Reginald Hudlin, writer/director

Black music videos weren’t played on MTV in the late 80s. So while I was still at Harvard, I’d make music videos in my head. One day, while listening to Bad Boy/Having a Party by Luther Vandross, I thought: “This could be a great music video or movie.” And I sat down that night and wrote a script for a short film that ended up not only being made but shown at festivals and becoming a big hit in the world of student films. Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It had piqued interest in up-and-coming black film-makers. New Line Cinema saw my short and brought me in for a meeting. I pitched an expanded version of my idea and they said: “Let’s do it.”

The studio wanted Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Instead, I asked Kid ’n Play – AKA Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin – to star. I loved their music videos, their style, their look. But I still had to convince New Line. They said: “Who are these guys?” I said: “They’ve got platinum records.” I had no idea if they did!

The movie – about a kid who’s been grounded but can’t bear to miss the party of the year – kept everything from the student film. It was just a matter of building on the world and the characters. It was exhilarating. I remember thinking: “It seems to be going great, but how do I know what going great feels like?”

A lot of movies have clearly been inspired by House Party. That’s great. And I was inspired by Risky Business, National Lampoon and Animal House. I watched Lovers Rock, one of the movies Steve McQueen made about black British life. It wasn’t a comedy, but I thought: “This really captures the same spirit as House Party.”

House Party is the only film to capture a very specific period of hip-hop, just before gangsta rap. It also talked about safe sex, a burgeoning issue at the time. I thought: “We’re gonna hide this” – like when you have to give your dog a pill so wrap it in bacon. We won an award from a health clinic in New Jersey that said: “Kids come in, ask for condoms and reference your film.” That was one of the things I’ve carried with me: make fun movies, but there’s nothing wrong with a little protein in there.

Christopher ‘Play’ Martin

Kid and I had worked very hard for what felt like for ever to sign a deal with Select Records. Our first album, 2 Hype, came out in 1988. The reason Reggie wanted us from the giddy-up was because of our music videos. We were very animated. I guess you could say the camera loved us.

I didn’t want to do the movie. Run–DMC’s Tougher Than Leather didn’t do well at all and I thought: “If Run–DMC can’t pull off a hit movie, how the heck will Kid ’n Play?” We were making more legal money than I’d ever seen. It was a gamble to ruin the momentum. But I was outvoted by Kid and our producer, Hurby Luv Bug. It was the best outvoted experience I’ve ever had.

We went to a meeting at New Line in the heart of Manhattan, in a suite on the 19th or 20th floor. We were given some scenes to improv, but it was horrible. I thought: “Well, we ain’t getting this movie.” This VP from New Line escorted us out on his way to a late lunch, but it was 3pm, just when all the high schools were letting out, and all these kids who recognised us swarmed us like we were the Beatles or the Jackson Five. This VP went back upstairs and told his business partners: “We need to grab these guys.”

Making the movie felt like work, nine to five. There’s a part where I’m pushing equipment into the trunk of the car, scraping up speakers. The trunk came slamming down on my hand, so hard it bent my ring. Reggie went: “All right, next take.” I was like: “Dude, really?”

House Party is probably the most excellent representation of that era. Even though Kid and I were musically successful, our characters still represented any other wannabe rapper. The clever thing is that the film never says what city or state we’re in, which means anyone can think it took place in their hood.

• House Party is available on 4K UHD from 2 February