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Naughty Boy ft. Kyla, Popcaan 'Should've Been Me' by Ben Strebel

David Knight - 7th Dec 2016

Ben Strebel and his crew travelled to Uganda and what he describes as an "emotional, harrowing and humbling experience" shooting the new Naughty Boy video.

On one level it reveals how skateboarding is as popular (and as watchable) in the Kintale district of Kampala as London's South Bank or Venice Beach. But there's also a strong human angle that comes mainly from the arrestingly charismatic presence of the director's young lead, played by a local boy called Trinity. The emotion is all there on screen, and it adds up to one of the best videos that Ben Strebel has done.

BEN STREBEL:

"I wanted to show how skateboarding is a universal language. No matter where you’re from or where you live, it unites us all.

"Found in the Kintale slums, Kampala, the park acts as a refuge an escape for local kids. Growing up in these tough conditions a lot of them can easily turn to crime. Skateboarding and the park (run by the Uganda Skateboard Union) act as an outlet to combat this, a focus if you like. We found Trinity, our protagonist, hanging around the park; he was the only one out of the group of boys sat there who didn’t smile. Something very serious and melancholic about him - a story behind those eyes. But then when he did smile, wow, our hearts melted. He’s a little star, to say the least.

"The shoot was an emotional, harrowing and humbling experience that opened mine and the crew’s eyes. I love the fact that, by making this, we’ve been able to contribute to the building of the second part of the park."

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David Knight - 7th Dec 2016

Tags

  • Director's notes
  • Narrative
  • Pop
  • Skateboarding, Skating, Sports

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Credits

Production/Creative

Director
Ben Strebel
Producer
Katie Lambert
Production Company
Executive Producer
Ore Okonedo

Camera

Director of Photography
Ben Todd
Focus Puller
Ahmet Husseyin
Steadicam
Andrew Fletcher

Editorial

Editor
Max Windows
Editing company

Grading

Colourist
Houmam Abdullah
Colour grade company
MPC

Commission

Commissioner
James Hackett
Label
Universal Music

Other credits

Ugandan Service Company

Seamless Uganda

David Knight - 7th Dec 2016

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