Daniel Ellis

There are many reasons why these props are relevant to our film. Firstly, our film is of the crime, drama, thriller convention and so there is certain iconography that is vital to include in order to fulfill audience expectation. For example, fake blood, cigarettes, money, handcuffs and cocaine. Then there are various props which provide yet a further dimension to the film as their purpose is to provide and atmosphere and ambiance so that the audience is offered some means by which to contextualize the action. For example, poker chips, crystal glasses, travel size shampoo bottles and a grandfather clock. These are subtleties that the more mature audience that we are targeting will be able to put together like parts of a puzzle as they hint at Rob's occupation. Numerous amounts of travel sized bottles, for example, hint at the fact that he travels often and this information complimented by the large amounts of rolled up money and evidence of cocaine, both other props we have adopted, fit together to suggest to the audience that he is in fact a drug trafficker. Finally, the last purpose of the props is to provide insight into our protagonist’s character as these are objects not typical to everyone’s home but instead make him unique. For example, the unread newspapers, family photograph grandfather clock and pots of pills. The family photograph is smashed from the beginning which is symbolic of the fact that he is a failed father and despite making efforts to preserve his family it has been broken. This is perhaps something to do with the pills that he is clearly reliant on, and so the reasoning for these particular props is to give the film depth and encourage the audience to ask questions in their heads and be active members of the viewing.