Hate Crimes : Homeless People

For our Thriller opening, our group have decided to have a homeless man as a victim. Though some may find it unethical, it is a serious issue that shouldn't be hidden and should be made more aware. People make the assumption that homeless people are not a target, but in actual fact their vulnerability and weakness makes them the most likely victim of a hate crime. 

Statistics show that over the past 13 years (recorded in early 2013) there were 1,289 attacks against the homeless. In 2011, there were 105 attacks alone, resulting in 32 deaths. It has also been recorded that the crimes are getting more lethal over time and therefore our thriller opening portrays a real matter that is increasingly occurring. Not only is the amount of the crime taken into account, but also the age of those who commit it. For example, the majority of those committing these crimes are between the ages of 13 and 24 and are poor and uneducated. Norma, our murderer, is a young female in her 20's and her background is not
revealed as it is only an opening.   However, the name 'Norma' suggests that she has psychotic tendencies and is very influential much like 'Norma Bates' from 'Bate's Motel' therefore presenting her as someone likely to commit a crime against vulnerable people.

In order to clearly show that our Thriller is about a hate crime, we will show establishing shots of Sam (homeless man) to imply that he is in fact homeless i.e. sitting down, rough and grim locations. We will then cut - using transitions such as fade to black - to Norma (murderer) to imply that she is about to murder by using close-ups of her getting ready and preparing a weapon. Then we will replicate shots with different characters to suggest that they are both in the same place.