Bright Pictures and Finite Films present
in association with Creativity Media and Fierce Productions
HONEYTRAP
Written and Directed by REBECCA JOHNSON
Starring:
JESSICA SULA, LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT, NTONGA MWANZA & NAOMI RYAN
Produced by:
SARAH SULICK and AMY RICKER
Executive Produced by:
LAURIE HOLDEN
Running time: 93 mins
U.S. Press Contact:
Tilane Jones | [email protected]
Mercedes Cooper | [email protected]
U.S. Distributor:
ARRAY Releasing | www.ArrayNow.com @ArrayNow
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SYNOPSIS
HONEYTRAP is a tragic teen romance, set in South London and inspired by
true events. It tells the story of fifteen-year-old Layla, who sets up the boy in
love with her to be killed.
Fresh off the boat from Trinidad and full of fairytale fantasies, Layla is swept off
her feet by self-styled gang leader/rapper Troy. But in the dog-eat-dog world
where being Troy’s girl buys her envy as well as status, social outsider Shaun
becomes her only true friend.
When Troy discards her, Layla is left in ruins. She vows to rebuild herself as a
hardened player in order to win him back and Shaun becomes a pawn in her
game. Soon the forces she has set in motion are escalating out of control.
The first UK urban drama seen from a girl's point of view, HONEYTRAP is
authentically local in its setting but universal in its themes of passion, jealousy
and revenge. We have not seen a character like Layla take centre-stage
before and it’s time her story was told.
BACKGROUND TO THE STORY…
HONEYTRAP takes as its creative point of departure a case that came to
public attention in 2008. Fifteen-year-old Samantha Joseph led sixteen-yearold Shakilus Townsend to a quiet cul de sac in Croydon where he was
murdered by a gang led by Danny McLean, the boy she was in love with.
Joseph insisted she had not known when she agreed to the set up that
Shakilus would be killed. The jury decided otherwise and she was found guilty,
along with the boys that carried out the attack, of murder. QC for the
Prosecution Brian Altman said Joseph had known “exactly what she was
doing in manipulating her sexuality.” In his sentencing, Judge Richard Hawkins
said: “The reality that these young people with no souls had such a disregard
for life that they deliberately conspired to use manipulation to cause nothing
short of destruction is absolutely soul-destroying for me.”
Rebecca initially began to write the story of the case but soon realised she
didn’t want the creative restrictions or responsibility of depicting actual
people. Her work over the last decade with young people in Brixton, many of
whom are touched by gang culture, gave her ample means and material to
draw on in creating a story that was fictional but nonetheless powerfully
authentic.
Q&A: REBECCA JOHNSON, Writer-Director
1) Where did the idea for HONEYTRAP come from?
The idea for the film came from a case that took place in South London near
where I live. A fifteen-year old girl had set up a boy, luring him to a quiet culde-sac, where he was killed by a group led by the boy she was in love with.
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During the trial, press coverage very much hinged around how young and
beautiful she was and yet how calculating and inhuman. It was similar to
other gang-related killing stories we see in the press – blank faces we are
encouraged to look at in horror, never to see ourselves in, but because she
was female there was this extra level of abjection. I found it extremely
disturbing that she was characterised both in the trail (by the prosecution)
and in the press as a femme fatale, despite the fact she was still legally a
child.
One piece reported that she was laughing as the boy was killed (there is no
substantiation for this). I suddenly thought: if she had been laughing, it would
have been in shock. Improbable emotions can come out at extreme times – I
have experienced it myself.
That thought started unlocking other thoughts. In the work I’ve done with
young people in Brixton over the last decade, I’ve got to know many who
were involved or affected by gang culture in different ways. I know from first
hand experience that young people who’ve been involved in terrible
violence are often not at all what you might expect from reading these
articles. They are not blank-eyed and impenetrable. They are not at all scary
for the most part. They are very vulnerably, messily human.
I realised that I wanted to make a film about this because it needed to be
seen. De-humanising children, even if they’ve been involved in abhorrent
violence, is not the solution. It is not acceptable for us as the media, as adults
or as a society. The way that girls are involved is starting to become more of a
focus now but it’s still not something we’ve seen on screen with any attempt
at veracity. That was also something I felt was important to put out there.
2) The film is ‘inspired’ by true events. How much is truth and how much have
you created yourself?
My first inspiration came from the real case: I did a lot of research around it
and talked to many of the people involved and connected to it. But
gradually I came to the decision that I needed to be freer in the way I told
the story. I needed to create my own characters and not feel bound by the
huge sense of duty that came with depicting actual people who really
existed. Through my work, I had connections with young people who’d been
involved in gang violence and had been caught up in that state – where,
owing to a fundamental lack of grounding, life seems cheap and
consequences don’t seem real. I felt I had immersed myself enough to create
characters and a story that would be authentic. Some of the young people
I’ve worked with have become friends. I’m a mentor to them but they have
also been extremely helpful to me – as script consultants, production
assistants etc. There were four in particular who read and re-read the script
over the years and fed into it, which was absolutely invaluable to my writing
process.
3) You’ve lived and worked in the areas the film is set for a number of years.
How did that help?
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I’ve actually lived in or near Brixton for nearly twenty years and I’ve also been
making films with young people in the community for more than ten and both
of those things helped a lot. I have built up a network and a level of trust that
it wouldn’t have been possible to make HONEYTRAP without. I’ve been based
at Stockwell Park estate right in the heart of Brixton for my recent shorts Top
Girl and Home Turf, and the friends and contacts I’ve made there have been
the mainstay of getting this film made. People are used to seeing me around.
They like the films I’ve made so they wanted to help and be part of this one.
4) Did you feel a greater duty to do the areas justice, given the film looks at
more negative aspects of life in these areas?
The responsibility I felt was to depict everyone as multi-faceted, believable
characters so that viewers would engage with them – all of them, even as
they made terrible choices and did terrible things. The responsibility I felt was
to tell a story dramatically without using melodrama or the two dimensional,
dehumanising broad-strokes of a news piece.
5) Do you think this is a different take on gang-related drama audiences may
have seen?
It is the first to centre round a girl as the lead character. And it’s the first time,
to my knowledge, that a film has been made about a girl who acts as a
honeytrap where it’s her side of the story being told. HONEYTRAP is an urban
film as it takes place in that world and will, I hope, speak to that audience but
it is a new take on the genre. It has a very different feel and tone. For
example the music in it is mainly orchestral score, something you wouldn’t find
in a typical urban film.
6) Did you speak to and seek the blessing of the families of those involved in
the ‘honeytrap’ cases you called on for inspiration?
Initially I was going to make a film that was very much about the real case. I
started to research it and I spoke to quite a few people who’d been involved:
police, court reporters, prosecution and defence lawyers, young people and
also parents who’d suffered the terrible loss of a child. I felt it was important
not only for research but out of respect. The film is no longer a factual retelling
but that respect is still very important to me.
7) Is there optimism in the film?
I think the film succeeds in making you identify with people you could very
easily be made to judge and condemn and there is something inherently
hopeful in that: in our ability to connect with each other as human beings; I
am saying that we are still human even if we do even dreadful things. This isn’t
a film that sets out to tell you what an awful depressing place the word is. It’s
about how confused and messed up we can be, flailing around in the grip of
illusion and fantasy.
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8) How did you cast the film?
We worked with a casting director and saw a whole range of young people,
including some with little or no experience. We also put the word out through
local theatre networks and networks for young people.
9) What made Jessica Sula stand out in her audition?
Jess stood out for her intensity – a sort of understated intensity, which was
always there, even when she was doing very little. She understood both sides
of Layla and how important it would be to balance them – the vulnerability
and the shield of hardness that she tries to create for herself. Jess was
absolutely committed from the start; I could tell that immediately even
though she was so young, and I knew I could trust her.
She is also half Trinidadian and lives in Wales so she understands very well the
experience of being a cultural outsider. She had a very strong connection to
the character of Layla and it was clear she would give absolutely everything
she had to make her as complex and heartbreaking as she needed to be.
10) It’s Jessica’s first film role and it’s very different to anything she’s done
before. How did you help her get to grips with the part and the added
pressure of leading the film?
We hung out a lot so we could get to know each other and feel really
comfortable together. Of course we talked about Layla and the themes of
the film but we talked about a lot of other stuff besides. The key thing really
was trust. She had to trust me by making herself vulnerable in a lot of difficult
scenes and I had to trust her with my baby. She completely immersed herself
during pre-production, thinking about what Layla’s life would have been like
in Trinidad, playing out little scenes to herself doing all sorts of private stuff,
which really bedded her into Layla’s skin.
11) What do you hope the film will say to young people that could end up in
similar situations as Layla, Troy, Shaun and co?
I hope that a lot of young people will relate to the characters in the film,
seeing the foolishness of some of their choices but also knowing they are not
a million miles away from the same mistakes. The truth is we can all, at any
age, fall for the wrong people or be dazzled by status. Our society doesn’t set
a great example for young people – our media paints an incredibly alluring
world where celebrity is possible for anyone regardless of talent, and where
looks and money mean everything. In HONEYTRAP we see that world – albeit
in the microcosm of street celebrity - means nothing when the chips are
down. Really, all that matters is connection, true connection with each other.
Q&A: JESSICA SULA, ‘Layla’
1) Tell us about Layla…
Layla is a young Trinidadian girl, fifteen years old and she’s been living with
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her grandmother. She was abandoned by her mum when she was young,
when her mum came to London to make a new life for herself. Layla’s an
introvert, she hasn’t had many friends and she’s extremely influenced by pop
culture, by the sheer perfection of people in magazines. Beyoncé is her
queen and she wants to aspire to be everything that she is.
2) What appealed to you about the role?
I semi grew up in Trinidad when I was very young so I could relate to Layla
being a fish out of water when she comes to England. My mum is a
Trinidadian lady, and I love the fact that Rebecca was actually exploring a
story about a young girl in gang culture but not necessarily about gang
culture. I think that’s something that hasn’t been explored a lot. Also the fact
it was such a passionate script from a female writer-director and it was from a
different vantage point.
3) What impact did filming in areas where gang culture if part of the reality?
It was a very real experience. Everyday you knew you were dealing with
something that happens in real life. However, this isn’t based on a particular
reality – this is a fictional story that borrows from some of the real life cases. I
have met people who knew of honeytrap killings, were relatives or friends of
victims or knew the attackers.
4) What was it was like working with Lucien?
He’s lovely; really sweet! I think this was a real challenge for him, and I think he
really stepped up to it. He was great to work with. It was a really different role
for him, and people maybe wouldn’t expect this of him because it’s a really
different character to anything he’s done before but he’s really great. He
makes Troy so much more than just the bad boy.
5) Did the fact HONEYTRAP had such a strong female core – female writerdirector, producer, cinematographer etc – have an impact?
It really helps because it makes you feel proud, and with the script being
about female experience it meant I could ask about things coming up: would
this really happen? Have you ever felt it about a person so strongly like this?
And you could talk about it. Yes it’s all universal, but to have a team of
women around you for a film where it’s a central female character really
helped.
6) Did Rebecca’s knowledge of the area help during filming?
I’d watched the short films she’d created in the local estate. She’s really
embedded in the local community – when we were filming everyone knew
Rebecca, everyone was a part of it so that was a great feeling. She had lots
to share with me: films that she thought I should watch, different characters.
She’s really wise – she’d recommend novels I should read, and we just got
really comfortable working with each other so we could work together no
matter what we’d come across when we were shooting.
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7) This is your film debut - how did you find the transition from transition from
TV?
It was a lot quicker! Everything’s much faster but at the same time we spent
so much more time beforehand on character work and preparing. I’ve
always wanted to work on an independent feature, especially a British
independent feature – there’s so many great small films coming out of this
country and we have to keep making them and supporting it. Skins and Love
and Marriage were things that I got and was very happy to get, but this role
was a completely different league of challenge. I was so scared I’d screw it
up! I’d go home and think about who Layla really was and I wanted to be a
perfectionist with her, which is unattainable but she became a part of me. By
the time we got to shoot I knew she was there and she wasn’t going to leave
me.
8) Some people will look at Layla with premeditated ideas of what she’d be
like. How did you approach the character?
I think when you come across certain projects the reason things click and you
want to do it is because you recognise something in the piece and it’s not
explainable. I understood where Layla was coming from and who she was.
But every project is trial and error. You try it one way and maybe certain parts
don’t work and you try something else until you find something that feels right,
and that the director feels is right. HONEYTRAP really put me out there. I was
really vulnerable going, ‘hey, this is me, I’m going to explore this person in
front of everyone, I’m not going to hold back, I’m not going to be afraid of
going to some really difficult places’.
9) Many would say what Layla does is unforgiveable. What would you say to
them?
I’m here just to present a person. Every day people do good and bad things.
There’s no such thing as a bad person, it’s just terrible choices, and it just
spirals off from there. It’s also about balance. It’s fascinating to think about
what flicks that switch in someone’s head to make these choices. I think
watching a person go through a process is something very powerful. It may
not be a good process and you may not like what happens at the end, but I
just want people to see what she went through. Not necessarily to think she’s
callous or that she’s good or even to make up their minds straight away, but
just to see and maybe recognise how it could happen.
10) Why should people see the film?
I think HONEYTRAP will surprise people because it’s a very different film than
we’re used to seeing in terms of urban films. It’s a completely different
perspective, just from being a girl’s story. The fact it takes you on a journey
with a girl most people would condemn is a very powerful thing. It’s got a
depth and a heart to it which I think will really blow people away.
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Q&A: LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT, ‘Troy’
1) Tell us a bit about your character Troy…
Troy comes across as quite dark but he’s just been trying to work his way up
the ranks. He finds it difficult because he’s not a born leader, and he then
takes his anger, or whatever it is that he feels because he can’t be that bad
guy, on less hardy characters like Layla. Layla gets the backlash from him
being an insecure young lad. He’s got his music and his music really is his way
out – or he hopes it is.
2) Did you have a knowledge of, or could you relate to, the issues HONEYTRAP
addresses?
I think this transcends just being a story in South London – it happens
nationally, it happens all over the world. People end up in these situations and
it explores that; it’s jealousy, it’s revenge, its status. It doesn’t just happen in
South London. Personally, I’ve been jealous, I’ve said things, I’ve done things,
I’ve had things done to me, and I think anyone that’s experienced those
types of emotions can grasp the story.
3) How did you find the shooting process?
Everyone’s been wicked. We’re all searching for this end result, and it’s been
great to work on. It’s not like TV where it can sometimes be watch it today,
gone tomorrow; this is a film that transcends generations. We wouldn’t be
doing if it was something just for people to watch today, hopefully people will
watch it tomorrow and for years to come. I think everyone having that in
mind and wanting it to be this epic thing has driven us all on set. It’s also
educational – TV and film has massive scope to educate people, and we’ve
all taken that on board. We all felt like we were making something special,
and hopefully that comes across.
4) What was it like working with Rebecca Johnson?
Rebecca is one of the most intense people I’ve ever met in my entire life! She
really wants to find out about you as a person, get to know you; what makes
you tick. Having that, and then working with such a powerful script that she’d
been working on for so long means you can see in her eyes when something
doesn’t look right and she really wants that next take. When she gets it, it’s
perfect. To be able to make this film for her is fantastic. She works in a way
I’ve never worked before. We were all in it and living it.
5) Many people will look at Troy and just see a bad guy. What would you say
to them?
I don’t really see Troy as a bad guy. I think he’s misunderstood – he’s trying to
find his way in life, he’s trying to find his next step within the group he’s in; the
environment he’s in. He’s not a bad guy; he just unfortunately does bad
things. It’s the only way he knows to relay his emotions, by being aggressive,
by being angry. I hope the piece we’ve developed makes people realise he
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isn’t just a bad guy, because he’s not. No one’s a bad person; no one wakes
up and thinks I’m going to be bad today. Everyone’s got a story.
6) What would you want people to take from the film?
First and foremost I want everyone who watches HONEYTRAP to feel like
they’ve just watched something new, something spectacular that’s going to
educate them and change their views on things. Within this piece, the victim
isn’t necessarily the only victim. We’re all victims of the environment we’re in. I
hope viewers don’t judge things just at first glance. And hopefully they go
and watch it again and again, seeing more every time.
Q&A: NTONGA MWANZA, ‘Shaun’
1) This was your debut film lead. How did you find it?
It was amazing, considering this is my debut lead role, and to play a
character like this, because Shaun carried so much emotionally. The
relationship he has with Layla I found very interesting. It was an amazing
experience.
2) Were you aware of the issues the film addresses?
I was very much aware of the issues, considering the fact that in my area, not
to say it’s common but I’ve seen it before. I was aware of the cases in the
media, and I studied and researched what happened in those cases. That’s
why I took this role, I knew it was going to make a difference, and I really
understood what it was trying to do; exploring the understanding of why Layla
did what she did, and why Shaun was lured in so much and why he was so
blinded by his emotions. He literally just came out from where he came from,
and he just got brought back right in. Even Lucien’s character Troy, to
understand where that anger and pride came from, and how those
characters intertwine; the human side.
3) People may just look at characters like Layla and Troy as inherently bad.
What would you say to that?
There’s definitely more to them. They’re not inherently bad. Their background
comes in to play. With Troy, all he wants is money, cash and to be famous,
and he’ll do anything to get that. Layla wants attention, and there’s different
levels of wants and needs. All humans have wrong desires, and some people
allow those desires to take over them. They’re not inherently bad, but it’s the
environment they’re in.
4) What was it like working with Rebecca Johnson?
Where do I even start? She’s very patient and she’s lovely. She’s a director I
enjoyed spending a lot of time with. When she’s directing she obviously knows
what she wants, but she’s patient. She’s sweet. It was amazing working with
her because she taught me a lot. Characters, emotions, drive. She’s a very
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good person to work with. She’s got a motherly nature to her which was very
nice – you don’t get that with every director, that nice side, that comfortable
side. I’ve not done many films, but I’ve not heard of many directors who call
their actors to talk about their lives. There’s probably very few and I’m very
thankful that I got to work with one in Rebecca.
5) What do you hope people take from the film?
I’d like people to take an understanding from this film, from Layla, Shaun and
Troy’s point of view. An understanding that things aren’t always what they
seem on the outside. There’s a lot more to these people, there’s a reason,
there’s a root to these things.
Q&A: SARAH SULICK, producer
1) How did you get involved with HONEYTRAP?
Rebecca brought the project to me in 2011, with the script at a first draft
stage. Once I watched Top Girl I knew I wanted to work with her. It felt very
fresh and authentic; I loved her sensibility. I could see that she was very
tenacious as well as talented, which is essential for a filmmaker. So we
decided to team up.
2) What attracted you to the project?
It was Rebecca’s particular approach to the subject matter that appealed to
me. She had a very specific take on the challenges facing girls growing up in
an urban environment – much of which she had witnessed first-hand due to
her extensive work in the community – and how a girl might be led astray due
to a combination of environmental, social and family circumstances, coupled
with her own dreams of escape and desire to belong and be loved. I felt it
was an important story to be told and the way she wanted to tell it on film
was exciting.
3) A key part of production was involving the local community – how did that
work, and to what effect?
Rebecca felt very protective of the community and of the estate where we
were based during much of pre-production and shoot itself. She had already
developed relationships with many people working and living on Stockwell
Park Estate over many years and it felt like everyone on the estate knew her.
So we didn’t just show up and say, “hey we’re here, we’re making a film, get
out of the way”. During pre-production every new crewmember and cast
member was taken down to the community centre to meet people. It was
really helpful in building up excitement and momentum for the film too: the
community were behind us, helping to make it happen. We couldn’t have
done it without their support. And I think that lends the film a real authenticity
and specificity of place, because of where we shot it and the people we
involved in the production who are from that estate.
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4) You had 20 trainees on production to gain an insight into film production.
What encouraged you to do that?
Rebecca has been making films with young people through her not-for-profit
company Fierce Productions for more than ten years now. She is used to
working with young people and involving them in the process as trainees and
both in front and behind the camera. She loves the semi chaos and energy
that comes from mixing ‘real people’ with actors. She herself has been
mentored by Paul Greengrass, his editor Chris Rouse (The Bourne films,
Captain Phillips) and another editor Tracy Granger (Boys Don’t Cry) and really
believes in the power of that kind of working relationship. So we knew it was
something we very much wanted to do – to give young people from the area
where we set the film an insight into film production, and solid, valuable
experience to take away with them.
6) Your IndieGoGo campaign spoke of the lack of female lead roles – why do
you think that’s still present in the film industry?
I think it’s just a fact of life that women don’t yet have equal representation in
any public arena and leading film roles are just one example of this
phenomenon. Historically in terms of the earliest storytelling and myth (there
are exceptions of course), it was usually men who were the ones going on the
quest or journey. And it’s been hard to overturn that. Women are often the
wives, girlfriends, or sidekicks in film – which is why it’s so refreshing to see
dynamic female heroines in Hollywood franchises like The Hunger Games,
Twilight and Kick-Ass movies, as well as in nearly every film written by Abi
Morgan in the UK. Growing up, I was inspired by the female protagonists in
Alien/Aliens and Thelma and Louise. With HONEYTRAP we knew we had a
kind of anti-heroine in Layla and wanted to take on the challenge of telling
her story.
7) Likewise you’ve spoken of looking at gang culture in a different light in
HONEYTRAP. How so?
We didn’t want to adhere to the standard urban drama tropes of portraying
gang politics and petty drug dealing. We wanted to show the world from
Layla’s point of view – how she sees it and is affected by it but without really
understanding gang culture or what she’s getting herself into. Working with
young people, Rebecca’s experience of alleged ‘gangs’ was that they were
often just groups of kids who were not particularly organised in any significant
way but rather bound together by codes or unwritten rules about status and
not wanting to lose face. We wanted to offer a more shaded picture of this
world – not just black and white/ good and bad. Despite their criminality, we
wanted to show that these are just kids. And some of them make terrible,
tragic mistakes for all the wrong reasons – but that doesn’t necessarily make
them monsters.
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BIOGRAPHIES – Cast
HONEYTRAP is set to launch the careers of three young actors as major new
British stars.
Jessica Sula – ‘Layla’
Best known for E4's award-winning series Skins, in which she played Grace
Violet, and notable credits include ITV’s Love and Marriage. Her central
performance as star-struck, embattled Layla, searching for love but seduced
by power, is a true tour-de-force.
Lucien Laviscount – ‘Troy’
A regular face on British TV series including Waterloo Road (BBC1), Coronation
Street (ITV), Skins (E4) and Episodes (BBC2), Lucien is now making waves in the
US having played Ennis Ross in the spin-off pilot of the Emmy-award-winning
Supernaturals. In HONEYTRAP, Lucien plays dramatically against type as
estate rapper and wannabe gangster Troy, whose top boy reputation masks
a volatile insecurity.
Ntonga Mwanza – ‘Shaun’
A brand new talent who excels in the role of Shaun in HONEYTRAP, new find
who shines in HONEYTRAP as Shaun, Ntonga has appeared in Danny Boyle's
Babylon (C4) and Suspects (C5). Ntonga also played the role Abdi in Polly
Stenham’s Hotel at the National Theatre.
Naomi Ryan – ‘Shiree’
Naomi has previously been seen in EastEnders (BBC1), Doctor Who (BBC1)
and Coronation Street (ITV1), and she will appear in the new series of ITV’s
acclaimed series Mr. Selfridge (ITV1). In HONEYTRAP she plays Shiree, Layla's
glamourous, estranged mum, unready and unwilling to take on the emotional
burden of motherhood.
BIOGRAPHIES - Crew
Rebecca Johnson - Writer/Director
Rebecca is making her feature film debut with HONEYTRAP on the back of a
string of short film successes, including the award-winning Top Girl
which played at more than 30 festivals internationally, including Berlin,
Rotterdam and Los Angeles, securing several awards before being picked up
by Canal+. She is a Screen International Star of Tomorrow.
Over the last 12 years Rebecca has run film projects with young people in
Brixton through her not-for-profit company Fierce Productions, drawing
inspiration for her writing and building a large support network in the local
community, invaluable in making HONEYTRAP.
Sarah Sulick - Producer
Sarah previously produced The Waiting Room (dir. Roger Goldby), an off-beat
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romance starring Anne-Marie Duff. The Waiting Room premiered at the
Edinburgh Film Festival before being theatrically released in the UK (Lionsgate)
and sold to 15 territories worldwide through eOne International, including the
US (IFC Films).
Amy Ricker - Producer
Amy started working in independent production in the UK and Los Angeles
before setting up Finite Films Ltd in 2008. She has produced/executive
produced more than five feature films to date as well as several TV series.
Amy also acts as an advisor to private equity funds that value her industry
insight, vision and connections.
Annemarie Lean-Vercoe – Cinematography
Annemarie Lean-Vercoe is the first cinematographer ever selected for Sceen
International's Stars of Tomorrow. She has worked with acclaimed British
directors Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross, shooting Mat’s
documentary Moving To Mars which won the 2010 Grierson Shell Award. Her
first drama feature was Wreckers, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire
Foy for director DR Hood, nominee for Best British Newcomer at the London
Film Festival). Annemarie has also worked on popular TV series including Fresh
Meat (C4).
Laurie Holden - Executive Producer
Laurie starred in smash hit US series The Walking Dead, is currently filming
Major Crimes for TNT and is soon to be seen starring opposite Jim Carey in the
Farrelly Brothers comedy Dumb and Dumber To. Alongside a successful
acting career, Laurie also studied for a Masters of Human Rights degree at
Columbia University. Her involvement in HONEYTRAP stems from her desire to
see marginalised stories, particularly about young women, brought to the
screen.
THE MUSIC IN HONEYTRAP
Mahalia
Mahalia (www.mahaliamusic.com) is one of the hottest new musical talents in
the UK, and her song ‘Let The World See The Light’ features in HONEYTRAP.
The 16-year-old hails from Leicester and immediately caught people’s
attention, including Ed Sheeran, when she was featured playing her song
‘Camden Town’ in a self-recorded video at home on
www.thiskidisaproblem.com - the website showcasing new musical talent
from BBC Radio producer Uche Uchendu. In 2012 she released a 4 track EP
called Head Space.
More recently, Mahalia has played at emerging talent events across the UK
such as I Luv Live and Put Me On It, as well as supporting well-known acts
such as Ed Sheeran, Laura Mvula, Tom Odell and Emeli Sande, as well as
Rizzle Kicks and Labrinth at a show at The Royal Albert Hall. Mahalia has also
built her own regular showcase ‘Mahalia Presents’ at the Cookie Jar Leicester
featuring an eclectic role call of up-and-coming talent such as Saint
HONEYTRAP Production Notes
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Raymond, Fiona Bevan and JP Cooper.
Others
Brixton-based artists DJ Beefy and Killa P (former member of Roll Deep) also
provided tracks, and the latter has an eponymous role in the film.
HONEYTRAP TRAINEE INITIATIVE
An important part of the HONEYTRAP production process was giving young
people from the local community an opportunity to gain work experience
within the film industry. The production received funding from a number of
sources, including the Walcot Foundation in London, to enable 20 young
people from diverse backgrounds to join production through a training and
mentoring programme run alongside filming.
Rebecca Johnson has run similar schemes on her shorts through her not-forprofit company Fierce Productions, and many trainees have subsequently
gone on to secure regular paid work in the professional industry, successfully
apply for film schools and make their own short films.
COMPANIES INVOLVED
Bright Pictures
Bright Pictures is a feature film company jointly managed by ACE Producer
Sarah Sulick and Oscar-nominated writer/director Roger Goldby. The
company was established in 2006 when Sarah and Roger teamed up to
make The Waiting Room, a contemporary romance starring Anne-Marie Duff,
Ralf Little and Rupert Graves.
The Waiting Room premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in
August 2007 where it was critically acclaimed and chosen for “Best of the
Fest”. It was then picked up for international sales by E1 Entertainment, and
simultaneously sold to Lionsgate for the UK and IFC Films for the US.
Finite Films
Finite Films & TV is an award-winning independent production company
creating quality AV content for multi platforms. Its focus is feature films for
theatrical release as well as comedy series for television & it also hosts the
comedy online platform Finite Funnies.
Its features include Honeytrap, Brand New U & The Brother, all due for release
in 2015. The feature film Light Years & feature documentary Museum of
Innocence are currently in production & completed films include Island
(2011), Having You (2013) & Dirty Money (2014). Finite TV pilots are Walk Like a
Panther & Geri Halliwell's spoof show.
Fierce Productions
Fierce Productions are a not-for-profit film production company, set up in
2004 by Rebecca Johnson and Victoria Lorkin-Lange. Every film Fierce
HONEYTRAP Production Notes
15
Productions makes is also a training and mentoring project where young
people work alongside a professional film crew. Over the past decade, the
company has established a track record in producing award-winning films
and built a strong network in the local South London community. HONEYTRAP
is the company’s first feature film production, and was awarded
development funding from the UK Film Council (now BFI).
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company.
Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television
programming, including STARZ Original series, children's entertainment, anime
(Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed
entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray™ formats.
The company has long-term distribution agreements in place for select
programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company.
Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in
Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz
(NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.
Creativity Media
Creativity Media is a post-production and film finance company, a partner to
producers rather than just a supplier. The company has been built on the
notion that great talent is the key to great movies, and to provide that talent
with the best tools to do their job. Recent projects include The Class of ’92,
Get Lucky and Moshi Monster: The Movie.
CREDITS (not contractual)
Written and Directed by
REBECCA JOHNSON
Produced by
SARAH SULICK
AMY RICKER
Executive Produced by
ESTHER DOUGLAS
PATRICK FISCHER
ROGER GOLDBY
LAURIE HOLDEN
REBECCA JOHNSON
WILL WOOD
Starring
JESSICA SULA
LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT
NTONGA MWANZA
NAOMI RYAN
Line Producer
STEPHANIE CHARMAIL
HONEYTRAP Production Notes
Cinematography
ANNEMARIE LEAN-VERCOE
Associate Producer
PAUL JOSEPH
Film Editing
JOHN DWELY
Casting by
AMANDA TABAK
Production Design
ANA VIANA
Art Direction
PETER NATION-GRAINGER
Costume
MOLLIE BARR
Chief Hair & Make-Up
LAURA WISINGER
Make-Up Artist
KATY GILL
LARA PRENTICE
Make-Up Artist (dailies)
CLAIRE POMPILI
Assistant Make-Up Artist
ALEXANDRA VLCEK
Production Supervisor
BASSMA RASSI
First Assistant Director
GARY WHITE
Second Assistant Director
PASCHA HANAWAY
Third Assistant Director
GEARY BARNES
Assistant Art Department
TERESA DE MIGUEL
Foley Editor
LOUISE BROWN
Supervising Sound Designer
ALEX JOSEPH
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
RICHARD KONDAL
Sound Effects Editor
STELIOS KOUPETORIS
Production Sound Mixer
KEITH TUNNEY
Boom Operator
KIKE NAVARRO
Stunt Coordinator
JUDE POYER
Best Boy
STEVE GARAY
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HONEYTRAP Production Notes
Second Assistant Camera
MICHAEL HOBDELL
Grip
MICHAEL MENSAH
Digital Imaging Technician
THOMAS PATRICK
Camera Trainee
TORREN SIMONSZ
Camera Trainee (dailies)
CHRISTOPHER STARKEY
Lighting Technician
PAUL SYNOTT
Stills Photography
LUKE VARLEY
EPK
LEIGH SINGER
LUKE VARLEY
Focus Puller
SAM VINES
Gaffer
ROB WHITE
Casting Assistant
JENNIFER LEE SMITH
Costume Assistant
RUKA JOHNSON
Post-Production Assistant
JENNIFER ERIKSSON
On-Line Editor
FELIPE FERNANDES
BERTA VALVERDE
Dailies Colourist
THOMAS PATRICK
Colourist
PAT WINTERSGILL
Assistant Editor
CHIRS YOUNG
Music Supervisor
RUPERT HOLLIER
Additional music by
JORDAN ANDREWS
Runner Driver
MYLES RADCLIFFE
Script Supervisor
SHEILA MCNAUGHT
Assistant to Rebecca Johnson
MARCUS NOBLE
Locations Manager
GRAHAM SEWELL
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