soc doc 294a

BLACK COLLAR WORKER

-Scene Structure-

ACT 1

Plot: Introducing viewers to Anthony and this unique form of incarceration. Screen fades in with title cards to introduce the situation.

Scene 1

Title Card:

Private Prison: “Prison facilities run by private prison corporations whose services and beds are contracted out by state governments or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.” (Justice Bureau of Stats)

The private prison industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the country, growing 1600% between 1990 and 2009.

As a whole the industry makes generates $5.1 billion annually.

For the last 6 years Anthony Robinson Jr. has been an inmate at a Corrections Corporations of America (CCA) facility in Northern Mississippi. He was shipped there in 2009 after serving 10 years in his home state of California.

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Scene 2

Stockton, CA

Plot: Introduce Anthony’s mother. She describes his sentence and him as a person. Start to build emotional relationship to this person the viewer can’t see, but character on screen has a deep love for.

B-Roll of Anthony’s old neighborhood in Stockton.

- “K” comes in and tells the camera that Anthony has been shipped out of state for a particular crime. He is now in a private prison.

• Fade in - Stockton, CA -

“K”

• “Well,  Anthony was convicted of Armed Robbery and Carjacking, but I guess in the state of California, you can’t be charged for both, it’s double jeopardy...
• He was just 18 and didn’t know any better so he took a plea bargain and received a 23 year sentence. I have the document right here, the judge didn’t even sign it. I’m pretty sure that’s illegal...

“K” shows old photos of Anthony. He was always such a good kid. So smart.

Scene 3

San Francisco, CA

Plot: introduce Anthony as a writer and incarcerated activist. Talk about CA’s racist policies and the economic incentives to target Black people. Start to build tension and anger towards system. Also, confusion - this system needs to be explained

Mary Ratcliff. Been writing her for ten years. Background on Bayview - resource for prisoners.

(Scene of Mary showing camera a copy of the two slaves - End on the black experience)

Enter Zo - Walking into office from the street.

Zo - Anthony is very interesting. He has a unique perception. On Mass Incarceration and the targeting of Black People. Profit incentive.

Mary Ratcliff - She talks about how he started sending his essay “Two slaves” to her, for publication, from prison.

(scrolling down computer screen with 2 slaves posted)

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Scene 4

(Animation)

Two slaves “Anthony” recites some more from his bed. - Animation - Kinetic Typography to animate the text. [IDENTIFICATION POEM]

“I am a slave to a capitalist system!”

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ACT 2 - CCA and the private prison industry

Scene 1

Berkeley, CA

Plot: Breakdown of the Private Prison industry. Clear up confusion on why Anthony has been targeted, incarcerated and then shipped away. VALIDATION OF MY ARGUMENT. CONCRETE EVIDENCE.

Observational footage following Chris from BART to his office.

Christopher Petrella. For-profit corporations seek a prisoner population. interested in maintaining high demand for their services.

• Show graphs from his work. Show contract between CCA and CA.

Anthony - Intro of 2 slaves part 1. Audio introduction to Anthony. We here his voice.

(CDCR Commercial - keeping America safe)

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Animation, Timeline - See script/treatment

• Recap of the history of CA’s overcrowding (Supreme Court case) and the sale of prisoners by Arnold and Jerry Brown to Private Corporations. ala harvest of empire/the kingdom.
• Shipment of Anthony to Mississippi.

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ACT 3 - Anthony’s move to Mississippi (the plantation)

Berkeley, CA - Tutwiler, MS

Plot: Reasons to the transfer of inmates from California to Mississippi. Getting more connected to Anthony. Growing frustration and empathy towards Anthony. Anger towards the industry. Visual introduction of Tutwiler.

[Anthony animation - underneath the audio]

“Anthony” writing part of two slaves. “I am a slave.” “The first time I’ve ever heard the word Negro was here in Mississippi.” It looks like something out of a history book here.

[B-Roll of TCCF and shots of Tutwiler]

Christopher Petrella. CCA targets poor towns. Guards at CCA have a very poor track record.

“K.” I can’t see him. I’ve never been able to visit, because he is so far away.

ACT 4 -  Life in Tutwiler

Plot: Compare the impoverished, rural life of Tutwiler to the Black experience and connect the town to the prison.

Scene 1 - Town

Title cards placed between interviews with stats about the town (demographics, average income, location in relation to other towns). No opportunity in town. Walmart and prison are the only options. etc.

(No title cards for names)

Lee Arthur Miller. There ain’t nothing here

Tommy Jones. My whole family is from here. used to be a thriving town. This is where the blues is from.

Shun. Eating noodles with his family.

Scene 2 - Introduction/roll of prison

Lee Arthur Miller: on when prison came

Tupac: underpaid employees

Scene 3 - no opportunity/Farm labor and slavery

Renelle. it’s crazy here. We’re still enslaved

“Choppin Cane” sequence. - Transition into next scene

ACT 5 - Conclusion

Scene 1 - Wrap up private prison. Targeting poor black people. Taking advantage of public ignorance.

Christopher Petrella. This is a racist system that targets minorities.

Zo - shared experience of black people. Anthony is a Revolutionary Slave.

Mary Ratcliff. It’s a shame and when he get’s out he is going to do wonders.

“K.” A speaker phone conversation between K and Anthony. K is giving him encouragement and tears up after she hangs up.

• “I miss you too baby, see you soon” -
• OR
• Climax/End with “K” finding out that the judge did not sign the plea bargain

Title cards over a sunset shot or the “stop sign” shot.

• Anthony is free in six years.
• He has been eligible for early parole, but due to being incarcerated out of state, he is unable to appeal. CA law requires prisoners to serve 60% of their time before appeal, he has served over 80%.
• go to freeanthony.org to sign a petition to have our brother sent back home to California. (maybe - too much??)

Music/Credits outro.