Trap Phone - Short student film
We are raising money to help fund our short student film, Trap Phone, for our final year Film and Television project.
ABOUT THE FILM
Trap Phone aims to explore the portrayal of poverty, crime and discrimination within many different types of media, fiction and non-fiction. The central research question driving the project is “To what extent are young working-class men of colour given agency in UK crime cinema?” This examines whether these characters are portrayed as autonomous decision-makers or passive figures shaped by societal pressures like poverty and racism.
PLOT:
Set in London, 2015, A young working class man of colour is surrounded by friends who idolise the very life of crime he is trying to avoid. Owing to his finances, he buys a cheap phone, but this brings him into contact with an anonymous messenger, who blackmails him into committing a crime. Our protagonist tries his best to commit the crime without violence, but his self-image is inevitably shaken; he is looked upon in terror…he has been forced to live up to the stereotype. The consequences of his actions lead to his likely death, as he is manipulated into being a target for another victim of the same caller.
Character breakdown:
Youth 1 – P (Protagonist) – 18-25 MALE, LEAD
P is a young boy navigating life in a low-income neighbourhood. He's resourceful, quiet, and morally conflicted, often struggling between right and wrong. Poverty weighs heavily on his decisions, driving him to purchase the mysterious phone. While he cares for his friends and family, P has a strong inner conscience that puts him at odds with the criminal behaviour around him.
A (Antagonist) – 18+ M/F, SUPPORTING VOICE
A is a mysterious, menacing presence who communicates exclusively through the old phone. Their messages are manipulative, cryptic, and unrelenting, forcing P into morally compromising situations. A’s motives are unclear, adding to their sinister and otherworldly vibe. Their calm demeanour hides the chaos they cause.
Youth 2 – 18-25 MALE, SUPPORTING
Youth 2 is the ringleader of the friend group, bold and persuasive. They’re street-smart and often push boundaries, leading the group into risky situations like shoplifting. Despite their brash exterior, they see P as an important part of the group and are quick to challenge him when he tries to step out of line.
Youth 3 – 18-25 FEMALE, SUPPORTING
Youth 3 is the joker of the group, often using humour to diffuse tension or deflect responsibility. They’re easily influenced by others and follow along with whatever the group decides, even when it’s morally questionable. Despite their carefree attitude, they’re loyal to their friends.
Youth 4 – 18-25 FEMALE, SUPPORTING
Youth 4 is the most reserved of the group, often caught between doing the right thing and staying loyal to the others. They’re more observant and cautious, sometimes voicing their concerns but rarely acting on them. They share a closer bond with P, hinting at a deeper understanding of his struggles.
our INFLUENCES:
TOP BOY - explores life in London’s “Summerhouse”, following themes of race and poverty within criminality. It has influenced our project by highlighting the importance of portraying young working-class men of colour as complex individuals rather than victims of their environment. We will ensure our narrative choices avoid sensationalising criminality while remaining true to real struggles.
ATTACK THE BLOCK - we will be taking inspiration from the comedic aspect while balancing the different layers and autonomy of the characters. This film skilfully combines sci-fi, urban social-realism, while also incorporating aspects of comedy. It subverts stereotypes by depicting its protagonists as independent, inspiring us to emphasize the agency of our characters. The film has helped us to create a narrative that highlights autonomy, while still addressing relevant social issues and still including aspects of comedic relief.
PHONE BOOTH - follows a similar narrative as our film and carefully lines up parallel plot-holes. We will be using inspiration from this film to build and work on a structured plot for our story. The film feels claustrophobic and tense, giving us an idea on how we can create extra tension and mystery in our film.
Who are you?
We are a group taking FT3ADV, a final year Module, equal to a dissertation.
Saima Kayani - Director | Jay Kesav - Producer & Cinematographer | Alice Hanson - Casting Director & Sound | Sahil Hansraj - Location & Lighting | Lashe Austin-Peters - 1st AD & Key Grip
Where will the money go?
We plan to fund our film using these generous donations, putting it towards travel, location, costume, catering and props. Your donation will make all the difference!
We will be updating our donors frequently, as well as posting consistently on our Instagram.
COST BREAKDOWN:
- Location (one week): £150
- Costume: £150
- Travel (actor travel & petrol): £300
- Catering for cast and crew: £200
- Props: £100
- Extra costs: £100
If we raise any extra funds above our target, this money will be used by the University of Reading Film, Theatre and Television department to help promote our film and other films made by our fellow students.
Rewards
- TIER 1 | £20 = You will receive a link to download a copy of the original file for our film.
- TIER 2 | £30 = Tier 1 + An A3 sized TRAP PHONE film poster.
- TIER 3 | £50 = Tier 1 + Tier 2 (& signatures) + A special thanks in the credits of our film.
Find us here
If you want to find out any more information or follow our journey, we are on Instagram and TikTok as:
https://www.instagram.com/trapphonemovie
https://www.tiktok.com/@trapphonefilm
Help us succeed!
Please help us in any way you can! Whether it's donating, sharing this page or talking about the project to your friends or family, you will be helping us to create a project that we are all very passionate about! We hope you love this project as much as we do, so sharing it by word of mouth or on any social media, it would be an amazing way of getting people involved to create it in the best possible way!
Donating is the best way to help us out, so if you can give anything at all we will be very appreciative!
