Filming of Red Light Go spread out over 2 years, numerous races and was shot on a multitude of formats. The filmmakers devised a number of cunning rigs to capture the fast pace of life on the streets of New York. This meant that the filmmakers often had to get mobile, ride in cargo bikes, pedicabs or on their own bikes with helmet cams strapped to their heads so they capture a side by side experience with this elite group of messengers before, during and after the races. Their goal was to give the audience the most life like, exhilarating experience…. Check it out and enjoy the ride!
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They’re demonized in virtually every major city in the United States as an annoyance to both pedestrians and drivers... they’ll nearly knock you down in the blink of an eye, then curse you for getting in their way...and they’re often dressed -- and pierced -- outrageously. But when you need them, they’re true life savers.
Bicycle messengers are among the most unappreciated elements of urban life, but a new documentary is setting out to change that. “Red Light Go,” produced by Manny Kivowitz, Ben Barraud and Toby Barraud, is a look at the life of typical -- i.e., hardcore -- messengers at work on the streets of New York City, which is considered one of the toughest cities in the country for their line of work.
The film takes it's viewers into this cloistered world through it's focus on the messengers’ passion for “alleycat races,” law breaking bike races held several times a year that separate the “men from the boys” in a community of passionate cyclers. These carefully constructed, themed races, utilize the entire city as a course, and include checkpoints and other elements that challenge the riders to their limits. Designed by the messengers themselves, who take turns laying out the courses, alleycats are the X-Sports of the messenger world -- a “busman’s holiday” of grueling cycling.
The race scenes are among the highlights of the piece, and are shot to maximize the experience of a viewer being in the midst of the action. Manny Kivowitz says that one of the biggest challenges was filming the Halloween alleycat race in October 2000, which was some of the earliest footage his crew shot. An experienced director of photography, one of his goals was to capture the energy of the race and the passion of its participants. This technically daunting task was accomplished by testing and rigging cameras in a variety of ways, so the camera people could ride the race along with the messengers.
The messengers who appear on camera are an unexpected surprise -- articulate, intelligent and politically conscious men and women who consider themselves athletes, and who choose to do this work instead of living a traditional nine-to-five lifestyle. Among the film’s more charismatic personalities is Eric, one of the leaders of the alleycat races, who was in jail during production for an unnamed crime. He is interviewed at a correctional facility, where he talks about missing the lifestyle, and the freedom it afforded him. His friends keep him in the loop as much as possible, and allow him to have input on the alleycat race courses even while behind bars.
How did the messenger community react to the film? Kivowitz, who has maintained relationships with a number of the subjects included in “Red Light Go,” says, “It definitely took a while to gain their trust, and to be allowed access to their lives. We spent a lot of time hanging out with them, so they could feel comfortable with us. We worked hard to prove that our intention was to show their passion for their lifestyle, not to exploit them. I can say that the messengers who have seen the film are very happy with the results. It’s an honest look at how they see themselves, and at the races that are an important part of their identity.”