Shots, The Series
SHOTS
DEVELOPED IN THE DARK
PHOTOGRAPH
ONE
can change everything ...
ONE FRAME
can start a revolution...
AND
inspire millions...
SERIES
SHOTS IS A CINEMATIC DOCU-SERIES THAT SHOWCASES THE STORIES OF PHOTOGRAPHERS WHOSE IMAGES BROKE THE MOLD AND CAME TO DEFINE HISTORY. EACH EPISODE WILL JOURNEY THROUGH THE STORY OF ONE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE CREATION OF THEIR MOST ICONIC IMAGE.
THIS SERIES DIVES DEEP INTO THE UNTOLD AND UNSEEN STORIES OF THE MOST ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THEIR UNIQUE CREATIVE PROCESS
OVERVIEW
THE SIZZLE
STORIES
AKINGIS CROWNED
BARRON CLAIBORN
NEW YORK 1997 A young photographer by the name of Barron Claiborne is walking to his studio when he notices a plastic king crown in the window of a novelty store. The oversized jewels and shiny fake gold finish made for the perfect symbol to represent his subject that day. Barron arrives at his studio to find Biggie Smalls sitting down in front of a blood-red background. Barron smiles and says to Biggie, “ I always tell you you feel like a king to me. Now you’re gonna look like one.” Biggie dons the plastic crown and Barron's camera clicks.
Three days later Biggie is shot dead in Los Angeles.
Barron Claiborne’s image is released posthumously under the title “The King of New York”. The photo is instantly iconic and displayed prominently and spontaneously at his funeral procession. Today, “The King of New York” is described by many as the Mona Lisa of the hip-hop world. It is the last known picture taken of Biggie Smalls.
PAYIT FORWARD
Nabils' big break came when he befriended the then relatively unknown rap artist Kanye West. Elderkin had heard a Kanye West mixtape and had tried to contact the rapper by looking up www.kanyewest.com. The website came up as unregistered but available for registration, so he bought the domain name on an impulse.
Three weeks later an executive from Roc-A-Fella Records contacted Nabil to tell him the label had just signed Kanye West to a multi-album deal and wanted to know how much he was asking for the domain name. Nabil wasn't interested in a payment for the domain and preferred to transfer the domain name provided he could meet the new artist and do a photoshoot with him.
These images went on to be the artist's first publicity photos.
NABIL ELDERKIN
T NES | THEMES
COLD OPEN
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
An introduction to our photographer, the key artists and image(s) they are associated with, the times of the world we are in, and the wider impact of each on our wider culture.
FORMAT
Photography is not created in a vacuum. Every picture has a how, where and why. SHOTS is a recounting of the events that led up to these iconic photographs. Taking a socio-historical perspective, we will dive deeply into the lives of both the photographer and the subject themselves, examining the sequence of moments that led to each image and the legacy left behind. These stories will be told with a multitude of media. Episodes will feature Interviews with both the photographers and their celebrity subjects, archival footage, photographic libraries, and animated recreations of key moments to tell our stories.
ACT 1 CONT.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
An introduction to their primary artistic subjects. What was the wider cultural presence of this person at the time of their most famous images; what did it mean to be shooting them at this moment in their career?
BEFORE THE BEGINNING (Animated)
With our subjects established, we now take a deep dive back in time to tell the story of the photographer’s early life, featuring interviews with the people who know them best: family members, friends, colleagues, and later on agents and managers. Key moments are recreated in animation to give a more rounded, personal view of the story (Michael Grecco used to steal photography books from the library, hide in his room and read them under his blanket with a flashlight). We give context to the time before the beginning of our photographer’s career. What inspired this person to become a photographer? What drove this person to greatness?
ACT 1
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
An introduction to a unique talent: the photographer, the primary subject of this film. In interviews, archival, and animation, we introduce the audience to this artist’s life, work, inspiration, and observation, with an emphasis on who they were at the time they shot their most iconic images and where they were in their careers. This is to be told through the perspectives of our celebrities, other famous photographers, and the people closest to them.
ACT 1
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
ACT 2
THE ARTISTS PATH
A MOMENT IN TIME (ANIMATED)
Every photographer has a moment when everything changed, we will highlight that moment in time told through the lives that lived the moment and will be led by animation. Multiple people will describe the single event that changed everything, and the cascading series of changes that would ultimately completely change the life and lifestyle of not only the photographer but everyone who was in front of the lens as well.
THE ROAD HERE
After establishing our photographer’s formative days, we now move into the creation of their career. This is the professional story, the how and why, and when leading up to the moment of our iconic images. Once upon a time, our photographer was just a dreamer with a camera. How did that kid find themselves here, photographing one of the most celebrated artists in the world?
ACT 2 CONT.
THE MOMENT CAPTURED
CREATING A MOMENT
The story of the shoot and the images themselves. How was this shoot arranged? How did it come to be? This is also the story of the mood on set, the shoot, or shots themselves, the story of the day. Photography is a highly-technical discipline: what does it take to capture one of the world’s most iconic images? Did everything go as planned? Was any of the process improvised? This is an exploration of the ideas, the inspirations, and the technical achievement of the shot. *This segment will be different for each episode and dependent on the photograph featured.
THE IMPACT
An exploration of the immediate impact of the shot(s): on the artist, on the photographer, and the culture itself. We’ll begin with the basics: how did this shot blow up? What was it intended for, and where and why, and how was it seen? Who saw it, and what was their reaction to it? Were these images immediately embraced, or did they come to be appreciated over time? This is the story of the early life cycle of our images, and how the world was changed after they were realized.
The long-term legacy of the image. How did the photographer’s career change? How did the artist’s career change? With the perspective gained by the passing of time, how did the image ultimately change our culture? How and where does the image live on – on prints, on t-shirts, in museums, in popular media?
THE UNSEEN
(LIBRARY OF WORK THAT HASN’T BEEN SEEN BY THE PUBLIC)
We will explore the hidden library of our Photographer. This is a look into the archive. A look into the unseen. Behind all photographs, as we have established, there is a story to tell. This is taking a look into the real behind the scenes of the unseen work.
THE ROAD AHEAD
What’s next, for both our photographers and our artists? Where do their careers go, and how does their art advance? What have been the low points? The high points? What lessons can we learn from the cultural zeitgeist around their photography that applies to the road ahead?
ACT 3
THE LEGACY
FINAL THOUGHTS
A final word from our photographer, artist, and related personalities on how the legacy of their photography lives on in their lives and careers today.
THE ACCESS
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THE TEAM
PRODUCERS
CHADD DORAK
MICHAEL GRECCO
RAPHAEL LEOPOLD
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
MICHAEL SANFILIPPO
STEPHANIE BAER
©BRONX THE WOLF 2024