Drug and Alcohol Scene in Wollongong - High Documentary Film - Movie Review Example

HIGH’ A DOCUMENTARY FILM ON DRUG AND ALCOHOL SCENE IN WOLLONGONG CREATIVE PROPOSAL Introduction ‘High’ is a full length documentary film about the drug and alcohol scene in Wollongong city in Australia. The film features the life and experiences of a group of six young high school students who, after years of being trapped in the local drug and alcohol scene, reach a turning point in their different lives. Following the decision to abandon addiction to drugs and alcohol, the youngsters join rehabilitation centres in the local city. ‘High’ is made in such a manner that the viewer is drawn into the private world of the young individuals, which is characterised by guilt and desire to break the drug and alcohol addiction beneath the façade of young individuals struggling to build their lives in the society. By presenting different stories about a group of young people in the city, the film presents a comprehensive opinion on the general subject of drug and alcohol abuse in the city. This is augmented by a series of multiple viewpoints that characterise the plot of the film. Through these, the viewer is drawn into the complex and murky life that characterises the drug and alcohol scene in Wollongong city. The audience is moved, entertained and informed by this documentary on the local drug and alcohol scene in Wollongong. Project Description The story of Will and his contemporaries is rooted in Wollongong city in Australia. In general, the documentary covers the secret struggles of the group of young people as they struggle to break their addiction to drugs and alcohol while at the same time struggling to maintain an outward appearance of ordinary young men from middle class families struggling to build their young lives. The young individuals involved in the film are local high school students who agreed to have their struggle to break addiction recorded in a full length documentary film. Also, the film will incorporate different perspectives from peers, teachers, therapists and other influential people who play a role in the rehabilitation process of different young individuals in the city. The documentary has the following themes which are universal and appeal to the national audience. The first theme that is covered in the film is the possibility of personal change. Although all individuals can be exposed to the drug and alcohol scene, the good news is that addiction can be successfully overcome (Australian Drug Foundation 2013, p. 5). What matters is a personal decision to break the habit and development of a firm commitment towards the transformation process. The second theme covered in the film is the extent of drug and alcohol scene in the city. By following the lives of different high school students in the city, the film seeks to indicate that all individuals may be vulnerable to the drug and alcohol problem in the city (Michael 2009, p. 54). It also highlights that those involved in the scene need help and not ridicule from the larger society. The third theme presented in the film is about how the authorities in the city of Wollongong approach the drug and alcohol scene. By depicting a successful rehabilitation of the young individuals involved in the process, the film portrays how successful the various rehabilitation initiatives run by the government and other non-governmental institutions are in the city (Campbell 2001, p. 42). By presenting different perspectives about the rehabilitation process and depicting a coterie of young individuals who vary in terms of background, ethnicity and social class, the film presents different opinions about the drug and alcohol addiction scene in the city. Also significant is the point that the film challenges conventional wisdom and perceptions and provides information about the success and efficiency of rehabilitation programmes currently initiated and maintained by the government and religious organisations. History and Treatment The story of drug and alcohol addiction is not solely an Australian issue. This is a global phenomenon that has attracted global attention in the form of media depiction, public awareness and funding for governmental and non-governmental intervention measures (Roche et al. 2008, p. 11). In Australia, just like in other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and India, consumption of drugs and alcohol by individuals aged 14 years and over has been on the increase in the recent past (McKenna 2007, p. 28). Statistics indicate that the majority of young individuals abuse cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis, apart from alcohol. At the local level, the drug and alcohol scene is dominated by chronic users whose dependent usage of the drugs results from and also creates a number of social problems. In general, there is a close relationship between poverty, social exclusion and abuse of drugs and alcohol (United Nations 2003, p. 117). The problem is made much worse by the fact that Wollongong city is made up of a complex combination of different individuals who vary in terms of ethnic backgrounds, social positions and classes in the society. For instance, the city is composed of large populations of immigrant families from different ethnicities (The Salvation Army 2009, p. 7). This group predominantly forms the working class population in the city. Also, the population of the city is made up of families that fall into the middle class of the society. As such, many young people in the city easily get involved in the drug and alcohol scene. As a result of this phenomenon, there are many rehabilitation programmes that target such kind of young individuals in the city. The success of rehabilitation programmes is dependent on the participation of all the stakeholders in the process as noted by Edwards (2008, p. 103). ‘High’ will be treated as a multi-dimensional story of different high school students as they battle to overcome their secret addiction to drugs and abuse of alcohol. The individuals will be drawn from different ethnic and social class backgrounds in the city so as to make the entire film representative. Through interviews, reflections and narration, the material in the film will be organised in such a manner that the viewer gains a full understanding of the drug scene as well as the success achieved by different rehabilitation programmes (Roche & Pidd 2010, p. 16). Also, by incorporating interviews with the therapists involved in the rehabilitation process of the young individuals, the film will be an embodiment of a unique approach to documentaries about drug use currently available in the market. The film will be enhanced by use of the following resources: interviewees with leading participants, archival footage, secondary research, photographs and voice-over narration. The participants recount their memories about their initial experiences with drugs, their social backgrounds and intention to quit the practice. Through this, the viewer will get an in-depth understanding of the role played by social and ethnic backgrounds in influencing the youth into drug and alcohol addiction. The interviews and stories shall be intertwined with recollections of professionals who interacted with the participants in their journey. This way, the film will provide a comprehensive approach to different opinions of all individuals involved in the rehabilitation programmes in the city. Essentially, ‘High’ will depict the success of rehabilitation programmes for individuals addicted to drug and alcohol abuse in the city (Haenfler 2006, p. 31). The film will present multiple dimensions from young people from different backgrounds as well as professionals who work with the young individuals throughout their journey towards breaking free from the addiction. This way, the film will not only portray the success of rehabilitation programmes but also present information regarding common misconceptions about the drug and alcohol scene in the country. Audience This documentary targets two primary age groups: the youth and adults. Since the film traces the lives of characters through their youthful days, it resonates with the predominantly high school youth population in the country. Also, it is common knowledge that the drug and alcohol problem has its roots to the bohemian lifestyle associated with the youth. By depicting the lives of leading characters showing their initial involvement in drugs and alcohol, the documentary seeks to educate and inform the youth audience on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse as well as encourage them on the possibility of overcoming the condition (Humphries 2013, p. 13). For adults, the film challenges conventional wisdom about drug and alcohol abuse in the city. By depicting the experiences of characters in their fight with drug and alcohol abuse, the film offers adults information about the activities and success of various rehabilitation programmes in the country (New Zeeland Drug Commission 2011, p. 8). Marketing and Distribution Strategy The market for documentaries for drug and alcohol abuse is saturated. This is because there are many films in the market that depict drug and alcohol abuse among the youth in predominantly working class populations in both Australia and other countries in the world. In order to succeed in this market, ‘High’ will employ a unique marketing and distribution strategy as a way of gaining prominence in the market. Primarily, the film will target typical Australian high school youth. Apart from this target audience, the film will appeal to the general mass market as well as to niche markets in the country. For the niche market, since the film will depict how young local individuals battle their addiction to drugs and alcohol, the film will appeal to the niche market of immigrant youths who, by virtue of their immigrant status in the country, find themselves largely vulnerable to fall into the local drug and alcohol abuse scene as indicated by Commonwealth of Australia (2001, p. 25). These are young male and female people from different backgrounds who are largely from the working class groups of the local population. Another niche market that the film will appeal to is made up of therapists, activists and other individuals actively involved in youth rehabilitation programmes. Also, since the documentary will entail a German co-production, its plot and story will be of appeal to the European audience. As such, the film will provide a unique opportunity to export Australian content to the world in the form of a documentary film. For the mass market, ‘High’ will target a wider range of people as compared to the primary target market identified before. For instance, the film will appeal to individuals of different age groups because of the general interest that is associated with youth morality and vices such as drug abuse and other risky behaviours. As such, the general adult population will find the film quite informative in the way it challenges misconceptions about drug and alcohol addiction in the city. The basic distribution strategy for ‘High’ will focus on building a lateral approach towards all potential market for the film both in the country as well as outside the country. This strategy will extend the reach of the film from the core market of Australian youth to different niche markets such as rehabilitation workers, parents, immigrant populations and the international audience in Germany, which will be included in the production of the film (Moore 2012, p. 9). Additionally, this approach will make use of both local and international film festivals and educational markets in the country and lastly, media and arts centres across the country. Further, the distribution will be enhanced by an extensive mailing list that shall be gathered during the process of production. This will form an essential marketing and distribution tool for the film. Funding Strategy ‘High’ will be produced in conjunction with a German TV station. As such, funding for the project will take into account this fact. The total budget for the project will be $150,000. Since the film will be co-produced with a German TV station, one third of the funding is guaranteed from the co-producers. This means that the current financing deficit for the film is $100,000. Several strategies shall be used to raise the needed amount of money. For instance, part of the funding is expected to be derived from Screen Australia. That the documentary should seek public funding in light of the recent cuts in public finding for local documentaries and other films is justified by the following key attributes of the film. One, the film is a documentary that is based on local content. Apart from state funding, strategies to acquire the required funding for ‘High’ will involve the following: corporate sponsorships from across the entire country, individual donations and grants from willing individuals and institutions. Conclusion The attractiveness of ‘High’ lies in three key issues: the subject matter, treatment and approach towards production. By focusing on the drug and alcohol scene, the film draws attention to an issue that is of concern both locally and internationally. Also, the documentary is based on the stories of a group of high school students who struggle to break their addiction to drugs and alcohol. By combining their stories with different perspectives from other individuals, the material in the film is treated in a unique and interesting manner. References Australian Drug Foundation 2013, ‘Facts and Resources about Alcohol and Drugs’, Accessed: http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/statistics (23 December 2013). Campbell, A 2001, The Australian Illicit Drug Guide: Every Person's Guide to Illicit Drugs –Their Use, Effects and History, Treatment Options and Legal Penalties, Black Incorporated, Sydney. Commonwealth of Australia 2001, ‘Alcohol in Australia: Issues and strategies’, Background Paper to the National Alcohol Strategy National Plan 2001/ 2003. Accessed at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/content/alc-strategy/$file/alcohol_strategy_back.pdf (23 December 2013). Edwards G 2008, Addiction: Evolution of a Specialist Field, Sage Publications, New York. Haenfler, R 2006, Straight Edge: Clean Living Youth, Hard Core Punk and Social Change, Rutgers University Press, Rutgers. Humphries, K 2013, ‘Helping more people in the Illawarra overcome drug and alcohol addiction’. Accessed at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Documents/20130429_00.pdf McKenna C R 2007, Trends in Substance Abuse Research, Nova Science Publishers, New York. Michael, A 2009, Friday on Our Minds: Popular Culture in Australia Since 1945, UNSW Publications, Sydney. Moore, K 2012, ‘Family Support and Health: An Integrated Team a True Government / Non-Government Collaboration Targeting Pregnant Substance Using Women’ Accessed at: http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/accan/presentations/2s5g-3.pdf (23 December 2013). New Zeeland Drug Commission 2011, ‘Submission on the Alcohol Reform Bill’. Accessed at: http://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/sites/default/files/File/Drug%20Foundation%20submission%20low%20res.pdf (23 December 2013). Roche, A M, Duraisingam V, Wang P & Tovell A 2008, ‘Alcohol, other drugs, mental health & co-morbidity: A training review’, National Centre for Education Training on Addiction. Accessed at: http://nceta.flinders.edu.au/files/7012/5548/2894/EN379.pdf (22 December 2013). Roche, A M & Pidd, K 2010, ‘Alcohol and other drugs workforce development issues and imperatives: setting the scene’, National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction. Available from: http://nceta.flinders.edu.au/files/4912/7200/2031/EN422%20Roche%20%20Pidd%202010.pdf The Salvation Army 2009, ‘On the Scene’. Accessed at: http://salvos.org.au/about-us/news-and-resources/documents/1054-SAL-OTSW0944web.pdf (22 December 2013). United Nations 2003, Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation: A Practical Planning and Implementation Guide, United Nations Publications, New York. World Health Organization 2002, ‘Prevention of Psychoactive Substance Use: A Selected Review of What Works in the Area of Prevention’. Accessed at: http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/en/prevention_substance_use.pdf (23 December 2013). Read More