ABOUT

Making Hype was by far one of the most challenging films of my career. It went through many highs and many lows and it all started with an email I sent putting myself forward to the Media Trust as they had a call stating - Directors Needed for Charity Films. I applied. They had well over 400 applicants and luckily I was selected after a face to face interview.

Ten directors were selected and we were to be partnered with ten charities in need of a film. I was asked if there were any I didn't fancy, I'll admit it now the boxing charity was one of them, I've never been into boxing and I've never been in a fight in my entire life. But I never highlighted my apprehension and as luck would have it, sure enough I was partnered with them.

The first meeting at the gym was memorable. Ali the passionate man who set up the gym pitched to us his idea for the film, it started with 'Someone get's stabbed...' and after an hour of bold audacious chat I began to learn what boxing was about. It's about hard work, energy sucking training, it's about putting your body on the line, it's about sacrifice and most of all it's about chat. Boxers talk a lot. I began to understand why before a boxing match on TV the boxers do a press circuit telling each other that they're gonna knock each other out.

The other thing I learnt at the gym is that boxing changes lives. You may not think it because as an outsider punching people feels wrong but what this gym did, in a tough area with little opportunity, gangs and post code wars etc... is it changed people's lives around. Ali himself came up with the idea of the gym whilst in prison, the lads at the gym also had done time, been on tag and they'd all found the gym to be their way out. There are countless stories of what they've done for those that attend and I began to get a newfound respect for boxing.

Wendy the Media Trusts' incredible producer told me it was unwise to film a stabbing. I agreed. But what was murmuring in my mind is that we'd create a rags to riches story. Someone who's running from something and finds the gym and that becomes their everything. The other thing I decided on was a narration, a poem. Because boxing is all talk. I sat there for hours listening to them taking notes.

Now then, producing this thing was tough. I had a producer drop out, dates repeatedly change and very little promise of any talent starring in the film. All I had was an assurance from Ali, that on the day people would be there. For someone who likes planning shots and storyboarding this was a nightmare. One date got cancelled because the lead guy said he was on a holiday days before. It was a mess.

But somehow one fiercely hot day in August it all came together and we shot Hype, all drenched in sweat. I'm immensely proud of the film and everyone at the gym is too. Long live Stonebridge Boxing Club.

Written, directed and edited by Grant Taylor
Cinematography - Caleb Wissun-Bhide
1st AC - Joseph Sy

Sound Design - Calum Bell
Grade - George Neave, Coffee & TV

Narrated by Rasheeda Paige-Muir
Starring - Mikael Lawal

Commissioned by
Media Trust
John Lyons
Stonebridge Boxing Club