Thomas Jensen – Life Support Remaining

We were able to interview Utah Film Festival alumni Thom Jensen about his latest screenplay Life Support Remaining which is an official selection of the 12th annual Utah Film Festival.

Life Support Remaining: With crew dead, Levi travels alone to a distant star to colonize a planet. Struggling with loneliness, he finds an unlikely companion as the ships life support clock counts down.

What was the inspiration for coming up with Life Support Remaining?

Whenever I create a script I try to think “low budget”. I ground myself and try to think practical. I look at what resources I have to make a movie. This is where I start each screenplay.

“Life Support Remaining” is something I developed in my mind for about a year before I began writing it. Castaway with Tom Hanks was my inspiration. I really wanted to create a one actor movie. One main character means I only have to pay one main actor. One actor means I can keep the budget low and shoot quickly with minimal crew. I even went as far as to think I could make this movie all by myself (as the crew) with one actor.

How long did it take you to write Life Support Remaining?

The concept noodles around in my head for a few months to a year. I sometimes have several stories rattling around. I sometimes pitch the ideas to my family to see what they think of it. At this point the story is mostly a concept, it is pretty rough and no one usually takes me seriously. I’m mostly looking for a curious reaction from them. I do this all the time with story concepts. I thought of this story while writing another script so it had to shelf for about six months. When I feel I have enough of the topic in my head I start to jot down notes on scene ideas and character traits. Then I get my guts up and write the treatment which usually runs around 20 to 30 pages. I write the treatment like a short story and then I tackle the script. I allow myself to deviate from the treatment because I will learn more about the characters or I move in a different story direction, but the treatment is always a good foundation to start with.

What was the biggest challenge in writing Life Support Remaining?

Since it’s a one actor story I needed to keep it interesting and engaging for the audience. I also like to reveal new things and create story twists to keep the audience ever learning. This was very challenging having only one character to lean on. 

What was your favorite scene to write?

I love Levi’s intimate moments with Lenny the dead monkey. “People reading this are going to say, “What? He talks to a dead monkey?” This story is  about how people deal with loneliness. 

What was your favorite character to create?

Levi was very fun because he has such a full range of emotions to work with. I truly enjoyed finding Levi’s strengths and weaknesses.

How/When do you plan to make it into a film?

I would love to make this film. I don’t know when or how I will finance it.

What do you have next in the works?

I am working on a zombie movie in the Caribbean. I lived in the US Virgin Islands for about a year recently. This story came from my experience living on St. Croix, USVI. I just finished the treatment.

How can we learn more about you and your projects?

My website has some of my short movies:  www.jensenthom.com

More about Life Support Remaining.

In the vastness of outer-space Levi abruptly wakes from deep sleep.The mummified bodies of a woman he was assigned to and a small monkey died many years ago during cryo-sleep. Levi continues life aboard the ship but struggles with loneliness. To make matters a timer begins to counting down with the initials, LSR (Life Support Remaining).

After a few weeks Levi starts talking to himself to keep his sanity. He notices the dead monkey (Lenny) propped in a corner peering its dried eye sockets at him. The monkey is wearing a child size space suit. Levi entertains a thought and begins to talk to the Lenny the dead monkey. Within his mind the monkey talks back. Although we only hear Levi talking, the conversations move along.

Over time Levi and Lenny become best friends doing activities together and keeping the ship in repair. One day another ship docks with Levi’s ship. The new ship also has a single man aboard. His LSR clock had run out a while back and he looked sickly and weak. This is when Levi realizes something about himself upon meeting this new man. Levi now knows, he is a clone. Levi ends up killing the guy who was trying to hijack his ship.

Levi and Lenny continue to carry on when another ship approaches. Levi finds out this ship has a lone woman aboard and a live dog. The two hook up. She has the ability to disable the LSR clock. They travel together to colonize a new planet to continue the human race.