Film, Animaton & Visual Effects

Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown

'Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown' 001
‘Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown’ 001

As part of the Daily Mirror’s ‘Stop Knives, Save Lives’ Anti-Knife Crime initiative, they teamed up with TV’s The Life Channel to launch a major competition for film-makers in 2009. 

Still 002 - Taken from 'Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown'

Still 002 - Taken from 'Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown'

 

A group collaborated together in creating the entry ‘Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown’. Both Christian Moles and Wilton Herbert developed the initial idea, directed by Christian Moles, featuring Wesley Dowe in his debut role as the lead supported by Wilton Herbert and Lewis ‘LP’ Planter. 

A great deal of time was spent working on the concept, many ideas were considered with the running theme that we wanted to depict possible real life scenarios as opposed to mainstream presumptions. Ultimately we decided to represent this using a split-screen style, showing the same actor living in a parallel existance, which results in his two selves crossing paths with devastating results for both of them. The use of the replicated character, whereby one is sentenced and the other is killed, is supposed to echo the fact that people are the same and that the consequences of knife crime are serious and can affect anyone and everyone. 
Still 003 - Taken from 'Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown'

Still 003 - Taken from 'Carry A Knife, Carry YOUR Countdown'

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the footage had been shot and edited together, the 90 second piece was taken to Lewis ‘LP’ Planter. After playing the clip again and again he developed a feel for what we were trying to evoke. Within a very short space of time Lewis was able to produce a piece of music which both supported the visuals perfectly and even helped to raise the overall affect of the short.

 

The piece was judged by a panel including Ray Winstone and Ashley Walters amongst other high profile experts and got to the top 4 of it’s category.

 

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