FHM Screening Process

As part of my application to earning a work placement over the summer I was asked to carry out a couple of exercises. These involved: choosing 5 people I would like to feature in an issue, how I would like them shot and what questions i would ask them, together with creating my own version of FHM's Final Countdown section - previous titles of which have been '10 things you only do to impress women' and '9 things that no man looks good doing'. 

The 5 people I chose to interview were: Tom Hardy, Skream and Benga, Irina Shayk, Kevin Bridges and Mila Kunis. The title I chose for my own Final Countdown was ’9 Ways You Know You’ve Had a Good Night Out (Without Actually Remembering Anything)’

Tom Hardy

Shot as:

Playing on the contrast between his old bad-boy life style and now that of a film star, create a contrast within the picture. Have him shot in the same pose with one hand reaching out but in 2 different scenarios. In the one instance he is dressed in a tux surrounded by flashing lights in a ‘red carpet’ setting and his hand is out stretched to shake hands / sign autographs. In the second picture he is in the same pose but this time dressed ruggedly with a derelict urban background and his hand is this time reaching out to break into a car. Final shot Hardy in a tux with a gorgeous girl on each arm, in his immediate vicinity it’s a vividly colored red carpet setting with flashing lights that gradually fades out into a dreary super imposed urban background. 

Questions:

As the Batman villain there are going to be comparisons between Bane and the late Heath Ledger’s Joker. Has this brought an added dimension of pressure?

Bane has been very successfully shrouded in secrecy, by now are you not itching to just get it out there and see people’s reactions?

Hollywood is a very Ameri-centric community. Is that difficult as a Brit? Is there pride in carrying the British standard - along with all the other British talent – in such a tough environment?

Talk us through your appearance on Johnathan Ross and his release of that fantastic footage of you? How pissed off were you really? Had it not been for the protection of national television would Johnathan have a black eye?

Your new film ‘This Means War’ is a more light-hearted approach than we are accustomed to seeing from you. What was more fun: beating up Chris Pine? Or snogging Reese Witherspoon?

Skream and Benga

Shot as:

Theme coincides with their upcoming tour of America and the rise of the music genre Dubstep in America. Idea is to link it to ‘Cool-Britannia’ / Beatlemania – esque. Black and White photos, having the pair dressed in suits coming out of the plane door with turntables or some DJ equipment under their arms. Then a shot of a crowd of waiting girls dressed in 60s style with placards and a girl fainting in the foreground. Also have them suited crossing the road as in the Beatles Abbey Road picture.

Questions:

Some artists dream of having a single song break America – how does it feel to have pioneered an entire genre that has taken the States by storm?

Skream how has it been becoming a father? Benga – how has it affected Skream - has he been tamed?

Summer is coming up, which means its festival season. What have you got planned? Anymore streaking for you Benga? I remember that from Benicassim 2010!

How annoyed do you guys get with all the forum and youtube comments about ‘What is Dubstep’ etc? Has it split the artist community like its split the fans?

Finally, as a couple of London boys how are you looking forward to the Olympics? Has Boris approached you to do a set in the Opening Ceremony? 

Irina Shayk

Shot as:

Link to relationship with Ronaldo. Firstly picture her in the changing room getting dressed into sexy sports wear with other girls in the background. Next is Irina out on the pitch. Pictured about to take a free kick mirroring the exact stance Ronaldo takes before a free kick. Then finally back in the changing room with a communal shower setting with Irina in the foreground and other girls behind. Steam from shower in the places of their underwear.

Questions:

A Sports Illustrated cover girl and the most expensive footballer of all time, it sounds too good to be true. How did that happen? Who chased whom?

Who spends more time in the mirror, you or Cristiano?

Is it true your pet dog Caesare is related to the lead in Marley and Me? (Not Jennifer Aniston!)

What was a more proud moment in your life - reaching the cover of Sports Illustrated or being crowned Miss Chelyabinsk 2004?

You’re not the usual WAG we have come to expect Irina, you do a lot of charity work too, tell us about that?

Kevin Bridges

Shot as:

Kevin’s comedy revolves around being a normal guy making funny observations. So shoot him as a normal guy with fame as an after thought. In a series of photos first start with him at a grimey crap house party with a dull background lots of people drinking WKD and him in casual clothes. Next him sat on the bus in a bedraggled suit, burger in one hand whilst checking his watch on the other as if in a rush. Lastly a split page. On one half the camera shoots him from the front he is dressed and presented immaculately on stage in bright lights. Then on the other half page the reverse - shot from behind -looking out into a sea of people all crying with laughter.

Questions:

Your comedy is often stories from you growing up, based on anecdotes, for a change up of stlye can you please tell FHM your best knock-knock joke?

How do you find the difference between English and Scottish crowds? Is it difficult to translate things that are specific to Glasgow in to a wider audience?

How are you enjoying the world of celebrity? James Corden used it to successfully befriend Becks, have you got any similar plans?

Has the added spotlight helped you out with the ladies at all or has that never been a problem?

Glasgow has a reputation for being rough, is it warranted? What’s the most stereotypically Glaswegian thing you have ever seen?

Mila Kunis

Shot as:

Kunis plays Meg Griffin in Family Guy who is notoriously unattractive. This shoot sees Meg Griffin in real life but as the sexy Kunis. Kunis pictured in short denim shorts, pink crop top, pink wooly hat and glasses walking down a street sign posted ‘Spooner Street’ walkin a white dog (brian griffin). Then Kunis still dressed as a sexy Meg in her bedroom poring over her diary. Lastly Kunis in lingerie stood in a bedroom posing in front of a full-length mirror with the reflection as the cartoon character of Meg.

Questions:

Every guy I know remembers ‘that scene’ between you and Natalie Portman in the film Black Swan, how was it? Did you find it difficult to keep a straight face or was it as intense as it was portrayed?

You play Meg Griffin, the infamously unsightly character from Family Guy, is it nice to not have to be so sexy all the time, if even in cartoon form?

Recently Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane came out and said that he feels the show has run its course, do you agree? What do you think the future holds for the show?

You seem just as comfortable being in a serious film setting as in a comedy, which do you prefer?

Mila you are from the Ukraine?! What can you remember of it and what was it that caused the jump to the lights of LA?

FHM Final Countdown

’9 Ways You Know You’ve Had a Good Night Out (Without Actually Remembering Anything)’

1) Lost keys – explains away the sore back and hemorrhoids the next morning, having been found curled up on the cold stone floor outside your front door at 4am.

2) Facebook pictures of you and a girl you don’t recognize – she has the same long blonde hair and red dress of the girl you thought you spent your night with…but the face is completely different?!

3) Hangover Poo – whether its your voddy-jobby or your beeriod, an agonizing and hard fought hangover poo is a sure fire way of determining that the previous night was top class.

4) Having your texts and calls ignored – no idea what happened last night? All your friends ignoring you today? Probably safe to say you made a tit out of yourself – and had a great time doing it.

5) Barred from the club – turning up to the same club the same time the following week – the bouncer steps across in front of you ‘Not tonight bud’….’why?’….'you know why mate, now f**k off’ – this followed by the dejected walk home, absolutely none the wiser.

6) Empty Wallet – this is not just to say you have no notes left, this is to say that your wallet is nothing but a shell of its former self. Every last copper, even that 2 Euros you had left over from holiday, gone. Your blockbuster card, gone. Your drivers license, gone. Oh no, hold on whats this…..a receipt from ‘Jason Donner-Vans’ kebab shop for £25. Shit.

7) One Eyebrow – excessive drinking is prone to making us sleepy and sadly it is then that you are at your most vulnerable. Oblivious to the sound of a hair trimmer coming towards you, the only other worry is what the trimmer had been used for previously?

8) Napkin with a number on it – So maybe I did pull a bird last night?! The number has the correct number of digits so hopefully its not fake?...and then you read the name...who the hell is Kevin?

9) Some new furniture – whether it’s a traffic cone, an advert for buy one get one free Cathedral City, or it means those pulling out at the local road works no longer know they need to ‘Give Way’ – who cares - it now makes an attractive center piece in your living room.