“You People”: A satire for equality

Laron Chapman does freelance film production work and screenwriting in Oklahoma. Since graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 2012, he has worked on a variety of high-profile film projects, including the Oscar-nominated August: Osage County (featuring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts), The Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman (featuring Ree Drummond), American Idol Season 13, and more.

This year, he is releasing a feature film centered on diversity, equality, tolerance and self-discovery, but as a satirical comedy. You People centers around an eclectic, eccentric group of friends which in a gay male, a lesbian woman, a transgender, a drag queen, as well as ethnic minorities.

The characters are young college students living in an intolerant, Bible-belt, conservative suburb. They are all suffering with their identity, their self-worth and being accepted by their families (and, more specifically, the community at large). They've all been victims of hate speech, stereotypes, and discrimination.

You People follows their journey to acceptance, embracing and loving who they are and boldly, courageously being their most authentic selves. While the story touches on a serious subject, it also finds humor in the absurdity of common stereotypes associated with these minority groups.

“As an African-American, gay male, these issues have governed my life, and this film is my constructive, creative response to them,” Chapman says. 

This screenplay has been praised at The Austin Film Festival (ranking in the top 20 percent of all submissions), The Final Draft Big Break Film Festival (placed as a quarter-finalist), and The Beverly Hills Screenplay Contest.

“Now that the script has been copyrighted, I plan to direct the film in the fall or early spring 2017.”

Chapman wants to bring to light “this story, this social message and this cause for exposure in the LGBT community,” he says. “I want...to introduce myself as a fresh, youthful voice working in Oklahoma’s film industry...telling stories that present the LGBT community as three-dimensional human beings instead of one-sided, negative and simplified archetypes we’re used to seeing.”

On Thursday, April 14, Chapman will officially launch the film campaign for You People with a ceremony at The Paramount in Downtown OKC (including Lance McDaniel, Artistic Director at deadCENTER Film and The Oklahoma Film Commission, as well as other local artists). Following the ceremony, Chapman will be campaigning for the production throughout the summer, making appearances at OKC Pride and The Boom.

“It is my mission to evoke compassion, love, tolerance and acceptance to this community through my work.”

To illustrate the campaign, watch this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8y63kq69h7wwixg/1.%20I%20Am%20Unique.mp4?dl=0

The Gayly – 4/7/2016 @ 4:20 p.m. CST