CostumesBy Luke Newcombe

Brad SmithParka Coat Within my opening sequence Brad will be

shown wearing a parka coat. This is because the parka is an iconic piece of clothing affiliated with the mod subcultures and this is the type of style his character has adopted. To add to that, the parka coat also has numerous pockets in which Brad will store his various drugs.

This item of clothing can be related to by the audience as it is an iconic clothing item which is well known as being part of an array of different subcultures throughout the years. Furthermore, the coat is long and within films the most powerful character, such as gangsters, are often shown to be wearing long pieces of clothing. In doing this it portrays to the audience the amount of power the character of Brad has.

Brad will be seen wearing the parka in various ways. During the opening scenes he will wear it with the hood down and opened up, but during scenes which cut off from the main footage Brad will be shown to where the parka in a number of different ways which will range from having the hood up and the coat zipped up, to having the hood up but the coat unzipped.

Brad SmithFred Perry Polo During footage which spins of from the main

action Brad will be seen wearing his parka unzipped, this will reveal him to be wearing a Fred Perry polo shirt. Similarly to the parka, the Fred Perry shirt is iconic with youth subculture from the 80s and 90s,. As the character of Brad has adopted this style the Fred Perry shirt further reinforces the look he’s going for. Brad will wear this item of clothing in a traditional way of having both buttons done.

The Fred Perry shirt is also very relatable to the audience as it is an iconic piece of clothing which has been affiliated with mod subcultures through many generations. As this is a recognisable piece of clothing within subcultures the target audience of my opening sequence can relate to the fact that Brad is trying to replicate this look. Furthermore, this type of subculture also has connection with the use of drugs, as highlighted by the Manchester music scene in the 90s which had a strong link between the music and the use of drugs within this era. As Brad wears items of clothing related to this culture the audience gain an insight into the type of character he could possibly be, which is a character who uses drugs.

Brad SmithBlue Denim Jeans Blue denim jeans are also another item of

clothing which is associated with youth subculture, for example with the mod culture. Brad is a character who is trying to recreate this look in the present day and by wearing jeans which have connotations of subcultures from the past the look Brad is aiming for is confirmed to the audience (a retro look). The way which Brad will wear this item of clothing will be with the bottom of the jeans turned up. Again, this is a style which has stemmed from the look seen within past generations as turned up jeans along with Dr Martens is a style which Brad has imitated from people involved in the various subcultures within England. As Brad wears this item of clothing in a particular way it also confirms the retro look Brad is aiming for.

Like the previous items of clothing blue denim jeans are associated with subcultures which involved the use of drugs. As Brad follows this style the audience gain an insight into the type of character Brad is trying to make himself into and in doing this it also presents ideas to the audience that Brad’s lifestyle may coincide with the use of drugs, as his character is based on subcultures which are affiliated with drugs.

Brad SmithDr Martens Brad choice of footwear will be Dr Marten

boots. The reasons for this are that again, these shoes are iconic to subcultures seen throughout Britain ranging from the 60s up to the 90s. As this shoe is a well known retro item of clothing, and the character of Brad is trying to recreate retro looks, the shoes are ideal in order for him to portray this. To add to that, the boot alone is a shoe which indicates strength and power. Brad is viewed as the leader of the group and as this footwear presents ideas of power the shoes match Brad’s personality and further reinforce his dominance within the group.

Dr Martens are a shoe which are associated with various different subcultures in Britain. Brad is a character who is trying to recreate this look and by him having footwear which represents youth subculture it indicates to the audience that Brad’s character will be associated with one or more of these cultures. When added to his other items of clothing it confirms to the audience that Brad is a character trying to recreate the style of the ‘Manchester Scene’, a subculture which is renowned for the use of drugs which corresponds to the indie/ Brit Pop music created

Joe Gledhill ‘Gledsy’Grey Hoodie During the opening sequence the character of

Joe Gledhill will be shown wearing a grey hoodie. The reason for this is because Joe’s character is aiming for a modern day street look and not trying to recreate a style from the past like Brad. To add to that, the hoodie itself creates a shady look for the character which fits perfectly with his lifestyle which is based around illegal activity. The way in which Joe will where this item is by having the hood up as it creates an even shadier look in comparison to having the hood down, further reinforcing how the character of Joe could someone who doesn’t follow a normal lifestyle.

The audience can relate to this item of clothing as the hoodie itself has connotations of being linked to crime as people often choose this item of clothing to hide their identities. The character of Joe is a criminal and by giving him this item of clothing it confirms this to the audience.

Joe Gledhill ‘Gledsy’Black Skinny Jeans Joe’s character will be shown wearing black

skinny jeans. Similarly to the grey hoodie, black skinny jeans could also be related to the street look which Joe’s character is aiming for and when added to his grey hoodie it confirms that this is the style Gledsy has adopted. To add to that, the colour black also creates a shady look as it is a dark colour, although this contrasts with a light coloured grey hoodie when added together the overall outcome comes across as presenting ideas of someone who wants to aim for a street look which could possibly be connected to criminals.

Joe Gledhill ‘Gledsy’Adidas Original Trainers The choice of footwear for Joe Gledhill will be

Adidas branded trainers. The reason for this is although Joe’s character isn’t aiming to recreate iconic looks associated with drug cultures from the 90s or earlier, the Adidas three stripes are still iconic to this day and can be identified to be part of many different cultures ranging from football casuals to modern day music cultures (especially within the Indie Rock scene). As Joe is a character that is part of the music scene and also drug culture the Adidas trainers perfectly match his overall character. To add to that, even though the majority of Joe’s look is based around a modern day street style the use of the timeless Adidas trainers fit within both present day society and also, as previously stated, show the audience what various cultures this character is related to.

As the Adidas trainer is a iconic style which has been adopted by various subcultures over the years the audience can relate to the fact that the trainer could possibly be associated with the drug and music scene from the 90s. Furthermore, the Adidas trainer is internationally known to be related to other subcultures such as the football casual style. As the character of Joe wears these trainers it conveys to the audience that not only does Joe wear this item in correspondence to the music/ drug scene from the 90s, but to also highlight his strength as football casuals are known for violence

John WoodFred Perry Cagoule Similarly to the other characters, at least one

piece of clothing worn will reflect a subculture either from previous years or present day. John Wood will be shown throughout the opening sequence wearing a Fred Perry Cagoule. There are numerous reasons for this, the prime reasoning being both the cagoule and the Fred Perry brand are associated with British subcultures and furthermore both are associated with the Manchester music scene (a subculture all three of the characters reflect in some way). Within this subculture there was a large focus on the use of drugs and by having characters wearing items of clothing which reflect this style it also means the clothing reflects there lifestyle and their drug habit.

This item of clothing can be related to by the audience as it is an iconic item of clothing associated with both the music and drug scene as it is a prominent feature at music festivals. As this item of clothing reflects a music subculture which is closely related to drug cultures it results in the audience having an instant connection with a running theme seen throughout the characters as all three try to imitate this style and furthermore all three characters have an issue with drugs.

John WoodBaggy Blue Denim Jeans John Wood will be shown to wear slightly

baggy blue denim jeans. The reason for this is because when added to the cagoule it is clear to see that John is recreating a look from the 90s Manchester music scene (as baggy jeans and cagoules were commonly worn together). To add to that, baggy jeans which are worn low down (not pulled up to the waist) also give indication that these pants could be used to store pills down them, this is another reason why John Wood will wear this type of jeans as in the opening sequence which shows the three protagonists robbing a house, John will be seem throwing bags of ecstasy down his pants.

The audience can partially relate to the jeans as the style John wears it in (not having the pants fully up to his waist) could indicate to certain viewers that there is a specific reason for this. In this case the reason is John uses his jeans to store drugs.

John WoodFila Bucket Hat John will be the only character within my

opening sequence who will wear a hat. There are various reasons for this and the most prominent reason is that as John’s overall look is focused around a style adopted within the Manchester music scene the bucket hat is an iconic feature of this look and as John is shown to wear this item of clothing it reinforces the style his character is aiming at. To add to that, John will also use his bucket hat to hide away drugs within my opening sequence. During the chase scene while John is running from the antagonist, Wajj, his hat will fall off to reveal a handful of pills in bags which will then proceed to fall onto the ground.

The bucket hat is an iconic style which was and still is adopted by subcultures, most commonly featured within the Indie music. As John wears this item of clothing my intended target audience will automatically have that connection and both the style John is aiming for and also the connotations linked around that style of clothing, one connotation being the drug culture which features heavily along side the music culture.

John WoodAdidas Original Trainers As John Wood’s choice of clothing is based

around the style worn by people involved in the music scene in Manchester from the 90s, the Adidas trainer is another iconic piece from this style and confirms to the audience that John’s choice of clothing is based around the clothing from this subculture. The Adidas trainer is also associated with the football casual culture within Britain. Similarly to the reason Joe chooses this footwear is because it indicates strength as football hooligans are known for violence. Although Alfie isn’t physically strong his build indicates that he could be and by wearing trainers which are associated with violent subcultures in indicates to the viewer that John still wants to appear physically stronger than others, even if in reality he isn’t.

The audience can relate to this item of clothing as it is an iconic trainer which is related to both the Manchester music scene from the 90s and the football hooligan subculture. Both of these subcultures coincide with the culture of using drugs and as John wears clothing which highlights both of these cultures it shows the audience what type of character John is.

WajjBlack Puffer Coat Wajj will be shown to be wearing a black

puffer coat jacket in my opening sequence. The reason for this is because it can be associated with a very modern street look which is directly opposite to the style of the protagonists. Wajj is a character who has a modern approach to his style and unlike the protagonists he choices a style which is more relevant to the present day. The style in which Wajj will wear this coat will be fully zipped up with the hood up as this creates a shady atmosphere and reflects the characteristics of the character as he’s a drug dealer.

The audience can relate to this item of clothing as it is associated with a very modern street look which is often stereotyped to be worn by drug dealers. As the character of Wajj is a drug dealer I have over stereotyped his character in order to portray clearly to the audience what sort of antagonist he is and what sort of life he follows, as by exaggerating his items of clothing the audience can easily relate to the type of character that is trying to be created.

WajjBaggy Joggers The antagonist Wajj will be shown wearing

baggy joggers. The main reason for this is because baggy joggers are a stereotypical item of clothing which is associated with criminals or people in gangs. Also, as the joggers are baggy instead of slim fit it could also indicate how he uses his pants to store drugs, as this is a common spot for drug dealers to hide there possessions. Furthermore, baggy joggers are also a more modern style rather than a look associated with subcultures. As Wajj doesn’t try to recreate a style from a specific subculture and aims for a modern look the use of baggy joggers confirms how his character is based around styles from the present day and not the past.

The audience can relate to this choice of clothing as joggers are often stereotyped to be associated with drug dealers and people who are linked with crime. By giving Wajj this item of clothing and playing on the stereotypes of people it clearly shows the audience how Wajj is a drug dealer, whereas placing him in formal wear for example wouldn’t correctly portray this.

WajjBlack Man Bag Wajj’s choice of accessory will be a black man

bag. This is an item of clothing most commonly related to drug dealers and a modern street style. Both these factors match the character of Wajj as he is aims for a modern day looking and to add to that he is a drug dealer himself. The reason man bags are associated with drug dealers is because it is an item of clothing which is often stereotyped to be part of this culture, as drug dealers use it to store drugs and to add to that, it is also small and therefore doesn’t become a burden when running, for example from the police or in this case, when Wajj is giving chase to the three protagonists.

The audience can relate to this item of clothing as a man bag is often stereotyped to be part of a modern, street criminal look which can often be related to the preferred clothing choice for drug dealers. By using this stereotype I have decided to give Wajj this item of clothing as it fulfils the type of character he is, which is a drug dealer, and further reinforces to the audience that Wajj is the antagonists within the opening sequence.

WajjBlack Baseball Cap Continuing with the street look Wajj is aiming

for, a baseball cap plays a key role in portraying this style. This item of clothing enables Wajj to hide his identity from cameras for example, and in doing this it creates a menacing/ shady look for his character. Furthermore, the baseball cap is also another item of clothing associated with a modern street style which is the clothing look his character is trying to portray. To add to that, drug dealers are often known to wear items of clothing's such as caps and by giving Wajj a baseball cap it indicates to the audience what type of character he is.

The majority of Wajj’s clothing is based around common stereotypes of drug dealers. Again, I have used this exaggeration of clothing items for drug dealers and gave Wajj a hat in order to clearly show the audience what type of character Wajj is. By giving him items of clothing's which play on stereotypes the audience start to gain a clear idea of what type of character he is by his clothing items alone.

WajjNike Trainers Keeping with the stereotypical drug dealer

theme I have decided the choice of footwear for Wajj will be Nike trainers. Again, these trainers present a modern look to his character and further add to his overall street, drug dealer look.

The audience can relate to this item of clothing as similarly to the other items of clothing Wajj wears, they present a stereotypical 21st century drug dealer. By over exaggerating his character and giving him clothing to match this the audience can clearly see what type of character I am trying to create is.