BACK TO SCHOOL PARTY

SEPTEMBER 7 1997

10 PM TO DAYLIGHT ZAPPAS SARNIA EATON CENTER

TICKETS $25 AVAILABLE AT COLOURBLIND

TRANCE ROOM | JUNGLE ROOM | HOUSE ROOM | DRUM&BASS

1997

GOODBOY

SEP/7/97

PROJECT TITLE: GOODBOY

Diversity. Arts. Environment.

Run time: 15-17 min. approx.

Goodboy is the untold story of the femme twink. Its his first day of high school, his first rave and his first gaybashing experience. The stakes are high for both Zoo and his mother Susan who are both embarking harrowing journeys, as she is also starting a new job at a chemical plant, he's entering a school environment where he has to conceal who he blatantly is. It results in tragedy when Zoo misteps while rolling on ecstacy given to him by his newly made friends and he makes a pass at Jeff, a clearly straight and uninterested boy from his new school. In a successful effort to display his heterosexuality, Jeff beats Zoo within an inch of his life, being saved only by his newly made friends, which is already is more than he started out with.

Imagine if Gus Van Sant had directed an episode of Euphoria, Its elephant meets party monster, meets 13. A lot of handheld shots, and a lot of fantasy/magical realism.

So why now? why is this story important to tell? Y2K and the time around it is grossly romanticized. It was a time of optimism, and overlooked a lot of oppression. Homophobia, transphobia, and racism was something the majority acted like - they were a problem of the past. When in fact, those problems were very real, but the victims were accustomed to being creative in how to hide how bigotry effected them. And now as these issues rear their head in a different light, its important to put a mirror up to them as they've always been to gain a perspective on how to tackle them.

OVERVIEW

These are the events in 24 hours September 7, 1997; for Zooey, his mother Susan, a boy named Jeff, and a few of the students at St. Patrick High School in Sarnia. Its a day of a lot of firsts. Its Zooeys first day of High School, by nightfall it will also be his first rave. Its Susan's first day at a very important job at Suncore, one she's been praying for, So she has an impression to make. Its Zooeys first time doing ecstasy, his first trip on drugs, his first kiss with a boy, and the first time he gets gaybashed.

Nostalgia is a key player here. Frosted tips, No Fear Tshirts, Airwalks, shell necklaces, bucket hats, candy jewelry, low rise and belly button rings abound.

Zooey and his mother have a special connection, and its made very clear in three moments. Two of which take place in her shitty car, once on their way in to Sarnia from the outskirts in which they live, and again when she agrees to take him to a rave. Her rational is that he'll go anyway. They make a deal, that no matter the hour, he'll call to be picked up. This proves to be to her detriment, because that call comes when she's trying to make it to her new job.

We get the impression Zooey hasn't had the best success with fitting in, and that's very much on account of how incredibly femme he is. Yes our hero is "flamer" but is in fact a quiet 15 boy, which is an unseen and unheard character type normally because they're too afraid to speak. Zooey is more like a tiny little candle.So when he is invited to rave, on his first day of school by the group of girlfriends he meets, his wishes are met with approval by Susan, in fact it seems like another answered prayer for her.

For Zoo, the excitement of entering another world is exhilarating, one where he recognizes that he might just actually fit in just the way he is. This kid has never even had a beer and when he does his first pill of ecstasy it sends him rolling, and we enter a state of magical realism. We the audience even start to feel high from the warm and fuzzy camera movement. Its when Zooey recognizes a Jeff from school that the problems start. His elevated sense of reality clouds his judgement, at this moment he feels secure enough to make a pass at Jeff, something he NEVER would have normally done, and in the moment is proud of himself. Warned against it by his friends he tries and is met with a somewhat violent rejection.

He needs to go home. And we see him struggling in the car, Sue in her pjs driving home.

The next day at school he's afraid again. In fact a new fear has been unlocked. Did anyone see him last night? Does Jeff remember? Is he in danger? and in fact he is.

As he waits for Sue to pick him up from school, he's guarded by his girlfriends on the off chance there's a conflict with Jeff. Just as we think he might be safe only for today, He makes his entrance. The girls are not enough to fight him off. Sue comes running to his aid as well. and while he does get brutally beaten he's not dead.

Its hard to put a bow on this, because there isn't a happy ending for kids like Zoo. So for Susan to try to console him, the only real silver lining is that she does bring attention to the fact that she noticed that he has a really wonderful new group of friends.

Bruised and beaten up, we are back in our car with Susan and Zooey. He still manages to ask how her first day of work was.

it was "good".

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KYLE TRAVIS YOUNG >> DIRECTOR >> WRITER >> EDITOR

I have a very clear memory of growing up during the 90's. I also know how great an impact memory and nostalgia can have effectively for strong story telling. In a lot of ways this story is based on but is not exclusive to my own experiences growing up in a city shockingly similar to Sarnia. Edmonton Alberta, an oil and gas town centered around secondary and tertiary sectors of oil development, there exists two very clear classes, the very wealthy and the working class. Those children of those two classes met in two places, High School, or at the time raves. Which creates an opportunity to tell a larger narrative through the experiences of the cities youth.

The rave scene, and the smoking doors of a high school seemed to be the places where cliques converged. They were a strange magical place where it didn't matter who you were, and where I think my generation truly learned about diversity. However growing up gay in this time and in all other environments was no easy task. Raves were the perfect escape, one I'm very grateful I had.

As a filmmaker, I've learned to be incredibly resourceful. Originally I started my career as an artist as a dancer. A core value of dance is to always be practicing and always been sharpening skills. When I left that industry I maintained that value moving in to film and started a production company with the effort to always be collecting and cultivating skills. I've taught myself to be thorough and skilled storyteller as an editor, a painter as a colourist, and Im self reliant holding a camera and pulling my story through a lens.

However, my resourcefulness has brought me to more commercial point in my career. While I do get to create great visuals for brands and record labels, My true dreams are to create emotional and character connection driven content that transforms its audience. Goodboy would be just that, and this would an incredible start to the journey of this story.

LINKS*

SHOWREEL

PORTFOLIO

SHORT FILM

*in portfolio click large thumbnails to view content.

FEASABILITY:

AKA how do I plan to make this happen? Which is a question I'm already very used to asking myself. I understand how ambitious and costly this project reads, and its always been my motto to shoot for the stars and then dial it back where it need be. The biggest hurtle in this project is making a rave look full, and making it look real. The answer to that is through our connection to FASHION ART TORONTO, which is onboard to use volunteer models and designers. Once this has screened FAT will also use this film to showcase Canadian designers and models, and FATS core value is to present Canadian fashion as it exists - Diverse in all aspects. Anything involving casting will also involve service trades on my end.

I also, am the editor. I have amassed quite a portfolio of editing work, and while much of the problem solving is done in pre-production, I am experienced and self reliant in executing a complete and polished final. I also own most of the cameras and lenses that will be used on this shoot, so much of what will need to be on caught will also be in my own hands. The locations after that are narrowed down to the meat and potatoes of the character interactions that take place between two people in a car, the most effective scenes are often the simplest and least expensive.

INSPIRATION>>>

*fun fact at 1.00 Im having moment. and shortly after the Magoo crew makes an appearance (an all indigenous breakdancer crew)

MUSIC

The films music will all be inspired by the music of the time. Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, The Crystal method etc. and our good buddy and collaborator Joseph Snook is on board to make that happen (also moby has a free licensing initiative for filmmakers). Heres a spotify link to the inspo:

listen