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Politics, Hip hop and the Generational Divide: Battleground Minnesota

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Posted on December 6, 2004

Host: Shakademic
Camera/Sound: Glenn Scott
Producer/Director: Gabe Cheifetz

Notes from interview:

How was this film conceived? Who approached who? And why youth?

Gabe: - Youth oriented "Get the vote out" film - Started with more modest ideas and then evolved into something with more shape and flavor- e.g no idea it was going to involve music

Shak: - As long as I can be myself - The challenge was I never talked to politicians

Glenn: - I thought it was going to be boring - We've added an urban twist

Describe the film itself and its goal. What was your motivation?

Gabe: - This is a different sort of election. There are intense feelings. Minnesota is solidly democrativ but that is changing fast. The youth angle is underrepresented.

Shak: - This is a story by the people. We're getting the people involved with politics

Glenn: - The video interested me. This is not my first project.

How did you decide on your interviews?

Did you encounter problems with access to government officials? To partisan or non-partisan groups?

Gabe: - It was a matter of telling them that youth wanted to get the vote out - Coleman took a dozen calls though - Many offices wanted it scripted, but once we got in there it all went pretty smoothly

As youth producers, did you find people were willing to talk to you? Did you have any difficulties?

Shak: - I was nervous before I met them, then they would open up

Glenn: - I was excited, not nervous - If I was uncomfortable then they'd be uncomfortable

I saw a clip on your site of Walter Mondale scratching a record. How did that idea come about? What were you trying to achieve?

Gabe: - We would set-up beforehand but the majority of it was unscripted

Shak: - I would ad-lib it the whole way. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't - We didn't really have interview questions, but I would elaborate before the interview

Glenn: - The best things were unscripted

What did you learn from making the film? About the topic and the process?

Shak: - It's hard to get a mass number of people to focus on a topic. - Politics are more important than a lot of other things

Glenn: - It's a bumpy ride. You have to know what's going on with your money

How did you distribute the film? What kinds of audiences were you trying to impact?

Glenn: - Teenagers. If anything, a lot of teens don't vote

Gabe: - Local high schools. Live screenings. Live Q & A afterwards. High school seniors - We went to Target and Best Buy - The local PBS station ran it 3 time and it had the most viewers of any time slot - ABC also aired it

Did you receive community support? By whom?

Gabe: - Phillips Community TV

Have you already created, or are you thinking of creating educational material? In what form?

Gabe: - Get the vote out is done. It might be useful for the future of youth voters

How has your blog aided distribution of your film? Why do you think a web presence is necessary?

Gabe: -The blog is mainly a production journal and a url to the website

Do you have anything else to add?

Shak: - We want to get people out to vote. You got to know about politics - We've mixed it up with entertainment - Music catched people's attention a lot

Glenn: - That song from the video is that main thing people talk about

Comments from film:

- The use of music as an thread, although sometimes detracts from the film- why? - The youth voice is portrayed as a clean slate, as an opportunity to ask unbiased questions - Great range of organizations avoids a didactic or partisan feel - Quote: "What are you going to accomplish by being involved?" Politics is brought into the realm of the personal, mandating government policies are accessible - Very cohesive because video is shown to other interviewees who are allowed to comment on each other. Tight debate - Uses comdey, therefore politicians appear as people. They relax in the company of unassuming people. They become accessible.

Themes: - Get the vote out to underrepresented youth by appealing to their interests-through music (primarily hip hop) and comedy/ personality - Cross not only the generational divide but the bureaucratic divide. Just because they wear a suit, or a bandana should not pidgeon-hole - Commonality: serving both parties interests- accessing new audience vs. informing ourselves of our rights