Graffiti Daze Pitch (TV Series, 55 minute Drama)
Logline: African American artist Jean Michel Basquiat struggles to make it to the top of the New York art world while trying to balance family pressures, career competition and personal relationships in New York's early eighties Hip Hop, Graffiti and East Village art scenes.
Welcome to the early 80's 'New York Art World'! Big hair is in, the Yuppies have just arrived, and young, struggling artist, Jean Michel Basquiat, has just gotten off the A train to East Village downtown Manhattan. 'Graffiti Daze' is a drama series inspired by the rags to riches story of Jean Michel Basquiat as he tries to make it in the high end New York art world. Love affairs, drugs, sex and the city,ambtious intrigues and career and family drama are all set against themes of Jean Michel’s multicultural African, American, Haitian, Puerto Rican heritage and the exploding NY 80's cultural scene. The world of the series is set in New York City, specifically:
Jean Michel’s Jones Street studio, the downtown Mudd Club and downtown gallery scene.
The main character is Jean Michel Basquiat visionary artist, dreamer, lover, sometimes drug addict and graffiti poet.
The larger series narrative arc traces Jean Michel’s artistic and personal development from his early 20’s to maturity and top of the New York art world over seven amazing years. The series has incredible marketing potential for both a younger demographic for art, graffiti art and hip hop history angles and a wider audience interested in character relationship drama. Surrounding Jean Michel are:
Suzanne Mallouk - Basquiat’s complex, half Palestinian/half British Canadian girlfriend.
Basquiat’s parents – his voluptuous dark-skinned and troubled institutionalized Puerto Rican mother, Mathilde and first generation Haitian immigrant accountant father, Gerard and shadows of his voodoo past. Annina Nosei – Basquiat’s Italian feminist gallery dealer
A surrounding ensemble of gallery owners, art world hustlers and artists, including
Andy Warhol, Madonna and Fab Five Freddy.
Abel J. Kane - Basquiat’s protégé and nemesis, a Salieri figure to Basquiat’s Mozart- like Art world enfant terrible prodigy.
The pilot episode “Night Bird" begins with Basquiat meeting the love of his life in an East Village Bar, Night Birds and setting up the New York art scene and Basquiat’s family, personal and career challenges as a struggling African American Artist. The wider series is set against the larger backdrop of Basquiat and Mallouk’s multi-racial heritage and interracial relationship in NY’s fledgling York hip hop, graffiti break dancing 80’s art culture.
This is an incredibly moving, funny, romantic and dramatic series set during an amazing historical New York time and has strong potential for multiple years of episodes. Again, thank you for taking the time to listen. I’ll be happy to answer questions and share the story bible and pilot.