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BLURRED
"Schoolies week: It's the biggest party of your life - all you have to do is get there"

FILM INFORMATION

Principal cast and Credits:

CAST

Bradly: Tony Brockman
Wayne: Travis Cotton
Zack: Jamie Croft
Jillian: Jessica Gower
Pete: Craig Horner
Mason: Matthew Newton
Calvin: Mark Priestly
Amanda: Charlotte Rees
Freda: Natalie Roy
Danny: Kristian Schmid
Lynette: Veronica Sywik
Yolanda: Petra Yaret
Rodney: Steven Rooke
Gavin: Gyton Grantley
Rachelle: Emma Jackson
Brian: Dirk Hoult

Director: Evan Clarry

Executive Producers: Tristan Whalley, John Lee, Bill Allan

Producers: Chris Brown, Chris Fitchett

Co-producer: Tom Hoffe

Associate Producer: Defirm Isai

Film Editor: Antonio Mestres

Script Editor: Chris Fitchett

Writers: Keir Shorey, Stephen Davis

Director of Photography: Philip M Gooss Acs

Casting: Lynne Ruthuen, Maura Fay and Associates

OTHER FILM INFORMATION

Genre: Teen comedy

Year of Production: 2002

Running Time: 95 minutes

Release Date: 31st October 2002

Video/DVD Release: 12th March 2003

Classification: M

Production Company: Pictures in Paradise

Distributor: Becker Entertainment

Funding: Pacific Film and Television Commission (PFTC), Australian Film Finance Corporation, Claymoss Productions (UK), Premium Movie Partnership, Cutting Edge

Budget: $2.7 million

Box Office Figures: $1,453,078 (AUS)

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF INTERVIEWS

I was unable to find interviews that were exclusive to Evan Clarry or any of the producers or actors about the film. I was however able to find articles on various topics in relation to Blurred that included quotes or segments from interviews with them.

SMH - School for Scandal
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/31/1036026977735.html

The Age - School's out for Summer - School's out Forever
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/03/1036308204674.html

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF REVIEWS

Coyte, Matt In Empire, April 2003, p 98.

There are so many reviews on the Internet. Here are a few of the better ones:

JJJ - Review by Megan Spencer
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/film/s713929.htm

The Blurb
http://www.theblurb.com.au/Issue22/Blurred.htm

Empire Online
http://www.empireonline.com.au/new/html/frame.html

ON-LINE PRESENCE

As Blurred is a recent release, there a many web pages dedicated to reviews and various articles related to the film. Some are useless, and others are quite good. Here are some of the better ones.

The Age - Film Explores Schoolies Week Rite of Passage
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/24/1035416937088.html

Parental Guidance Needed - For Mum and Dad
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/07/10/1026185065112.html

AFTERS - Information on Producers and Clourist
http://www.aftrs.edu.au/courses/short/SummerSkill/bris_prog.htm#am

ABC - Far North QLD
http://www.abc.net.au/farnorth/stories/s717681.htm

HOW I WENT ABOUT COLLECTING INFORMATION

The first thing I did was search the Internet. As it is a very recent film, I assumed information and reviews would be easy to find. There are possibly close to a hundred reviews done by independent writes for their own, as well as other web sites. I did a search on the Internet to find the box office figures, as well as one to find out information about the director, Evan Clarry, and some of the other cast and crew. I used the Internet the most in researching.

I also searched through magazines for reviews and articles on Blurred. The film itself was very useful as that where I got all the credit for the cast and crew.

CRITICAL REVIEW OF FILM AND ITS LITERATURE

CRITICAL REVIEW

Set at the end of the year, Blurred follows sixteen school leavers as they embark on schoolies week. Rather then choosing the obvious path, Blurred is all about getting to the Gold Coast for the annual event, not the event itself. In five groups they travel by bus, on foot, by train, by car and by limousine in order to reach their destination. Expecting to have the time of their lives, they come to realize that life is not so black and white. After being at the top of the school chain, they now have to start all over again as they come to realize that relationships as well as friendships are more complicated then they first thought. With a lot of growing up to do, these teens manage to over come the mishaps that they endure on their journey. As they finally reach their destination, they find themselves in different locations then they originally planned and positions that they were not prepared for that they are to start the rest of their lives in. While some friendships and bonds were made to last, the end of school also marks an end of an era for some.

This teen comedy explores this particular aspect of youth culture that, over the years, has become a Îrite of passage' for all school leavers as they venture into the real world. Blurred explores the relationships between friends and strangers and the mishaps that occur. Although not intending to carry deep and meaningful messages, Blurred still manages to accurately portray the emotional shift from the safety and structure of school life into the independent and new surroundings of life after school. With the words "We know what we are, but know not what we may be" setting the self-discovery mode at the beginning of the film, Blurred succeeds in drawing out an emotional point that is easily recognizable by many.

The somewhat simple characterization is appropriate for the film. The quirkiness and immature behavior of them is effective in establishing suitable yet realistic characters.

Although the story line is very basic, Blurred is able to captivate and satisfy a young audience. What lacks in the story line is made up for by the slick presentation and style of the film. Drawing away from the ordinary presentation of other past Australian films such as The Castle ( dir Rob Sitch, 1997) and Muriel's Wedding (dir Paul J. Hogan, 1996), Blurred gives a fresh and re-newed look to Australian film.

CRITICAL UPTAKE

At the end of every year, there is always renewed criticism over the annual event of Schoolies week. With 70 000 teenagers heading off to the Gold Coast every year alone, the predicted mayhem caused by the use of drugs, alcohol and raging hormones, always sparks debates which is then publicly broadcasted by the news media. When the making of Blurred was first proposed there was a negative response towards the thought of making a film about Schoolies week. It was not the event that caused these problems, but the sex, drugs and alcohol that are associated with it. Schoolies week has always had a bad reputation and been criticized because it is seen as an event that gives teenagers an excuse to go wild and misbehave. Many thought that Blurred would support and promote this type of behavior that the Gold Coast city council had always discouraged.

It was not until the script of the film was seen that the criticism died down. The council realized that Blurred showed a different, more credible, side to schoolies week. It became apparent that the focus of the film was on the adventures of traveling to the Gold Coast and self-discovery and not the un-sociable behavior that they where trying to discouraged, which they first thought it would be about. The Gold Coast city council was helpful because they wanted to reverse the bad reputation schoolies week has.

Despite this realization over the subject of the Blurred, any film on this un-desirable event was going to attract negative attention. This was especially the case for Blurred as it was purposely released just in time for Schoolies week 2003.

As can be imagined, Blurred was well taken by young audiences.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF PRODUCTION

The feature film Blurred was adapted from the final part in a trilogy of plays written by Stephen Davis. This trilogy looked at different rites of passage for high school students. As an annual event schoolies week marks a coming of age as school leavers celebrate the end of school. Davis wanted to portray the importance of this event as a part of youth culture. It is a surprise that a film about schoolies week has not been done before. So I was just a matter of time before this popular event became a feature film. Evan Clarry directs Blurred, which is his first feature film.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF RELEASE AND BOX-OFFICE

The release date for Blurred was very important as it was released in time for schoolies week 2003. This was done for obvious reasons. With the target audience for the film being Australian youths, including school leavers, Blurred was released at a time when thousands of teenagers were about to or had just finished schoolies week. Although schoolies week can be seen as culturally specific, it still retains a universal common with emotions linked to the end of school and the changing of friendships.

Blurred pulled in just under $1.5 million at the box-office (http://pub157.ezboard.com/ffilmnetfrm8.showNextMessage?topicID=520.topic). It came in at number 9 in the top ten grossing Australian films for 2002.

PREVIOUS WORK

Evan Clarry (the Director)

Blurred is the first feature film by director Evan Clarry. The success of his short films, which include Crack and Mate scored him the role of director for the Australian feature film Blurred. Because Blurred is Clarry's first feature film, it was hard to find information on his previous short films or any of his other work.

Stephen Davis (Writer)

Blurred the film was adapted form the final part of a trilogy of plays by Davis. His background is in theater. Davis writes on topical issues that are a part of Australian society, especially that of youth culture. Making Blurred into a feature film was the next step for Davis.

Matthew Newton (Actor)

Matthew Newton is known for his role in the successful Australian film Looking for Alibrandi (dir Woods 2000). Just like Blurred, Looking for Alibrandi is a coming of age film. With his character in Looking for Alibrandi being a pressured teenager and in Blurred a sleazy limousine driver, you could not get any more different. Both films are however about the youth and for the youth. They deal with issues, which relate to growing up and leaving school. Looking for Alibrandi can be seen as a film that deals with the pressures of school and family, while Blurred on the other hand looks at the end of school and changes and celebrations that take place then.

THE POSITION OF AUSTRALIAN FILM AND ITS VALUE

Even though Australian films have come along way over the past two decades, they still tend to be seen as less credible in contrast to the superior industry, Hollywood. While Australia has its own film industry, the films that emerge from it are constantly compared to that of Hollywood (O'Regan 1996, p. 113). Despite this, Hollywood is what justifies an Australian film industry (O'Regan 1996, p.112). Blurred aspires to attract young audiences to Australian films, therefore increasing its value. With the youth of today being tomorrow's future, the industry acknowledges the need to draw teenagers to Australian made films. Due to the dominance of Hollywood, many teenagers do not see Australian films as they see them as being of lesser quality and as insignificant. Through the subject of the film, which was culturally and personally relevant to the youthful audiences, Blurred connected the audience to the film. It was this reason, which attracted Australian youths to make an alternative decision and see an Australian film. The value of Australian film is related to the interactions with it and impressions that the audiences have with the film. Australian film has grown into the industry that it is today through the help and support of the government. In order to sustain this assistance, Australian cinema needs to be viewed positively by Australian audiences (O'Regan 1996, p.111).

The position of Australian film is that of a youthful one. Blurred demonstrates that there is a large market for Australian films in Australian teenagers. The key to their success however, is the presentation and style of the film. With many Australian films conforming to the styles of Hollywood (O'Regan 1996, p112), Australian audiences still require this familiar aspect. Australian film therefore is shaped by American productions. The slick presentation of Blurred is evidence of this. Other recent films that are evident of this are Garage Days (dir Proyas, 2002) and Looking for Alibrandi (dir Woods, 2000).

Blurred was part funded by international investors, as well as Australian ones. International support in films show that the film is see as worthy on an international market; although it does not mean that the film will be internationally released. This support in Australian films has been around for a long time. Although the support is well received, over the years it has caused problems with distinguishing what is and what is not classified as an Australian film.

The international involvement in Australian cinema, creates as industry, which is influenced by other national cinemas. With the dominant Hollywood model still affecting Australian productions, national cinemas such as the United Kingdom, come in effect when funding a film such as Blurred. International investors will only contribute to something that appeals to them as well as Australian audiences.

A MEDIUM SIZED ENGLISH LANGUAGE CINEMA
Australian cinema is classified as a medium-sized English language cinema. This means that local productions, such as Blurred, occupy a smaller space in contrast to larger, international cinemas, such as Hollywood, which dominates the world stage of film production and release. Just because an Australian film does well in Australia, it does not mean that it would do well in any other country. Blurred is culturally specific. Although it carries a universal message about the end of school and relationships, an international cinema may not be so tolerant.

The quality and style of Blurred shows how far Australian national cinema has come since it was kicked started back in the 1970s with the introduction of tax incentives, 10BA. Since then Australian national cinema has gone through a number of visible phases. This decade is mother to Australian films that focus on youth culture. Although Australian still produces films that show-off its multi-cultural side and also show the shame of its shady past with Aborigines, the big releases, in terms of Australian films, are those that are aimed at the youth.

REFERENCE LIST

Coyte, Matt In Empire, April 2003, p 98.

Filmnet, 2002, Australian Film 2002 Box-office Share, 20th April 2003,
>http://pub157.ezboard.com/ffilmnetfrm8.showNextMessage?topicID=520.topic<

O'Regan, T 1996, Australian National Cinema, Routledge, London

FILM REFERENCES

Blurred, dir Evan Clarry, 2002

The Castle, dir Rob Sitch, 1997

Garage Days, dir Alex Proyas, 2002

Looking for Alibrandi, dir Kate Woods, 2000

Muriel's Wedding, dir Paul J. Hogan, 1996