Filmmakers Kleshaam “Sham” Shakir, Terrell Van Sciver, and Steve Carlyle were back in Fresno, CA for the second time to show their documentary “Charge It to the Game” and I finally got a chance to sit down and talk to them about their film. This short documentary is amazing and it has exceeded the expectations of many! Just watching it you can see the time and effort put into the making of this film.
During our conversation, I got to ask them the many questions I had and also talk with them about the film in general. We spoke about why they started this project, how long it took them to make the film from the very first day to the last day of editing, the best parts about making the film, the obstacles they faced, and their hopes for the film.
The first week of June in 2015 was the start for them. Sham and his brother Terrell had a conversation about how they grew up and the environment they were in during that time. They were seeing people get caught up in gang violence and they wondered how to get to the bottom of it. One of the main things they wanted to focus on was the change between generations.
They talked a lot about how although it is all gang culture it is very different now than it was years ago. It took a total of eight months, June to February, for them to finish the project. That time included gathering ideas, figuring out the focus of the film, filming, and editing. It may not seem like it but it takes so much work and dedication to put something like this together.
They went into it with the mindset of giving people from these neighborhoods a chance to get their voices heard and share their stories. They did everything they set out to do. They made sure to get authenticity and keep it as raw as possible. They ended up with so much footage that many parts did not even make it into the final documentary we see now but after finishing it all three of the guys said it came out even better than they expected it to!
The guys and I also talked about the obstacles they faced while making the documentary. They said sometimes they would be accused of being part of the gangs and in some areas people tried to kick them out. Scheduling was another problem they faced; it wasn’t like this was the only thing they had going on at the time.
Certain people would back out of interviews and according to them it was sometimes hard to work around that. Steve also pointed out that in some places people really did not want the cameras around. After talking about the obstacles they faced I went on to ask the guys what they felt was the best part about making the film and they each had a different answer. For Terrell, it was the scenes that didn't make it into the film. Steve said it was the fact that it was an eye opener to see the youth and how they have to adapt to that environment. He went on to talk about how some of these kids really have no option but to live this type of life. The best part for Sham was getting the golden pass and being able to go where others would not be able to. Also, expanding their horizons and seeing how different people’s world is just down the street.
I have now seen CITTG twice and although I was expecting it to be great, it really did more for me than I thought it would. I did not know much about the film before I saw it the first time except that it was a documentary that talked about gang culture. I cannot get through this article without saying how truly inspired I was not only by the film but by the film makers as well.
The film was shot in Los Angeles, my hometown and because of that I was able to view this from a different perspective than many that were in the room watching it with me. The subject and area hit home for me and it made me happy that someone was showcasing the life so many people live. There are many documentaries about gangs but this one definitely stands out.
You can see how passionate people get when they talk about the subject of gang culture and how it has changed over time. One of the last questions I asked them was what do they hope people gain from this film. They want people to get the authenticity of the situation, gain a new perspective on this subject, get their unanswered questions answered, and to understand that these gang members, the ones talked about and seen in the film and others that aren’t, are some of the most intelligent people you could ever meet.
After seeing the film I was so proud of this incredible group of young men and what they have accomplished. I tell Sham all the time about how much this film means to me and what it did for me. Talking to Steve, Terrell, and Sham made me wish I was there with them when they were making this film because I know it probably felt like the biggest accomplishment when they finally finished it.
That long eight months of gathering their ideas, conducting these interviews, and editing too were well worth it because now they get to showcase their work all over. The film is available on YouTube and it already has over 1,000 views! I am only expecting that number to grow and I know the film will continue to reach audiences everywhere. Check out the preview below and the official documentary here. I hope after you all watch it you love it just as much as I do!
