We Are You Friends Trailer Breakdown

We Are Your Friends looks to encapsulate an entire counter-culture in what I can only assume will be 90-to-120 minutes of pure cinematic ecstasy, featuring High School Musical alumni Zac Efron, Shane from The Walking Dead, the model from the Blurred Lines video clip and the guy who shot porno videos of plastic bags flying around in American Beauty. The first time I saw the trailer I got pretty excited. Like really excited. So I've watched it several times since and taken 20ish screen grabs from it to dissect a trailer for a film that will either make or break the EDM genre as we know it *dramatic bwammm sound from other movie trailers goes here*.

For the record, I actually really like Zac Efron, he's fucking hilarious in Bad Neighbours and I dare you to watch 17 Again with Chandler from Friends and not piss yourself laughing. I was on acid at the time but it's funny okay? And Emily Ratajkowski was perfectly fine in her limited roll in Gone Girl. Anyway, there's so much going on in this three-minute trailer, I just had to pull out the fine-tooth comb and discuss what looks like set to be a classic film that will perfectly encapsluate the ups and downs of a career in electronic dance music. For those that missed it, watch it below and then enjoy a trip through what may just be THE film that defines an entire generation of pinger-loving ravers with hopes of becoming billionaire DJs.

To be honest, the first few little cuts definitely peaked my interest in the possibility of this being some kind of subversive commentary on American youth culture, in the vein of Roger Avary's Rules Of Attraction. It didn't last long however, because the over-bearing thought that I could not shake was just how much money Justice is getting for giving them the title and obvious theme song for this entire film. Then I remembered the original track is actually Justice Vs Simian. Which made me ponder what the royalty split is there, and if both artists had to agree on donating their seminal tune to an EDM documentary.

I didn't realise how different life was for kids today. And while other people are being lame inventing apps, starting blogs (worst!) or sell things on the line, these guys are different.

These guys don't roll through traditional money-making things like app development, they promote parties. And that's something we can all relate to. Because if you're not the guy DJing at club nights, there's a 9/10 chance you're there to promote it. Zac Efron's character, Cole Carter, is clearly done with that life, and has decided he's tired of paying muppets to DJ, especially when it's so fucking easy to become one. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the film's first attempt to alienate an entire segment of their audience - people who actually DJ/produce. Because as you're about to find out, it's really fucking easy to do these things. All you need is:

and

Fuck man I have a laptop! Unfortunately I can't even muster up *some* talent so I'm left languishing here, running a BLOG (worst!), and promoting parties like those other lame-o's. But yeah, way to anger half the audience you're trying to sell to with this movie. In a way any publicity is good publicity I guess, because the amount of producers/DJs who've shared this trailer angrily proclaiming how fucking wrong it is has been off the charts. Marketing goal #1 - Get The Word Out: Achieved.

Funny thing is, the very next scene is actually fucking painfully accurate when it comes to what it's actually like as a young DJ, playing shitty parties with no one dancing and dealing with shitty requests from drunk girls who know fucking heaps more than you about music. Cole Carter (possibly related to Aaron and Nick? We'll have to wait and see) shuts her down though, because he's not in this for the fame, he's in it for the right reasons. Or is he?

Enter super famous model/aspiring actress Emily Ratajkowski. In this scene it's clear that Cole has learned from his prior mistake and decides in this instance to listen to the girl who tells him what to do! Either that or the previous girl wasn't hot enough to pay attention to. Maybe if he had played Beyonce at that prior party it would have gone off. He clearly went home after that failure of a set and thought to himself, 'Next party I play I'm gonna take on board whatever the first attractive girl says to me about changing the vibe, and run with it'. Especially if its the girl from Blurred Lines, because that song was a B A N G E R. How's he planning on mixing it up? Well let him explain it to you in fascinating detail:

The key is to start things off at 125bpm. The lowest known BPM within dance music, and the one that you must start with to have any chance of warming people up (this also explains why he refused to play Beyonce earlier). It would also appear in this film Cole has a superhuman ability to see inside people's chest to see how well his electronic dance music is affecting their heart rate:

YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT HER HEART. NO ONE IS.

From 125 it's a steady build towards the upper level of BPM possibilities - 128. This gradual build traversing far and wide between the wide expanses of EDM BPM's will do two things: 1. Activate the molly everyone around the DJ booth has clearly taken and more importantly, 2. Gain the attention of whatever has-been DJ happens to have left whatever bathroom he's been doing coke in all day long enough to notice your seamless transition across the broad spectrum of EDM. Enter: extreme facial hair guy from The Hunger Games.

He's found something in Cole that reminds him of his halcyon days of playing white parties and trance, when it was all about euphoria and finding your "signature" was the key to a successful career in electronic dance music. The only problem is, Cole reminds Emily Ratatouille of what somewhat-normal-facial-hair-guy was like back in the day too, and some odd feelings are bubbling inside of near where her heart was beating before (unconfirmed if Cole can see this when no EDM is being played).

CONFLICT!

Enter Shane from The Walking Dead, clearly still being a dick like he was on that show, although initially probably offering spoils the likes of which will have Cole questioning if he really was just in it for the money (promoting), or the life of a superstar DJ and making a real name for himself (DJING BRO).

It's at this point you realise We Are Your Friends is basically a remake of the 2004 Australian film One Perfect Day. Seriously. That's about a guy who records field sounds to create "unique"-sounding dance music, all the while battling people who pretend they want to help him, but really just wanna get filthy stinking rich off him!

CONFLICT! THIS TIME WITHIN THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE. His promoter friends, still about that life, can't understand why you wouldn't choose fame and money over what I can only assume is Cole's battle with the integrity of his art.

$10 this dude is burying the nice friend from the trailer who seems a little bit lost and confused throughout the whole proceedings. The one struggling to take his pants off here:

Whoa this trailer got a bit heavy for a second. Don't fret frat bros., We Are Your Friends is still gonna be all about the good times associated with launching your EDM career. Because it truly is time to put that molly water to good use, and instead of sitting there staring at the guy with some talent DJing, you can fucking become him:

This is a tense moment as Cole plays what looks to be the biggest show of his blossoming career at the Ultra Flea Market Festival?

Will Cole have sold out to get to this stage? Will Emily Ratajbangerski be sitting side of stage to cheer him on? Or will she be the one being buried earlier? No that's silly because why would Cole's friend be the one to throw dirt on her coffin? Will Cole be able to press play on the CDJ in time before the crowd of thousands turn on him? Will the drop be big enough to warrant his clearly prime-time slot at this Flea Market Fest '15? Will a plastic bag lightly float around in the wind long enough for Cole's mentor to film it now that he has a career filming after movies at festivals seen as his DJ career has clearly had it and the Hunger Games are not yet a thing for him to be in charge of?

So many questions, so little molly. We Are Your Friends is out August 28.