In the new era of the Internet, are we coming together?  Or becoming more polarised than ever?

It’s time for a multidimensional rap journey into the arguments that humans are having on-line in this day and age.

Three alien space travellers from a distant star system visit earth orbit to find out <b>What in the Name of Reason</b> is going on with humanity.

This is a brand new rap debate concept, focussing on the way we as humans are carrying out arguments online. This one-man show is an absurdist mix of Trap Beats, Rap Lyrics, Home-made Junk Props and Costumes, Logic, Comedy and Philosophy. 

There’s never been anything quite like it. 

It’s T.R.A.P.

Trappist Rational Alien Patrol

So here’s the deal. Since leaving Rap News, I’ve been thinking about doing another Rap Debate show, but of a different kind. Something with less overt agenda - more academic, more dispassionate. Slowly but surely this crazy idea began to gestate in my weird head. What would rational aliens make of the on-line debates we’re currently engaged in? How would they go about helping us out to argue with each other a little less destructively?

What resulted from a lot of brainstorming and creative idea-crunching was this show: T.R.A.P. - a show in which three Rational aliens visit the cybersphere to check out humans engaged in on-line arguments, and provide some corrective advice where possible. 

I set about assembling the show, and the team who could make it happen. I even sourced a few micro loans from friends so that I could pay for what needed to be built and designed up front, so I could shoot the thing. 

And then, this being a ridiculously ambitious idea, the finance covered the prop building, the set design, the make-up, the baby-sitting, and 4 full days of shooting, and the editing of this teaser trailer… but not the editing of the main content.

So, I now have four pieces of content on a hard drive waiting to be edited. The scripts are strong, the beats are loud, the footage looks great. But I need to source more capital so that my (very quick and generous) editor Flo can get the job done in a timely fashion. 

The four pieces of content are:

• Pilot - “The Trap”
• Episode 1 - "Flat Earth Theory”
• Episode 2 - “Climate Change”
• Episode 3 - “On-Line Warrior”

With your contribution, I can pay Flo the fees necessary to tie him to the computer for the days that will be required to get this done. Each episode is insanely complex, with Chroma Key on multiple characters, special FX, 4K footage of the Alien ship, and a mad amount of quick cuts and composite shots - it's really a huge job!

But if it goes off like I'm hoping, then this show can be a something of a beacon of reason in these strange times - an exhortation to try and understand those we disagree with, instead of excoriating them - to use facts in discussion, because the truth is crazy enough - to move away from the deleterious policing or shutting down of others' thought, and instead engage in robust argument and dialogue. Or failing all that, it should just be a rollicking good time, with some great flows and beats, a few laughs and very silly costumes and props. And either way, I'm hoping that this 3-part season is just the beginning - the introduction to these Alien entities, and the tools they can weild in the realm of discussion.

 Yeah, it's a bit of a dream upon a dream. Thanks so much for helping make it happen!

Money raised through this campaign will exclusively be used to pay Flo a fee for Editing the content.

GOAL: $3150 - this will get the Pilot and Episode 1 edited 

STRETCH GOAL: $5250 - Episodes 1 and 2 + The Pilot edited 

ULTIMATE GOAL: $7350 - The Whole season will be edited!

This is Flo in his lab. He's a very efficient and innovative editor, and the only person I know who could handle a project this complex in such a rapid time. 

There are other expenses still to cover on this, mainly the mixing and mastering of the audio track on each episode, but I will cover that through Patreon Contributions. This is DJ Wasabi's brand new HighPoint Studio, where the audio will be mixed and mastered: 

BUDGET SO FAR:

Production so far on this project has cost $6000. I raised this amount through micro-loans from friends, that I am paying back over time. 

This amount covered:

• 5 days of Director of Photography
• 2 days Professional Make-up artist
• 3 days babysitting while I was on set
• 4 costumes designed and made from scratch
• Bespoke alien props constructed for the set
• Setting up a rickety steel shed to be completely dark inside during the day (surprisingly difficult) and to look like an Alien Ship
• Wigs and Costumes
• Licenses for several Rap Instrumentals

Some images of the behind the scenes to show what we've been up to so far:

Setting up the Alien Ship in the Shed, with the help of Flo and Zoe

Putting the all important Smoke on...

Everyone knows alien space ships are basically 90's discos

Liz getting my eyebrows on Fleek

This is me in my natural state before they put my YOUTHFUL make up on everyday

The Shed also doubled as Green Screen space for many characters

Including a Climate Protester "Socha"

And this character... 

classy