SYNOPSIS

Tommy Matisse hears music in eve-rything, from the rhythm of the traffi c to the beating heart of his girlfriend Alysse. For him, it is all lifes secret symphony. Struggling to express himself away from his family and friends within the rigid confi nes of the Royal College of Music in London, Tommy is searching for inspiration. Frustrated and alone, he longs for his true love and muse, Alysse, as he strives to compose an opera to tell a story about the contemporary world.

Caught up in his own aspirations, the calls from the ones he loves back at home are the only thing Tommy can-not hear. His younger sister Emma attempts to reach out to him and his girlfriend Alysse dreams of the day when they will be together again.

Disaster strikes when Emma experi-ments with drugs while out party-ing with Alysse. Overwhelmed with guilt by the ensuing tragedy, Alysse attempts to unburden her secret to Tommy on his return. But Tommys grief takes control, and his pain and anger tears them apart.

The two former soul mates embark on solitary journeys. Tommy, attempting to seek out the memory of his sister, un-covers a whole new world deep within the depths of city night-life. His experi-ence becomes one of self-discovery. Using his sampled sounds and classi-

English, Music, Health and Personal development, and Media studies.

AFTER WATCHING THE FILM

Write down and then discuss your own views of the fi lm and the feelings you experienced as you watched.

Talk about this description of the fi lm: One Perfect Day is a story of self-discovery a story that shows how fear and desire can destroy and how hope and love can create. A celebration of the strength and courage it takes to triumph over tragedy.

What big ideas and themes are explored in the fi lm? Is it a positive or negative fi lm? Why? After dis-cussing this in class, talk about the themes raised in this study guide.

One Perfect Day centres around the idea that in an intense and often un-forgiving world, music is the ultimate form of expression and elevation for young people.

Like the fi lms protagonist, Tommy Matisse, the director of One Perfect Day, Paul Currie, and the team at Lightstream Films wanted to use their medium to make a difference to young people around the world, to both refl ect the diffi culties of life, and inspire the strength to withstand them. Paul explains:

I wanted to make a fi lm that uses the power of music as a tool to punctu-

cal background, he begins to fuse his music and fi nd his place amongst the sounds of his own generation. Alysses path becomes a spiral of self-destruc-tion and grief. Finding comfort in drugs, Alysse falls under their sway and into the arms of Hector Lee, a manipulative music producer and owner of famed underground nightclub Trance-Zen-Dance. Recognizing her talent, Hec-tor plays on Alysses vulnerability and seduces her into his dangerous world. Desperate to reconnect with Tommy through music, Alysse allows Hector to draw from her the lyrics for Tommys melody, pulling her further away from the very love that inspired them.

When Alysse hears Tommy DJ-ing at the outdoor desert gig, their paths intersect and the two are reunited. However, when Alysse tries to leave Hector, his jealousy drives him over the edge. As Hector lashes out in an attempt to destroy them, the two soul mates fi ght for their love and the fate of their song, leaving Tommy with the fi nal chance to speak the truth through music, and to inspire hope amidst the darkness that surrounds him.

CURRICULUM LINKS

The themes and activities developed in this study guide will have interest and relevance for teachers and students from the middle to senior years of schooling and at the tertiary level stud-ying these subjects: Studies of Society and Environment, Cultural studies,

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ate a dramatic and heartfelt story that would call out to young people. Using the character of Tommy as a refl ection of teenagers everywhere, One Perfect Day champions the idealist, and il-lustrates that maintaining the strength to stand by your dreams is the most powerful and positive way to live.

Throughout the fi lm, what does Tommy do to show that he can stand by his dreams?

EXPLORING THE CHARACTERS

Tommy Matisse

Tommy is a young musical genius, seeking his voice amidst the turbu-lence of loss and tragedy. Spanning the geographical, emotional and musi-cal spectrumfrom the Royal College of Music in London to the Melbourne club sceneTommys journey embod-ies the spirit of the fi lm, as he tries to hold fast to creating music as a way of expressing himself.

First, either in pairs or as individu-als, brainstorm and then write your own descriptions of Tommy. Read a selection of these in class and talk about your ideas.

What initial impressions do you get of Tommy when you fi rst meet his character at the start of the fi lm?

Read this description of Tommy: He is a soulful character, talented, creative and loyal. He has to sort

when we fail to take the time to really listen. For example, Tommy interprets a rolling can as a soft drum roll and the drops of a waterfall as beats for an electronic symphony. Throughout the fi lm, we shift in and out of Tommy Time, entering Tommys musical head-space and hearing the dynamic sounds of his world.

Look for examples of Tommy Time in the fi lm and discuss these incidents in class.

Paul Currie describes the character of Tommy as an inspirational fi gure:

He represents the quiet genius in all of us. The part of us that feels like we dont belong because we know deep down that somewhere, somehow there is something more. Despite everything he goes through, Tommy refuses to give up the search for what he intuitively knows he can achieve.

What kinds of qualities are needed for young people to fi nd their

through the morass of others ex-pectations, death and loss to fi nd his own place in the world.

How does this description com-pare with your ideas?

Why do you think he staged his unconventional Bag Lady Opera with the people from his street life encounters? What was Tommy trying to communicate?

Why did he lose contact with his loved ones?

In what instances in the story could the outcomes have been very different for Tommy and his family if everyone had communi-cated better?

Would you describe Tommy as a hero? Why or why not?

In pairs or small groups talk about who your heroes are? Why are they heroes in your view? What are their qualities?

How did Tommy respond to the loss of both his sister and his girlfriend?

Do you think Tommy blames him-self for the loss of Emma? Does he play a part in her death? Write a journal entry from the perspec-tive of Tommy expressing how he feels about the tragedy.

A recurring concept throughout the fi lm is Tommy Time. This is about Tommys ability to hear something special in everyday situations. It is the experience of stopping and observ-ing the environment and the people around us, discovering what we miss

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talents, strengths and directions in life?

In what way is Tommys big gig, after he loses Alysse, a triumph?

At the end of the fi lm, suggest what possible pathways might Tommy pursue?

Alysse Green

Girlfriend to Tommy and friend to Emma, Alysse loses them both. She is at the emotional core of the fi lm. She is a beautiful dreamer whose perilous descent into self-destruction refl ects a desperate cry for helpCan you hear me? is her signature. Alysse is wracked by guilt over Emmas over-dose and death.

Alysse forgets to listen to the rhythm inside her and is drawn to the se-ductive chorus of instant fame and success. She is prey to the mantras of Hector, the club owner and mu-sic producer, who beguiles her with his warped incantations. Her world fragments as she spirals into a pit of self-destruction.

Do you agree with these views of Alysse? Discuss your ideas in class.

Why does Alysse blame herself for Emmas death? Do you think she is in any way responsible?

Why doesnt Tommy hear Alysse? Write a poem from Alysses per-spective that explains what you think she is struggling to express.

the fi lm? How does this change as the fi lm progresses?

Why do you think she tried to reach out to Tommy for support rather than her mother? Write down or discuss with a partner, who you would turn to, in your own life during a time of need. Explore the reasons why.

Why did Emma choose to take drugs? Suggest and explore the reasons why people experiment with drugs.

Was Emmas death avoidable or inevitable? Divide the class into teams and debate this topic using references from the fi lm to support your case.

Write about a moment in your life where you too, like Emma, have been confronted with diffi cult choices and how you overcame these?

Carolyn Matisse

Carolyn, a strong and loving single mother to Tommy and Emma, is ultimately caught up in the tragedy of watching the waste of her daughters young life. She experiences every parents worst nightmarethe un-necessary and premature death of her daughter to drugs, and she lives with the sense of guilt, failure and blame.

Why does Carolyn think she has failed as a mum?

What reasons can you suggest why Emma would not have con-

Why do you think she falls into Hectors trap?

Emma Matisse

Emma, Tommys sister, is an unfi n-ished symphony, vulnerable, impulsive and spirited. She is trapped in a world that is out of tune. She is played like a musical instrument, by the unscru-pulous and the greedy. The tragedy of her premature death creates expand-ing concentric circles of grief for her loved ones. She is a reminder of how fragile and tenuous life can be.

Write your view of how accurate the above description is of Emma.

What impressions do you have of Emma when you fi rst meet her in

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tor is the villain of One Perfect Day. He holds lives to ransom. He plays on the vulnerability of the young. The lasting image of him holding a syringe to Alysse is etched in the viewers mind.

Explain what is meant by the view of Hector as the Pied Piper?

How would you describe Hector? Write a short story about Hectors life as a teenager.

What would you hope to happen to him at the end?

Why do you think Trig was a mem-ber of Hectors family?

What is the key to Hectors control over Alysse? Compare this to the connection she has with Tommy.

Malcolm Pease

Tommys music teacher, his mentor and advisor, a traditionalist who wants Tommy, his most promising and bril-liant student, to play by the old rules, believing that only this will allow him to reach his full potential.

What do you think Malcolm meant when he said to Tommy, We dont get to choose the moment when destiny calls?

Did he understand Tommy? What does Malcolm have to learn

from Tommy?

MORAL DILEMMAS FOR THE CHARACTERS

The fi lm presents moral dilem-

fi ded in her mother? Write a letter to Carolyn from Emmas perspec-tive that explores your answers.

How would you describe the char-acter of Carolyn in the fi lm?

Write a eulogy from Carolyns per-spective that could be delivered at Emmas funeral.

How do you think Tommy and Carolyns relationship may have changed by the end of the fi lm?

Trig

Trig is a hip young VJ (Visual Jockey) who is like the court jester of the dance world. Confi dent and charismatic, he weaves through the bodies, recording the moment, eliciting response from the ravers. He also supplies mood enhanc-ers to those who want them. He is one of the characters in the fi lm about whom you might feel ambivalent.

Trig is caught between his drug deal-ing obligations to Hector, and his quiet admiration of Alysse. He sits at the centre of the action with a carefree faade, but inside wrestles with the consequences of his actions and his dreams of a better life. He shows us that you can make huge mistakes and still fi nd a way out.

How would you describe Trig? What is his talent?

Why does Trig blame himself for Emmas death?

Do you think Trig is a villain? Why do people like Trig get caught

up in drug dealing? Write a short story about Trigs past and how he ended up working for Hector.

What does Trig learn from Tommy? Write a letter to Tommy from Trigs perspective fi ve years later explaining how these lessons have affected him.

Why does Trig become such a lik-able character in the fi lm, despite his actions?

Hector Lee

The Pied Piper of hopes and dreams. A major threat to the happiness of Tommy and Alysse, who becomes deadly when rejected. A dangerous record producer and club owner, searching for love through power and manipulation. Hec-

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mas and choices for each of these characters. How could they change their actions to avoid the tragedies that befall them? Break into pairs: Person A select and act out a dilemma that one of the characters from the fi lm faces, whilst person B acts out the role of a listener who offers advice for alternative choices. Reverse roles with a new character.

EXPLORING OTHER FILM THEMES

A Heros Journey

Heroes are just ordinary people on extraordinary journeys. Some people are born with greater talent than others but in the end, just as Tommys musical jour-ney reveals, it is rarely the talent alone that allows you to realize your potential. It is more the ability to be inspired by a dream to get out there and have a go: to follow your heart and keep moving forward even when the odds are against you. The most powerful of books, fi lms and stories are those that allow a person to identify with a character or hero as they journey towards a realization be-cause in a way, we all have the potential to become heroes of our own lives.

The following is a summary of the different stages of A Heros Journey. It can be applied to all journeys, from a character in a book, fi lm or play to the journey of a person in real life. Using this same model as a guide, write about or discuss as a class, the journeys of two of the key characters in One Perfect Day.

hardest. Sometimes it takes a major event in our lives to motivate and challenge us into action. These events can appear to be positive or nega-tive, major or minor and are disguised in many different forms from the meeting of a stranger to the death of a loved one, from something you see or hear that inspires you to something that happens that causes you confl ict. The Call to Adventure is an invitation to embark on a journey.

Stage 3 - The Special World

Often it is our fear of rejection, failure, change or the unknown - that stops us from answering The Call To Adventure. However, when we do choose to answer the call, we leave The Ordinary World and enter The Special World, a place from which we cannot easily return. It can be posi-tive and/or negative and in order to move forward you must accept that destiny is in your hands by taking responsibility for your own actions and their consequences. If you deny your circumstance or blame others and be-come a victim, your journey stagnates and The Special World eventually becomes The Ordinary World.

Stage 4 - Enemies And Allies

As the journey continues, we will meet people who may infl uence our path. Some will assist, encourage and mentor us, whilst others will hold us back. Sometimes a friend will reveal themselves as an enemy and vice versa. The journey enables us to

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Stage 1 - The Ordinary World

The Ordinary World is the comfort zone of life safe yet mediocre. In this environment, pressure from peer groups, media, family and other out-side infl uences can often hold us back and stifl e our dreams. Sometimes the struggle against this pressure can be so overwhelming that we begin to doubt ourselves. Often the longer we remain in this place, the stronger our beliefs convince us that we cannot leave it. Sometimes the start of a jour-ney is to discover we are not living the life of the person we want to be. Often we begin to hear that voice deep inside that believes we are destined to experience something greater.

Stage 2 -The Call To Adventure

The fi rst step of a journey is often the

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choose our friends more wisely and face our enemies more clearly. Often the journey reveals that we are being our own worst enemy as well as our greatest ally. With this realization, we also discover that the very thing that we think will hold us back is often the thing that will set us free.

Stage 5 - Tests And Challenges

Anything worth achieving in life will be hard before it gets easy; therefore it is common to encounter tests and chal-lenges along our journey. Often there will be a time when things become so diffi cult that we begin to question our motives and ask whether the thing we are striving for is really worth all the effort. Theses challenges may take the form of negative feedback from peers or family, or the result of obstacles we have placed in front of ourselves. Whatever the case, when things seem hopeless and all appears to be lost, if we listen to the voice inside, the voice of our spirit, we will overcome these chal-lenges and develop strength in prepara-tion for the next stage of our journey.

Stage 6 - Slaying The Dragon

This is the key moment in a heros journey. It is the moment when we face our innermost fear and overcome it. We are often propelled into this battle because we develop a new un-derstanding that the consequences of not Slaying The Dragon is far greater

than that of trying to do it and failing. It is the moment when we are forced to face the ultimate challenge alone, armed only with our spirit and what we have learnt so far. Essentially, the victory is not physical for the lesson of the battle will reveal itself and the true meaning of our journey will emerge.

Stage 7 - The Reward

When the dragon is slain, the fi nal emergence from the cave leaves us with an inner strength, which will never leave. There may be other journeys to travel and other fi ghts to fi ght, but the hero now lives with the knowledge that they can endure. In the end, no matter what the battle, the reward is almost always the same. We emerge wiser and dis-cover a new found inner peace from the knowledge gained through experience. It is not the journey that is important; it is the person you become in the proc-ess. We can then return to the place we started and see it for what it really is. For many this may be a blessing while for others it may be motivation to embark on a new journey.

Your Journey

Using the Heros Journey model as a guide, write a story from your life experience about a journey you have embarked on. Some of you may be in the middle of a journey. Imagine and write how your story may end, based on what you understand of each of the stages in A Heros Journey.

Further references:

- Heroes A Guide To Realising Your Dream, Jim Stynes, Paul Currie & Jon Carnegie. (An ac-companying teachers manual is also available with this text. Please contact Reach Youth (03) 9412 0900 or reception@reach.org.au,

- The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell

- The Writers Journey, Christopher Vogler

Drugs and risk taking behavior

Paul Currie explains how these themes are explored in the fi lm:

Most people in society know about drugs, have interacted with them and/or know someone who has. This is a fi lm that aims not to preach to its audience, but instead empower young people to consciously recognize the impact of their choices.

What messages do you think the fi lm gives about the implications of

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drug use and risk taking behaviour? Why do you think young people

become involved in drug taking? In small groups, design and pitch to your class a drug awareness advertisement which you think addresses these issues and will appeal to young people. Involving the entire class as cast and crew, produce a video of the concept voted most effective.

What are your impressions of the people involved in drug dealing? In small groups, act out a short dramatic scene involving a drug dealer who is rejected, exposed or punished for their behaviour. Be imaginative with your setting and characters and make sure your story has a beginning, middle and end.

Do some further research to fi nd out why drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, heroin and speed can be dangerous, addictive and potentially life threatening. Design a large poster that informs young people of these drugs and their side-effects in an interesting and creative way, without being preachy.

List all the incidents of drug use in the fi lm and explain the con-sequences for the characters involved?

Hopes and dreams

Kerry Armstrong (who plays Carolyn) describes what attracted her to the story:

This fi lm is about hope, and about not giving up on your dreams. Thats really important in the world at the moment. When people lose their dreams they go towards something elsedrugs, alcohol, co-dependent relationships Everyone has a dream, and if we remember to hold on to that, then we can get through even the most diffi cult of times.

What is Tommys dream? What is Alysses dream? Why do people have dreams? What is your dream? How does Tommy rise above the

tragedy to achieve his dream? What obstacles does he face along his journey? What obstacles do you think you will have to overcome in order to achieve your dream?

Loss of innocence

The fi lm explores the themes of loss and hope. Tommy reaches the depths of despair, yet soars with the angelic ghosts of Alysse and Emma at the end of the fi lm. His homage to them is his way of expunging the pain of his loss and immortalizing their desires, fears and hopes in image and sound.

Emma and Alysse both lose their youth. Their truncated lives refl ect the dark side of human experience. Their human frailties destroy their innocence. But in their untimely death is the reminder of the transience of all life and a light that will show the

way to others. Their sacrifi ce is tragic, however by striving not to lose hope in life and by embracing the lessons to be learnt, Tommy ultimately ensures that it is not a waste.

What messages does the fi lm have about avoiding loss and sacrifi ce?

Choices have consequences. What choices do some of the characters make that end in disas-ter and what choices end in hope?

In pairs or small groups explore the possible outcomes for each of the characters lives if they had made different choices. Select a moment in the fi lm where a differ-ent choice may have signifi cantly alter the course of a characters destiny. Write a short story that tells of this alternative outcome.

MEDIA STUDIES

Divide up your class into teams to write a critical review of the production of One Perfect Day focusing on these elements:

Production design: - setting/location- set design/props- lighting/colours- casting- costume/make-up/hairActing: - performance- facial expression- body language- movement

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- stuntsCamera: point of view - framing- angles- type of shot movement - focusEditing: - overall style- techniques used- visual effectsSound: - score- music montages- sound effects

CLOSE ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING SCENE

Note: Use this example as a model for close analyses of other scenes in the fi lm

The black background for the credits is superimposed with Tommys voice. He talks of this being a requiem, a precursor of the notion of death, which will impinge on the narrative. The close-ups of the train tracksthey are literally tracked by the cam-eraestablishes both the metaphor of the journey and provides the viewer with the fi rst example of Tommy time, a time when Tommy Matisse (the same name as the famous artist) records the sounds of the menacing juggernaut of the freight train.

Tommy is played by a familiar actor from popular culture, as are other cen-tral characters, thereby engaging the

viewer. Recording the urban sounds of the noise and vibration of the train establishes Tommys preoccupations of using everyday sounds to inform and inspire his music. It is an act of daring, an adrenalin rush. The cam-era is positioned such that it appears Tommy might commit suicide, until the overhead shot, when it is clear that Tommy will lie between the tracks to capture a unique sonic perspec-tive. Tommys point of view is clearly enunciated in the shots looking at the undercarriage of the train.

He is exhilarated after his triumph.

There is a sudden cut to the dance fl oor, the pulsing rhythms establishing one of the central sites of the narrative. The visuals reinforce the idea that the fi lm will explore the transcendental power of music. The display window of the ampli-fi er is a central motif of the fi lm.

The digital video recording of the as yet unknown Alysse on the roof of the club, propels the connection between two disparate worlds and friends. The intercutting of Alysse and Tommy in different parts of the world brings them togetherthe anima and animus. The use of effective editing creates two simultaneous worlds.

Throughout this sequence the musical soundtrack focuses on dreams and death. At a visual level there are blurred images of emblems of this world of music. They key us into the narrative.

Alysses voice crosses the world. Her question of Can you hear me? gets a response from LondonI can hear you everywhere. Their symbiotic relationship is made explicit in this opening sequence.

Choose another scene from the fi lm (about fi ve minutes in length). Use the elements of production design to explore how the narra-tive is created.

Cinematography

With the fi lms strong focus on altered perceptions of the world, through both drug use and its musical parallel, Tommy Time, the One Perfect Day team worked to establish the unique look and cinematic feel of the fi lm. Paul Currie and Director of Photogra-phy, Gary Ravenscroft, staged the fi lm to suit the musical story, designing visuals with fl ow and an emotive me-lodic touch. The climactic moments of the story most exemplify this, with dramatic visuals set against operatic music, or elating images set against pumping electronic beats.

Choose scenes from the fi lm and discuss the elements of cinematog-raphy and the interplay of music.

EXPLORING THE MUSIC AND DANCE PARTY CULTURE

Music is used in the fi lm as a medium to capture the essence of love and

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loss, to inspire hope and idealism, and to provide a gospel for a new genera-tion. Music is truly a universal lan-guage, and dance music is a move-ment that spans the globe, refl ecting contemporary youth culture.

Interview someone you know about their experiences of raves or dance parties.

Find out what attracts them to dance parties.

While the fi lm celebrates the energies and rituals of the dance fl oor at the aptly named Trance-Zen-Dance, it also reveals the underbelly, the darker side of the dance party culture. Both Emma and Alysse are caught up in this surreal maelstrom of sound, light, image and movement.

Why do you think Emma and Alysse go to Trance-Zen-Dance?

What is the underbelly and darker side of this club culture?

What is unique about Tommys DJ set at the outdoor desert gig? Why do you think it has this effect on the audience?

The role of the music

Music tells the story in One Perfect Day. It is another character within the fi lm. Throughout the story, words seem to fall on deaf ears, and music becomes the true means of commu-nication. The music complements the narrative structure of One Perfect Day.

While at the Royal Academy of Music, we hear the restrained and contrived strains of classical music, and feel Tommys frustration with the repeti-tion of these traditional musical styles. Between these scenes, Tommy is surrounded by the realities of the streets, and sees songs of despera-tion accompanied by the dislocated rhythms of the city. Both Emma and Alysse struggle to express themselves and are misunderstood. Through music they fi nd a voice and a release, Emma as DJ EM and Alysse in her song to Tommy.

Through learning to listen and hear-ing new music, both Trig and Tommy are changed by the experience. Trig is shown the beauty and complexity of nature in the sounds of the waterfall and the crickets, and begins to listen to everything around him, including himself. Tommy fi nds dance music, and with it his own sense of identity and place in the world. Music not only vocalizes the deepest feelings of the characters, it also allows others to hear, learn and understand different emotions and perceptions of the world.

Discuss your views of the role of music in One Perfect Day.

Refl ect on the role music has in your life. How has music been a way for you to connect to your feelings?

After listening to the One Perfect Day soundtrack album, as a class locate each track within the fi lm

and discuss how it affects the scene and overall storyline.

References: CD - One Perfect Day- Music from the Motion Picture, Universal Music

It is when Tommy returns to Melbourne and delves into the dance party scene in an effort to discover what so at-tracted Emma, that an even more vibrant musical atmosphere permeates the fi lm. Within the new domain of the Melbourne dance scene, Tommy begins to feel at home. He immerses himself in this world, and sets himself the task of learning to spin vinyl, mixing this up with his own sampling and classical training. By the end of the fi lm Tommy has discovered a place where he belongs, and his own style of expression. The different ele-ments of sound that we hear separately throughout the fi lm are fi nally fused to-gether in a single song. Tommy is heard, understood and appreciated.

Describe Tommys musical soundscape in London. How does this compare to what he hears on returning to Australia?

Describe the type of music used in scenes where Emma, Carolyn and Alysse are the main focus?

Musically, what is Tommy trying to achieve? Describe the music he has created by the end of the fi lm.

Defi ning music

The Oxford Dictionary defi nes music

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as the art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to pro-duce beauty of sounds so produced. The Encarta Encyclopaedias defi ni-tion is much broader: music is the art-ful arrangement of sounds over time.

Tommys understanding of what constitutes music goes beyond the traditional defi nition. Tommy hears the beauty of sounds in his everyday life. Music is in the ringing of the railway tracks, in the streets, and in the sing-ing of a lady on the train platform.

What is music and its purpose in society, and for individuals? Brain-storm ideas as a class.

Discuss the term serious music. What does it mean? Is it a relevant term today? Can music using non-traditional instruments be taken seriously by the listening public?

In groups, create your own short musical piece using sounds cre-ated by everyday objects. Perform them for your class.

Opera as a musical form

Opera can be defi ned as drama and music fused together to communicate stories of passion, love, humour, and most powerfully, social comment. Great opera composers such as Mozart and Verdi addressed social issues relevant to their contemporary societies.

In his speech to composition students

at the Royal College of Music in Lon-don, Bernard May declares, Opera is dead to a generation who needs it most ... I keep searching for some-one who has the courage to create something that speaks to the human condition of our time. Someone who can bring it back to the people.

What was his opinion of Tommys Opera?

Compare the roles of May and Malcolm as mentors within the fi lm. What is the difference between their attitudes towards creating music?

Write about the mentors in your own life and the part they play in your journey.

Do you agree with Mays comment that opera is dead to this genera-tion?

DJs work as musicians

A great DJ can arouse more raw emo-tion in his audience than the compos-er of the most bittersweet opera, or the author of the most uplifting novel, or the director of the most life-affi rm-ing fi lm.

(Extract from Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton)

Do you agree with this quote?

There are numerous types of DJs, however each aims to provide musical

entertainment for a diverse range of audiences. A DJ must fuse a wide variety of musical and dramatic ele-ments into a seamless work of art.

How are DJs infl uencing different genres of music? Why do you think they have become so popular?

What is your opinion of electronic music? Do you think it is a genre that will remain?

DJing is a performing art. List and describe other performance arts that young people use to express themselves? In small groups se-lect one and prepare a short piece to perform to the class.

Note: For more information on DJs, visit the web sites http://www.djzone.net/ and, http://www.djzone.net/pg/resources/faq/index.html

Further references:

- Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton

- How to DJ Right: The Art and Science of Playing Records, Bill Brewster & Frank Broughton

- Turntable Technique: the Art of the DJ, Stephen Webber Pub. Berkley Press

Music as therapy and an expression of creativity

Tommy (ironically, also the name of the eponymous rock opera from the seven-

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ties) is a deep soul who records organic sounds and transposes them into music. He records the metallic sounds of trains on tracks, the trickle of water on rocks, the cacophony of crickets, the hum of the bag lady, sounds that can go unnoticed to most people. They are the worlds real melodies.

For Tommy it is important to capture and freeze these sounds, then release them and make them inform his own composition, which becomes an ex-pression of his inner world. This proc-ess is transformative and cathartic.

Record a day or week in your life through music. Sample some of the unique sounds you hear every day, for example, your alarm clock, familiar people, or the sound of catching a bus, etc. Next, fuse it with music that is most meaningful to these experiences. What type of story does your piece tell? In what ways is it similar or different to that of your peers?

Imagine you are present at the outdoor dance party. Describe your feelings on hearing Tommys symphony.

Music is a universal language that transcends the barriers of difference created by age, gender, nationality or disability. Some may argue that it is the language of the human soul.

Discuss how and why music is used as a tool for communication, expression and therapy.

Note: For more information on Music Therapy, visit the web site http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

Sound

Sound Designer, Paul Pirola describes how he approached the challenge of creating the auditory perspective of Tommy Time:

Recording real life sounds has always been a part of my work, but not turning them musical. I was fascinated by how so many sounds can have an emotion-al musicality to them. A real moment of discovery for me was when I did the

cricket sounds for when Tommy hears the cricket choir. Tommys theory is that crickets live thousands of times faster than a human being, so when you slow them down to match the pace of a human life; the sound they make becomes a beautiful song. As an experiment I simply sampled some crickets in my backyard, and slowed them down to discover that they really sounded just like a choir singing. I was so excited I rang Paul Currie and said, Its true, the crickets do sound like a beautiful hymn.

Review the scene at the waterfall and write a paragraph on how each of the sounds that are recorded makes an impression on Tommy.

FILM BUSINESS

Film making is far more than just a creative process, its a business - one that involves team work from a wide range of diversely skilled people to not only create a piece of art but a prod-uct that needs to be widely marketed. In order to raise the funding required for a fi lm to be made and eventually screened to an audience, fi lm produc-tion companies often form partner-ships with other individuals, business-es, governing bodies and distributors who will assist with funding in return for a percentage of the fi lms profi t.

What business ideas do you have? How would you raise the funding to realize this idea?

In groups select, discuss and pitch one business idea for which you must hypothetically raise funding. The class may vote on the most convincing presentation.

Finding an audience

The main purpose of a fi lm is to com-municate a message, idea or story in an appealing way. Without an audi-ence, a fi lm is only half fulfi lled. There-fore an important objective of a fi lm maker is to create enough awareness so that once a fi lm is complete, there will be an audience ready to receive, and hopefully enjoy it.

How has One Perfect Day been

promoted? Do you think these methods are effective?

List and discuss the many factors that are considered when design-ing and creating a movie poster. Design your own One Perfect Day movie poster. For image resources visit http://www.oneperfectdaythefilm.com

Write a review on the One Perfect Day web site. Do you think it is an effective marketing tool? Discuss.

References: http://www.oneperfectdaythefi lm.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Reach YouthOne Perfect Day Director Paul Currie found inspiration for the fi lm through his involvement with Reach Youth, a highly successful Victorian-based youth charity organization which he co-founded in 1994 along with ex-Melbourne footballer Jim Stynes. Involving group interaction and using creative expression and sensory based technology to make a positive impact, Reach has assisted over 200,000 young people in a variety of experien-tial activities, including school pro-grams, workshops, weekend discovery camps and major events. For more information visit www.reach.org.au or phone (03) 9412 0900

This study guide was written for ATOM by Libby Tudball, Gary Sim-mons & Maria Carris-Kerr. For more information about ATOM study guides, The Speakers Bureau or Screen-Hub (the daily online fi lm and televi-sion newsletter) visit our web site: www.metromagazine.com.au or email: damned@netspace.net.au

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