For my PB4, I plan to conduct an interview, and centre my visual piece around that interview. Planning for my interview, I got in contact with ReSPIN, a prevention project run by North East Primary Care Partnership.

I wrote an email containing the following:

“Hey there, I’m a Media Student at RMIT University. I’m looking to conduct an interview with somebody who has had trouble with gambling, particularly with slot machines. This interview can be an opportunity to help raise awareness about the alluring ‘hooks’ of gambling and give insight to other people struggling with the addiction themselves. I will be delving into the immersive effects that slot machines and gambling rooms have on the mind, and how easily people can be pulled in.

I’ve been researching Poker Machines for the last few months, in fact I produced an essay recently auditing all the techniques that casinos and gambling rooms use to keep people playing for as long as possible.

You can read it here if you like: http://www.mediafactory.org.au/joshua-houston/2017/09/03/joshua-houston-pb3-gambling-room-audit/

I understand the devastating effects that it can have on people, as my brothers have been victims to compulsive gambling themselves.

The interview will just include myself and someone working the camera. I’m looking for an individual who is comfortable talking about their experiences, and sharing their thoughts and feelings, and I would be perfectly happy to film the interview in a location that is comfortable and close for them. The interview will feature questions about the first time the participant used a slot machine, how the addiction manifested itself, and the effect it had on their life. The final product will be published on my blog linked above, and used predominantly as a portfolio piece to show when applying for interviewee participants in future endeavours. A release form will need to be signed, but ethics approval won’t be necessary as the interview will technically be public.

If you know any individual who would like to participate in a short 10-20-minute interview that you could put me in touch with, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks.

Joshua.H”

I’ve began recording small clippets of Slot Machines at the Gambling Room in Thornbury, and I’d writing out a script to read and record onto my final vide production. The tasks that I need to complete in the next few weeks include obviously conducting the interview, as well as another visit of the Casino (and trying to gather footage), and recording my script for the piece.