One of my ideas for a module I did in Year 2 has made me think that it could actually be a brilliant production.
Amelia Dyer - a sadistic woman who killed around 400 babies in the 19th Century - was dubbed as the Angel Maker. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283302/Britains-worst-serial-killer-The-Victorian-angel-death-murdered-400-babies.html)
She managed to carry out her plans for years, killing innocent babies unknowingly to their mothers. She preyed on single mothers who had no money or home and led them to believe she was adopting them to give them a loving home. She then strangled the infants and disposed of their bodies.
The story of the Angel Maker is gruesome, heart breaking and tear jerking - henceforth, why it would be a brilliant narrative for a short film or one off documentary.
But who would watch it? Pretty much everyone. Parents, teachers, politicians, bin men...quite literally everyone. It's a story that not many people have heard of (the records for Dyer were only published a few months ago, so not many people know about her yet) and it's a story that will stay with you for years to come. Even in modern society, you do not hear of people killing over 400 babies without anyone noticing.
What would the narrative be like? In my eyes, I can see it either being a documentary or a biopic. A documentary would be a bit more watchable for the viewers, as they would simply see archive footage/photos, interviews with historians etc. However, a biopic would be dark, dismal and unforgettable. In a style such as Mrs Biggs (a recent ITV production), the viewers would watch the biopic in disbelief that anything like this could actually happen. You could make the storyline heavy with brutality (although you couldn't show the children actually being killed, you could use the power of suggestion to make it seem more real).
I think this production is slightly out of my reach at the moment - if you're going to do it, you've gotta do it right. High production value, a great crew and brilliant actors are just a few of the things you'd need to make this a successful production. It's definitely something I'd want to do in the near future!
