A Sony Pictures Classics Release

For No Good Reason

A Film by Charlie Paul

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Synopsis

Ralph Steadman is the last of the original Gonzo visionaries.

Made over the course of fifteen years, “For No Good Reason,” explores the connection between life and art through the eyes of seminal British artist, Ralph Steadman. Insightful, humorous, and visually stunning, this is a study in honesty, friendship and the ambition that drives an artist.

Ralph’s rise to prominence began in the early 1970’s during the fallout from the love and hope that had swept the western world during the 1960’s. This legendary time for music, literature, art and philosophy was the catalyst, along with his developing relationship with writer Hunter S Thompson, for Ralph to express and chart the wreckage that followed; a large-scale disintegration of a demoralized counter-culture. His art gained recognition in the press and popular-culture publications, both in the U.K. and U.S., for its bold comment on his fiercely heart-felt politics.

The film is a richly creative, visual feast about the power and importance of art to achieve Steadman’s aim “I learnt to draw…to try to change the world”. Director Charlie Paul spent 15 years meticulously amassing the footage and creating the remarkable animations for the film to match the same anarchic energy, anger and free spirit of Steadman's pictures. Through Johnny Depp’s lead in this intimate portrait, we are able to reach to the heart of what make this artist tick, his friendships and fallings out, his love for art and his passion for civil liberties.

“For No Good Reason” is riot of stories and images as we take a trip through the wild and dark days of Steadman’s time with ‘Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas’ writer Hunter S Thompson, the Rumble in the Jungle; gun fights with literary giant William S Burroughs and his fiercely heart-felt politics.

This is an inventive, energetic, occasionally harrowing, but inspiring and uplifting film with contributions from Terry Gilliam, Richard E. Grant and music from Slash, All American Rejects, Jason Mraz, James Blake, Ed Harcourt and Crystal Castles, all For No Good Reason.

Cast & Crew

Ralph Steadman

Ralph Steadman

Artist

Ralph Steadman began his career as a cartoonist satirising the Britishsocial and political scene of the 60s. In the 1970s, responding to what he called ‘the screaming lifestyle of America’ he teamed up with Hunter S. Thompson which resulted in hisiconic drawings for ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ and collaborations ranging from ‘The Kentucky Derby’ to ‘The Curse of Lono’. Many of his drawings were featured in Rolling Stone magazine and he produced a book of collected impressions of America in 1974.

His work has appeared in many newspapers and magazines, from Punch and Private Eye in the early years to the New Statesman, The New Yorker and the Independent. Early in his career he turned his creative energy to the literary classics, beginning with ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and then ‘‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’, then on to other works including ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’. He then looked into the lives of Sigmund Freud and Leonardo da Vinci, reinterpreting their genius in both words and drawings.

He wrote ‘Doodaaa’ in 2002, partly satire and partly autobiography, and ‘The Joke’s Over’, the account of his relationship with Hunter S. Thompson, in 2006. Much of the 1990s was spent travelling the vineyards and distilleries of the world for Oddbins, the wine merchant. These journeys resulted in three books, ‘The Grapes of Ralph’, ‘Untrodden Grapes’ and ‘Still Life with Bottle’.

He has illustrated children’s books, books of poetry with his friend Adrian Mitchell, made sculptures and limited edition prints. He has designed theatre costumes and sets, produced graphics for television and film and designed stamps.

Charlie Paul

Charlie Paul

Director

Charlie Paul has been successfully directing commercials and music videos in London for twenty years. He began in animation with an acclaimed short film ‘Faroe Islands’ featuring Anthony Hopkins for the voice over. He has developed vast knowledge and experience of working with motion control. During his celebrated career Charlie’s work has been internationally recognised with over thirty advertising awards including: D&AD, Clio, Creative Circle, BTAA and Rank Cinema

For many years, alongside his commercials career, Charlie has worked with a number of artists filming their art as it is created; from blank canvas to finished painting. Some of these films became “Inside Art”, a BAFTA-nominated series for Channel 4.

It is through this constant flow of commercials work that has enabled Charlie to have the resources to realize his long-term interest and make this feature film about his artistic hero Ralph Steadman.

Lucy Paul

Lucy Paul

Producer

Lucy Paul started her career in theatre production. Her training was in stage design where she worked on major West End shows including: Evita, Chess, Run For Your Wife and Les Miserables.

From theatre Lucy moved into post-production. She worked at Tele-Cine for many years to become production co-ordinator. During this time she also set up an in-house edit facility for commercials. Lucy then moved into producing commercials and after a short stint of freelancing, joined Itch Film as managing director. She has for the last ten years built Itch Film into a successful commercials and music promo production company.

It has a state-of-the-art motion control studio and roster of international award winning Directors. Itch Film specializes in shooting motion control, animation, high-end food, beauty and tabletop. For the last fiffteen years, alongside managing Itch Film, Lucy has been producing ‘For No Good Reason’.

Itch Film

Itch Film Production Company

Itch Film Production Company

Itch Film was founded by Lucy & Charlie Paul and is an established commercials and music promo production company with international awards including BAFTA, Rank Cinema, Clio, D&AD, Creative Circle and more. Itch specialize in motion control, animation, high-end food, beauty and tabletop. We run a motion–control studio in Central London, with our production office above, housing our acclaimed animation team

The studio space helps facilitate and encourage our small roster of directors to explore and experiment with new technologies and develop innovative techniques. We have long&held partnerships with a number of artists and designers who work with Itch directors to create fluidity in how we respond to the individual challenges of each commercial project. ‘For No Good Reason’ has been made over 15 years and will be our first feature length film.

Joby Gee

Joby Gee

Editor

BAFTA award winning editor Joby Gee has worked in television for 28 years. His range of work has developed in diversity from BBC’s ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’ to feature length drama documentaries such as the Emmy nominated ‘The Flight That Fought Back’ for Discovery Channel.

His recent work on BBC2’s ‘The Fallen’ won him the BAFTA award for Best Editing as well as the RTS Craft Award. His phenomenal editing success over the last ten years has been recognized in nominations for 11 BAFTA’s, 10 Grierson Awards and 4 Emmys.

He is currently editing two feature documentaries for the BBC Storyville strand. ‘My Atomic Aunt’ is a personal journey after the explosion at Fukishima and ‘Smash and Grab’, which is a partly animated film about the rise of the world’s most successful diamond thieves. The unique film by Director Charlie Paul, ‘For No Good Reason’, is their first collaboration and will also be Joby’s first film for theatrical release.

Sacha Skarbek

Sacha Skarbek

Music Director

Sacha Skarbek is a Grammy nominated and two time Ivor Novello winner. Awarded music scholarships to Northborne Park and King’s School Canterbury, Sacha was taught by the distinguished pianist Ronald Smith and played French horn, clarinet and percussion. He went on to study in Oxford where he gained a degree in music.

The breadth of his talent is reflected by the artists he has written and worked with including: Sir Paul McCartney, Adele, Neneh Cherry, Jason Mraz, Lana Del Rey, Duffy, Jon Bon Jovi, to name a few. Sacha played a key role in the development of James Blunt with whom he wrote the worldwide No.1 hit, You’re Beautiful and a further six co–writes on the multi–platinum selling debut album, ‘Back to Bedlam’. Sacha is currently working on Chuck Palahniuk’s ‘Lullaby Project’ and is based out of London and Los Angeles.

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