Sign Your Name

From the producers of the award-winning film The Kingfish 2, comes this short drama written and directed by Tab Edwards and starring Jordan Webber, Xavier Edwards, Omar Long and Ursula Augustine. This project is loosely based on the struggles of American singer and songwriter Sananda Maitreya (formerly Terence Trent D'Arby).

The story takes place in Philadelphia, where acclaimed signer Artist X (Edwards) is in the middle of a tour, along with fellow music artist and girlfriend, Cupcake (Webber). They are currently in a hotel room and receive an unexpected visit by music producer, Omar (Long), who is not happy. He is displeased because he has found out that Artist X plans to transition from Pop R&B to Rock music and Omar believes that R&B will make more money. Faced with this disapproval, Artist X struggles to hold on to what he wants.

This story centres on an individual who has had an epiphany, who has reached a point in their life where they want a complete change, to go down a different path. The confrontation comes in the form of Omar, who detests the singer's idea of pursuing other genres and demands that he remains on his current objectives. With Cupcake's support, Artist X holds maintains his inner strength and continues to follow his goal. Since the plot involves acclaimed singers and is inspired by the experiences of an actual music artist, it probably would not be surprising that there are segments where the film becomes a music video and they work well, with the songs Stronger and Sign Your Name adding significant value.

The appearance of slow motion was apparently done with the intention of elevating the drama, however, it mostly succeeds in making the scenes awkward. One other awkward element would be the sight of fish and frogs. What is their significance? Another downside is the acting, which is not convincing in general.

Although this film is not intended to be a true story, Artist X seems to be a character that represents Maitreya in certain ways, as for one thing, he physically resembles him and for another, both Maitreya and Artist X went through a crucial phase of self-identity. Cupcake is the young artist's rock, a young woman who supports him and believes in his ambitions. Omar's character represents the dark side of the music industry, a greedy, manipulative and inconsiderate producer who focuses solely on profits.

This short serves as a commentary about the music industry, particularly the challenges that surround the life of a pop star, particularly when it comes to artists being pressured against their will in the interest of profit. Born from the real-life experiences of a singer, this story explores fame, self-discovery, self-esteem, free will, support, manipulation and greed.

A short about a singer who wants to change their life. The acting might be poor, however, it does not prevent this film from getting its point across. It also acknowledges the struggles of Maitreya and the footage of him is a plus.