The Pit - Short Film

What is "The Pit"?

The Pit is the heart of the rap battle world. It's an enclosed, inescapable environment in which two competitors are face-to-face in a no-holds-barred, intense back and forth - with the main goal being to break down and disrespect your opponent in front of a live crowd.

Premier Battles: Watch Battle Rap

The Film

We're currently in pre-production on our latest short film project, "The Pit". The film is centred around a high-octane, all-or-nothing British title match-up at the biggest event of the year from two perspectives - the promoter, who's gambled everything on this event, and the title challenger, who knows this is his big moment.

The stakes are high, the pressure is building, and things are almost at boiling point.

We want to explore the narrative of success at all costs and what we, as humans, are willing to sacrifice to achieve it.

This film is told by those who understand it most. I've been an event promoter for over a decade within the world of battle rap - I've seen and been through it all - whether that's the negative side of losing money, crumbling events, dealing with 30 different battlers and hundreds of fans in attendance - right through to the positives of having a global community, the diverse and inclusive environment it provides and also the way this scene has changed lives for the better.

I want to tell this story from my lived experience.

What We Need

I've managed to put together an incredible team of filmmakers to help bring this project to the screen. We've also managed to raise a percentage of the budget required through sponsorship and personal financial investments but as this is going to be an independent production, we need your help to push our film over the line.

I want to create the highest quality production imaginable, and every little donation will help us to achieve this goal and create the best representation of this world possible.

With production aiming to start this summer, every penny will count and ensure we achieve the desired outcome.

Your contributions will allow us to:

Who's Involved?

Louis Briggs - Writer/Director

Louis Briggs is the co-owner of Premier Battles. He has over 10 years' worth of experience promoting, managing and booking rap battle events. Outside of this world, Louis is a Producer that's worked on big-budget campaigns and award-winning projects for clients such as Manchester United, UNILAD, Vauxhall, Samsung, Citreon & The NHS.

This is Louis's directorial debut, where he's going to unpack the world of battle rap from his own personal lived experiences.

Andrew Ellis - Producer

Andrew Ellis is a Manchester-born actor, best known for playing Gadget in the BAFTA-Winning Shane Meadows film 'This is England', a role he later reprised in the television series. More recently, Andrew played alongside Stephen Graham in the ITV drama "The Walk-In" to rave reviews.

As well as success in front of the camera Andrew has gone on to write, produce and direct having been the Head of Comedy Content at global media publisher, UNILAD. Working with longtime friend and collaborator Jamie Shelton, Andrew's directorial debut came with their 2006 award-winning short film "Cardboard Boy" which starred Nico Mirallegro.

Michael Largey - Producer

Michael Largey is a Belfast-based film producer/production coordinator with experience working on award-winning short films and documentaries. Most recently he worked alongside IFTA and Sundance award-winning director Ken Wardrop on a feature documentary, shot entirely on 35mm film. Michael also worked as a producer on the RTS student award-winning short film "Bestial Ones".

Aside from raising his profile in the TV & Film industry, Michael, also known as Vizual, has gone on to become of the best battle rappers to come from Ireland, with a resume testing his ability not just against the best the UK has to offer but also overseas competition from the likes of America and Canada.

Jamie Shelton - Lead Actor

Jamie Shelton is a Manchester-born actor, best known for playing "Robbie Lawson" as a regular on the ITV soap "Emmerdale" before being cast as The Antagonist, "Roth" in the feature film "The Knife That Killed Me" (Universal Pictures) and the role of "Jamie" in the 2013 Raindance Film Festival's best UK short film "Irreversible". Earlier this year, Jamie played the role of "Dennis" in the improv short film, "Gooseneck" which is currently gearing up for its festival run.

We're still casting for the additional roles within "The Pit" with more announcements to come.

Where will the film be seen?

Once we've completed the film, we'll be setting up a special screening for those who have helped support the project. This will be a unique showcase that also features some live rap battles to highlight what the subject is all about.

We'll then be submitting the film to a range of film festivals including BFI, Raindance, Cannes, and Sundance.

Once the film has done its festival run, we'll aim to host it on the Premier Battles Youtube page, which is the official home of UK & Irish Battle Rap.

-----

I just want to say thank you to anybody and everybody who backs the project, this is a subject that's been close to my heart and many others around the world for the last few years, and to bring our story to life in the most authentic way possible is an honour.

Thank You!