LOGLINE: The night of their biggest show yet, an up and coming musician tells their manager they’re calling it quits after attracting what they believe is the “wrong crowd.”

"Wrong Crowd" is a senior thesis film written and directed by Daniel Shillinglaw who is a director and cinematographer in the Film Conservatory at SUNY Purchase.

To learn more, click here to view the full PITCH DECK

I am seeking funding ($5,000) to complete my senior thesis film at SUNY Purchase. The funds I raise will go to food and transportation for my student crew, gear rentals, props, and festival submission funding.

This film is based on a real scenario in which popular independent rapper Noname announced on twitter that she wanted to quit because she was tired of performing for predominately white crowds. This sparked a whole debate over whether or not her comments were fair, if they were racist, and more generally if white people had the ability to understand rap, and what the implications were as white crowds behaved certain ways at Noname’s concerts.

I remember the day these tweets dropped and really not knowing how to feel, and not feeling allowed to have an opinion or emotional response to one of my favorite artists announcing they were quitting because she was tired of performing for people who looked like me. What I found was that there was no simple or easy answer to this question, and it put into perspective how complex of an issue it is, but something I was apart of whether I wanted to be or not.

I am a deep lover of hip-hop music, specifically underground / independent rap, and have witnessed the makeup of certain artists change as they’ve grown from truly underground to more mainstream.

This film Is an exploration of all the conflicted emotions, cringe, guilt, and love for hip-hop music I’ve experienced as a white boy from Albany.

View Daniel's previous thesis films:

The Sapphire Door

Scherzo

Support of any kind is immensely appreciated. Every single contribution helps this project come one step closer to reality.

- Daniel Shillinglaw <3