Studio AKA: The Meth Project
Studio AKA have been hard at work on a new project, collaborating with Organic Inc. and The Meth Project Foundation on a collection of short films about young people and the use of methamphetamines. The videos feature hard-hitting accounts from six people, some of whom had taken meth from as young an age as 11.
Much like the FRANK’s anti-drug use campaigns, the films make use of shock and awe tactics to put their message across. However, where the FRANK films (like ‘Pablo, the Drug-Mule Dog’) use gross humour to get their point across, the Meth Project puts an emphasis on showing personal accounts of drug use, which I think makes the message that more real. Whilst it is quite a scary portrayal of these young people’s experiences, knowing what others have gone through might just do enough to change minds.
Studio AKA’s Grant Orchard, Kristian Andrews and Steve Small directed the films, with design input from Dave Prosser on the ‘Ashley’ video. The style of animation used is very dark and surreal – there’s a sketchiness and fluidity to the drawings that adds to the feeling of what the effects of meth must be like to an addict.
Whilst possibly done by actors, the voiceovers are gripping and realistic, which helps to create a sense of the users’ state of mind. The Meth Project is most certainly a worthy cause and with such well produced content, I hope this message-driven media will have a profound effect on its target audience.
Title: Oriah
Director: Kristian Andrews
Title: Ashley
Director: Steve Small
Designer: Dave Prosser
Title: Bernadette
Director: Kristian Andrews
Title: Hailey
Director: Grant Orchard
Title: Kara
Director: Kristian Andrews
Title: Rochelle
Director Grant Orchard
