Audience survey

We created a survey about peoples preferred films. We pick 4 films that we took most influence from and were most like our film. We handed out the survey to some people in our target audience. (people aged between 17 and 18)

Official poster

This is the poster for 'The English Life'.

Script

The English Life

EXT. DAY – A STREET IN LONDON

Pete is walking down a side street, passing small shops and cafes.

INT. DAY - CAFE

His old dealer and his mates are sitting in a cafe looking at a wanted picture of Pete, they then see him walk past.


VINNIES MATE
Wait a minute, ain’t that him boss?...

Vinnie’s mate points at Pete passing the window of the café. Vinnie and his mates charge out of the café, knocking stuff over.

Hearing the noise, Pete turns around

VINNIE
Yea. Yea it is, get him boys!


PETE
(shocked and panicked)
Oh shit!

Pete starts running, Vinnie and his mates start to chase after him.


Still frame of Pete running.


NARRATION
Pills. Crack. Smack. Weed. Coke. Speed. Tabs. Anything he can get his hands on, he'll take it. thats Pete. A quitter.


Still frame of Vinnie running after Pete with his two mates next to him

Narration: This is Vinnie, he's after Pete. Because he used to shot Pete drugs and now he wants his payment.

(Music and running starts again)

(The dealers chase Pete down a street, each dealer eventually gets cut off or falls behind. Pete gets away from them and walks down towards a tube station.)

Jobs and Characters

Jobs-
These are the jobs we decided on for each member of our group:
Director- Pete
Producer- Josh
Writer- Kieran
Editing-Steve, Kieran
Sound- Josh
Cast- Steve
Camera- Everyone


Characters-
Pete- Played by Sam Thorne
Vinnie-Steve Cardon
Hit men- Warren Roffey
Extras- Kieran, Josh

Group 52 Main Task

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Character Biographies

Pete- He is an 18 year old, male, college drop out. He is from Crystal Palace and had a good up-bringing there. However things started to go wrong, his parents divorced and he started to try drugs, firstly just socially but then he got hooked and eventually became dependent on them. Pete's a regular looking drug addict, with old clothes and a shabby appearance. He bought some drugs of a dealer called Vinnie but failed to pay him back. Now he's running from Vinnie and his henchman. 

Vinnie- Vinnie has been working in the drugs industry for several years. He took over from his father, Mario, who was widely known as being a big time drugs dealer. His father taught him the tricks of the trade when he was growing up in South London after moving from Italy when he was 2.  Vinnie dresses smart/casually and takes care of his appearance. No one dares to mess with Vinnie, so when Pete does exactly that we can expect Vinne not to let go of this grudge and come down hard on Pete. 

Draft Script

  (Pete is walking down a side street, passing small shops and cafes. His old dealers are sitting in a cafe looking at a wanted picture of Pete they see Pete walk past. They get up and walk out)

Dealers: Oi, its him, get him !

(Pete turns around)

Pete: Oh shit!

  

 (Starts Running music starts)

  (Still frame of Pete.)

Narration: Pills. Crack. Smack. Weed. Coke. Speed. Tabs. Anything he can get his hands on, he'll   take it. thats Pete.  A quitter. 

 

 (Still frame of Vinnie running after Pete with his two mates next to him)

Narration: This is Vinnie, he's after Pete. Because he used to shot Pete drugs and now he wants  his payment.

 

  (Music and running starts again)

(The dealers chase Pete down a street, each dealer eventually gets cut off or falls behind. Pete gets away from them and walks down towards a tube station.)

 

Note: This was our original script draft but since then we've learnt how to write the script up in the correct script format. 

Trainspotting opening scene analysis

Camera- Lots of tracking shots following the main characters running. Point of view shots from main character running and another from the car driver. A medium close-up and a long shot of Renton in his flat smoking drugs. Lots of moving camera shots at low angles of the characters playing football. A low close-up of Renton on his floor, the camera starts at his head then tracks down his body and away from him.

Editing- The opening scene is a montage of different scenes that introduces the main characters. When introducing each character the frame is frozen and their name is shown, Renton's name is shown first so you assume he's the main character. There are two of the same type of shots showing the main characters football team, and then it compares them to the opposing team. This makes the main characters seem messy and unorganised compared to the other team who are in matching kits. There are quick cuts of Renton in different scenes falling backwards, one where he's been hit by the football and one where he is taking drugs in his flat. The two scenes demonstrate the contrast between social and unsocial behaviour.

Sound- It starts with an upbeat song which is non-diegetic and carries on through the whole opening scene,further more the song fits the start shots where they are running. Rentons voice is talking over the scene which is non-diegetic also. The music becomes quieter when he is talking.

Representation-They are represented straight from the start as they are running away, from the security guards. Their age is about early 20's from the way they are dressed, and the way they look. You can tell that he is fairly uneducated and quite poor from the state of his flat. He shows that he takes drugs and he is quite proud of it and its not seen as a big thing in-between their friends.

Mise En Scene-From the opening sequence and the main character's accent you can tell the film is set in Scotland. The film is also based about the early 90's, you can tell this from the way the characters are dressed and the vehicles involved in the opening scene. The lighting used is natural lighting, even in Renton's flat. There are not many props used however when they are running down the streets we see their stolen goods come out of their pockets.

Planning and Ideas

Genre-
We experimented with the different genres we could of used:
Action
Horror
Teen Comedy
Teen Thriller
Crime Drama
British Social Realist

In the end we decided on a mix between crime drama and british social realist.

12/1/09 Synopsis

A 18 year old college drop out called Pete is a drug addict. He's been sacked from loads of jobs and is stealing to get his regular fix. However he did go to rehab but didn't like it, so now he's running away from them. He then tries to start a new drug-free, debt-free life at a new location, where he meets Steve who will become his only friend he has. But it doesn't go to plan and he ends up in the same position he was before. Now the dealers he owes money to are after him and its up to him to get out of it. Then when one of the dealers finds Pete's address, he sends one of his hit men to murder Pete but the hit man mistakes Steve for Pete and kills Steve. Now Pete has nothing left but his drugs and the dealers are getting closer to finding him so in the end Pete takes an overdose, but it doesn't work fully, he then wakes up in a hospital with one of the past dealers standing over him. The dealer sympathizes with Pete and gives him another chance to get him his money. The film then ends with Pete walking out the hospital and calling one of his contacts for assistance.


Trainspotting - Opening scene


These are the sort of ideas we 'd like our opening scene to be like.

Lock, Stock - Opening scene