Broken Life

Blue Foundation did the score for the short film "Go All Day" feat. Chaz Ortiz.
The film was directed by Steve Berra and Colin Kennedy.
A half year later we asked Colin Kennedy if he wanted to direct a music video for us.
He came back with the idea of following “Pepper”, the self proclaimed Mayor of Skid Row.

video credits

Direction: Colin Kennedy & Daniel Duarte
Edit: Colin Kennedy
Camera: Colin Kennedy & Daniel Duarte
Sound Mix: Tobias Wilner
Color Timing: Bossi Baker

director biograhpy - Daniel Duarte

Since his humble days as a teenager working for free, filming and editing his friends skateboarding,
Daniel knew he had a vision, he wanted to share with the world.
After attending college, working on countless freelance jobs within reality television and skateboarding,
he landed a role with the gifted and elite film making team at the acclaimed website, The Berrics.
Having worked on hundreds of short films and entertaining projects, Daniel was later recruited to start a new chapter,
working with the creative lifestyle brand LRG to bring the company's visions alive through film and storytelling.

director biograhpy - Colin Kennedy

Born in 1979 in New York and shortly thereafter relocated to the sunny climate of southern California,
Colin Kennedy was raised amidst the boom of 1980’s California culture.
A life long skateboarder, Colin has been making films for the skateboarding industry for nearly 14 years.
He has worked with skateboarders from every walk of life including Tony Hawk,
Geoff Rowley, Paul Rodriguez, Steve Berra, Rob Dyrdek, Jamie Thomas, Eric Koston and numerous others.
Colin has created feature length skateboard films for DVS Shoe Company, television episodes
for Fuel TV and commercials for Red Bull, Gatorade, Quiksilver and others.
Currently, Colin lives in Los Angeles with his family and works as the Vice President of Creative
for TheBerrics.com where he focuses on special, one-off content for the site.

about

Much to its chagrin, Los Angeles has the distinction of being the homeless capital of the United States.
The single highest concentration within the city is a neighborhood known as Skid Row.
You might expect Skid Row to be the type of neighborhood that borders the fringes of civilization.
Somewhere far beyond the shiny cars and pressed Italian suits worn by bankers and captains of industry.
Somewhere far enough out of our daily lives that we aren’t forced to deal with the unsettling sight of men, women and children living in conditions unfit for human beings.
The truth is, Skid Row is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and it’s no more than 4 blocks in any direction from the financial center,
fashion district, trendy restaurants, overpriced lofts, tourist destinations, sports arenas and even City Hall.
I work in an old warehouse-turned-office-building located just a few blocks from the invisible boarder of Skid Row.
Everyday I see men and women rummaging through the dumpsters that dot our semi-industrial street hoping to catch a break and find something of use.
Most keep to themselves, pushing shopping carts with their heads hung low, avoiding eye contact. But then there’s “Pepper”, the self proclaimed Mayor of Skid Row.

Pepper

Pepper is a larger than life personality who is as smart and witty as most comedians.
Pepper is incredibly candid about his life and stories on the street and with his pleasant disposition, it’s hard to imagine that he’s been homeless in LA for over 22 years.
Pepper is also diabetic and therefore you’re likely to see him with a can of soda in his hand at nearly all times.
Occasionally, Pepper collects palettes and sells them to a local vendor.
One of the most fascinating things about Pepper is that he’s always on the move.
He’s not a panhandler or someone who sits around waiting for charity to come his way. Everyday, he finds what he calls “a hustle”.
His hustle is basically his method of getting money for food, water and whatever else he needs on a daily basis.
Pepper has established himself as a neighborhood staple and has performed odd jobs here and there for many of the local businesses.
And for as much as we know about Pepper and his hustles, none of us has actually ever spent the entire day with him,
seeing what he sees, hearing what he hears and interacting with the people who comprise his world. - Colin Kennedy

photos