A Beat Sheet for Somers Town, 2008. Directed by Shane Meadows

A Beat Sheet is used in the film industry to record significant features of each scene in a movie. These are some of the features that I spotted when watching Somers Town. Feel free to add your own thoughts and ideas. Also check that I have got all the right bits in the right places!

In the exam you will need to discuss specific MICRO features as well as broader MACRO features such and themes and issues of the film, narrative and the impact of narrative on audience responses to the film.

Scene Description What do the MICRO/MACRO elements communicate to the audience? What do we (the audience) learn in each scene?

Various shots of London

Merek and Mariusz walking along street – father ignores homless man; Marek says hello, then catches up with his dad

Tommo boards a train; gets talking to Scottish lady; says he is from Nottingham

Marek at the train station with his camera; takes out of focus shot of Tommo as Tommo walks

across station platform

Marek and Mariusz at home in kitchen; they exchange swear words in English; talking about English strong man Geoff Capes; Marek wearing a Man Utd top

Tommo outside shop trying to get adults to buy him booze

Marek and Mariusz having dinner; they take turns to read out section from the Agony Aunt column in paper – very happy scene

Mariusz's friends arrive – he leaves Marek to go out drinking; Marek disappointed

Tommo walking along London streets at night with cans of lager in a bag

Cross-cutting between Tommo and Marek signifies that their paths are going to cross in the film

Marek walking along the streets taking photographs of rubbish

Marek meets Graham; Graham very firendly – gives Marek an Arsenal shirt; Marek agrees to help Graham move his deck chairs; miss-spelt name on the back says Terry Henry instead of Thierry Henry

Tommo meets young chavs; they finish his beer; Tommo runs off

Handheld camera used in this section

and is chased

Tommo is beaten up in the alleyway; boys steal his bag and beers

Mariusz walking to work with Marek; Mariusz works on Kings Cross gateway to the EuroStar

Tommo framed by poster that says 'Meet Me'; he meets up with the Scottish lady from the train

Marek sat in cafe alone looking at photos of beautiful girl

Tommo and Scottish lady enter cafe; Tommo tells lady that he has 'nowhere to go...no money...no bag..nothing' Scottish lady gives Tommo £10

Tommo and Marek are framed together

First time that the two main characters share the same camera angle – hints that their destiny's are somehow linked

Tommo (POV) shot as he looks at Marek's photos of the girl

Tommo moves around to sit next to Marek

Tommo runs out of the cafe with Marek's photos; Marek chases him

Marek offers Tommo his watch and bag for the photos – Marek assumes Tommo is a thief. Old man comes

out of the flats and tells them that they are on private property and they must go

In a park; Tommo and Marek are framed lent against a tree;

Tommo and Marek offered work by Graham; £5 for sanding deck chairs

Tommo asleep in bed; Marek gives him food;

Tommo is clearly signified as being more vulnerable than Marek – different take on the immigrant experience than Ghosts or Last Resort.

Tommo and Marek discuss Maria (cafe worker); Tommo jokes that he is going to get together with Maria

Tommo asks Marek if he can stay at the flat whilst Marek goes to meet his dad from work

Cut to Marek meeting his dad from work

Straight cut keeps the audience guessing about whether Marek has allowed Tommo to stay

Mariusz and his friends sat in flat drinking heavily; Marek is with the group, but is not drinking; they try to get Marek to drink, instead he walks to his room; Mariusz looks disappointed that Marek has not got involved in the all-male drinking session

Tommo framed under

Marek's bed; Tommo needs a poo; Marek says he must poo in a plastic bag

Cafe day time; Maria speaking French to an old man; Tommo tries to show off and chat up Maria by saying he is a painter; friendship between the three is shown to be developing

Cut to park day time; Tommo, Marek and Graham framed sat on deck chairs in long shot; nobody else in the park – cold and windy day

Cut to Tommo on step outside Marek's flat

Cut to outside laundrette; Tommo is going to steal some clothes – he tells Marek to watch and 'learn from the master'; they run off with large bag

Back at Marek's flat; Tommo dressed only in pants and socks opens the clothes bag; bag obviously belonged to an old lady – blouse and Rupert bear trousers shown; Marek brings in Tommo's tracksuit top; the top has a massive blue stain on it sue to a pen being in the pocket; Tommo gets angry and annoyed – he now has literally nothing;

no clothes, no food, no money, no house

Cut to Marek on balcony; Kings Cross station and London skyline framed; Tommo comes out in dressing gown; reveals what he is wearing – a woman's blouse and the Rupert Bear trousers;

POV of Tommo as he looks over the edge of the balcony as sees a wheelchair

Cut to Tommo in the chair, pushed by Marek

Cut to boys arriving at cafe to pick up Maria in a 'special taxi'

Montage of shots of boys pushing Maria in wheelchair; past construction workers on lunch; both Tommo and Marek each hold a handle of the wheelchair

Arrive outside Maria's flat; Maria says 'this is the best day I've had since I came to London'; both boys get a kiss from Maria; both are very happy and excitable

Cut to Tommo masturbating over pictures of Maria; Marek disgusted; Tommo not ashamed to be caught

Cut to – Marek and Tommo sell clothes bag to Graham;

Tommo haggles with Graham and manages to get him to buy all of the clothes; Graham gets his cash out of his pants

Tommo and Marek buy food for Maria; framed pushed empty wheelchair with bags of food and a bottle of wine

Cafe owner is shutting up for the day; tells the boys that Maria has gone back to Paris; owner says to the boys 'don't worry we'll have another bird here next week'

Cut to Tommo and Marek in playground getting drunk

Cut to Tommo and Marek getting drunk and messing around in Marek's flat; Tommo takes of his trousers to reveal his dress underneath

Audience predict that Mariusz will arrive him soon; they get pleasure from predicting his response

Cut to Mariusz in Polish supermarket – Mariusz is allowed credit in the shop

Mariusz arrives home and throws Tommo out of the flat

Cut to: Tommo wakens up on Graham's couch

Cut to: Marek asleep on couch; Marek's flat is still a mess

Graham gives Tommo breakfast and offers him money; Tommo

asks whether money is for sexual favours; Graham disgusted that he should even ask

Mariusz says sorry to Marek; Marek tells his dad that he misses his mum; dad says he does too; dad picks up photo of Maria and says 'if I had lost her I would get drunk as well'

Audience given back story – Mariusz and Marek's mum had a violent relationship that has now ended.

Tommo cleaning brass ornaments in Graham's flat

Cut to dad at work, drinking coffee and looking sad

Tommo and Marek are framed in long shot looking towards Kings Cross station; Tommo says that they should go away for a weekend

Character arch – Tommo has a job of sorts (with Graham) Marek now has a friend.

Cut to colour (16mm old film style) – Marek and Tommo at Kings Cross station – Marek takes photo of Tommo with Eurostar tickets

Boys on Eurostar; similar to opening scene with Tommo on a train

Montage of scenes in Paris – hand held 16mm style filming; very happy scenes; they meet Maria in the park

Montage of scenes of the three in Paris having fun; Marek and Tommo wearing

berets

Final scene is of both boys kissing Maria