EURweb |
HOW 'STOMP THE YARD' CAME TO BE: New Movie Inspired by Cameron Crowe Character in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High.'
Los Angeles, CA. -- As Multiplexes across the country prepare to have audiences dancing down the aisles for the pop culture breakthrough of the season, the Musical / Drama "Stomp the Yard", the creation of the film's story has proven to be just as exhilarating as the film itself.
The movie, which opens nationwide January 12, follows a troubled youth from Los Angeles, who after the death of his younger brother, joins a struggling fraternity at an historically black University in the south and implements his street-style dance moves in an attempt to help the step team win the coveted National Step Show Championship.
Originally conceived by writer Gregory Anderson in the mid 90's as the script "The Rush", the story is an ode to fraternities and sororities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The story has special resonance because at that time, Gregory was a student at Florida A&M University (FAMU), a historically black institution in his hometown of Tallahassee, Florida, where he and his classmates Rob Hardy and Will Packer (Producers of "Stomp the Yard" and founders of Rainforest Films) dreamed of making it in Hollywood. After college, Gregory worked on the script from time to time, as he produced independent films in Atlanta with Rob and Will, but eventually other projects took center stage. However, Gregory always hoped that one day they could all bring that story to life.
So, in 2004, when the opportunity arose for a possible movie to be made, Gregory quickly took a trip to his parent's home and dusted off the old script which had been sitting in their garage. But, taking a script written about frat life in the 90's and pulling it into the new millennium, proved to be another journey altogether. Inspired by how Cameron Crowe spent a year posing as a high school student in preparation for writing the book and movie, "Fast Times at Ridgement High", Gregory decided to take a cue from Crowe and return to his University in order to gain an even deeper sense of authenticity as he went about the process of rewriting the script.
"When I first heard that Greg was back, hanging on the campus, I thought he was going through a mid-life crisis twenty years too soon" says Tenele Dennard, Greg's cousin and fellow FAMU alum. "But, now that I see the movie and everything, it all makes perfect sense". Dr. Elinor Ellis, Professor Emeritus at FAMU stated "Gregory always went for accuracy and detail in his school work, so transitioning that into his profession is obvious. It was extremely important that a story about Stepping, Black Colleges, Fraternities and Sororities be told with a sense of nobility, respect, and honor. I'm proud that Greg and the rest of the filmmakers upheld that tradition."
Integrating himself back into the college lifestyle wasn't easy, but within a short time, Greg was getting the hang of it. "I knew I didn't have as much time to research as Cameron did, so I had to get the most out of it." The first few weeks, Greg remained mostly inconspicuous, but as Homecoming approached, he decided it was time to be more public. Homecoming coincided near the Anniversary of Gregory's fraternity Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (whose members include Bill Cosby, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Jesse Jackson) and Greg's chapter Upsilon Psi was preparing for the festivities.
"It was really great to be back at the frat house, reconnecting and learning from the younger brothers as we prepared for Homecoming" says Gregory. David Randolph, a member of the Chi Theta Chapter of Omega, who choreographed his chapter's step show performance in "Stomp the Yard", remembers "It was cool to have Greg around during that time, as well as the other older brothers that came back during Homecoming. Seeing the movie and thinking back, it was like being a part of history."
The last task in Greg's research was to see if he could still "step", after all the time away. "Stepping" is a rhythmic dance tradition created by African American Fraternities and Sororities, which is the pulse of "Stomp the Yard". Gregory recalls "It was no question that once Homecoming kicked in, someone was going to make a challenge and say "bruh, set out a hop", so I knew I needed to be on my game. Being there and doing one of my frat's most popular steps "The Funky Four Corners" and the cornerstone of my chapter's hops: "Harpo Harry", it reaffirmed for me that these steps are more than just a dance, they're a spiritual baton passed on from one generation to the next."
Next up for Gregory is the Warner Brothers / Asylum Records film "American Dream" which he produced as the President of Tri Destined Films. It was also announced on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that his company acquired the rights to the life story of Sports legend Coach Bev Kearney.
# # #
source
Jocelyn R. Coleman
Favor PR - jcoleman@favorpr.com
.jpg)
