After his argument with Mapplethorpe, Chester avoids Crazy Fun Park. While Mapplethorpe adjusts to life without his best friend, he focuses on helping Zed remember what brought him to the park. Chester, meanwhile, spirals out of control beyond the walls of the park.

Throughout this episode, we witness Zed remember the circumstances that led to his death on the rollercoaster in 1999 after his new friends discovered he is trans. Reflect on the language — words and phrases — used in the scenes Zed appears in. How does it shape the audience’s understanding of Zed and his personal experience? What do we discover about Zed’s experience as a trans person?

Chester is angry and frustrated after missing his interview at Melbourne Creative Arts High because of Mapplethorpe. To make matters worse, he’s suspected of starting the fire at Henley Estate. Desperate to connect with him, Chester’s dad recalls his own teenage years. He says he and his friends did some, ‘pretty messed up stuff’ without going into detail.

Watch the scene between Chester and his dad then extend it. Continue the conversation so that Chester’s dad reveals what he did as a teenager. How does Chester respond to this information? Create a dialogue between the two that is in line with each character’s personality.

Watch the following clip then describe Chester’s emotional state and explain why he’s feeling this way. Watch the clip a second time. Describe how the director uses editing and camera (shot types, angles, and movement) to communicate Chester’s state of mind to the audience. Discuss your findings as a class.

Crazy Fun Park is described as a horror comedy, with a good dose of drama thrown in. In other words, it is a cross-genre series because it straddles filmic styles.

1. Research the conventions for horror, comedy, and drama productions. Think acting, dialogue, sound, setting, characterisation and composition. Record your answers.
2. Reflect on this episode, then identify and record specific examples of these genre conventions in use.

Definition:

Genre conventions: established elements and expectations in a specific film genre. They include narrative structures, character types, visual styles, and themes that are characteristic of the genre. For instance, horror films often have low light and foreboding music to create suspense and fear.