Your Critical Investigation topic:
To what extent are rap/hip-hop music videos, like Kendrick Lamar's "Alright," able to provide political/social commentary and how does this impact upon different audiences?
Your Linked Production brief:
Short film about conforming and subverting to stereotypes - about the life of a successful business man who had a dark past involved in gang crime and illegitimate activities; film reveals flash backs to his past and the darkness that still haunts him but how from this he has reformed into a 'good' man with a family and career. The film ends with him receiving a call from his daughter and wife screaming down the phone, a former friend then takes the phone and says 'remember me.' The sequence ends with the sound of the phone being cut. The message is that the repercussions of your past will forever haunt you and nothing you can do changes what you've done previously.
Length/size of production:
5 minutes
Pulp Fiction
Give an example of an institution that would produce or distribute your planned production:
- FilmOne Distribution
- Revolver Entertainment
- Miramax Films
- Dimension Films
Social media would be used to create exposure for this film, therefore YouTube in particular would be beneficial. In order to create further exposure, hype would be created on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so that it can reach the correct target market.
Who do you plan to work with on this project?
Who do you plan to work with on this project?
Ammar + Kamaljit
Research:
Dexter
- The darker aspect of Dexter is implicitly suggested through the title sequence, for example through him cutting the blood orange and the juice squirting on him, suggestive of his blood spatter analyst job alongside his psychopathic killing nature. The subtle aspects are shown through the mise-en-scene of this sequence, therefore with our production when there are close ups of scars for example, a flashback of how it was formed would be seen.
- The opening title sequence of Dexter consists of a series of close-ups in a montage format. We will borrow aspects of this to create a short film focusing on the stereotypes of a black man
- Opening sequence is short, it divulges in to different shots of his morning routine which will be mirrored in our production through his morning routine
- The natural setting and lighting creates a very 'normal' routine which will be mirrored through our production too
Brotherhood
- Gangster culture and violence is embodied throughout this film; the conforming to stereotypes which are historical - the idea of the most superior character being the white male goes back to the historical event of slavery and the white superiority
- The story line of the past coming back to haunt you has been inspired from this film
- The idea of trying to reform and change but you never really can
- The idea of losing everything that you have
- There is also a juxtaposition between the older generation and the youth; the idea that generations are rapidly transitioning and advancing to the point where you cannot keep up; this is embodied through the main character (old gen) trying to speak slang and the youth laugh due to the old phrasing. This also spurred the idea of our main character seeing a young black male and seeing part of his old self within him
Krept and Konan - Dunya Music Video
- The idea of subverting and swapping societal roles - the police men become the 'bad guys' and the black men become the 'good guys.'
- This video subverts the stereotypes of the law enforcement and black males, revealing the explicit issue of police brutality and stereotypical issues of 'all black youths are criminals'
- Through this idea of swapping roles we came up with the idea of creating a successful young black male contrasted with his stereotypical 'gangster, crime' past - through this we are conforming to the stereotype and highlighting the repercussions of a dark past.
Week Beginning: 27th February
Saturday 4th March: Film the outside scenes including the shot of the hotel, car and bike scene
Sunday 5th March: Film all the flashbacks which are needed outside, so if the weather is different it is okay
Saturday 11th March:
Sunday 12th March: Continue filming inside the hotel from all the medium and long shots
Saturday 18th March: Go over the current footage and see if anything needs to be added or re-shot
Tuesday 21st March: Start to edit the footage
Thursday 28th March: look through the entire scene we have filmed and to decide whether we have to film some shots again.
INT. LONDON. APARTMENT. MORNING
Well lit bedroom with protagonist waking up in bed. Contemporary room, no mess.
Outdoor light is visible.
Sound of bedsheets moving whilst protagonist gets up. Minimal sound, no music.
He sits up on the bed and checks his phone. Smiles at it. Close up shot of phone which previews the text message. We see both the message and his facial expression afterwards.
He then gets up to go to the bathroom, to shower. The camera follows him. Sound of water flowing in bathroom, steam starts to build up. We see him through the glass steam of the shower.
Protagonist then finishes his shower and walks towards the wardrobe in order to dress up.
We see details of each garment. From inside wardrobe looking out towards him.
As he puts on his cufflinks we see scar on his palm. We then go through a flashback of him getting stabbed in the hand when he was involved in an altercation. We then see his facial expression as he looks at it and shakes it off as a memory.
Expensive watch on the table. Camerawork key, the background needs to be blurred whilst the watch in focus. When he picks it up, the focus shifts.
As he puts on his socks and shoes, we see another scar on his ankle. The flashback appears again of him being chases and falls on barbered wire. We see his expression as he touches it lightly.
He gets up and snatches the keys to an expensive car and a designer wallet off the table. He grabs his brief case near the door, looks back at the room then exits towards the elevators.
He calls for the elevator and waits patiently. The elevator arrives and he steps in looking pleased with himself. He looks at the numbers going down in the elevator and smiles and laughs to himself, thinking of a past memory.
He arrives at the ground floor, exits the elevator and walks out.
EXT. LONDON. APARTMENT.
He arrives at his car, gets in, drives off and arrives at his workplace.
INT. WORKPLACE BUILDING.
He enters the building and goes to his office where his phone immediately vibrates. He checks his phone, it is a repeat of the message that he got this morning from his wife.
He swipes away. His phone vibrates again – the same message appears. He sighs and goes into his alarms where we see several fake messages that have timers on them.
He takes off repeat and sits back in his chair smug.
His phone vibrates again. He rages. He looks at his phone in shock, grabs his briefcase and runs out of the office.
EXT. OUTSIDE WORKPLACE BUILDING.
He gets out of the building looks left and right then enters an alley way.
He dials the number but before he can press ring the sound of someone shouting ‘OI’ in a harsh, deep tone of voice is heard.
There is a close up of the protagonists face in shock.
He turns round and sees a roadman, dressed in all black and with his hood up holding a screwdriver in his palm.
The protagonist is expressionless for a second and the roadman continues to have a look of anger across his face.
The protagonist smiles subtly and laughs; the roadman bursts out laughing and comes towards him. They both hug each other like brothers.
Roadman: “Have you got it then?”
The protagonist doesn’t say anything and kneels on the floor in the alley way. He unlatches the briefcase slowly. He opens the briefcase but we do not see what’s inside.
Jamie
Pass the screwdriver?
The roadman passes him the screwdriver and we see the two fiddling around with the briefcase from the point of view of inside the briefcase. We hear an unlocking sound and the two look at each other in extreme exultation, smiling and laughing like they’ve finally cracked the code.
FIN
Well lit bedroom with protagonist waking up in bed. Contemporary room, no mess.
Outdoor light is visible.
Sound of bedsheets moving whilst protagonist gets up. Minimal sound, no music.
He sits up on the bed and checks his phone. Smiles at it. Close up shot of phone which previews the text message. We see both the message and his facial expression afterwards.
He then gets up to go to the bathroom, to shower. The camera follows him. Sound of water flowing in bathroom, steam starts to build up. We see him through the glass steam of the shower.
Protagonist then finishes his shower and walks towards the wardrobe in order to dress up.
We see details of each garment. From inside wardrobe looking out towards him.
As he puts on his cufflinks we see scar on his palm. We then go through a flashback of him getting stabbed in the hand when he was involved in an altercation. We then see his facial expression as he looks at it and shakes it off as a memory.
Expensive watch on the table. Camerawork key, the background needs to be blurred whilst the watch in focus. When he picks it up, the focus shifts.
As he puts on his socks and shoes, we see another scar on his ankle. The flashback appears again of him being chases and falls on barbered wire. We see his expression as he touches it lightly.
He gets up and snatches the keys to an expensive car and a designer wallet off the table. He grabs his brief case near the door, looks back at the room then exits towards the elevators.
He calls for the elevator and waits patiently. The elevator arrives and he steps in looking pleased with himself. He looks at the numbers going down in the elevator and smiles and laughs to himself, thinking of a past memory.
He arrives at the ground floor, exits the elevator and walks out.
EXT. LONDON. APARTMENT.
He arrives at his car, gets in, drives off and arrives at his workplace.
INT. WORKPLACE BUILDING.
He enters the building and goes to his office where his phone immediately vibrates. He checks his phone, it is a repeat of the message that he got this morning from his wife.
He swipes away. His phone vibrates again – the same message appears. He sighs and goes into his alarms where we see several fake messages that have timers on them.
He takes off repeat and sits back in his chair smug.
His phone vibrates again. He rages. He looks at his phone in shock, grabs his briefcase and runs out of the office.
EXT. OUTSIDE WORKPLACE BUILDING.
He gets out of the building looks left and right then enters an alley way.
He dials the number but before he can press ring the sound of someone shouting ‘OI’ in a harsh, deep tone of voice is heard.
There is a close up of the protagonists face in shock.
He turns round and sees a roadman, dressed in all black and with his hood up holding a screwdriver in his palm.
The protagonist is expressionless for a second and the roadman continues to have a look of anger across his face.
The protagonist smiles subtly and laughs; the roadman bursts out laughing and comes towards him. They both hug each other like brothers.
Roadman: “Have you got it then?”
The protagonist doesn’t say anything and kneels on the floor in the alley way. He unlatches the briefcase slowly. He opens the briefcase but we do not see what’s inside.
Jamie
Pass the screwdriver?
The roadman passes him the screwdriver and we see the two fiddling around with the briefcase from the point of view of inside the briefcase. We hear an unlocking sound and the two look at each other in extreme exultation, smiling and laughing like they’ve finally cracked the code.
FIN
Sketching and drafting:
Shot List:
Mise-en-scene:
Costume: Pyjamas, black suit
Make Up: minimal
Props: watch, iphone, laptop, car
Roadman: Liban Christoph Farah
Costume: tracksuit, hoodie, branded trainers
Make Up: minimal
Props: bike, pouch, headphones
Extras: Pedestrians in the back
Location: Ritz Carlton hotel (external),hotel room (interior), bathroom (interior), driveway (external),
Lighting: Natural light
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