Venue list

The venues we used in our trailer are:

Abondoned warehouse near Robin's Island
Sam's back garden
Northway dual carriageway (A59)
Deyes High School

These locations enabled us to create the shots we had planned. It gave a required atmosphere and was empty, so we would not be interupted by people walking through.

Actor list

We decided to feature ourselves in this project, to save relying on other people, decreasing the risk of being let down and being unable to film. Our actors, therefore, are:

Anthony Gibbons (Man in Chair)
Daniel Lynskey (Man waving arms)
Brad Johnson (Man in foreground)
Sam Charlton (Man in background)
Will Charlton (Smoker)

Will Charlton, Sam's brother, kindly agreed to help us with the smoking scene.

Props list

To make the trailer seem real and to fit the genre, we will need to bring the following props to filming:

• Chair (any small fold-away)
• Cigarette (maybe more in case it burns out)
• Lighter

Costume lists

We have decided that no specific items of clothing need to be worn in the trailer. We will simply wear old clothes that do not look fasionable. This is to avoid glamourising drug use by implying that people who use drugs are less likely to be able to afford good clothes and have a fancy lifestyle. It will be a subtle representation of drug addicts by using clothes that are acceptable and not outrageous, however gritty and gives a negative outlook on the whole concept. We have no set costume, however the theme remains.


I later had an idea to use tattoo sleeves to try and portray a similar idea to what I have been shown in the media. Sometimes we see drug addicts (who are generally lower class, and sometimes more masculine) with tattoos to prove themselves as 'hard men'. This may not always refer to physical appearance but mental attitudes towards themselves.

Questionnaire

I created a questionnaire that I would ask 20 people to complete in order to gain an understanding of the general publics requirements from a film. The questions I asked were:

1. What age gap do you fit into? (Please tick appropriately)

-16 __
16-20 __
21-29 __
30-38 __
39-49 __
50+ __



2. Are you male or female?

Male __
Female __



3. How often do you watch films per week?

Never __
1-2 __
3-4 __
5-6 __
Every day __



4. Where do you hear about new films?

Cinema advertisng __
T.V. __
Internet __
News stories __
Magazines __
Newspapers __
Other __



5. What influences you to go and see a specific film?

Review__
Director__
Actors__
Friends interest__
News stories__
Subject__
Cinematic trailer__
Other (Please state):___________________



6. Do you think that it is appropriate for a captive audience to be shown a trailer concerning drugs?

Yes __
No __

Why? ______________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________



7. In a film about drugs, what of the following elements would you expect to see?:

Humour __
Death/Injury __
Gritty lifestyle __
Hallucinations __
Mental pain __
Producing the drug __
Crime __
Friendship __
Lack of friendship __
Free of troubles __
Depression __



8. From what perspective do you think the media should portray drugs?

Positive__
Negative__
Indifferent__



9. What would expect the poster for a film about drugs to look like?

___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________



10. What would expect the topical image to look like on the front page of a film magazine concerning this film?

___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

Fear and Loathing research - front page

I was unable to find a front cover for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, however, the Total Film website has a feature on the film. The review and other information on the film can be found at:

http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/fear-and-loathing-in-las-vegas

The main reason that it did not feature on a magazine front page is probably because it did not reach high commercial success at the time of its release, and was relatively low budget compared to films usually featured on magazine covers. Since 1998 it has been acclaimed by many to be a 'cult film', following in the footsteps of its origin, the novel: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson. Another reason for its sudden appeal may be Johnny Depp. His recent success and development into one of the biggest actors of our generation mean that many of his now fans will go and watch his back catalogue. Their opinion of the film will be influenced by how Depp is shown, both in moral and physicial aspects.

The reason I have chosen to analyse this film is because, as a group, we have had an idea to do a trailer for a film concerning drugs. As this is one of my favourite films about drugs, I thought it only appropriate that I use my knowledge of the film to create our own spin on drugs in the media. We do not wish to use the comedic aspects of the 'trip' this film concerns, however I personally do not wish to use a simply gritty and vulgar take on this subject in our trailer. We want to explore the darker sides to drug use, while not giving too much vulgarity or employing cheap shocks.

Shutter Island research - front page

This is the front cover of Total Film. This issue features Shutter Island as its main feature. This is obvious due to the name of the film being the second largest piece of text on the page, second only to the name of the magazine. Also, Leonardo Di Caprio, the films leading man, is the central focus point of the page. He is dressed in the costume similar to what we see him in in the trailer.

The light coming from the lighthouse has been placed over the magazine header to show that there may be a 'beacon of hope', a common theme linking this and the poster I have previously analysed.

The tagline for the main article: 'Inside Marty's Madhouse', uses alliteration to appeal to the reader by catching their interest. By using the name 'Marty' and not Martin, Scorsese or Mr. Scorsese, it implies that this magazine, as a source, is on an informal level with the likes of Martin Scorsese, therefore any interview with him inside will be detailed and unique. It also requires the reader to use their own knowledge to work out who 'Marty' really is, and once they realise it is a Scorsese film, they will be more interested based on his previous work.

The use of a simple image of half a face from 'Avatar' gives the article a sense of mystery. At the point of publishing, 'Avatar' was not as well known and no where near as successful, therefore people would be drawn to read further about it.

Fear and Loathing research - trailer

At the beginning of the trailer we see brief clips of the film, with a voiceover clip from the film, explaining the nature of the story. We hear the recommendation of a fast convertable car, presumably to tie in with the fast paced life-style they lead.

We then see the Universal and Summit logos, as it is usually required with funded films to feature a promotion in the trailer. Loud music can then be heard, incinuating the rock n roll lifestyle of drugs.

There are several elements of humour within this trailer, showing that this is a comedic take on drugs, however including a moral sensibility. We then hear that Terry Gilliam is the director. As a once member of Monty Python, we know that Gilliam has the ability to produce top class humour, therefore we assume that Fear and Loathing will have elements of the wierd world of Python.

The words 'The Ultimate Trip' have a double meaning. We know that the main characters are on a trip to Las Vegas, however they are also addicts. A common phrase for describing taking drugs is 'tripping' or 'on a trip'. We hear uncontrolable laughter, usually associated with being high, as it is common for people who are high to spontaneously break to into a certain mood, usually extremely happy. We see them then perform unusual tasks such as smashing coconuts on the bonnet of their car and drive across the desert towards an airport. This shows how irresponsible they become when high, which appears to be most of the film.

The phrase 'defined a generation' implies that this is an adaptation of a pre-existing media, for example a book. This then shows how important this film would be, and how correctly it would portray real life. The lizards we see are not intended to be real life happenings, but the hallucinations spawned from real life happenings by the characters themselves, and the drugs that they are taking