A.O.T.B.K

ATTACK OF THE BITCHSLAP KILLA

(Blogger has cropped this, double-click to view in YT)

"Attack of the Bitchslap Killa" is a short video project we made for the Conventions in Videography  module. After first dwelling on making a Bradford-based zombie trailer (Bradford of the Dead), we soon settled on this idea in favour of less makeup, less extras, less mess, daylight shooting, and of course the opportunity to make more jokes.

From the nemesis' point of view we wanted this film to bear resemblence to blaxsploitation cinema, particularly in regards to "The Mack" (1973) and "Superfly"(1972). In order to do so I obtained a joke-shop pimp suit for our nemesis' costume - an essential part of the trailer. Although elaboratly stereotypical, it still bears resemblence to the outrageous clothing featured in "The Mack" along with the quinetessential gold-topped cane.

                      Gold-topped cane ^

^Screenshots from The Mack (1973)

^Screenshot from Bitchslap Killa

I also ensured that the backdrops resembled the typical run-down cities in which most of these films are set. As I had photographed some of Bradfords most run-down areas in the past, I had a good idea of which locations were ideal in terms of looks, and how quiet they were for shooting in public. I aimed for a visual match of the streets found in the chase scene in Superfly (1972):

(Chase scene 8mins57-9mins55)

(Titles 5mins24-7mins57)

As well as the backdrops, I ensured that the style of the trailer adhered to the conventions of Blaxsploitation trailers. I applied a customised brown filter to the video to make it appear older, as well as the titles, which were also inspired by Sig Shore's Superfly:

^Titles from Superfly (1972)

^Titles from Bitchslap Killa

To round the trailer up I stayed true to existing blaxsploitation trailers in regards to the music. Our film featured the score taken directly from a blaxsploitation martial arts movie - coincidentially entitled "Black Belt Jones". I particularly like this piece of music as it fuses funk with orchestrated 70's movie score.