Skip to main content

Script

1
FADE IN:

Scene 1

EXT. Bedford prison- day
Dissolve/fade       
In the heart of Bedfordshire, south of England, is Bedford prison containing one of Britain's most violent killers. Scene 1 presents the outside of Bedford prison showing the location where the documentary is set

NARRATOR: TILLIE ROLFE, British story specialist, narrator and presenter for many documentaries of varied genres, 17 years old.
Narrator
Bedford prison. Situated in Bedfordshire is a maximum security unit home to some of Britain's violent criminals, one of them being Niamh Slaney.
Slaney has murdered 11 people and has been given a 250 year prison sentence. Her case has raised serious questions, what causes extreme violence? and what we understand about the nature of evil itself?
I have come here to meet her face to face to see if she will tell us what made her such a violent killer.

Scene 2

IN. My house/Bedford prison

Scene 2 presents an interview with the prisoner inside the prison's in an intense discussion about the prisoner's version of what happened.

PRISONER: NIAMH SLANEY, British, 17 years old, student, from Bedfordshire
2

Interviewer
I can't picture you as someone who would mastermind a whole mass murder...
Prisoner
That's what everyone says. My own family said there were no possible reasons or signals that would make them consider me ever doing anything like this. I was an ordinary regular girl, I still am.
Interviewer
People think of you as a monster, how does that make you feel?
Prisoner
It's horrible, it hurts and upsets me because the outside world don't know me. This one thing I did ruined my life and ruined how people judged me.
People on the outside do not understand what evil is.
Interviewer
Do you know what evil is? Are you evil?
Prisoner
Somewhat.
Scene 3- My house/ Bedford prison
Interviewer
You're the most dangerous person I have encountered, yet I can't think of one explanation why you did this. Tell me in your own words exactly what happened.
Prisoner
Well me and mum got into an argument over my behaviour, how I was treating my sister, brother and both herself and dad really badly, being generally disrespectful and rude all the time as I would have a lot of severe mood swings which most times resulted into violence regularly. Within seconds our argument turned into a fight and I... got really violent and threw a glass at her. All I can remember doing in screaming, nothing else. I was so upset and hurt, so much pent up anger inside... I don't know why but I took a knife and left the house. Next thing I know I am covered in blood with police surrounding me and people lying on the floor... it was like I blanked out and turned into a different person entirely. A monster I guess.
3
Interviewer
Do you know any of the people you killed? Do you remember killing them at all?
Prisoner
They are all complete strangers to me, I don't know any of them or anything about them. I don't remember killing any of them, everytime I try and remember something, I see black nothingness.
Interviewer
How did you get on with your siblings and parents generally? Was it a happy home?
Prisoner
When I was younger I got on with my brother and sister... we used to go out and play like normal kids. As I became a teenager I isolated myself from all of them, I dont know why, I felt lonely and a outsider. It was like a switch flipped, I turned into a different person. I started constantly arguing with all my family and I became really violent to everyone. I guess I feel guilty... I changed the once happy normal family home into... a miserable and depressing home. I ruined all their lives... made their lives hell.
Interviewer
How did you feel after you killed those people, after it sank in?
Prisoner
It didn't sink in until i was in the interview room where the police were telling me the facts of what I have done... I broke down. I have never expressed any emotion apart from anger in my entire life... and that was the first time I have ever publicly expressed any human emotion. Even though I was crying as soon as it sank in... I felt numb. 
Interviewer
You said you broke down in the interview, why?
4
Prisoner
I think the feeling of disgust and hatred for myself was just too overwhelming.
Interviewer
Do you see yourself a celebrity here?
Prisoner
Of course
Interviewer
In what way?
Prisoner
Everyone knows what I'm here for.
Interviewer
Do you enjoy the attention?
Prisoner
Sometimes. Sometimes it becomes a hassle.
Annotated script:






I have decided to add another perspective from a family member into my documentary so have added an extra scene:

Scene 4
INT: filmed in school
Interviewer:
What was Niamh like growing up?

Ellie (Niamh's sister):
She was a very quiet girl, found it hard to fit in at school. Since she was very young she has always been quiet and anxious. The way she coped with this was by isolating herself from people.

Interviewer:
What was home life like, did all the family get on?

Ellie (Niamh's sister):
Home life was happy and normal until she became older, she would constantly fight with mum, dad and our brother. It became a miserable place to live, she was tearing the family apart.

Interviewer:
What did you think when you found out about the murders?

Ellie (Niamh's sister):
I didn't believe that was my sister. I knew she could be a violent person at times, but not this, not murder.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Film poster analysis

Anchorage- words that accompany the picture e.g. 'The past never dies it kills' I think the anchorage is used as one of the main focus points of the poster because of the crisp white italics harshly contrasting against the faded black background. The colour tone and contrasting immediately catch the audiences eye. In addition, the short and snappy anchorage has a underlying dark message personifying the past which makes it interesting so, draws in the audience in. Preferred reading-   When audiences respond to the product the way media producers want/expect them to:   I feel that the audience responds to the poster with a burst of adrenaline and terror due to the graphic and eye- catching image which is the producers aim. In addition, when I first saw the poster I felt on edge and shocked at how realistic the image is. I think the producers aim for the audience to feel extremely on edge to convey the full effect of demonic possession and all the other underlyin...
1 comment
Read more

Evaluation Q3

What have you learned from your audience feedback? Target audience The target audience I looked at would be from 16-50, non-specific to gender, ethnicity or social class; This is the demographic of my documentary because of how widely varied it is and how many topics it covers that would interest any age, gender, class or race. I think as my documentary is of crime genre many ages are interested in this, which is why the age range is so wide. I don't think a crime genre documentary would be suitable for someone younger than 16 or older than 50 as I believe it would either be too frightening, uninteresting or wouldn't be able to understand the factual element to it. I don't think my target audience would be the social group who have a disposable income to more likely pay in order to watch it as people can easily watch the documentary for free on catch-up. I think my target audience would have to be interested in psychology (minds of criminals) and the crime system ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Amy: Amy Winehouse documentary

Amy: Amy Winehouse It is a 2015 British compliation and musical/biography documentary film about the life and death of British singer- songwriter Amy Winehouse. The film covers Winehouse's life and her struggles with substance abuse, both before and after her career blossomed, and which eventually caused her death. A once-in-a-generation talent, Amy Winehouse was a musician that captured the world's attention. A pure jazz artist in the most authentic sense- she wrote and sung from the heart using her musical gifts to analyse her own problems. The combinations of her raw honesty and supreme talent resulted in some of the most unique and adored songs of the modern era. The documentary shows the songwriter's life from early childhood, to her music career, troubled relationships, self harm, bulimia, controversial media attention and downfall with her drug and alcohol addiction. I think this camera shot represents the happy, healthy and full of energy person Amy was, as s...
Post a Comment
Read more