Guns, Sex and Teenagers

Task Two- The Documentary Idea

Hoodies Abroad

BBC 3

1×60″

This is Blood, Sweat and T-shirts meets Ross Kemp on gangs and MTV’s Exiled as two teenage gang members are transported to areas of the globe where violence is having a dramatic influence on the childhood of others to explore the root causes of violence in today’s society.

Young people are getting more and more caught up in violent, adult worlds. Some youngsters seek protection in gangs, others are captured and forced to kill. Some girls join gangs to get the same status and power as their male counterparts, others end up as sex slaves for warlords. Some will leave unscathed, others are killed, or jailed. Most are mentally scarred or left with no hope for the future.

The chosen participants will be representative of the types of young people who are involved in violent gangs. They will be at least 16 years of age, male and female, and hardened, outspoken characters. They will be stripped of personal belongings and leave home for the first time to experience two weeks living in different countries with a totally different youth culture.

By un-hooding the teens and taking them away from their own surrounds, we see them vulnerable and sharing their experiences with others and reflecting on their own lives. It will not be an easy ride for the participants as they come face to face with the horror and experiences their peers live with. They will participate in daily chores, undergo some of the training practices their partners undertook handling guns for example, and also join them as they seek out entertainment, play football and forge relations with others.

The exact countries visited will depend on the stability and deemed safety at the time of shooting.  This is an example scenario.

Kelly is a hardened member of a London street gang. Brawling is a daily necessity; she goes out of her way to find trouble. Kelly was a ‘regular’ child until her parents split in her early teens and she went off the rails. She has been arrested 15 times for assault, been sent to anger-management classes and given community service orders. She goes to Uganda to meet Gladys Acan who was abducted from her home when she was 11. She was repeatedly beat as she was made to walk to Sudan. Others died on the way or were killed in battle. She escaped after three years but she is infected with HIV. She was helped by a World Vision rehabilitation centre but still lives in constant fear of be abducted again while she tries to make sense of her life. What we learn about Kelly is why she is so angry, her own messed up attitudes to relationships and her own sense of hopelessness for the future.

Other possibilities could see a teen living with abandoned young men from an Indian slum as they fight for survival, meeting a girl who joined the Sri-Lankan Tamil Tigers to avoid a forced marriage and meeting a proud militant boy who has joined up to strike a blow against those he holds responsible for his situation in the Middle East.

The point of this film isn’t necessarily to get the teenagers to see the error of the way (though we would expect to see a change in their attitudes), but to engage in a discussion about the violence that they are living though as children today and what their expectations, hopes and fears are for the future.

Each character has a different story to tell and a different situation. Whether its war or poverty, a broken home or poor life chances, these youngsters will have a chance to be heard and make others aware of this truly global plight.

Currently I am looking at this as one hour programme but it could also be made as a 6×30″ formatted series following six teenages.

TASK Three- The Financial Plan

Estimated total for 1 hour = £120,000

(Hypothetical) SBS Utopia offer= £60,000

Steps to find the rest of the money:

1. Co-Productions.

I would look to find an international broadcaster to work with. Someone like PBS in America would be ideal as there would be no language barriers to worry about and also because America has similar gang culture issues that may  be interested in exploring.

I would also look into attending a range of festivals to establish what programmes international commissioners and broadcasters are looking for, and to make connections with those people who can hopefully get the film funded.

= Money raised £30,000

2. Foundations/Grants/Charitable Organisations.

A co-production has been found but I still need to raise more money so I’d look into funding from non-broadcast sources. I would research what pitching competitions were open to applications and I would also apply to well known organisations such as CBA DFID as this is proposal which promotes understanding of developing countries and they also have a fund for travel costs which would help a lot. I would already have approached some charitable groups to help find suitable filming locations and for research purposes so I would also ask if they had any funding opportunities available.

I am aware that many organisations only work with established talent, so I would also have to align myself with a producer who has a good track record. Again festivals might be a good place to meet these people and get them on board the project. Other places such as BritDoc would be ruled out because a broadcaster is already on board.

= Money raised £20,000

3. Private Funding/Self Financing.

I still to raise a little bit more, so I’d try to get business investment, beg friends and family and max out my credit cards to get the programme made.

=Money raised £10,000