Protect & Survive

Background
Protect and Survive was a public information series on civil defence produced by the United Kingdom's government from the late 1970s to early 1980s. This system would have been used to inform British citizens on how to protect themselves during a nuclear attack. It consisted of a mixture of pamphlets, radio broadcasts and public information films. It was originally meant to be distributed only in the event of dire national emergency, but it provoked so much public interest that the pamphlets were authorised for general release. The public information films were only intended for transmission on all television channels if the government determined that a nuclear attack on the country was likely within 72 hours.

More info on the Protect & Survive series can be found on Wikipedia and other websites.

(Late 70s-Early 80s)


Visuals:
 * Opening: We see a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion on a blue background being looped again and again, after a few seconds we see a pink ring with the black circle inside it (Part of the Protect & Survive logo). The rest of the Protect & Survive logo then appears, consisting of a family of four (from left to right: a teenage girl, father, mother and younger brother), all in pink. It then fades into the start of the film.
 * Closing: As the film fades into the logo, we see the family from the Protect & Survive logo in white zooming out on a blue background. It then stops in the middle of the screen. After this, the 'PROTECT AND SURVIVE' text fades in roughly. Shortly after this, the text then warps around the family and the text turns solid. The logo remains on for a few seconds before the logo fades out.

Technique: All 2D animation. The closing logo on the films also makes use of zooming effects.

Audio:
 * Opening: The sound of a nuclear bomb going off.
 * Closing: A strange synth music piece composed by Roger Limb (Best known for his work in Doctor Who and composing some of the show's soundtrack).

Availability: As mentioned above, these short films were only intended for broadcast on television if the United Kingdom's government determined a nuclear attack was likely within 72 hours, but as the country never came under such a threat, these were never broadcasted. In recent years, these shorts have been released for public viewing online and can also be viewed at various Cold War museums in the UK, such as the Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker and the Imperial War Museums.