the chapters Undue Alarm and Direct Intervention of Episode One
come to pass, and the Citadel's dark energy reactor begins to enter meltdown. However, Gordon Freeman's actions retard the reaction long enough to allow citizens and Resistance members alike to escape City 17. David and Julia decide to leave the city as well. After reaching the old canals and combating zombies, the first two Resistance members from Part One, Derek and Ian, finally catch up with the duo. As they walk together, they talk about Freeman's actions within the Citadel. Suddenly, David is shot in the neck by a CP officer. As the other two members fire back at the incoming Combine soldiers, David dies in Julia's arms. Anguished, she and the others are forced to run, as a dropship, CP officers, and an Overwatch soldier chase after them. They are able to lose them, escaping into an old canal tunnel.
As they try to catch their breath within the tunnel, Julia is suddenly attacked by a headcrab
. Ian and Derek try to get it off of her head, but when another horde of zombies appear, they are forced to fend them off instead. At that moment, the Citadel's dark energy core explodes. City 17 is decimated to rubble, and the blinding blue light from the explosion fills the tunnel from a skylight in the tunnel roof. Flashbacks from previous events suddenly appear among the beams of light, recalling when David had given Julia the pistol.
The scene returns to Julia, who is still trying to get rid the headcrab still clamped onto her. She pulls out the pistol, reloads it, and shoots the headcrab off. Derek helps her to her feet, and the three of them run for the tunnel exit to an unknown future. The film ends.
-based David and Ian Purchase, who use the professional name of the Purchase Brothers. Before Escape from City 17, the Purchase Brothers had directed several commercials
, including one for Coca-Cola
. David contended that they worked as commercial directors in order to support their independent projects. Both being fans of the Half-Life series
, the two decided to start Escape from City 17 as a way "to showcase and promote their talents further, and experiment with several post-production techniques they had developed."
The two had a budget of C$500; the computer equipment and software employed for the development of the film belonged to the Purchase Brothers from previous projects. According to David, the money was spent on the live-action elements of the film, saying that "the costumes, and used/broken airsoft guns made up the bulk of the budget." The two had no crew to support them, and were not paid for their work. Many of the elements of the film, such as the background and the gunships, were extracted from Half-Life 2. The elements were then "graphically enhanced, and incorporated into the live action with 'a lot of complicated tracking and rotoscoping." The background used at the start of the film is the Panorama of Riga.
The "main set" of Part One was taken at a trainyard with "active security." This made filming the short difficult, as the Purchase Brothers "tend not to get permits" to use the trainyard for the film. They only found out about the security once they'd started filming. The three people involved - David, Ian, and Derek Chan - were chased out multiple times by guards on ATVs.
Upon the film's release to YouTube
it garnered thousands of views very quickly, but the film's exposure was skyrocketed when Valve
, developers of the Half-Life series
, promoted it with a news post on Steam. It was quickly featured on many popular gaming news websites and had surpassed 1 million views within two days of release. As of 27th of April, 2011, it has more than 4.6 million views.
Valve
, developers of the Half-Life series, approved of the film and publicised it in an announcement on Steam, saying "we were blown away -- the production quality certainly exceeds that of the usual community-made movies we see."
profile page that a new secret film project has heavily hampered their progress in completing Part Two, although it will be released in the near future:
"Second episode will be completed eventually. Lots of post already finished on it. But we are busy hammering out our top secret feature film so things have been slow...Thanks for the support" - David Purchase, Ian Purchase (October 14, 2009)
Another teaser clip was released on YouTube
on October 13, 2009 promoting the entire franchise which also showcases some new Part Two scenes not seen in the teaser at the end of Part One.
Part Two was finally released on YouTube
on August 19, 2011. The clip was quickly removed for unknown reasons by the end of the same day with no further comment on why it was removed. It was re-uploaded on August 24, 2011.
Half-Life series
The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
, during the events of Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
and Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series of episodes that serve as the sequel for the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2. It was developed by Valve Corporation and released on June 1, 2006. Originally called Half-Life 2: Aftermath, the game was later renamed to Episode One...
. Both films were critically acclaimed, especially by Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
, the video game company responsible for the Half-Life series. The first part was released on February 13, 2009, and the second part was released on August 24, 2011.
Part One
Part One is set during the second half of events of Half-Life 2: Episode OneHalf-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series of episodes that serve as the sequel for the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2. It was developed by Valve Corporation and released on June 1, 2006. Originally called Half-Life 2: Aftermath, the game was later renamed to Episode One...
. Dr. Isaac Kleiner is making his "Kleinercasts" on City 17's PA system, warning that the Combine Citadel is set to explode at any moment. Should the Citadel detonate, the resulting explosion will not only irradiate and destroy the city, but the surrounding area as well. Prior to the film's events, Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Half-Life video game series. He is a theoretical physicist who finds himself thrust into a battle for survival against both alien and human forces. Throughout the series, Gordon must prevail in hostile situations despite...
's actions within the Citadel have held down the impending explosion, opening a small window of time for civilians to escape. Members of the Lambda Resistance are seen fighting their way out of the city as the Combine's Civil Protection forces try to hold them back. CP officers are also seen executing captured rebels, while Combine synths wreak havoc on the warzone.
Two male Resistance members (Derek Chan and Ian Purchase) are introduced escaping through a trainyard, which is currently "overrun with Combine." Through radio communication, the two learn from a third rebel (David Purchase) that the last evacuation train has already left 20 minutes ago. Derek and Ian are urged to escape the city on foot through the now-zombie-infested canal system (the same route that Gordon Freeman had used in Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
) in order to catch up with David, who is en route to the Resistance's latest hideout in White Forest. After a brief argument, the two resolve to escape City 17 before "the Citadel blows us up first."
Suddenly, CP officers appear and fire on the Resistance members. The two retaliate with their own weaponry (Derek using a 9mm pistol, then a crowbar found hanging on a handrail; Ian using an SMG with a grenade launcher) and manage to escape. They are eventually caught upon an open stretch of railway, where a Hunter-Chopper appears and fires at them, giving chase. The duo disappear behind a cloud of dirt from the wake of the chopper's mounted gun, and the film abruptly cuts to black.
Part Two
Part Two begins some time before Part One, taking place somewhere before the chapter Anticitizen One during the final events of Half-Life 2Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
. During the battle for City 17, a Russian Resistance member (Julia Tourianski) is about to be killed by CP officers when the third Resistance member (David Purchase), who was only heard in a radio transmission during Part One, saves her by killing the officers. At first, she doesn't trust him, but after partnering up together to survive the battle, they become closer to each other. At one point in the film, they make out in an abandonded restroom after destroying a Combine Strider. Sometime later, David gives Julia a present: a 9mm pistol with the slogan "Never Gone" written on the side. She starts to weep, because she hadn't been "given a gift in over a decade."
Soon after, the final events of Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
, as well as the chapters Undue Alarm and Direct Intervention of Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series of episodes that serve as the sequel for the 2004 first-person shooter video game Half-Life 2. It was developed by Valve Corporation and released on June 1, 2006. Originally called Half-Life 2: Aftermath, the game was later renamed to Episode One...
come to pass, and the Citadel's dark energy reactor begins to enter meltdown. However, Gordon Freeman's actions retard the reaction long enough to allow citizens and Resistance members alike to escape City 17. David and Julia decide to leave the city as well. After reaching the old canals and combating zombies, the first two Resistance members from Part One, Derek and Ian, finally catch up with the duo. As they walk together, they talk about Freeman's actions within the Citadel. Suddenly, David is shot in the neck by a CP officer. As the other two members fire back at the incoming Combine soldiers, David dies in Julia's arms. Anguished, she and the others are forced to run, as a dropship, CP officers, and an Overwatch soldier chase after them. They are able to lose them, escaping into an old canal tunnel.
As they try to catch their breath within the tunnel, Julia is suddenly attacked by a headcrab
Headcrab
A headcrab is a fictional alien parasitoid found in the Half-Life video game series created by Valve Software. They are the most numerous and arguably most iconic aliens in the series.- Overview :...
. Ian and Derek try to get it off of her head, but when another horde of zombies appear, they are forced to fend them off instead. At that moment, the Citadel's dark energy core explodes. City 17 is decimated to rubble, and the blinding blue light from the explosion fills the tunnel from a skylight in the tunnel roof. Flashbacks from previous events suddenly appear among the beams of light, recalling when David had given Julia the pistol.
The scene returns to Julia, who is still trying to get rid the headcrab still clamped onto her. She pulls out the pistol, reloads it, and shoots the headcrab off. Derek helps her to her feet, and the three of them run for the tunnel exit to an unknown future. The film ends.
Production
The first part of the film was created by TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based David and Ian Purchase, who use the professional name of the Purchase Brothers. Before Escape from City 17, the Purchase Brothers had directed several commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
, including one for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
. David contended that they worked as commercial directors in order to support their independent projects. Both being fans of the Half-Life series
Half-Life (series)
The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
, the two decided to start Escape from City 17 as a way "to showcase and promote their talents further, and experiment with several post-production techniques they had developed."
The two had a budget of C$500; the computer equipment and software employed for the development of the film belonged to the Purchase Brothers from previous projects. According to David, the money was spent on the live-action elements of the film, saying that "the costumes, and used/broken airsoft guns made up the bulk of the budget." The two had no crew to support them, and were not paid for their work. Many of the elements of the film, such as the background and the gunships, were extracted from Half-Life 2. The elements were then "graphically enhanced, and incorporated into the live action with 'a lot of complicated tracking and rotoscoping." The background used at the start of the film is the Panorama of Riga.
The "main set" of Part One was taken at a trainyard with "active security." This made filming the short difficult, as the Purchase Brothers "tend not to get permits" to use the trainyard for the film. They only found out about the security once they'd started filming. The three people involved - David, Ian, and Derek Chan - were chased out multiple times by guards on ATVs.
Release
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
it garnered thousands of views very quickly, but the film's exposure was skyrocketed when Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
, developers of the Half-Life series
Half-Life series
The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
, promoted it with a news post on Steam. It was quickly featured on many popular gaming news websites and had surpassed 1 million views within two days of release. As of 27th of April, 2011, it has more than 4.6 million views.
Reception
Barry White of Citizen Game stated that the first part of the film "[blew] my mind" and "Considering the comparitively [sic] paltry resources [...] at [the Purchase Brothers] disposal this short still manages to be better than every video game movie currently in existence." Wagner Au of NewTeeVee contended that the first part "is one of those rare viral videos that seems destined to launch a breakout success", and added "non-gamers are likely to be impressed by its rollicking action and bravura special effects." Au believed its popularity was due, in part, to the fact that the video is adapted from Half-Life 2. Patrick Goss, writing for Tech Radar, said the in-game footage from the Half-Life 2 series "blended almost seamlessly into [the] live action footage" in the film.Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
, developers of the Half-Life series, approved of the film and publicised it in an announcement on Steam, saying "we were blown away -- the production quality certainly exceeds that of the usual community-made movies we see."
Part Two
The Purchase Brothers planned to release the second part of the film in early to mid March 2009, but the large amount of emails and phone calls the two have received regarding the first part has slowed development of the second. According to teaser clips at the end of the first part, the two Resistance soldiers will be joined by two additional characters, one of them a heroine, and will come into contact with headcrab zombies. The Purchase Brothers cited on their YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
profile page that a new secret film project has heavily hampered their progress in completing Part Two, although it will be released in the near future:
"Second episode will be completed eventually. Lots of post already finished on it. But we are busy hammering out our top secret feature film so things have been slow...Thanks for the support" - David Purchase, Ian Purchase (October 14, 2009)
Another teaser clip was released on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on October 13, 2009 promoting the entire franchise which also showcases some new Part Two scenes not seen in the teaser at the end of Part One.
Part Two was finally released on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on August 19, 2011. The clip was quickly removed for unknown reasons by the end of the same day with no further comment on why it was removed. It was re-uploaded on August 24, 2011.