Director Morgan Neville talks Twenty Feet From Stardom, his documentary about backup singers, and reflects on some of his other projects, including Neville’s Stax Records documentary, Respect Yourself, his Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power documentary, and his Hank Williams film, Honky Tonk Blues.
Watch new episodes of BYOD live each week on Tuesdays at noon on TheLip.TV, or tune in for the archived replay starting here on the following Thursday.
ABOUT BYOD:
BYOD is hosted by Ondi Timoner, director of “DIG!,” “JOIN US” and “WE LIVE IN PUBLIC,” and has the rare distinction of winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance twice. Each week the show explores a different documentary filmmaker or aspect of filmmaking, with special guests and a live Q&A– diving deep into creative process and the business realities of producing and distributing films. Ondi shares her insider views, opinions, and personal stories, welcoming audience participation. BYOD aims to entertain, inform, and elevate documentaries in general by bringing attention to films and film makers that deserve exposure.
GUEST BIO:
Morgan Neville is an award-winning documentary filmmaker specializing in music. He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for his films Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, Muddy Waters Can’t Be Satisfied, and Johnny Cash’s America. Over the past 18 years, Neville has created films about many of the musicians who have helped shape twentieth-century music. Recent productions include Pearl Jam Twenty (2011); Troubadours, which screened at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival; Beauty Is Embarrassing (2012); and Crossfire Hurricane (2012).
ADD’L LINKS:
http://twentyfeetfromstardom.com/
http://tremoloproductions.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TwentyFeetFromStardom
EPISODE BREAKDOWN:
00:01 Welcome to BYOD.
00:33 Introducing Morgan Neville.
03:24 The love of music and making music documentaries.
07:05 Music documentaries and speaking to the audience.
09:00 Hank Williams’ story.
11:53 Hank Williams Honky Tonk Blues, clip.
14:52 Twenty Feet From Stardom, trailer.
18:42 Shotgun Freeway and his first documentary.
20:20 Shotgun Freeway, clip.
26:40 Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story.
29:59 Respect Yourself, clip.
32:15 Using music of Otis Redding to make the film(s) work.
35:48 Respect Yourself, clip: MLK’s assassination.
40:35 What is next? and the importance of sound and engagement.
42:22 Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power documentary.
45:24 Raw Power, clip: The Stooges get to London.
