BEAT PAN!

Breakdown of documentary.

 

Participants: Tom Berich

                       Bickley Rivera

 

-2 professional steel pan performers from the United States travel to Trinidad, the home of their instrument, to be filmed participating and competing in Panorama, the worlds largest steel pan competition with three different competitive large bands, each with as many as 120 members.

 

-They will spend 2 to 3 weeks in Trinidad learning music for this competition. There is a possibility (but no guarantee) that music will be received in the US prior to their arrival in Trinidad. Filming of their preparations (or lack) in the US will be a part of this as well.

 

-If no music is received, the participants will be forced to learn the music as it is learned in Trinidad: “by Rote”. Meaning, NO music is given and all music will be learned by imitation of hand patterns. This music can be rearranged and changed daily and even changed moments before their band goes on-stage for their competition.

 

-They will also convene on a nightly basis to perform together with a separate competitive band and share their experiences with each other and the viewers.

 

-When not rehearsing or participating in the Panorama festivities, the participants will act as cultural ambassadors learning, experiencing and discovering the music and culture that is unique to Trinidad and Tobago.

 

-The island groups that participate are each over 100 members and seldom have "foreigners" (i.e. Americans) participate in their groups, but that is slowly changing and these three are becoming part of that change. In fact this particular year has the first “world steelband competition in Trinidad” The idea of this documentary is three perspectives from three different people involved in three different bands (it should be noted that each group has it's very own idea of the history of the steel drum instrument and it's own key players IN that history that vary in significance which the participants will interview members and report on).

 

-Since it is a “competition”, there is a possibility that the participants may be “cut” from their band, even as late as the night before the competition. There is also a possibility that their BAND may be eliminated from the semifinals competition(generally 2 weeks prior to the finals). There is a considerable amount of drama that is involved with these possibilities.

 

-The festival generally finishes around 2 AM and that is when the top ten winners are announced. 2 days later is the beginning of the Carnival festival. It is argued that Trinidad has the second largest festival (after Rio de Janeiro). The participants may also report on this as well.