Up Another LVL, a full-length documentary charting a year in the life of drum and bass supergroup SaSaSaS, is the work of Alex Brawley, Isaac Reeder, Jordan Adcock and Noah Harries, who all graduated last year from the BA (Hons) Film and TV Production course at Anglia Ruskin’s Cambridge campus.
Alex Brawley, the film’s producer, said that the idea for the project came about while he was listening to music at university. He explained: “I was listening to the Wu Tang Album ‘36 Chambers’ and thought to myself ‘these guys are amazing rappers and worth millions, I wonder if the MCs in drum and bass earn as much money as them?’
“So I tweeted the group SaSaSaS saying I was a documentary film maker and would love to spend a few days with them and film what they got up to, on and off the stage. To my amazement they replied, and the next thing you know, I am sat in Pret A Manger at St Pancras drinking lattes and eating a panini with one of the group, Skibadee.”
Alex, who lives in Luton, then approached fellow students Isaac Reeder (director), Noah Harries (editor) and Jordan Adcock (camera), along with childhood friend Declan Burley (camera), to get the project off the ground. And he can’t believe what started life on twitter, is about to result in a glittering London premiere.
“Seeing the film being premiered in Leicester Square, well it’s beyond our expectations and we owe this to DJ Phantasy who became just as involved in the film as us,” added Alex.
“Following SaSaSaS for a year was probably the most amazing, fun and stressful thing I have ever had to do, and I know the rest of the guys would agree with me. It was definitely a learning curve and we can’t wait to start our next projects!
“I am hoping to start filming a documentary on live action role playing, or LARP, this summer. Isaac Reeder is now the go-to rave videographer for all drum and bass DJs and MCs and is making a very big name for himself, while Noah Harries and Jordan Adcock have started their own production company called Black Comet Films, so make sure to check them out!”
Sophie Jackson, Course Leader for the Film and Television Production degree at Anglia Ruskin, said: “I am extremely proud of Alex, Isaac, Jordan and Noah. It’s remarkable to be able to launch your first feature length documentary in less than a year after graduation, and a real credit to their tenacity and professionalism.
“It’s great to see them go from strength to strength. Their graduation film, a short documentary focusing on DJ Stormin of SaSaSaS, won the audience favourite award at NAHEMI’s Eat Our Shorts Student Film Festival. I’m sure we will see more from them in the future.”