“Welcome to America”
Treatment by Isaac Deitz

– Introduction –

The song “Welcome to America” is an honest portrait of
America. The song focuses mostly on three different people and
their relationship to America as a country. The video could easily
go the literal route of having three different stories for each
character Lecrae represents, but for my treatment, I’d like to go
with the theme and feel of the song. Which is ‘struggling to be an
American’. My idea is something that will make the most sense
when executed. To explain some ideas is like attempting to
explain the color blue to a blind man, because somethings just
need to be seen and felt, instead of explained. But I understand
this is part of the selection process, so I’m going to try my best to
put you into my head. But I will say, I’m overly confident that I can
deliver this concept well and willing to do what it takes to get the
opportunity to make this video a reality.

– Idea –

The video would be a portrait into the struggles of America.
With the emphasis on the people in America not about the
landscapes, because I don’t want it to look like a tourism video
for America or a postcard, but a documentary of “The Life in a
Day of America”. Since the song addresses the stories of people
that rarely get to be heard, the video would be giving a
personality and story to all the people that American’s interact
with from day to day from the Indian gas station attendant,
Mexican immigrants on the side of the road waiting for work,

amputee veterans asking for spare change, prostitutes after a
job, drug dealers/gangsters with their family’s, cops on a beat,
stock footage of riots and news, bored teenagers getting into
trouble, McDonald’s employees, etc. But not as a far away view,
but a very up-close and personal look into all of their lives and
struggles.

Just like the video for Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” is a snapshot to
living in the projects of Brooklyn. This would be a snapshot to
living in America as a whole. It will focus on artistry of shots but
also rawness of documentary shooting. The song hints at
America being a melting pot of different cultures and the video
would be showing this but more specifically the cultures that get
brushed aside as unimportant because of politics and/or racism.
And in the same way it would be hard to write a treatment for “99
Problems”, I think some of the best videos ever made are hard to
put down on paper. But I’d love for you to sit down and listen to
the song and picture the personal lives of the different faces of
the people in America.

– Performance –

As far as the performance from Lecrae. I will go around
Atlanta for a day with him, riding taxis, walking down different
streets, taking Marta, sitting at park benches. I also don’t intend
on taking up his whole day. I don’t feel the need to get a ton of
footage of him, just some footage of him rapping to cut
throughout the video. Just like the song isn’t about him and he’s
talking on the level of his characters. I don’t want to have Lecrae
in some beautiful location separated from the characters. I want
to show Lecrae as an everyman, as “one of us”. Showing him in a
more gritty, honest look, instead of polished and make-up look. I think to make him flashy while showing the other stories would
make him come off as insensitive and separate.

– Additional –

I also edited some footage together as a ‘proof of concept’
to show the kind of feel and mood that I’m going for, though
these shots and editing aren’t exactly what I picture I think you
can get an idea of the feel.

Also, thanks again for keeping me in the family and letting
me write for these songs, it’s an honor.