Case in point, the dance film Gener8ion - Storm, starring Yung Leon. At first look, this seven and a half minute short presents as a hugely ambitious music video, but as it unfolds you realize it is much more. The film opens with no music, the sound of echoing footsteps, and a black title card reading “Leeds, United Kingdom, 2034.” Soon after we are introduced to the overhead visual of dozens of suited men sprawled out and laying still on the floor. Another man, sans suit jacket, walks into the room, his footsteps the source of the echo. Walking in amongst them the bodies slowly stretch. As the camera pushes into a close up of the man, we see tattoos peeking beneath his collar line and around the corners of his white button down shirt. His expression and carriage suggest something menacing.
He stands like he owns the room, tokes a cigarette, then exhales contemplatively. Slowly, a beat picks up, and we follow and watch him—now clearly the school bully—as he terrorizes other students into moronic dares, pulls pranks, destroys school property, menaces, and generally incites chaos and fear amongst less self assured students and their cohorts for a good deal of the film. In one scene, he walks into a room and yells at everyone to “Shut the F**k Up!” and the film goes silent—stepping momentarily out of the reality the film is creating, which I love. Soon after we finally see the men who were laying on the floor now standing and moving, the chaos and rabble rousing pauses when the Bully sinks, apparently high, into tall weeds, Finally, the film cuts to show Bully Man with the entire “Storm class of 2034” now standing on bleachers sans suit jackets where the bulk of the choreography occurs.
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