金

K I N

© ASHER PENN, 2018

物語
STORY
LOGLINE
In the wake of gangster rap mogul King Slim’s
mysterious murder, his son Maze is sent to Japan for
some concert appearances and to settle a streetwear
deal. As business meetings goes sour, members of
his crew begin to disappear. When Maze realizes
his host’s are responsible for his father’s death he is
forced to defend himself and his family’s honor.
SYNOPSIS
Los Angeles hIp hop mogul King Slim has been
murdered. As the media speculate the cause of
death, the community and family mourns. At the
funeral. Slim’s son Maze the rapper is unable to cry.
Weeks later, Maze is brought to Cash Ugly Records
to meet with his uncle, Sr8 Dave. Maze is being sent
to Japan to do a concert, make an a popup shop
appearance and help settle a deal for a streetwear
company called KIN. He’ll travel with Chen who
handles manufacturing, his step brother Buck, and
the rest of the crew.
Arriving in Tokyo, Maze’s team is greeted by
their host Jin, a young, stylish businessman. Jin
introduces everyone to his friends, and the group
embarks on a drug fueled night of endless clubsa nd
bars. The evening ends poorly when Buck throws a
bottle at Jin’s assistant Ryu for butchering a karaoke
performance of a King Slim track.
The next morning Jin takes Maze,and Chen for a
meeting at KIN. The designers, Taka & Jun have
already spent that quarters budget and are unwilling
to compromise on materials. Chen is infuriated and
threatens to shut the company down, storming out.
That night, everyone goes to a party where a Japanes
rapper Koh is perforing. Koh, a well versed fan
of Maze, hates Jin’s “rich kid” crew and insists on
taking him out to see the “real Tokyo.” They go
to an undeground after hours party where Maze
meets Mari, an ex-idol turned cold-wave musician.
Watching her play, Maze develops a crush.
The next day at the popup shop there are lineups
around the block. When Jin refuses to give the
numbers on sales and Chen explodes, calls Jin a liar
and goes to the hotel. Everyone else goes to an idol
concert where Jin has box seats. Jin’s father, Hiro
shows up, offering Maze, saying he looks just like his
father.
The next morning Maze gets a text message from
Chen saying he went back to the USA. Jin takes
Maze and Buck to the venue where they are playing.
During the drive, Jin calls Chen a “warugaki” that
just doesn’t understand how business works in Japan.
The concert is crazy, with Koh, his crew and Mari
showing up. At the afterparty, Buck gives Maze some
ecstacy. Maze and Mari make out and leave for her
place. The rest of the crew go to an afterhours bar
that gets raided by the police and Buck gets arrested
for posession.
The next morning, Mari tells Maze that when she
was an idol she was forced to sleep with Hiro. Their
conversation is interupted by a call from Str8 Dave.
He tells Maze about the arrest and to pack up-
everyone is leaving. On the way to the airport Maze
checks Chen’s location- he is still in Japan.
Maze follows the location to Jin’s office. When he
confronts Jin, tells him to leave before he ends up
with Buck. Maze attacks Jin, and is beaten badly by
Ryu & Ken who leaves him on the street.
Maze calls Mari who takes him to Koh’s apartment
in the projects. The three go to Koh’s grandfather,
Tori’s house in the country to hide and recover. Tori
empathizes with Maze- he left the city to escape
from Hiro during the gang wars of the 90’s. Koh get’s
a call from his crew telling him Jin and Ryu raided
the projects looking for Maze and his friend jumped
from a balcony to escape. Koh and Mari vow to help
Maze have his revenge.
The trio return to the city where Koh’s crew ambush
Jin at his office. Mari calls Hiro and asks to come
over, sneaking in Maze. Maze enters the apartment
to find Hiro singing Karaoke. Hiro tells Maze that
King Slim had been his best friend, but he didn’t
understand business- that was why he had to die .
Maze kills Hiro, takes Mari and leaves Japan.
CONCEPT
American hip hop and Japanese pop culture have
long shared a relationship based around mutual
fetishism. While novelty and exoticism can be an
escapist means towards new markets this shallow
transactional arrangement ensures that conflict
is inevitable publicly, privately and unconsciously
within this union. KIN is an opportunity to
explore this exploitative dynamic by confronting
two cultures where entertainment, commerce and
crime can and have overlapped.
TONE
Imagine Lost in Translation meets Belly with nods
towards Enter the Void, Tokyo Drift, Brother, and
Ghost Dog. Giving a central role to music, fashion
and celebrity in the film’s story and style, KIN is an
opportunity to showcase and cameo generations of
real life creatives within a fictional narrative.
 人柄
CHARACTERS
KING SLIM
A lifelong gangster surrounded by impossible
mythos. His label, Cash Ugly Records broke
out multiple stars with ruthless entrepreurship.
Unwilling to back down in any conflict, King
Slim never trusted anyone he worked with. An
infamous womanizer, he was “everyone’s father”,
a role that led to the neglect of his own family.

MAZE
King Slim’s son. Growing up in the high stakes,
stressful environment of Cash Ugly Records, Maze
seeked personal escape through creativity. As a
rapper, skateboarder, and anime fan, his interests
have always seemed too soft for the family business.
Despite poor record sales, he has a niche following
online, which his father never took seriously.
STR8 DAVE
Maze’s Uncle. Has handled the everyday activities of
Cash Ugly Records, a role that has involved putting
out a lot of fires created by King Slim. While he
did his best to be there for Maze when his father
couldn’t, Str8 Dave’s overwhelming responsibilities
has often made that task impossible in reality. He
often feels left in the dark.

BUCK
Maze’s step-brother who joined the family in his
teens. Raised in the projects, he is grateful for his
new life and is being groomed as one of Cash Ugly
Records rising stars. While in many ways sharing
a closer relationship to King Slim than Maze he is
fiercely loyal and cannot understand why his step-
brother is so unhappy.
CHEN
Originally from Hong Kong, Chen has negotiated
and managed many brands between east and west
for the past two decades. He has always found
working in Japan frustrating, feeling his lack of
status leaves him to be the butt of racist treatment.
He’s been in this business long enough not to let that
deter him and is a ruthless negotiator.

JIN
The son of crime boss Hiro, Jin is desperate to
emulate his father’s image. Studying economics
in the USA, he discovered an appreciation for
American culture, inspiring him to bring artists to
Japan. His fathers discouragement left Jin to pursue
his aspirations independently, surrounding himself
with the fashionable elite and would-be-gangsters.
KOH
Aspiring rapper Koh was born in the Tokyo projects
surrounded by crime and drug addiction. A true
culture hound, he learned to rap by watching
youtube, and his own viral videos have earned him
modest success . He hates the shallow rich kids who
import talent to Japan that refuse to support him,
making his own career an uphill battle.

HIRO
A legendary Tokyo crime boss, Hiro left Tokyo for
the US to escape 90’s gang wars. While in America,
he worked for King Slim, a relationship that soured
over time. Hiro believes that working overseas
doesn’t work, loves Japan, and is generally dismayed
by the globalist economics his son chooses to
embrace.
MARI
A retired Idol turned cold-wave musician Mari
enjoys the underground scene for it’s progressive
politics and creative freedom. When she was an idol
she was forced to sleep with middle aged gangsters
like Hiro and is still disturbed by his families
pervasive influence in Tokyo life today.

TORI
Koh’s grandfather who relocated to the country
to escape the Tokyo gang wars of the 90’s. An
experiemental musician and ceramicist, Tori’s
approach to all creative endevors is spiritual.
Posessing a wealth of knowledge he has always
encouraged his grandson’s creativite aspirations,
RYU & KEN
Jin’s assistant and driver. Co-owner of an after
hours bar that only plays vinyl records. Missing a
finger, and has a scar on his scalp. Doesn’t speak
English and is generally clueless about who the
people arethat Jin brings to Japan. Has easy access
to drugs and weapons.

TAKA & JUN

Streetwear designer with cult following. Slow
moving and unwilling to ompromise his vision
or process for anyone. Doesn’t speak English and
doesn’t like Jin, Chen or Maze- only works for them
because he has been blackmailed to do so.
MAZE
CREW

JIN
CREW

KOH
CREW
分隊
TEAM
 POTENTIAL WRITERS

DV DONALD KUNICHI
DEVINCENTIS GLOVER NOMUNORA
 POTENTIAL DIRECTORS

HARMONY CALI JONAH HIRO THE SAFDIE

KORINE DEWITT HILL MURAI BROTHERS
 POTENTIAL CINEMATOGRAPHERS

SEAN BILL NATHAN

WILLIAMS STROBECK CORBIN
 POTENTIAL PRODUCERS

ERIKO KEN SCOTT DANNY

MIYAGAWA KAO RUDIN GABAI
 物語
CONTACT

Asher Penn
asherpenn@gmail.com
604 618 5134
 感謝
THANK YOU