SAINTS AND SINNERS

Treatment
 Treatment
Title: Saints and Sinners
Genre: Brutal Thriller

Blurb: Carl Johnston is an ex-con whos escape from prison is limitless. There is
only a matter of time before the police catch him. A brutal thriller of an ex-
con confessing his sins in the confessional is almost too much to bare for the
priest.

Format: My drama will be a series. It fits into this format because its about a
man telling a story about everything he has done, so other episodes would
be his flashbacks of the things hes done as it is happening, before he told his
story. The first episode, which is this Radio Drama, will be based in the church,
in the confessional, about the prisoner confessing his sins to the priest, and
they are about him explaining his events rather than them happening. Sound
effects and music will be used to create tension and suspense in the drama,
engaging the listener more.

I decided to make this specific episode as a radio drama because I thought

it would work better as an audio rather than visual. There isnt much visual,
but more description. Whereas in the next two episodes, as they are about
the flashbacks, as the actual events are happening, theyd be more suited
for a visual, as well.

The structure of this radio drama is that it will be a single strand drama as it is
based on one main story of the ex-convict and doesnt have lots of single
stories going on at the same time. It has a closed ending because you know
that the police come and get him and bring him back to prison. It is a linear
narrative structure because it has a beginning, a middle and an end. It starts
with him getting to the church and going inside to ask the priest to go to the
confessional. Then the middle has the climax where the tension builds up and
the priest starts to realise how much of a problem he might be to society, and
the priest has to decide what he has to do, and then the ending with the
police coming to get him and bring him in. It is a realist as its based at a real
place with a real scenario and not somewhere unrealistic like space, and
how I also used the correct liturgy that you hear it churches, for example
Forgive me father for I have sinned, you know this is in a confessional.

Genre: My drama would be a thriller because it would include sound effects

and descriptive content of when he is telling his story. Sound effects would
create a certain atmosphere that would create suspense and keep the
audience on the edge of their seat.

Detailed Outline: The story is about a man/ prisoner, who has just escaped
prison and made his way to St. Peters Church in Chicago, to confess his sins.
Starts with church bells. The Priest says the prayers, and the church session is
over. You hear chatter, and then a clearer sound of the priest talking to
someone. He goes into the church right after a ceremony and goes up to the
priest and asks to go to the confessional hes really shook (shivering) and
nervous. They go there when everyone has left the church. When they go to
the confessional, the man is nervous and then starts... Forgive me father for I
have sinned... etc. The man tells the priest about his sins, which include: 5
breaking and entering, 34 murders, 3 failed kidnaps (ended up killing them),
going to jail and beating up men there and then escaping jail. Priests are
meant to keep everything from the confessional confidential, however, if
something serious is confessed, they have to tell the police or preferably
advice the confessor to go and turn himself in. The priest tells the man this
and advices him to go and turn himself in ---the man tells him that he cant
because he just escaped from prison. The priest has to figure out what to do
with him whether to kill him or spare him.

Aired: My radio drama will be aired on Radio 4 at 10:00pm. It will be aired at

this time because of the content, as it is quite descriptive and brutal, with
some psychological elements and is aimed at an older audience.
Character Profile:

Prisoner (Carl Johnston): Carl grew up in Massachusetts with his dad who
gave him a hard time, that he stopped attending school, and was shoplifting
most of his younger years. He grew up a strong catholic. As he grew older, he
began more serious crimes such as murder and kidnappings. He got sent to
United States Penitentiary Marion prison at 24, in Marion, Illinois. At age 26, he
managed to escape and found his way to the St. Peters Church in Chicago.
He can seem nice and sweet, and is good with talking to people and very
persuasive. He has a short temper, and when he gets angry, hes quick at
lashing out without thinking.

I thought that Jimmy would be the perfect role for this character as he
genuinely sounds older and he puts on a great American accent. I think he
could get in the role and play the character really well.
Genuinely, Jimmy has an older sounding voice that matches his age, which is
around 26, so this would help to really create the character of Carl Johnston.

Priest (Father Abraham): Father Abraham is a composed, spiritual character.

He finished high school, went straight to the church, and became a priest. He
has been close to death from shootings at Church. Can be very persuasive,
knows how to talk people out of doing things.

I thought Jan would be able to play this character really well because his
tone of voice sounds older as he is over 50, and so I thought this would suit
the character of the Priest better rather than using a peer from my class. In
addition, as he has lived in America for a few years previously, it would be
easier for him to get the American accent right.
Jan could interpret the character very well as youd expect a priest to be,
and then he has a quite soft tone yet its quite deep so you know the
character is played by an older man.

Target Audience: My target audience would be aimed towards people in the

socio-economic group A, B, C1 and C2. This is because of the psychological
side of the radio drama that may be easier to understand for people who
have been in education for longer.

Budget: For the entire radio drama, it would be 20,000 per hour, but my
radio drama will be between 4-8 minutes long, so it would be between 1333
- 2666. Also included in my budget will actors, equipment (microphone) and
studio hire.

Will need 2 main male actors for my radio drama this would be around 50
an hour for each actor.

Around 240 for the actors for 2 hours (100 for 2 hours for two main
characters each, and 40 for two hours for police officer)

The drama would be between 4-8 minutes long, so it would be between

1333 - 1998
Take between 2-3 hours to record and create, to get it right
Around 50 for Vocal Studio Hire
To air - between 1333 - 2666
Overall rate to create - 680
Overall cost approximately 3636
Actors: https://www.peopleperhour.com/freelance/freelance+actors

Equipment (microphone): http://www.cameraworks.co.uk/hire/audio/recorders/

Studio Hire: https://www.actorscentre.co.uk/facilities/studio-hire

Airing cost: http://www.radioadvertising.co.uk/costs