Little Black Book | Jams x Bash

Little Black Book | Jams x Bash

To celebrate the quarter-century milestone of the Broadway musical production of ‘The Lion King’, ArtClass’ Brooklynite directors Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart, known as ‘Jams x Bash’, filmed a branded short film, titled ‘Generations’, which weaves two stories from 1997 and 2022 to showcase the long-lasting legacy of the show.

The emotional spot commemorates the production’s power to connect generations, bringing them together over a common love and appreciation of the visuals, music, and the story told in ‘The Lion King’. Intercutting from 1997 to the present day through some inventive filmmaking and editing (also done in-house at ArtClass), the film explores the bonds it has forged with millions of families globally and utilises the vibrant colours, characters and sounds of the production to embody the excitement of the show itself. Shot entirely on location in New York, the film also highlights the place that ‘The Lion King’ on Broadway holds in the hearts of New Yorkers.

To discuss how they built a detailed world for the film’s characters, time travelling through intricate camera work between two time periods and the challenge of communicating the in-the-moment energy and grandeur of theatre, Jams x Bash spoke with LBB’s Ben Conway.