Not many directors can thank the lilt of the banjo for their move into feature projects, but this week’s guest Alex Walker - a self confessed indie boy - followed the siren’s call down the rabbit hole of Country/Americana after being exposed to the genre through his work and friendship with band Hey Negrita and came back with the documentary We Dreamed America; an exploration of Americana as expressed through the British bands that call it their musical home.

We Dreamed America Materials
Stills

Showlinks
Brickwall Films
We Dreamed America
Buy the DVD
Goldsmiths College
SXSW
Sony HVR-Z1U
Sony HVR-V1U
Verve Pictures
Cambridge Film Festival
Observer Review

• We Dreamed America - Alex Walker
• DN EP 097: Inside the Circle - Marcy Garriott
• INSIDE THE CIRCLE Breakin’ Convention Screening
• DN Special: Joy Division - Grant Gee
• DN LFF07: The English Surgeon - Geoffrey Smith

We Dreamed America (2007)
A documentary that delves deep into the dark recesses of the British Americana music scene, exploring the gritty underworld of the New British Country movement.

Featuring an array of music from all the featured artists, cultural and historical critiques from London’s luminaries of musical journalism as well as a heady slice of perspective from some of Country and Americana’s leading forefathers.

We Dreamed America tells the story of what happens when Country music comes home.

• DN EP 108: We Dreamed America - Alex Walker
• Tokyo Cowboys - Daneeta Loretta Saft & Patrick Jackson
• The Super Noble Brothers - Mark Escribano
• Routes - Alex Reuben
• Inside the Circle - Marcy Garriott

Many artists have the all too unfortunate experience of working away in obscurity for their entire creative life spans, so when the first two projects you put out are warmly received, with one of them selected as the winner for Thunderheist’s ‘make us a promo’ competition, chances are you’re doing several things right. Noel Paul and Stefan Moore, the duo comprising That Go, join us to discuss the journey so far and how to get flesh to wobble just right.

Showlinks
That Go
That Go MySpace
That Go Vimeo
Thunderheist
Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head
Benny Benassi - Satisfaction
Red Digital Camera Company
Twixtor
Apple Final Cut Pro
Adobe After Effects
FCP to AE Scripting
Automatic Duck
Nikon D90

• Thunderheist: Jerk It - That Go
• DN EP 105: Weightless - Erika Janunger
• DN EP 100: El Senor Antipirina: Me Voy - Stathis Athanasiou
• DN EP 095: The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers - Duncan Bone
• DN EP 091: Honey Honey: Homeless Heart - Michael Johnson

Thunderheist: Jerk It (2008)
Winner of the Thunderheist promo competition for track Jerk It.

• DN EP 107: Thunderheist: Jerk It - That Go
• Weightless - Erika Janunger
• The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers - Duncan Bone
• Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles
• Menomena: Evil Bee - Stefan Nadelman

If you’re of the view that that fan films are exclusively the domain of soulless, sub-standard knock-offs, the work of this week’s guests Simon Gesrel and Xavier Ehretsmann is going to massively shake your world view. Their John Carpenter inspired promo for electronic duo ZOMBIE ZOMBIE, Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free, is the type of piece that transforms ordinary folk into aspiring filmmakers and life-long film fans.

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE: Driving Clip Materials
Stills

Showlinks
TOUT SANS COEUR MySpace
Zombie Zombie Daily Motion Page
JeanCarpentier YouTube Page
Zombie Zombie MySpace Page
Versatile Records
John Carpenter
The Thing
Adobe After Effects
G.I. Joe
Escape from New York
Nikon D70
Chalet Pointu

• ZOMBIE ZOMBIE: Driving Clip - Simon Gesrel & Xavier Ehretsmann
• DN EP 073: Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles
• DN EP 072: 8 - Benjamin Ducroz
• DN Ep 035: Ten Thousand Pictures of You - Robin King
• DN Ep 034: Carlin - Brent Green

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE: Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free (2008)
First non-official video clip made for Zombie Zombie, the electrifying French duo of Etienne Jaumet and Cosmic Neman. Directed by Simon Gesrel and Xavier Ehretsmann thanks to their favourite toys… the GI Joes! The video is an hommage to the director AND soundtrack composer John Carpenter, especially one of his masterpieces: THE THING.

• DN EP 106: ZOMBIE ZOMBIE: Driving Clip - Simon Gesrel & Xavier Ehretsmann
• Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles
• 8 - Benjamin Ducroz
• _grau - Robert Seidel
• What We’ve Found Out About Stem Cells - Richard Fenwick

The work of Erika Janunger spans the fields of architecture, interior design and music, however her latest piece Weightless adds filmmaking into the mix to create a hypnotic film that itself defies categorisation, and has spawned a bookcase that is currently produced by Carl Malmsten. Erika joins us to discuss how space, movement and music can be combine to create and explore the worlds we inhabit.

Weightless Materials
Film, Production & Test Stills

Showlinks
Erika Janunger
Carl Malmsten
Shape & Colour

• Weightless - Erika Janunger
• Auto Pilot, Distortion, Ping Pong & Biker Mike - Mike Chan
• Nine Inch Nails’ Festival of Ghosts
• Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles
• Left or Right for Love - Magali Charrier

Weightless (2007)
A short dance / architectural movie, about defying gravity.

• DN EP 105: Weightless - Erika Janunger
• Auto Pilot, Distortion, Ping Pong & Biker Mike - Mike Chan
• Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles
• Frame of Mind - Susie Glynn
• _grau - Robert Seidel

For most successful filmmakers putting out a film that’s well received by an audience and your peers is the pinnacle of success on a project, but if your film then goes on to inspire others to jump into the fray and give proof to the mantra of ‘just get out there and shoot,’ then you know you’ve got something very special on your hands. Director Ayz Waraich has both entertained and inspired with his short White Red Panic and joins us to discuss his call to arms film.

White Red Panic Materials
Stills
Colour Correction Before & After and Prolost Article
Script

Showlinks
Dimeworth
White Red Panic on Vimeo
White Red Panic Rebel Café Discussion
Prolost
Trigger Street
Rebel Without a Crew
a thousand words series
Canon HV20
Rode NTG-2
Sony Vegas
3pm
I, Boy

• White Red Panic - Ayz Waraich
• Miss D 2007 Top Ten
• DN LFF07: Water Lilies - Celine Sciamma
• DN EP 102: Sun in the Night Time - Anne Wilkins
• DN EP 101: The Greatest Gift - Daniel Bloomberg

White Red Panic (2008)
A thriller about two guys mixed up in the wrong side of life, and the toll it takes on their character and soul…

Do yourself a favour and get the HD version

Via the ever great No fat clips!!!

• DN EP 104: White Red Panic - Ayz Waraich
• The West Side - Ryan Bilsborrow-Koo & Zachary Lieberman
• The Shovel - Nick Childs
• The Leafcatcher - Leo Sedgley
• The Greatest Gift - Daniel Bloomberg

Despite not considering himself a fully fledged director, Runkid’s work has been picked up by D&AD and has brought forth tears from audiences. He joins us to discuss his animation His Own Image and life as a creative living in Lithuania.

His Own Image Materials
Original Postcards

Showlinks
Runkid
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Flash
Adobe Premiere
D&AD New Blood

• His Own Image - Runkid
• Filmstock #8
• DN EP 081: My Paper Mind - Javan Ivey
• DN EP 073: Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles
• DN EP 072: 8 - Benjamin Ducroz

His Own Image (2007)
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him.

• DN EP 103: His Own Image - Runkid
• _grau - Robert Seidel
• Virtuosi - Marcelo Garcia
• To Shoot a Rurf - Shane & Paula Sheils
• Stumble Then Rise on Some Awkward Morning - Kurtis Hough

A recent animation graduate, Anne Wilkins has hit the ground running with her film Sun in the Night Time, a study of childhood and the transformation of relationships and roles in the shadow of loss.

Sun in the Night Time Materials
Stills, Character Sheets & Storyboards

Showlinks
Emily & Anne
anneimation
Arcade Fire
Twilight: Photography in the Magic Hour
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe After Effects

• Sun in the Night Time - Anne Wilkins
• DN EP 067: Four Eyed Monsters - Arin Crumley & Susan Buice
• Miss D 2007 Top Ten
• Filmstock #8
• DN LFF07: Water Lilies - Celine Sciamma

Sun in the Night Time (2007)
Cecily protects her mother from hysterical grief by maintaining the pretence that her dead brother is still alive and living in their house.

• DN EP 102: Sun in the Night Time - Anne Wilkins
• Carlin - Brent Green
• _grau - Robert Seidel
• ZOMBIE ZOMBIE: Driving Clip - Simon Gesrel & Xavier Ehretsmann
• White Red Panic - Ayz Waraich

This week I’m joined by director Daniel Bloomberg to discuss his Jacques Lacan inspired, chocolate sauce massacre short The Greatest Gift.

The Greatest Gift Materials
Treatment
Shotlist
Storyboards

Showlinks
Daniel Bloomberg
Videology Interview
Slavoj Žižek
Jacques Lacan

• The Greatest Gift - Daniel Bloomberg
• Miss D 2007 Top Ten
• DN LFF07: Water Lilies - Celine Sciamma
• DN EP 102: Sun in the Night Time - Anne Wilkins
• DN EP 098: Seeking Wellness - Dan Schneidkraut

The Greatest Gift (2008)
A short film of green jello, chocolate sauce massacre and a cafeteria full of pretty women inspired by the psychoanalytic ideas of Jacques Lacan.

via No fat clips!!!

• DN EP 101: The Greatest Gift - Daniel Bloomberg
• White Red Panic - Ayz Waraich
• The West Side - Ryan Bilsborrow-Koo & Zachary Lieberman
• The Shovel - Nick Childs
• The Leafcatcher - Leo Sedgley

Well it seemed like the distant future back when I posted episode 1, but believe it or not we’ve now been bringing you Directors Notes each and every week for the last 100 weeks! So to mark our move into triple figures I’m pleased to be joined by returning director Stathis Athanasiou (DN036) to talk to us about his new music promo for band the El Senor Antipirina and their track Me Voy.

El Senor Antipirina: Me Voy Materials
Stills
Animatic

Showlinks
El Senor Antipirina
El Senor Antipirina MySpace
Stathis’ Vimeo
Stathis’ MySpace
Stathis’ YouTube
KITAO
Theseum Ensemble
Dying as a Country Trailer
Dying as a Country - Wiener Festwochen
Dying as a Country - Kunstenfestivaldesarts
Dying as a Country - Athens Festival
Canon XH-A1

• El Senor Antipirina: Me Voy - Stathis Athanasiou
• DN EP 107: Thunderheist: Jerk It - That Go
• DN EP 105: Weightless - Erika Janunger
• DN EP 095: The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers - Duncan Bone
• DN EP 091: Honey Honey: Homeless Heart - Michael Johnson

El Senor Antipirina: Me Voy (2008)
Stathis Athanasiou finds a way to channel the heartache in his promo for El Senor Antipirina’s track Me Voy.

• DN EP 100: El Senor Antipirina: Me Voy - Stathis Athanasiou
• Weightless - Erika Janunger
• Thunderheist: Jerk It - That Go
• The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers - Duncan Bone
• Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles

Sometimes when I get really lucky, a director whose work we’ve featured will stick around once the interview dust has settled and become a firm friend who I can have extended film discussions with and tap up for viewing suggestions. Thankfully since his first appearance on DN 028 Kurtis Hough has fallen into that category, so it’s pleasure to welcome him back for an extra special episode kicking off our 100th consecutive week of podcasting to discuss his latest project Storm.

To watch Storm visit Kurt’s site and select the fourth thumbnail.

Showlinks
KH Studios
Stumble Then Rise on Some Awkward Morning
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Baraka
Microcosmos
Galapagos
The Blue Planet
Winged Migration
Godfrey Reggio
Koyaanisqatsi
Philip Glass
Grave of the Fireflies

• DN Ep 028: Stumble Then Rise on Some Awkward Morning - Kurtis Hough
• DN Special: Joy Division - Grant Gee
• Time Piece - Kat Mansoor
• Stumble Then Rise on Some Awkward Morning - Kurtis Hough
• Miss D 2007 Top Ten

If you’re tapped into a community, creative or otherwise, the laws of nature dictate that either through chance or shear determination certain individuals will become the embodiment of that scene. Mark Escribano found such an incarnation in the Super Noble Brothers who where ubiquitous across the Milwaukee music and arts scene, and decided to explore what it means to dedicate yourself to the artistic ideal through the stories of Andy, Tommy and Davey Noble.

Showlinks
Email Mark
AgileEye
The Super Noble Brothers
The Super Noble Brothers MySpace
Kings Go Forth
Digital Cinematique
Duane Michaels
Bolex
Panasonic AG-DVX100
Lotusland Records
straight 8

• The Super Noble Brothers - Mark Escribano
• DN Special: Joy Division - Grant Gee
• DN EP 083: Escape From Luanda - Phil Grabsky
• DN EP 067: Four Eyed Monsters - Arin Crumley & Susan Buice
• INSIDE THE CIRCLE Breakin’ Convention Screening

The Super Noble Brothers (2007)
The Super Noble Brothers chronicles the ‘beautiful struggles’ of the uncompromising artists and entrepreneurs Davey, Tommy, and Andy Noble. Raised by independent art dealers and encouraged from the outset to pursue their artistic interests, they quickly garnered local celebrity in their home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin as talented musicians, painters and tasteful rare funk and soul DJ’s.

Andy Noble rose first to fame as the founding bassist of the nationally acclaimed Ska band, The Pacers and Tommy Noble followed suit with his much praised pop showmen, The Thousandaires. Throughout this time, the younger Davey Noble forged his own larger than life identity as the hard hustling painter of hundreds of colorful abstract erotic nudes. Diligent self-promoters, culturally opinionated and socially ubiquitous, the brothers often found themselves the subject of public admiration and fierce criticism. Bohemian elite, connoisseurs of funk and tireless purveyors of good times, they are the Super Noble Brothers.

• DN EP 099: The Super Noble Brothers - Mark Escribano
• We Dreamed America - Alex Walker
• Tokyo Cowboys - Daneeta Loretta Saft & Patrick Jackson
• Routes - Alex Reuben
• Inside the Circle - Marcy Garriott

It’s with complete unashamedness that I admit we discovered this week’s guest Dan Schneidkraut from our well mined source of the Filmstock Film Festival when El Vez spotted Daddy’s Time, Part two of Dan’s Seeking Wellness: Suffering Through Four Movements quadrilogy of films. My interest in the films only grew when all four parts arrived and I discovered that it was going to take some work on my part to fully engage with their themes. Dan joins us to discuss challenging cinema, the strengths of video and a lifetime ban from the 48hr Film Challenge.

Seeking Wellness: Suffering Through Four Movements Materials
Production Stills
Cup of Friendship, Shrine of Scars Treatment
Daddy’s Time Shooting Schedule
Final Project Shooting Schedule
Malignant Love Shooting Schedule

Showlinks
Seeking Wellness: Our Suffering In Four Movements
Water Passing Through Weeds
Filmstock
Stan Brakhage
Yasujiro Ozu
Chris Mars
Earth
Sunn O)))
Pachelbel’s Canon
Lasse Marhaug

• Seeking Wellness - Dan Schneidkraut
• Filmstock #8
• DN EP 094: Das Dores - Gabriel Tupinamba
• DN EP 069: Somewhere, Anywhere - Chris Dundon
• DN EP 067: Four Eyed Monsters - Arin Crumley & Susan Buice

Seeking Wellness: Suffering Through Four Movements (2007)
A series of conceptual video projects exploring ideas relating to victimization, recovery and empathy.

Part One: Cup of Friendship, Shrine of Scars
Part Two: Daddy’s Time
Part Three: Malignant Love
Part Four: Final Project

• DN EP 098: Seeking Wellness - Dan Schneidkraut
• Now You See Me, Now You Don’t - Attila Szasz
• Four Eyed Monsters - Arin Crumley & Susan Buice
• Dead Bird - Brek Taylor & Clare Tinsley
• And the Colors Are Like Summer & Das Dores - Gabriel Tupinamba

It’s not often I experience the films we feature in their full cinematic glory, and even rarer that I also get face to face time with the directors, but of the many films we’ve covered on the show Marcy Garriott’s feature documentary Inside the Circle - which opens a window into B-Boy culture, friendship and the challenges of growing up and finding your place in the world - definitely warranted the big screen experience. Marcy took some time out from promotion duties to discuss her approach to filmmaking.

Inside the Circle Materials
Notes for Casual Documentary Filmmaking Workshops

Showlinks
Inside the Circle
Inside the Circle MySpace
Still in Motion Interview
Sony HVR-Z1U
B-Boy City
Sony DSR PD-150
Sony DSR-PD170
SXSW
Children in Jail

• Inside the Circle - Marcy Garriott
• INSIDE THE CIRCLE Breakin’ Convention Screening
• DN EP 108: We Dreamed America - Alex Walker
• DN EP 083: Escape From Luanda - Phil Grabsky
• DN EP 071: Good Copy Bad Copy - Andreas Johnsen, Ralf Christensen & Henrik Moltke

Inside the Circle (2007)
Capturing the raw power of a grassroots hip-hop movement, the award-winning documentary Inside the Circle tells the stories of strikingly talented b-boys Josh and Omar, former best friends who become rivals when they join competing dance crews. Immersed in the b-boy culture of defiant creativity, Omar rises to international renown, while Josh tangles with the law. Both of them struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives, and the “B-Boy City” competitive events thrown by visionary street dancer Romeo Navarro serve as emotional milestones in their journey to adulthood. Facing off in intense dance battles that mirror the larger events in their lives, Josh and Omar seek respect, meaning and identity “inside the circle.”

• DN EP 097: Inside the Circle - Marcy Garriott
• INSIDE THE CIRCLE Breakin’ Convention Screening
• Routes - Alex Reuben
• We Dreamed America - Alex Walker
• Tokyo Cowboys - Daneeta Loretta Saft & Patrick Jackson

What happens when you’re far from home and on-route to living your dream? Do you come back to start again with nothing to show for your years of effort when things get rough or do you hang on in the hope that success and the life you’ve imagined is just round the corner? Co-directed by Daneeta Loretta Saft and Patrick Jackson, Tokyo Cowboys follows the stories of four Gaijin living those very questions in seductive Japan. Daneeta joins us this week to discuss their feature debut.

Showlinks
The Elektrik Zoo
Tokyo Cowboys (The Blog)
Down in the Parish
Story Truths
The London Film School
Canon XL1S
Apple Final Cut Pro
Japan Film Festival
Little Rock Film Festival
Blood is Thicker Than Floodwater Article

• Tokyo Cowboys - Daneeta Loretta Saft & Patrick Jackson
• INSIDE THE CIRCLE Breakin’ Convention Screening
• DN Special: Joy Division - Grant Gee
• DN LFF07: The English Surgeon - Geoffrey Smith
• DN EP 108: We Dreamed America - Alex Walker

Tokyo Cowboys (2008)
Tokyo Cowboys follows the stories of four western men living long-term in Tokyo. The film’s delicate and humorous portrait illuminates the price some pay for a taste of Tokyo’s success.

• DN EP 096: Tokyo Cowboys - Daneeta Loretta Saft & Patrick Jackson
• We Dreamed America - Alex Walker
• The Super Noble Brothers - Mark Escribano
• Routes - Alex Reuben
• Inside the Circle - Marcy Garriott

Director Duncan Bone joins us this week to discuss his multi-discipline career and recent move into music promos with the stop frame piece Not in a Million Lovers for band The Beangrowers.

The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers Materials
Production Sheet

Showlinks
duncanbone.com
The Beangrowers
Adobe After Effects

• The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers - Duncan Bone
• DN EP 079: Menomena: Evil Bee - Stefan Nadelman
• DN EP 042: Auto Pilot, Distortion, Ping Pong & Biker Mike - Mike Chan
• DN Ep 022: LIVE LOVE WORK PLAY - Thomas Atanazio
• Moros Eros: On My Side - Jesse Ewles

The Beangrowers: Not in a Million Lovers - Duncan Bone (2008)<