Prop List

Trainspotting poster - This poster is a reference to one of the films which inspired me, and suggests to the audience what to expect from this film. This is why it is in the beginning of the film, and not later on when the film plot would already be established.

Shoebox Lid - A key part of the opening sequence, allows us to see Max's untidy life and portrays his addiction in a bad light, showing it to be messy and rough, the focus of more than one shot.

Spoon - A key part of my mise - en -scene this further suggests that Max's addiction is very untidy and dirty, this with the other props will be key in creating audience emotion.

Lighter - apart from being one of the key components in cooking heroin, lighters and cigarettes in film have always been a sign of evil or of bad fortune in characters, especially the femme fatales found in the crime thriller/film noir genres.

 Heroin - This prop (after experimenting with brown chalk and chocolate dust) was made by finely grinding up granulated coffee. Heroin is probably the most notorious drug out there, and is hated by many, however depending on your character, sympathy may actually be generated, for example Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction) and Mark Renton (Trainspotting)

Shot List

Shot List                                                                               (D) = Dialogue

1.       Establishing tilt shot of flat blocks which then pans downs and zooms out to a close up of beer cans on a wooden edge(15)

2.       Close up of beer can and them zooms out to a medium shot show the room that Max is sat in(10)

3.       Close up on spoon being heated by lighter, and brown liquid boiling within(4)

4.       Close up of shoebox and various drug paraphernalia (4)

5.       Panning medium shot of room showing posters on wall and furniture (10)        

6.       Close up of radio (4)

7.       Medium shot of door (3) (D)

8.       Medium shot of Max sitting up spilling his items, in the same shot he kicks the radio. (5)

9.       Close up of Shoebox lid being hidden under the sheets (2)

10.   Medium shot of Max looking towards the door from the POV of the door (3)    1-10 = 60s

11.   Long POV shot of the door bursting open and Sam bursting in (D) (5)

12.   Medium shot of Sam as the camera tracks his movement into the room (D) (5)

13.   Close up POV of posters (4)

14.   Close up of Sam’s face (5)

15.   Medium shot of max trying to stand up (5)

16.   Bird’s eye view shot of max falling back down (5)

17.   Over the shoulder shot of Sam watching Max (D)  (6)

18.   Over the shoulder  shot of Sam, pans away towards window (5)

19.   POV long shot of Max’s view out of the window (D)  (7)

20.   Tilted close up of the beanbag as Sam falls into it, stays while he speaks(D  (10) 10-20 =  57 s

21.   Close up on Max’s face through the glass (3)

22.   POV long shot out of the window(D)   (8)

23.   Close up on Sam’s face as he speaks (D)  (10)

24.   Another close up through the glass shot of Max (4)

25.   Medium shot of Max turning and standing, the shot then tracks him to the wardrobe (6)

26.   A close up shot out of the wardrobe at max as he picks through the clothes (D)  (6)

27.   Over the shoulder medium shot of Sam standing up and stretching  (4)

28.   Tracking shot of Sam walking away (4)

29.   Front over the shoulder of Sam stood in door, max hiding stuff can be shown(D)   (6)

30.   Over shoulder shot of Sam walking out (3)

31.   Close up of lid sticking out from under bed, tracks max feet to door. (7)

32.   Long shot out of window of Max and Sam getting on bikes and riding away, tracks them to the gate (14) 21-32 75s +57s+60s = 192s =3:12 minutes.

I will begin filming on Wednesday the 19^th of December at 12am to make use of the day light.

The reason I have my shots in a list like this is so I can tick them off once at a time and thus avoid continuity errors and such. The annotations help it to be used in concordance with my script and helps remind me of the shots on the day of filming.

 

 

 

 

How Will The Audience Know That This is The Opening?

The extract will begin with music and an establishing shot of the estate where the story takes place, it will have a long shot of a block of flats which will then tilt down onto a shot of a can which will the cut away to a shot of the same can in the main characters bathroom. At this point the music will stop. This is such a conventional start to a film and features in so many films that hopefully the audience will immediately associate these conventions with an introduction and realize this is the beginning of the film. Another way I hope the audience will know it is the start is by the fact in this extract I will mention the actions and circumstances which lead to this starting point and will have the characters explain what they plan to do at the conflict stage of the film.

Story Type

The Debt That Must Be Repaid
The character wants something or someone and becomes aware that something or someone is available which will possibly give them what they want - at a price.

Purpose

The purpose of my extract is to create audience emotion and attachment to my two main characters, one of which is the protagonist. I will achieve this through the use of the stylisitcs editing, sound, mise - en -scene and cinematography. The main stylistic I will use to achieve my purpose is the use of sound, and character performance.

Featured Characters

Featured Characters                                                            Kieran Drury

Sam

My inspiration for Sam is the character Eddy from the British crime thriller “Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels”. Eddy is overall a good guy who is willing to help himself and his friends make a reasonable amount of money by playing a high risk poker match. He isn’t seen committing any crime until later in the film, a quality I admire in him. The reason I have chosen to mirror the character of Eddy in Sam is due to the fact sympathy for characters from the audience is key to achieve my aims and purposes. The only character Sam will be able to relate to within the diegesis will be his best friend Max, which will make Max’s death all the more harrowing to Sam and the audience. Sam is intelligent and hardworking but lacks motivation and is thus easily held back by his friend Max. Sam usually dresses in casual costume and in my extract he will be wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a jacket. Sam will be played by Callum Normington.

Max

My inspiration for Max is the character “Mark Renton (more often known as rent-boy) from the British dark comedy film “Trainspotting”. Mark is overall a god guy who has some disturbing vices such as an addiction to heroin. In a direct opposition to the inspiration for my character of Sam Mark is seen at the start of “Trainspotting” committing crime with a large smile on his face. Although Mark has a serious addiction to a dangerous drug he still manages to be charming, witty and does in fact gain sympathy and attachment from the audience, an ability I wish to replicate in my own character. As I stated in the character description for Max the characters of Max and Sam will only be able to relate to each other in the diegesis and will be alienated from the rest of the characters, which I also hope will help gain audience sympathy/attachment. Max is earnest and honest, but is perfectly fine with the idea of being a nobody his whole life; he is in a word – lackadaisical. Max will usually dresses in casual wear and in the extract will be wearing chinos, a t-shirt and a jacket. Max will be played by Lee Cook

 

Screenplay

 

 

 

PARKLIFE

Screenplay

By

Kieran Drury

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ParkLife is a British crime thriller

SYNOPSIS

Sam and Max are two teenagers living together in a squat. With no job, no grades and no future they consider any means justifiable to improve their standard of living. Max begins to pick up a heroin habit due to the emotional stress put on him by his lifestyle. The two begin to deal drugs on their estate for a notorious gangster to elevate their positions on the estate and their lives. Max’s addiction begins to spiral out of control, while simultaneously Sam is steadily climbing up the gang hierarchy. Max then begins to steal from the drugs he is being supplied with to fuel his own habit. Sam in his new position of power in the gang must punish Max for his disrespect or else the two teenagers both lose everything they have gained so far. Rather than punish Max, Sam instead gives him the money to pay back the crime lord. However at the meeting to pay the money back Max is killed regardless of his repayment. In a complex plot for revenge Sam then joins the crime lord’s inner circle as his right hand man and waits for an opportunity for revenge. On the eve of a big gang war with two rival gangs, Sam kills the crime lord to avenge his fallen friend and blames it on the other gangs. Sam is now the man at the top, he has everything he ever wanted, but he laments the loss of Sam and wonders if this life is preferable to the one he used to have.

 

 

 

CHARACTERS

Sam

Max

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

INT. Max’s bedroom. Day

Max’s bedroom is an untidy room in a squat house. Max is seen sprawled out upon his double bed with crumpled sheets. The walls of the room have various posters; the most notable is a Trainspotting poster just to MAX’S left on the wall. Various drug paraphernalia are spread on a shoebox lid next to his body. He is listening to the Rolling Stones “gimme shelter” on the radio.

SAM

(Shouting)

Max!?

MAX sits up suddenly, the shoebox lid flips, and he quickly brushes the various items under the sheets swearing under his breath, and flicks off the radio. He looks at the door anxiously and hears the approaching footsteps.

MAX

(Out of Breath)

In here

SAM bursts in looking irate. SAM stands in the doorway and looks at MAX disdainfully.

SAM

(In an incredulous tone)

I can’t believe you’re relaxed

at a time like this

SAM moves from the doorway closer to MAX and looks around the room, a jealous look enters his eye as he looks at the various posters and furniture.

 

 

MAX

(Sheepishly)

I was just chilling

MAX attempts to rise to his feet, but falls back onto the bed almost immediately. SAM watches this with steely eyes and breathes deeply, he stands still and does not move.

 

SAM

(Coldly)

Are you pissed?

MAX stares blankly at SAM, SAM meets his gaze without either of them blinking. MAX shifts his gaze to the large picture window and gazes out at the woods and trees behind them.

MAX

(Flat and devoid of emotion)

No

SAM’s expression softens, he collapses onto a nearby beanbag and stretches out. He sighs deeply and looks at the ceiling.

SAM

(Quietly)

You know how important

 This is.

MAX shifts uncomfortably, and sits up on the bed, his eyes flick guiltily down to the crumpled sheets where his paraphernalia is hidden. MAX then resumes looking out of the window.

 

 

 

MAX

(Emotionless)

We’ve been….Fine

 So far

This place is nice enough

SAM

(Bitterly)

I don’t want to squat all my life.

SAM looks down from the ceiling and looks at the posters and furniture.

(Hesitantly) I want… (Angrily) I need to own something for myself.

And with our brains, this is the only way.

MAX smiles and slowly raises to his feet and looks away from the window he glances towards a wardrobe and shakes his head

MAX

(Humorously)

So what’s this geek got for us to

Wear for our little meeting?

MAX opens the wardrobe and slowly shakes his head laughing under his breath. SAM stand ups up from the beanbag and stretches his arms out.

MAX

(Laughing)

Oh no a vest

SAM turns to the door and begins to walk away slowly, MAX slowly turns away from the wardrobe, reaches under the cover, recovers his gear and hides it under the bed.

SAM

We’re going for a meeting

To arrange to deal drugs for someone

I don’t think he’s expecting

Tuxs

MAX Smiles and walks out of the room, he can be heard going downstairs and out of the back door. The shoebox lids corner can be seen poking out from under the bed. Through the large window MAX and SAM can be seen getting on bikes and riding through the open back gate of a moderately sized well-kept back garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                         

 

 

 

Aims and Context                           

A short sequence from my imagined film – “ParkLife”

I will be applying the codes and conventions of the crime-thriller genre to my short sequence. My target audience would be the mainstream male audience between the ages of 18 and 35.

My aim will be to use the knowledge gained in FM1 of Mise en scene to help establish the back-story of my film and establish character persona

As this is a crime-thriller I have researched the films “The Departed” and “Snatch” for influence. In order to complete this I am going to write and direct this sequence.

Todarov

Audience

Audience

My target audience is mainstream teenagers and young adults of the male gender between the age of 18 and 35. This is because this is recognised as the conventional target audience for a crime-thriller film and this will help the audience relate to my characters.

The reason for my target audience age being between 18 and 35 is because the films rating will be eighteen due to its explicit context.  The reason the film is aimed more towards the male sex is due to the fact the films features and focuses on concepts that are more stereotypically associated with males rather than females (drugs, gangs, violence, etc).

Influences

Influences


"Snatch" (upper) is a British crime thriller from which I have taken inspiration from for my own film. From Snatch I wish to incorporate into my own film the use of action and reaction, shown by cinematography (mainly camera angles and zoom) and facial performance. The shot starting 0:37 is a good example of a medium close up to show chracter solidarity and the individual confusion this chracter feels. At 0:27 is an example of a medium shot that shows chracter allegiance and suggests loyalty. In the above clip is an example of chracter reaction to speech shown by camera angles, interestingly this clip also shows  how chracter allegiance is shown via camera shots, something I also plan to replicate in my piece.


"The Departed" (lower)
The clip to the left has influenced me in the use of non-diegetic sound within my short extract. The clip to the left is the opening scene to "The Departed" the use of the song "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stone's to Jack Nicholson's deigetic voice over which is also set to a montage of shots of the changing times of Boston. This is an inspirational scene as it simultaneously sets up two of the main chracters, establishes the location and gives an insight into the backstory. This clip has influenced me so much that I'm going to use the exact same song to a similar montage in my short extract. The reason I've chosen the exact same song is due to the fact it is a reference to an already well-established crime-thriller and the lyrics of the song reflect the events in the film "A storm is ragin in my life, if I don't get some shelter, i'm gonna fade away". These lyrics effectively reflect the problems which will be enveloping my character in my short extract.


"Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (Right)
The inspiration I have taken from this clip is the montage which covers the events which happen in the poker game. The reason I chose this montage as my inspiration is due to the fact it is paticulary effective at skipping the unimportant parts of the game but slowing down to show performaces and the dominant players in the game. The non-diegetic music also fits well with the chracter action and reaction whcih is something I also hope to do in my film.

Brief

For my F.M.3 creative project my task is creating a film extract for which I will have to create:

• Aims and Context

My Aims and Contexts must be clear and concise, it should clearly outline the aims of the extract and the context of the production.

• Creative Product

My film extract must connect with the key issues I raised in my production of meaning and reflect on both the final product and the creative process.

• Reflective Analysis

My Reflective Analysis should outline and reflect on key features of my creative product and also reflect on the creative process of making my product.

Codes and conventions of the crime thriller genre Kieran Drury

 The Crime Thriller genre has many different codes and conventions that can belong to the stylistics of mise en scene, setting, sound and so on. As my creative piece is going to belong to the crime thriller sub genre I must use the appropriate codes and conventions to show that my film belongs to this genre. The genre I’m looking at specifically is the British crime thriller genre with films such as Snatch and Lock Stock and two smoking Barrels (Ritchie) rather than the American crime thriller with films such as The Departed (Scorsese).

One of the main conventions of the Crime Thriller is the use of specific props, especially weapons; throughout the crime thriller genre many weapons are used as props to convey different things. There are many conventional weapon props such as bladed weapons such as knives to show character seriousness and willingness to murder and blunt weapons to define the low level thugs and to show brutality. Finally probably the most used convention of the crime thriller genre is the use of guns. Guns conventionally within this genre reflect the power of the character, the bigger or more complex the gun the more powerful the character is the usual trend, however they can also be used to invert expectations and create humour. Humour is also a convention of the crime thriller genre as it is used throughout the films to counter balance the seriousness of the murders and crime occurring within the films.

 

This clip from Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels below is an example of how conventional weapon props can be used to show power and to create humour in a crime thriller. As seen in the clip most of the serious criminals have sawn-off shotguns a gun typically used by criminals in the crime thriller genre. This shows that these characters are serious about there work and ready to kill to achieve there goals. The fact that the amateur drug dealers have an air rifle to defend their money and drugs creates humour as it is completely ineffective against the serious criminals and unexpected by the audience. By using the air rifle prop and the characters reactions to it, Lock Stock creates humour achieving one of its main conventions.
Another prop that is a convention of the crime thriller genre is the use of costume. The more powerful and sophisticated/experienced criminals are usually dressed in expensive suits, whereas the less experienced criminals (conventionally the protagonist/s) are usually dressed in relatively normal/cheap clothes, this is well illustrated in the following screenshots from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
In these screenshots below from Snatch we can see that the less powerful characters are dressed in casual gear to signify that they pose no great threat to the character. The protagonist however is dressed in an expensive black suit to show his power and the danger he poses to the character. This use of costume is a typical convention of the crime thriller and is one of the most effective ways to suggest character importance and the characters power within the diegesis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In these two screenshots from Lock Stock we can see that the most powerful gangster in the film is wearing a black suit which is almost exactly the same as the attire the antagonist wears in snatch. This would suggest that suits are certainly a convention of the crime thriller genre. Also in the second screenshot we can see the low level unimportant thug in Lock Stock dressed in tatty, old clothing similar to that worn in the screenshot from snatch. This also shows that specific costumes or style of costume are conventions of the crime thriller genre.

 

 

 

 

Within the crime thriller genre another convention would be use of certain settings, especially the British crime thriller. Both Snatch and Lock Stock are both set in large urban cities and many more non British crime thriller films are also set in large cities, for example The Departed. The reason for this convention would be that it allows the audience to see the secret crime infrastructure which operates right under the noses of average people; this increases the thrill for the audience and thus achieves the aims of a thriller. As can be seen below by a screenshot of city from Lock Stock

 

Another conventional setting within this genre is the use of dark and seedy interiors, usually gambling dens or places where criminals hide their stashes or plan their crimes as seen in this screenshot from Lock Stock.

 However this can be juxtaposed against another conventional setting from the crime thriller genre which is the grandeur and obvious expensiveness of where the head gangster/antagonists reside.

Synopsis

ParkLife Synopsis                                                              Kieran Drury

Sam and Max are two teenagers living together in a squat. With no job, no grades and no future they consider any means justifiable to improve their standard of living. Max begins to pick up a heroin habit due to the emotional stress put on him by his lifestyle. The two begin to deal drugs on their estate for a notorious gangster to elevate their positions on the estate and their lives. Max’s addiction begins to spiral out of control, while simultaneously Sam is steadily climbing up the gang hierarchy. Max then begins to steal from the drugs he is being supplied with to fuel his own habit. Sam in his new position of power in the gang must punish Max for his disrespect or else the two teenagers both lose everything they have gained so far. Rather than punish Max, Sam instead gives him the money to pay back the crime lord. However at the meeting to pay the money back Max is killed regardless of his repayment. In a complex plot for revenge Sam then joins the crime lord’s inner circle as his right hand man and waits for an opportunity for revenge. On the eve of a big gang war with two rival gangs, Sam kills the crime lord to avenge his fallen friend and blames it on the other gangs. Sam is now the man at the top, he has everything he ever wanted, but he laments the loss of Sam and wonders if this life is preferable to the one he used to have.