Mission Statement
Black children are often pressured to be more mature in social situations, but are given less resources to nurture their creativity. Our team -- comprised mostly of Black women and gender expansive people -- is working to realize a world where Black children grow up affirmed, respected, and free.
About The Project
On the first day of 2nd grade, my teacher told me and the other boys in the class to pay attention and to commit ourselves to our education. She said, "The government builds prisons for every Black child that does not pass the 2nd grade," and that she would do everything she could to prevent that from happening.
It's true. It's also a lot of pressure for a child just starting the 2nd grade. Because of institutionalized racism, that pressure is interwoven into every element of life as an African American.
What I know now is that my teacher was describing the school-to-prison pipeline. In the U.S., students of color -- especially Black children and children with disabilities -- are disproportionately subjected to harsh, zero-tolerance disciplinary policies and pushed into the criminal justice system.
When I was a child, I loved to create. It was and is still my favorite past-time. I have such an intense image of my childhood; so much of it was good because I could create.
I realize that this passion for creativity is incompatible, and often philosophically opposed to the expectation of the Black man.
It is society that pressures Zion to be less creative.
It is society that pressures Moms to protect their sons by coercing them to conform. It is society that makes them work until they have no energy left to emotionally connect with their children.
It is society that ties the hand of an effective teacher.
And it is society that creates the pressure that turns masculinity sour.
The narrative of the creative and his relationship with society is a story I never got the chance to prepare myself with, so, I offer Crayons: a film about a creative Black child choosing to be his own hero.
- Victorious "Vic" McLeod, writer-director
Crayons is a coming-of-age drama set in the early 2000s about a creative boy, Zion, coping with the confusing nature of society. He is naturally creative and uses coloring as a solution to most of life's problems. The incompatibility of the Black creative with the modern world is put on a critical stage through a vignette of Zion's life. Written in a circulatory way akin to traditional oral storytelling, Zion is forced to use his creativity to create his value in a world that is philosophically opposed to him.
THEMES: Crayons coaxes its audience into heavy themes that are realistic to the existence of Black Americans. Social exclusion, public education, and racial identity play into every decision that Zion makes. Throughout the short, Zion analyses his understanding of heroes and makes changes to the definition based on his experiences. The impacts of adult figures on the creative spirits within Black children is also explored.
STYLE: Zion's world is one of bright colors and powerful imagination. As we transition through the environments of home, school, and the grocery store, we will see shifts in aspect ratio, shooting style, and color grading that mirror changes in Zion's emotions and perceptions. Through shifts in both the production design and editing over the course of the film, boundless creativity is juxtaposed with both nurturing and inhibiting socioenvironmental factors such as an affirming teacher, racism, and unsupportive peers.
INFLUENCES: Crayons is inspired by writer-director Victorious McLeod's experiences growing up in late '90s / early '00s Broward County, FL. Our hope, then, is to invoke a specificity of time and place within the film -- as seen in retrospective films such as Moonlight and mid90s -- while highlighting how the environment and social norms of Zion's world can function as antagonists.
Films exploring race, class, and community dynamics such as Do the Right Thing and City of God are also major influences on Crayons. Both have been lauded for their colorful production design, editorial precision, musical scores, and authenticity. And it is our hope Crayons blends these elements in a way that gives greater insight into Zion's life.
Our team -- with creatives hailing from across the state, Miami to Jacksonville -- is composed of multidisciplinary artists who want to produce bold films reflective of their lived experiences. Florida is home to lively communities and rich stories that deserve to make their way to the big screen via audience-supported, independent filmmaking.
Critically-acclaimed and commercially successful films such as Moonlight (2016), The Florida Project (2017) and Zola (2020) speak to audiences' warm reception of authentic, Florida-grown stories. Crayons joins a growing canon of original, southern films centering working-class characters as their own heroes.
Seed & Spark requires that we raise at least 80% of our goal for the project to be funded. We must reach this goal in 45 days or we won't receive any funds at all.
We invite you to join us in bringing Crayons to life! The funds raised through this campaign will help us:
Feed our hardworking cast and crew balanced meals
Build our time capsule of a story world set in late '90s / early '00s Broward County, FL
Cover the costs of location and equipment truck rentals
Keep our team safe with COVID-19 PPE and sanitation supplies
Host a series of community film screenings with partner organizations
Submit Crayons to film festivals
