The world of indie music documentaries has exploded in the last few years, as more and more independent artists find one another and get their sounds, sights, and stories to the world. True Journey is a series devoted to exploring the lifestyles of emerging artists, spotlighting their talents, challenges, and growth as individuals. The first episode in Tim Williams’ ongoing series, Silent Messages, centers on a unique music producer reflecting on his family and a significant dream about his father.
Ty Suite is an unorthodox musician – a beatbox guitarist. His unusual, though fascinating method of composing and producing music has garnered him fans and ridicule alike. However, his primary focus on getting exposed to the world is to provide for his wife and child and make his parents proud. We witness a handful of crises and contemplations with Suite, while also demonstrating the artistic process.
“…a series devoted to exploring the lifestyles of emerging artists, spotlighting their talents, challenges, and growth as individuals.”
Though the story of Suite is one with significant potential, as it is with his showcased talents, the document itself is an utter mess. Lacking any cohesive structure or progression, often leaving off and picking back up topics in seemingly random successions, the methodology is frustratingly scatterbrained. The episode is scattershot with instances of kinetic typography that feel more like supplemental plugs than essential pieces to the puzzle (compounded by a severe lack of original material, with available footage often repeating throughout the runtime). There is an earnestness to tell a relatable story, but it seems that more time was spent on the company animated logo and the series’ opening sequence than on the actual content.
While the remaining episodes in True Journey have the potential to explore a host of fascinating people, Silent Messages is undone by a substantially critical lack of scope and style.
True Journey: Silent Messages (2018) Written and directed by Tim Williams. Starring Ty Suite, Tim Williams.
3 out of 10
