Filmmaker Al Profit’s new short, Kanye Must Die is a riveting film based on the story of a disgruntled beat maker who thinks that Kanye West stole his beat. Hyped up by his cousin and the 48 Laws of Powers he feels that he has to do something drastic to get his respect from the superstar rapper who the film portrays as having a God complex. The film is both funny and insane. An interesting tale and journey which takes the viewer inside the life and times of the character as he try to deal with the situation at hand. We have included the short here for Gorilla Convict visitors to see, but we also went deeper and asked Al Profit some questions about the film making process. He beaks it down for us in the following. So read the interview, visit Al Profits site to see his other documentaries and definitely check out the film, which will leave you wanted more for this talented and engaging filmmaker.
What do you think Kanye thinks of the film?
Well, I hope he sees it! I’m sure it will just feed into his narcissism.
As writer, director and editor you where a lot of hats explain what all that entails?
If you want to work in film and you don’t have HEAVY funding-even for small projects like “Kanye Must Die” you BETTER wear a lot of hats. Over the years, I’ve learned how to to take an idea from inception, to shooting it, to editing. Editing is often the biggest bottleneck in the process -no one wants to do that for free- I’ve invested a lot of years in learning how to edit so I’m not so dependent on others.
What is the writing process like for a film like this?
You have an initial idea that is reaching out to you, a situation, a character maybe, and then you find your story arc and try to have some character development and build excitment within the confines of the brief timeline. I have really been thinking about the celebrity culture that is overwhelming America and the deeply impact of “hip-hop” on urban communities- even though it started out as something very progressive and creative. Unfortunately, due to budgetary/time restrictions I had to cut some dialogue that I wanted to use, but….that’s the battle of film making on a limited budget. I still LOVE how the project came out.
When did you start doing short films and what do you like about them?
This is actually my first short, and I loved the process- the change in viewing habits away from traditional tv and movie formats opens up the ability to be really creative as a filmmaker. I’m not limited to say, a standard 22 or 44 minute tv format, or a full length movie, and you can get your creation out to the world via youtube, facebook, etc. I HIGHLY suggest the short film format to any aspiring filmmaker – it’s a low cost way to work through your idea, learn your craft, and build interest in your story/personal brand.
Are you showing it at any festivals? Where can people find your work?
Advice for filmmakers -F*&! film festivals. They’re yesterdays news. Youtube, Facebook, Worldstar, etc are the ultimate film festival where you the filmmaker can connect directly with the audience. Why should some person at a film festival have the power to adjudicate on your art? You can check out my work at alprofit.com or at youtube.com/alprofit or on Facebook Al Profit.
What other stuff do you have in the works like that?
Stayed posted to the @theRealAlprofit on Twitter and you’ll find out!!
Check out the film right here-
https://youtu.be/HGmwvE-qx7E