Working title: Riot or Wrong
Length: 15-20 minuets
Genre: Drama
Target audience: 15+
Tagline: The worst behaviour in 20 years but from who?
Brief synopsis
The London riots in 2011 shocked the country. We see three fictional versions of the riots as we see a policeman, a rioter and family man make their choices. Each story starts from the beginning of their day showing their lives and possible motivations in their decisions. Eventually they all collide having to choose each others fate.
Brief outline (500 words)
Story 1: A young inexperienced police man named Kyle watches his Sargent talk about their plans to control the on-going riots. He is nervous it's his first day and isn' quite sure what to make of the difficult tasks which lay ahead. He rings his girlfriend after and illustrates how he should have just become an accountant.
Out on the streets he and several other policemen now line the entrance to the high-street, however several other shops in the surrounding area are still being attacked. The rioters are starting to get restless as the police are yet to move. They kick in the shop closest to them, smashing the windows. A dozen hooded rioters run into the shop grabbing bundles of clothing. The Sargent shouts and every police man draws his baton. Nervous the younger one fumbles with the catch slightly but then tries to stand up proud. Another shout from the Sargent and they all charge into the shop. Kyle, one of the last in the store, is pushed slightly by one of the rioters who's carrying a baseball bat. He goes to grab him but the rioter turns looking piercingly at him, bat poised. Kyle lets go of his arm for no other reason than he is frozen by shock. The man escapes and the police men return to their posts.
Smashing sounds echo from down an alleyway, a few of the policemen run down, including Kyle. It's the rioter from before, he is ruthlessly hitting a man with a bat. The rioter runs too quick for the policemen. Kyle is shocked if only he had stopped him.
Story 2: A proud and strong builder, Joe, leaves his work and heads to the school to pick up the kids. He rings his wife on the way telling her he will meet her there. He straps his kids into a new car seat in the back and gets into his car that he worked hard to buy.
Later at home, he watches the news reports of the riots, he begins to rant in a typically traditional british way about how he would show the rioters a thing or two if he was a policeman. At that moment their local town appears on the news, it's so close they can hear shouting when they open the windows. His wife gives him a look which he knows tells him not to even think about joining in.
Later that night, the kids tucked away in bed, he prowls around the house un-able to sleep knowing the trouble that lies a stone throw away. There's a window smashing outside, immediately he is on his guard looking out of the window where he spies a man breaking into his car. He springs into action, thumping his way outside. Grabbing the rioter from behind by the collar, he begins to shout abuse at him. He swings a punch hitting the rioter across the jaw. The rioter reacts quickly swinging the bat back from the punch. He doesn't stop, the rioter hits the man until he's on the floor. A police man appears causing the rioter to run away, Joe is left severely injured.
Story 3- Dale, a rough scruffy looking man sits at a desk in front of a well dressed gentleman. He is telling Dale he has lost his job. Annoyed and frustrated he returns home to his girlfriend and their toddler. He doesn’t tell her he lost his jobs. Later that evening they sit together as a family, the riots fill their television screen. The father leaves telling his family he is going to see his mate.
Leaving his car in a side road, he heads for the high street. The police are blocking the main part but the small business in the surrounding areas are left un-attended. A few lads have smashed a clothing store, he follows them in picking up a few hoodies. Another man challenges him for a particular item. Panicking he picks up a baseball bat that lies under the table. The other man backs off. Police start to flood the shop, Dale pushes out to leave but his arm is grabbed. He turns and with a look of hate as he raises the bat. Obviously a bit cautious the policeman drops his arm and he is freed. He leaves the shop and heads down the alley way towards where he left his car.
Suddenly he see's it. A brand new car seat in an expensive car that doesn't look to hard to break into, it would be prefect for his boy. He decides he wants it and that the owner of the car could probably afford a new window so smashes the one closest to him in. He reaches in, unclipping all of the straps that keep it in place. One strap is stuck, he is trying to pull it free when he's lurched out of the car. A broad man is shouting and spitting in his face in anger. A punch quickly follows. He flips the bat from under his arm and his the man. He keeps hitting until the broad man is on the floor, his back soaking with blood. A voice shouts from somewhere, without looking the thuggish man runs, not looking back.
Main character(s) biography:
Policeman- He didn’t quiet think he would be thrown in at the deep end dealing with rioters when he has barley proved he can deal with teenage 'yobs'. However he still wants to be successful.
Builder- He wants to protect his honour and his family. What he would love to do would be to be out there fighting against the rioters but he knows his wife would not approve. He eventually choses to fight when it becomes to close to home despite knowing there were police in the area.
Thug- He wants to provide a better life for his family. He now can't do this as he has lost his job so when he see's the opportunity, he joins the riots in a bid to provide. However he chooses to act in a brutal way when he is attacked.
Director's statement of intent:
This film will be made in three strict structures, showing the story though each protagonists eyes. Ideally we are meant to feel empathy for all of them because they all wanted to do something good for somebody but in a split second decision they have chosen the wrong paths. I believe it would need to remain as three separate stories because each one reveals something new. I think it would become confusing for the audience if the points of view were intercut and spliced together.
The film will have a gritty look about it. I think this would suit the piece because it's set in Britain and would reflect the famous social realism films the country is know for. In terms of the films influences, the second section with the family man would be similar to Simon Ellis' 'Soft', because of the themes and the choices they both make. Their characters are different but they both feel pressured into reacting a certain way. The general structure is similar to the short walking away where it has three different versions of a story, however that is told from the same point of view and it looks at how the protagonists decisions affect her future.
I want to make this film because I think I might make people think about what they chose to do, even if they have the best intentions. I think it would make audience consider someone rational for doing a crime or a bad deed if it was in some way for a child. It would be interesting to see people's reaction because the riots are under investigation at the moment.