3.2 Final Script

Final Script

This is the final draft of the script that Dan will use for the voice over for the HS2 Documentary;

Script Final Draft

Scene 1: Intro Graphic

Ext: Railway

Establishing shot with Titles appearing on the shot post production

Scene 2: Intro Interview with Christopher Pincher the MP for Tamworth on his intial thoughts of HS2

Scene 3: Info about HS2

Camera – A Range of different camera shots in the town of Tamworth and shots of different trains. Types of shot: Pan, Establishing, Long, Close up, Medium, Focus pull

Dan: The HS2, Britain's answer to a rail system that challenges locomotives like the Japanese bullet train and Elon Musk's supersonic train. Or could this be the rail that breaks Britain.

The High Speed Rail, is the long awaited improvement to British railways linking London to Birmingham in phase 1 and in phase 2 it links Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. This is the second high speed rail after HS1, that links London to the channel tunnel.

The HS2 project will cost at least 56 billion pounds. Work on the first phase begins at the end of the year and will arrive in Birmingham by at least 2026, so that’s almost 9 years, if it manages to maintain its building schedule.

HS2 Ltd say this is not just about delivering a new railway but providing huge economic, social and environmental benefits to the UK. The government assumes that the fares structure will be in line with that of the existing line and HS2 could generate sufficient demand and revenue without needing to charge premium prices. It estimates total fare revenues of up to 34 billion pounds over a sixty year period.

One of the government’s goal is to stop congestion in major cities, like Birmingham and London and want the HS2 to reduce this. The HS2 will have around 1100 seats per train and will be carrying an estimated 26,000 people per hour. Furthermore the journey time from Birmingham to London will be reduced from 1hr 21mins to just 49mins due to the operating speeds of up to 250mph that surpass any other conventional trains at this current time. On average a train from Tamworth train station to London Euston one way takes 1hr 30mins with no changes and costs around 20 pounds for an adult depending on availability.

Ministers also claim the London-West Midlands section alone will create around 40,000 jobs However this could all sound too good to be true as the HS2 pressure group, Stop HS2, say that the midlands would actually lose out to London on the job front as they would claim 70% of the 40,000 jobs will employ Londoners near the HS2 stations.

Scene 4: Voxpop

In this scene, we will ask questions to the general public in Tamworth about their opinion of HS2 from a question bank.

• Are you in favour of HS2?
• What do you think of HS2?
• Is HS2 a waste of taxpayer’s money?
• What do you think of HS2?
• If you had one word or phrase to describe HS2, what would it be?
• Do you think the local area will change?
• Do you think HS2 should be a priority or do you think the government should focus on sorting the NHS or Brexit?
• Do you think HS2 will be affordable or is it for the middle/upper class?
• When/If the HS2 is constructed how much would you think that a one-way ticket form Birmingham to London would cost?
• What do you think of the current railway system?
• Should we focus on nationalizing the current railway infrastructure rather than building new rails?

Scene 5: The route graphic

Dan: The route will begin in London and go straight up to Birmingham cutting through a lot of picturesque countryside and towns. During the making of the rail many different sized businesses will be affected like Whittington golf club, but we will discuss that certain topic later.

The HS2 will race through the countryside going past many towns and hamlets like, Buckingham and Banbury respectively. The line then starts moving onwards towards Birmingham travelling near towns such as Leamington Spa, Marston Green and Coleshill before cutting across and reaching its first proposed stop in Birmingham. On the left leg of the ‘Y’ shaped project the line will run towards Manchester, the track cuts through Middleton, Whittington and Lichfield. Then on the right leg of ‘Y’ shape the train line travels towards Leeds as it runs parallel with m42 near Tamworth.

Scene 6: Local Area

Film shots such as Tamworth Castle, Ventura Park, Tamworth Market, Snowdome, Signs

Dan: Now, our hometown, Tamworth. As we already know the HS2 is not directly stopping in the Tamworth area. The closest it will stop will be in Birmingham. But that does not mean that it is going to affect Tamworth in a major way. Firstly Tamworth, mainly residents living in the Wilnecote, Hockley area will gather a lot of noise pollution as the HS2 is running directly across the A5 dual carriage way. This is going to bother a lot of new residents who have recently moved to the new houses in that area not just the noise pollution it is also going to be a lot of visual pollution;, and there are even signs of residents not wanting the HS2 at all.

Scene 7: CP

Insert snippet of an interview with MP Christopher Pincher with titles of "continued after the break..." or "coming up..." at the bottom left hand corner.