The PAY 2 PLAY Game Board

The documentary PAY 2 PLAY depicts the obstacles candidates face running for office, and the game board shown throughout the film relates these lessons.

In order to face any of our mounting problems, we need leaders who will listen to We The People, not just We The Wealthiest People. We set out to make a documentary about the obstacles to elected office, in hopes of encouraging reform and inspiring future candidates.

Something about the game Monopoly seemed like the right metaphor for our priced-out political process—perhaps because the player with the most money wins, just like in almost all elections. But upon discovering its true origins as an educational folk game taken over by a corporation, we realized how appropriate Monopoly really is as a symbol for the corporate takeover of our democracy.

The original idea was to show all the hoops a candidate would have to go through running for office, like pointers for campaign reform. But then it became clear there are so many larger forces at play in our elections that make it harder to have a voice in government (Party insiders, for instance). The squares acquired relevant names as we crafted the film, and pivotal concepts were delivered through re-imagined Community Chest cards, animated to hover over the game board, all ominous, like in Time Bandits.

In the final version of PAY 2 PLAY, we work our way around this virtual game board as we cover disenfranchisement, and at the end of the film we realize this game board in a large-scale street art endeavor. In Washington D.C., this board was just unfurled in McPherson Sq. as part of the 28th Amendment National Roadshow, traveling across the country organizing for an amendment to the Constitution overturning the Citizens United decision, affirming that Money is not Speech and Corporations are not People. You can watch today’s webcast of the 28th Amendment Roadshow here.

Check out this overhead view of the PAY 2 PLAY Board, created by L.A. street artist Teacher. The full-scale PAY 2 PLAY Board, seen created in our documentary, has been displayed at SXSW, Wall Street, Hollywood, Netroots Nation, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

PAY 2 PLAY Game Board on Wall Street

Our massive monopoly board was unfurled on Wall Street, reflecting the Pay-to-Play System of money in politics, with Money Out, Voters In and Common Cause NY on the 5th anniversary of Citizens United vs. FEC.