"GANG" - A Short Film on Vogue Soulsearching from the New York Subway and Beyond

Dazed Digital has released a short film titled “GANG.” Produced by Jefferson Projects and directed by New York filmmaker Clayton Vomero, the film feats a cast that includes members of the Major Lazer dance team and Ghostface Killah’s son Infinite Coles. Clocking out to 17 minutes long, the beautiful piece follows Coles, Mela Murder and Denasia Moore throughout a day in New York — from malls to the subway, Staten Island to Queens. While it’s evident that each member is individually battling life’s hardships, there’s no denying that friendship and creative expression is what holds the group together through the thick and thin. Enjoy “GANG” above and check out a snippet of an interview with Vomero below where he speaks on the filming process.

How did you approach the filming process?

Clayton Vomero: I tend to approach things pretty raw. I don’t like a lot of people standing around, so I hire as few as I can get away with and for the most part the only people around while we’re shooting are me, camera, sound, and the cast. I just made everyone else wait in the van. And even though that’s just my style, it was also really specific to the subject matter. These stories too often get told from the outside looking in which results in people getting caught up with the generalities and cliches and stereotypes. But I wanted to say something from the inside looking out, because it’s my world: it’s where I come from. A graffiti mural, dancing, drugs – it’s not so curious to me. they’re just the details. i wanted to tell a real story about NY without the usual cliches and bullshit that outsiders get stuck on. We’re real people, with real feelings, living real lives and our approach to making art is different.

Did you come across any bumps along the way?

Clayton Vomero: Everything was smooth to the point of us all feeling blessed to have found each other. There was a bond in making this film that I’ve never experienced with anything before. From the music, to Stuart’s camerawork, to the moments that we captured, to the moments that were more scripted, we all felt like someone was watching over us from day one. We’d shoot on the weekends then regroup during the week to rewrite scenes, rehearse, and think of other things to do. It was an amazing experience to just breathe and adjust and focus on making something honest.