A film about jazz, improvising and the importance of communication.
Synopsis
Lewis, a young Jazz drummer forms a band with his friends and fellow Jazz musicians Hiroshi (double bass) and Damien (Guitar). The trio record two contrasting tunes, the first an up-tempo number written by local Jazz artist James Sherlock, the second a relaxed ballad reminiscent of a cool autumn afternoon. Through an in-depth interview with Lewis and a mixture of backstage and performance footage the documentary explores the man behind his art and how his experiences, not just as a musician but as a human being continually inform his music. Set in a studio environment the film demonstrates the importance of communication within small group jazz music and consequently the sound it brings- the ultimate reward.
Director’s Statement
Music is something that I’ve loved for as long as I can remember, I know it sounds cliché, probably because so many people form important connections with it, but for me it is true. So when signing up for documentary class I knew I had to make a documentary about music, simply because I cared about it, there was nothing I was interested in more than it. As a music listener I always get to hear the result, the end sound, but often I don’t know how it came about and what informed it, I don’t understand the interpersonal connection behind it, or the thoughts of the musicians in the room- It is these elements of music making that I explored. I think the biggest challenge I had was narrowing my aim and vision down into something attainable. In preparing the documentary during the pre-production assessments I had, my idea kept growing, it was too big, there were too many scenes that I wanted to cover and not enough time in terms of documentary length (7-9 mins) and course time. I think a big change (that will be seen in the final product) occurred when I decided it would be best for the documentary to be shot in one studio, in one location so that the audience gets a stronger sense of place. This decision also made me change my vision as a director, it made me really hone in on the music, focus on the musicians playing in the studio and bring the music to the forefront of the documentary in order to celebrate it. Because for me this is what the documentary is; a celebration.
Brydan Meredith – Director
Brydan Meredith grew up in Diamond Creek, an outer North Eastern suburb of Melbourne with a love of Football and Cricket (infact most things sport) in his heart. It wasn’t until later (in his last year of high school) that he developed an interest in writing and filmmaking that informed his decision to study Media at RMIT. Brydan would like to thank his class for being such lovely people and wishes to dedicate his documentary to his parents for all their kindness and support and to the Sydney Swans for winning the 2012 grand final in front of 99,683 spectators at the MCG. What a ripper game that was!