Not the official poster. This 2004 version will be redesigned soon.
Click on the this logo that will take you to Facebook to view the 2006 version of the trailer.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Genre: Documentary
Status: Active Development
Medium: HD-DV/including archives
Length: 120 minutes or less
Location(s): New York/San Francisco, CA/Los Angeles, CA/Miami, FL/Seattle, WA/Houston, TX/Tokyo, Japan/Germany ETC.....
Start Date: October 7, 2007
Proposed Budget: Disclosed
Distributor: To be determined
Story: “The B-Boy Connection – Volume I” reveals the history of the birth of Hip-Hop. The story begins in the early seventies. The setting is the South Bronx & Brooklyn, New York. Street gangs and graffiti “bombers” were prevalent. These are the individuals who became the B-Boys (Break-dancers) of the day. These pioneer dancers tell their story of how they began to resist the violence of the day with the idea to settle their differences on the dance floor… the resulting “Battles” "Rock" or "Uprock" the early dance before evolving to bboys "Break-dancing" with rival crews followed. The story continues, describing how they were discovered and introduced to the world, and the status of the B-Boy today. This two-hour feature features amazing dance moves and dramatic scenes and personal interviews with the originators of the dance form. A true timeline from the birth to present time. See how the B-Boy unlocks the secret of Hip-Hop!
Producer(s): Beto Lopez, Kirk Denson
Writer/Director/DP: Beto Lopez
Cast: The following is a list of the cast and their respective crews:
• Devil Rebels: Apache
• Rockers: King Up Rock, Lil’ Dave, Spice, Clarky, White Boy Gary, Danny Boy, Red One CIA and many more rock dance legends.
• Rock Steady Crew: Joe Joe Frosty Freeze, Ken Swift, Take One, Lil’ Crazy Legs, and Rip 7
• Dynamic Rockers: Glyde, Kid Freeze, Wavy Legs, Spider, Spinner
• New York City Breakers: Lil Lep, Flip Rock, Icey Ice, Chino
• Incredible Breakers: Chino, Brian and Sammy
• Style Elements Crumbs, Remind, Jay Rawk, Poe One,
• LA Breakers/Killafornia Steelo, Ruin, Flave,
• Ground Zero Bebe
• Breaks Crew Wack One
Many many more crews and bboys that will be added on this list at a later time.
Additional Cast:
• Michael Holman, of Graffiti Rock,
• Speedy D
• K Mel of the Boogie Brats
• Fast Break of the Magnificent Force & NYCB
• Storm
• Lil' Caesar of Air Force One
• Henry Chalfaunt "Graffiti Rock"
• Charlie Ahearn "Style War" director
• Afrika Bambaataa God father of hip-hop
• Photographer, and B-Boy Historian Martha Cooper
3. DOCUMENTARY OVERVIEW
The following sections will give an overview of the documentary for which Mooncricket Films, LLC seeks completion funds from third party investors (“Investor”) The film is entitled The B-Boy Connection, Volume 1 and is a two-hour documentary on the history of b-boying from the early seventies in the South Bronx to the present. The B-Boy Connection, Volume 1 tells the story of the origins of these pioneers and innovative dancers from their battles with rival crews to today's Hip-Hop industry that has introduced their culture and style to the mainstream and commercial world. The film features never-before-seen amazing dance moves, dramatic scenes with rival crews, long forgotten television/film clips and interviews with Hip-Hop and b-boy legends each offering a perspective on the b-boy's impact and meaning to Hip-Hop.
3.1 The Marketplace
In the rapidly expanding hip-hop entertainment market and with a lack of good projects, quality programming is a valuable commodity. Mooncricket Films, LLC (“Company”), a California limited liability company, was formed to tell the secret of hip-hop, the b-boy. Oakland, California-based company is now applying its resources, knowledge and experience to producing the two-hour documentary feature The B-Boy Connection, Volume 1 (“Film” or “THE B-BOY CONNECTION”) which will tell this secret. The goal is for this documentary to be the standard-bearing and an anthology of b-boy history.
The Company’s founder and the documentary's filmmaker, Beto Lopez, has earned a solid reputation in the film and music industries including working with Too $hort, Goapele, Sony Broadcast demonstrating HD filmmaking camera’s at NAB, DV EPO and Sundance 2005, the Zulu Nation, and many various big name Hip-hop artist old and new. Various b-boy crews from around the world. The Film's trailer has received positive reviews in media including but not limited to the East Bay Express and online hip-hop message boards. He has worked with many NBA players such as Al Harrington, Stephon Marbury, Baron Davis, Larry Bird, Kobe Beto has worked on projects that have appeared on MTV, VH1, BET, HBO, Rolling Stone website featured music video of Goapele and DVD. The Bboy documentary trailer has also received favorable responses from representatives at Sony Picture Classics and Miramax.
The filmmaker plans to submit the film to the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and other applicable film festivals for exhibition, and a successful exhibition at Sundance will increase the interest from third party distributors. We are already excepted into Slamdance so we will be their either or. Several foreign distributors have previously made offers to the Company for the film’s foreign distribution rights in France, Germany and Japan after only seeing the Film’s 6-minute trailer. A completed Film will likely maximize and increase offers from distributors. Once the Film is completed, interest will be at a maximum and this interest will give the Company the opportunity to sell the film outright to major distributors for maximum fees.
This project is based on footage and interviews that Mr. Lopez has been documenting in his travels and experiences as a pioneer in the Bay Area B-boy scene. With Mr. Lopez's unparalleled knowledge of the B-boy world and his relationships in the industry, Mooncricket Films is well-positioned to take full advantage of this industry’s phenomenal on-going growth as evidenced by recent box-office successes.
It is important to point out that the dance culture that the Film exposes exists largely in the “underground” or a sub-culture. Every now and then we will see evidence of mainstream recognition in, for example, television commercials (e.g., Apple Computers, iPod, etc.), film and the concert touring circuit. For the moment, and for obvious reasons, we will focus on the film genre.
The Competition
The competition consists of break-dancing related films in various stages of production. The film projects, that we are aware of, are operating at a distinct disadvantage on two levels:
• They are not history oriented.
• They lack the confidence of and access to the original (“OG”) B-Boys, and therefore, to date, have been unsuccessful in arranging an interview with them.
• They are filmed by individuals that are not part of the culture, therefore do not know the culture from the “inside-out.”
Conversely, the Producer/Director of the Film, Beto Lopez "Mooncricket":
• Has the confidence of the original B-Boys, as evidenced by the incredible amount of interview footage included in approximately six hundred (600) plus hours of footage.
• Uniquely, has THE history-oriented film depicting the transformation of the street gangs and “stick-up kids,” tired of the street violence, turned to dancing, inventing an art form, surviving, and being instrumental in the birth of what we know today as “Hip Hop.”
• Beto Lopez is a B-Boy and a break dancing aficionado who knows the history of the culture and had unprecedented respect among his peers. The informed break dancing underground is eagerly awaiting the release of this film. Individuals, such as Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, and Afrika Bambaataa are all accessible to the Director for appearances at events such as what we’re planning for the 2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The target demographic and market for this Film includes males and females in the following demographic groups:
• Ages 11-60;
• Hip-hop fans;
• Urban culture fans;
• International fans;
• Independent documentary fans;
• Dancers;
• Film fans;
• B-boys/B-girls;
• DJs;
• Emcees;
• Graffiti artists;
• The Curious minds
Mooncricket Films has recorded and filmed 95% of the necessary footage for the Film. Upon securing completion funds, Mooncricket will complete production and post-production of the documentary so that the Film is ready for exhibition at film festivals and ultimately worldwide distribution. The current market for B-boy properties is very favorable and the Film will capitalize on the market's popularity.
Due to the number of hours of footage that the filmmaker has compiled over since the early 90s, this documentary will not be able to show everything.
Filmmaker Beto Lopez's life has revolved around B-boying and the culture. He eats, drinks, sleeps and dances B-boy. His life has been about telling this story and his passion in documenting the last fourteen years gives him a unique perspective to tell a really great story. The objective is to tell this story.
Conclusions
Thank you for your interest in the current film project, The B-Boy Connection. This is the story of the original form of Hip-Hop dance, -Bboy- (break-dancing) that is still used today in choreography, but has never had its roots fully explored and recognized. This unparalleled project is a first-hand insight into a chapter in American Hip-Hop history that has yet to receive much notice.
The influences of Hip-Hop have spread through many countries around the world. The connection to the roots of the B-boy comes from the urban canyons of New York where it all began. The dance styles created in the Bay Area, California, are a story alone that has never been told until now. Today’s mainstream artists and fans of Hip-Hop have not been told many aspects of the history. This is an entertaining story that tells where the Hip-Hop seeds were planted.
This story follows the B-boy history from the beginning with the creation of the original styles of dance from the gangs of New York in the late 1960s to what has helped create and elevate Hip-Hop to a multi-billion dollar industry. The B-Boy Connection will deliver what is old-school, fresh and innovative. Beto Lopez has brought the essence of the dance back in a raw intimate way for all to see and understand the truth of its effect and influence on hip-hop.
This Film will be the standard for the B-boy culture and tell an aspect of the culture that Hip-Hop has chosen not to tell. The Film will showcase at the B-boy events around the world including the various B-boy “Battle of the Year” events in countries such as France, Israel, Thailand, Greece, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Dubai, Russia, Germany and South Africa.
Mooncricket Films, LLC invites you to join it in its efforts to complete this project and any rewards these efforts may bring.
2006 Beto Lopez "Mooncricket" organized the biggest bboy battle in the history of Stockton, CA and the 209 valley. He and some close friends Imax and Tiffany booked a venue at the Podesto teen center in Stockton to through an all elements of hip-hop jam. With Beto Lopez resource he made sure he made the special guest from the characters of his film. As seen in the flyer the special guest.
The event was a success and bboys and bgirls came from all over to Stockton, CA. Came from Los Angeles, Colorado, New York, Philly, Hawaii, Japan, Miami, FL, All over the bay area and San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto and the list goes on. They had 5 weeks to plan and promote and they pulled it off.
By having the legends at this event was worth it for many of the guest that came.
You can see for your self in the Rockn' The Elements highlight video made filmed by Beto Lopez & his brother Angelo Lopez.
On the train in Tokyo late night with DJ renegade who is from London.
Mooncricket looking very small compared to these original gang members from the early 70s. He had just finish filming their reunion that has never been filmed until this day. Once of his favorite scenes in his film. In the film you will see these old guys get a flash back and battle eachother.
Mooncricket had put his camera down to film himself dance along the platform of the M train in Brooklyn, NY
A quick clip of Mooncricket warming up before his 2003 bboy battle in the Bronx.
Blog: April 17th 2009
Thank you Frosty Freeze for making my film a historical film. I thank you Frosty for introducing me to many of the legends in my film. I thank you Frosty for your amazing stories and for allowing me to follow you all over New York, Miami, LA, San Francisco and Sacramento to film and document you. You are a bboy hero and you were also a good friend. You always look out for your people and you always kept us smiling with laughter, As I edit my film I keep finding more footage of you from our journeys and it is still hard for me still believe you are no longer here with us in the flesh. I guess for me to painting this canvas for you made me finally accept that you have moved on with the Lord. You will always live on in all of us that know you and who have seen videos, photos and who has heard your voice. You will continue to be a part of history in any form of media and you will live on in history in my film "The Bboy Connection." The film is not finished but I still hear your voice when you told me everytime I would see you for me to never give up and to finish it for you and the other legends.
Strange thing is I have told others in the past long before you had past that I'm dedicating my film to you. Wayne Frosty Freeze this film is for you.
God Bless
Beto Lopez "Mooncricket"
http://thebboyconnection.blogspot.com/
God Bless
Beto Lopez "Mooncricket"
Beto "Mooncricket" Lopez gets asked the same question over and over again from many people and especially from the dancers. That is why this blog is now posted to help clarify. But what he has done is to make video blogs "Webisodes"
to show what is really going on in his life and what he is dealing with with the process of his film.
Webisode 1 Chicano
Webisode 2 with Motion Skill Methodz crew
Webisode 3 Ivan Urban Action figure & Quanzilla
Webisode 4 Rob Nasty, Remind & Qaunzilla
Webisode 5 inside the mind of Chuco
