Video transcript: Beat the game - That’s a wrap!
DVD Title: Beat the Game
Video clip title: That’s a wrap!
Description: As the film begins we can hear some people speaking. The
Words on screen: The students of Ballarat High School were invited to produce a video exploring the issue of problem gambling.
Words on screen: This is how they went about it.
Young female voice: In the Centre?
Young male voice: You wanted the director to direct me first?
Young female voice: Yeh, just, have you made sure that it’s in the middle?
Young male voice: Yeh.
Young female voice: Sort of, like the middle bit.
Second young male voice: Just the tiniest bit. Not by much. Little bit more.
Words on screen: Set up 9a.m.
Description: We see a number of students preparing to make a film. They are moving equipment and getting the lighting and sound ready.
Young female voice: I think the last project we did where we had to put these up.
Description: Two young male students are sitting on some steps. The first young male begins to speak. His name, ‘Grant’ and the words ‘actor’ appear on screen.
Grant: We’ve enjoyed the fact that we’re making a video and we’re being filmed of making that video.
Description: In the background we can hear other students joking around.
Student: Can’t work under these conditions. Workplace bullying.
Description: The second male student who is sitting on the steps begins to speak. His name ‘Dale’ and the words ‘cameraman’ appear on screen.
Dale: It was a lot of fun, like I’ve never really done video making to this sort of extent.
Assistant director: Quiet on set.
Description: A young male student is standing in front of the stairs. His name, ‘Trent’ and the words ‘sound recordist’ appear on screen.
Trent: It’s good. Getting involved in film rather than just being on stage like I’m used to in drama. It’s a different experience. It’s really good.
Words on screen: Production 2p.m.
Description: The sound recordist, director and cameraman are looking towards the actors.
Description: The filming commences.
Director: Ok clap it.
Description: We hear the sound of the clap board.
Director: Ok. Action.
Description: Two actors playing the roles of a student seeking help, and a counselor, are seated on stage against a black backdrop. The student seeking help is played by Grant.
Counselor: How old were you when you first realized your mum had a gambling problem?
Grant: Um, well I was about eleven, twelve. Yeh, about twelve.
Description: The film cuts to an outdoor shot, where a young woman appears on screen. Her name, ‘Sarah’ and the words ‘Director’ appear on screen.
Sarah: It’s actually a lot harder than you think. It’s just two people, sitting, talking to each other and you really have to make that interesting somehow.
Description: The film cuts to an indoor shot where the group of students making the film are gathered.
Words on screen: Production meeting 8 am appear on screen.
Sarah: Ok so we have to do the project in a day, so we need to separate into like about four groups of how we’re going to do this. Right, so we’ve got cameras. Wally, you’re doing camera aren’t you?
Wally: Yeh.
Sarah: We had to work out how to shoot this to make it visually interesting as well.
Description: Dale, the cameraman, is standing at a whiteboard, as the group discusses how they will make the film. Dale draws on the whiteboard to show how he intends to shoot the film.
Dale: Sort of around like that.
Sarah: And you’re hoping that all the preparation pays off.
Description: Dale draws on the whiteboard.
Dale: Actors sitting here on their chairs.
Sarah: Yeh.
Dale: But then I’ll have the camera coming in from here.
Sarah: Good well what do we think guys?
Student: Yeh, sounds good.
Sarah: Alright. I think that’s it. Cool.
Description: The film cuts back to the shooting of the students’ film. We see the student/actor and counselor.
Counselor: What were the worst things about your Mum’s gambling? In terms of how it affected you?
Grant: Probably all the family arguments and fights and I don’t like to see that happen.
Counselor: How did it impact on the entire family?
Grant: Um, financially, like when we’d have to go pay some bills and we just couldn’t because we didn’t have the money.
Description: The film cuts back to the director, who speaks about the film making process.
Sarah: And a lot relies on the people playing the counselor and the student. Understanding what’s in their characters heads.
Description: We see Sarah, the director, speaking to the Grant, the student playing the role of the student/actor.
Words on screen: workshop 10 am.
Sarah: You will say Dad asked her where she’d been and she lied about being at a friend’s place. This is your mum. Do you think you would have been unhappy at that? Or as the character? What emotion do you think you’d feel?
Grant: You’d have felt pretty shattered knowing that someone he’s looked up to his whole life has just turned around and lied to him.
Description: The director nods in agreement.
Counselor: I think I would stress you…
Sarah: In fact it’s a real team thing. That’s what I like most about this.
Description: The director and crew are on set.
Words on screen: crew briefing 10.30 am.
Sarah: Yeh so what we want is the blacks to be set up v form. We want them to be like from the middle and then we’re going to be like put there out there so we’ve got the left and the right. So, is that possible?
Student crew member: Yeh that’s easy.
Sarah: Ok, good, great.
Description: Filming recommences.
Counselor: How did you cope with that?
Grant: I turned fifteen. I went out and got a job and it helped me out a bit but didn’t really help my family.
Counselor: What made you want to come and see a counselor?
Grant: I was feeling a bit down myself with other things but I did have a problem with Mum’s gambling affecting me.
Description: The film cuts to behind the scenes. We see a shot of the filming through a small screen attached to the camera.
Sarah: Audio is really important in this scene because there’s not much visual action, no car chases so a lot’s up to the actors voices. We use lapel mikes to make it easier.
Description: The film cuts back to the actors.
Counselor: What’s your earliest memory of your mum’s gambling? What sticks in your mind?
Grant: Probably just all the fights between Mum and Dad. One night Mum came home late. She lied to us and said she was at a friend’s house but we really knew where she was.
Description: The film cuts to one of the crew members applying make up to the actor playing the counselor.
Words on screen: final touches 11.45 am.
Description: The film cuts to an outdoor shot, where two of the crewmembers are seated.
Words on screen: Josie Makeup.
Josie: Yeh, it was cool, seeing the intensity of everyone’s like faces. Filming this l especially like when we’re not on camera. We’re like Oh hey. And then everybody’s like serious face so it was pretty cool.
Description: The film cuts back to the shooting of the film.
Counselor: What impact did your Mum’s gambling have on your life?
Grant: Well, she was never there or around when I really need her. She kind of lets me down. She doesn’t spend time with me and when I ask for money when I really need it she just doesn’t have it.
Counselor: Mmm. Have you thought about why gambling became a problem for your Mum?
Grant: Well, she just keeps doing it, like every Friday night or whatever. She’s losing money and kind of getting addicted to it. If she keeps it up in a few years she won’t be able to do what she wants to do. She’ll be a wreck.
Description: The film cuts to a shot of the crew and director.
Words on screen: Wrap 4pm.
Sarah: And cut. That’s a wrap everybody well done.
Description: The crew and actors all clap.
Description: Dale, the cameraman prepares his camera, as the actors and crew gather for a group photo.
Dale: Awesome. Right.
Description: Dale sets the camera to take the photo and runs quickly to join the others for the group shot.
Description: The credits for the video clip run across the screen: This resource has been produced by Consumer Affairs Victoria and the Office of Gaming and Racing, and supported by the Victorian Government through the Community Support Fund. Consumer Affairs Victoria 1300 55 81 81 consumer.vic.gov.au. Community Support logo, Consumer Affairs Victoria logo, the State of Victoria logo, the Department of Justice.