Characters

List of Characters for my trailer.

Jack Marshall: Jack is a 39 year old father of three. An english born business man Jack is aboard United Airlines flight 175departing from Boston to Los Angeles for a business meeting before he is due to return back to England for his son's 13th Birthday. Whilst aboard United Airlines 175 he made several attempts to call his wife, on the third and final time he got through to her, he was talking to her up until the time of impact with the South Tower.

Amelia Marshall: Amelia is a 36 year old mother of three. Whilst her husband Jack is in the States on business she is left back in England to take care of their young family. When she returns home from the supermarket she listens to a message from Jack saying that he is on United Airlines fligh 175 which has been hijacked, she turns on the Tv to see the events that are unfolding live on TV at the World Trade Centre, seconds later Jack phones again and tells her that he loves her. As she is talking to Jack she hears him say "Oh my God... Oh my God, Oh my God" and then witnesses his plane crash into the South Tower.

'United 93' - Camera Shot Analysis

It is important that the message of the film is portrayed to the audience, this is done with the use of appropriate camera shots because depending on the shot will depend on how the audience portray that scene, for example an intense scene may require a close up shot to show worry and stress where as with a medium shot this image may be lost in what is going on around the character.

I have decided to analyse the use of camera shots in 'United 93' as the film deals with an array of emotions that need to be portrayed at the same time which I feel will be important for my trailer. In the shot on the right the audience can see a medium shot of the passengers with one passenger centred in between the two aisles, by doing this the audience understand that this man is informing the passengers what they are going to do to take control of the plane. The shot is also low down in line with the passengers this gives the audience the illusion that they are with the passengers aboard United 93 which allows the audience to connect with the passengers on a personal level.

In this second shot the audience see a close up of a passenger on the telephone. With the positioning of his head resting on his hand the audience are given the sense that the entire weight of the world is resting on this man's shoulders whilst he speaks to a loved one letting them know what is happening to him. He can not believe what is happening to him, that he is in this serial situation, the close up shot is important in conveying this man's emotions the audience are given the understanding of how it must have felt to inform your friends and family that you are on a hijacked plane and that you will probably die. The man is also looking down at the ground which again adds to the stress that he is now under. Without this close up shot the audience may have only seen a passenger on the phone where as by showing him closely to the audience they are now experiencing what every passenger felt on that day.

 The shot on the right is a dutch angle which is often used to portray the psychological uneasiness or tension in the subject being filmed. Which is exactly what the audience can see with this couple. The husband is protecting his wife by embracing her and placing his hand on her head all of these aspects show to the audience that the couple realise their fate, they understand that they are going to die aboard United 93. Also with the use of the dutch angle it has made the husband appear much taller in the shot this shows that the husband is over powering his wife by protecting her from what is about to happen to them both. I feel that this angle works particularly well because the audience are still able to see what is happening around the couple but they are focused in on the couple themselves and the situation that they are in. This shot has also been able to to portray their emotions, despite being scared and angry with the people that are doing this to them, they are there for one another.  

Dramatisation of real events

Due to the context of my trailer/film I felt that It is important to incorporate real facts and events that occurred on 9/11 due to the personal nature of this day. So I will be using real news footage that was broadcasted on the day of 9/11, and I have also Incorporated a phone call that was made by a female airhostess to her husband when she was aboard United Airlines flight 93 but changed it so the husband was leaving the message for his wife.

I feel by incorporating these elements into my trailer it will give a sense of realism to my film, and give the audience an insight into what the families were going through when the events of 9/11 were unfolding infront of their eyes live on national TV.

I will be using the audio from the news coverage at the beginning of my trailer. This is clip is the news coverage from when the first plane hit the World Trade Centre and then all the way up until the first tower collapsed.

I will also be incorporating a telephone call that took place from United Airlines 93 by Stewardess CeeCee Lyles but change it the womans husband leaving the message; and then eventually getting through to his wife; "Hi Karen, It's Jon I'm... Baby, you have to listen to me carefully. I'm on a Plane that has been hijacked, I'm on the plane, United Airlines flight 175, I'm calling from the Plane. I want to tell you I love you, please tell the kids that I love them very much, and I'm so sorry babe.... Urm I don't know what to say..... I love you.." This is a recreation of the message that CeeCee Lyles left her husband whilst onboard United 93.

Peter Hanson spoke to his father Lee Hanson whilst he was aboard United Airlines flight 175 minutes before it crashed into the South Tower, Peter Hanson was sat on the left side of the plane so could see the plane was heading towards the South Tower . He said "I think we are going down. I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building. Don't worry, Dad. If it happens, it'll be very fast....Oh my God... oh my God, oh my God." It is the final part that I will be incorporating into the message left by my character.

The message will be heard "Hi Karen, It's Jon I'm... Baby, you have to listen to me carefully. I'm on a Plane that has been hijacked, I'm on the plane, United Airlines flight 175, I'm calling from the Plane. I want to tell you I love you, please tell the kids that I love them very much, and I'm so sorry babe.... Urm I don't know what to say..... I love you..Oh my God... oh my God, oh my God."

Whilst Karen is on the phone to Jon is flight 175 is abruptly banking towards the South Tower, it is at this point at 9.02 am Jon sees the North Tower and realises what is about to happen in which he softly and calmly says "Oh my God...oh my God, Oh my God"

 This video is an interview with Peter Hanson's father Lee Hanson describing the phone call he had with his son seconds before Flight 175 was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Centre.                     

'United 93'

United 93 is a 2006 fact-based drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Greengrass that chronicles events aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11 attacks.


Early on the morning of September 11, 2001, hijackers Ahmed al-Nami and Ahmed al-Haznawi are praying in their hotel room, United 93's skyjacking ringleader Ziad Jarrah reading the Quran, and Saeed al-Ghamdi shaving. The four then leave for Newark International Airport. At the airport, the crew and passengers board United Airlines Flight 93. Shortly after boarding, and the safety briefing, Flight 93 is delayed for 41 minutes because of the high volume of traffic. The three other soon to be hijacked flights, American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, and American Airlines Flight 77 take off. 

United 93 shows the audience the tenacity and determination of the passengers to take over the plane which despite their best efforts were unsuccessful in obtaining control of the plane. 

In the picture on the right the audience see the passengers drowding round one another discussing about how they're going to take over the plane, I feel that In this shot particularly the audience can understand the emotions that were going through the passengers at this time you get a sense of their upset that this is happening to them and the anger with the people responsible for putting them in this situation. 

In the picture on the left the audience see a couple embracing one another you can see that the man is protecting his wife by holding her close to him; this gives the audience the sense of vulnerability that surrounds these passengers, they have been cut off from the outside world and whilst everybody is going about their normal day these people are trapped in a plane that has been hijacked and nobody is aware of this. 

What draws me to 'United 93' is that sense you get of understanding how each individual passenger felt and what they went through whilst aboard united 93. As an audience up until now nobody has really understood visually what it was like for the passengers being on a hijacked plane  all we have had is recordings and friends and family members accounts of phonecalls they recieved from the passengers.                                                                                                                                                       

For more information visit the United 93 national memorial website http://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm