who's mcqueen Unleash Their Rock Manifesto

who's mcqueen Unleash Their Rock Manifesto

The 'rock star' persona has been shown on our screens in a number of forms before. From the gyrating heartthrob to the tortured artist, the sexy, sultry side of the musician has eternally been the prevailing image in pop culture. However, in the new short from German production house who's mcqueen, the gritty, impassioned and undervalued daily grind of the rock & roller is explored and exhibited in spectacular fashion.


'Rock Manifesto', Tom Schlagkamp's visual ode to the rigors of gig life, utilises the poetic lyrics of AC/DC's 'It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll)' – narrated by Pantera's Phil Anselmo - coupled with kinetic images to go some way to explain how ruthless the life of a musician can be. Created in association with music mag VISIONS, the film has already proved extremely popular online, with music fans appreciating the piece's authentic tone.

We sat down with director Schlagkamp and EP Rainer Spix to find out how the manifesto manifested itself.
 

Director Tom Schlagkamp (right) gets some creative direction from
Pantera singer, and narrator of the film, Phil Anselmo (left).

How did you get involved with the Rock Manifesto project? What was the brief from VISIONS?

Tom: This film started as a passion project. I wanted to make a film that reminds people that music is not just a free MP3 file on their computer. Music is something that was created with blood, sweat and tears. So I wanted to create a true and intense film, which shows that. An ode to Rock'n'Roll.

I wrote the concept for this film and showed it to VISIONS Magazine. They were very excited about the idea and supported us from the first moment on.

Rainer: When Tom came to me, to talk about the Rock Manifesto, there was no doubt that we wanted to produce the project, as it was clear that the result would be an outstanding short about music and Rock'n'Roll.

Due to the fact that who's mcqueen is a bit of Rock'n'Roll too, there was no question that this Rock'n'Roll Manifesto has to be produced through us. So we started looking for the right partner straight away and found Visions.

How was the film mapped out? Did you have a very clear structure in place or were you waiting to amass the footage?

Tom: The text was sort of a blueprint for the film. I searched my record collection for a Rock'n'Roll song with lyrics that expressed what I wanted to tell. As I found the AC/DC lyrics, I knew they were perfect. I edited them a little to get a captivating dramaturgy. Then I combined the text with the ideas I had for the story of the episodes. Then we made a plan how to shoot all these episodes in an affordable framework.

The kinetic editing is fundamental to the rhythm on the piece. Was it difficult to find the right tone? Did you contemplate a more standard cut?

Tom: A "standard cut" was out of the question. We experimented with different music styles at first but I came to the conclusion that the music and the voice over had to be very thoughtful and reflective and the editing had be the complete opposite of that: a raw and energetic interplay of fast and slow, but always intense moments. The rough sound design had the task to bring these two contrasting layers together.

When did Phil Anselmo get involved? Whose decision was it to have him recite the AC/DC lyrics?

Tom: I wanted someone to speak the voice over, who knows everything about the life of a musician. Someone who has seen and lived this life for many years. Phil Anselmo was my first choice for the narrator. To me he is the epitome of the struggling musician and I was so excited that he agreed to participate. He has experienced so many ups and downs in his career - everything you can think of when it comes to a musician's life: he has played so many shows, recorded several No. 1 and platinum records; he died for 5 minutes after a heroin overdose; his guitarist was shot dead on stage during a gig with another band. And so on…

With the help of VISIONS Magazine, we were able to get in touch with the label and management of Phil Anselmo. He also liked the idea very much and agreed that we meet him at a gig in Dortmund with one of his current bands DOWN. Together with my DoP Yoshi Heimrath, I went to Dortmund and he spoke the text and agreed that we film him.

Where was the footage gathered from? Was it all stuff you shot yourself or did you have to use stock imagery at all?

Tom: We shot all of the material ourselves on authentic locations in Berlin, like Festsaal Kreuzberg. I am a big music fan and I visit many concerts, so some of the footage I shot on my mobile phone during several concerts.

The film has an authenticity that's hard to fake. How did you make sure that it spoke with the right voice and targeted the correct audience?

Tom: Music is a very important part of my life, so it was very important to me to make a film that is true and realistic. I knew we need different approaches to the diverse range of episodes to achieve the authenticity and intensity they need.

Most episodes we shot exactly as I wrote them, some episodes were altered, as we improvised on set. Most audience pictures were shot during real concerts, for example we were allowed to shoot at Max-Schmeling-Halle during a sold out show of Billy Talent in front of 10,000 people. The vibe and energy during a show like this is overwhelming. I knew we had to shoot this in a real environment. This is something that is hard to be staged in a studio if you want it to look real.

The response to the film has been outstanding. How did you guys feel when it started getting reactions?

Tom: Everybody involved in the making of this film was very passionate and put so much heart into it, so we are very happy to get so many great responses.

Rainer: To me, there was no question about the success from beginning on, or let's say the hope was there from the beginning. When this film received so many responses, I knew that my senses still work just fine. And I felt very happy.

Are there any plans to work with VISIONS in the future of further works?

Tom: The VISIONS Magazine is also my favourite German music magazine. There are no plans for a new film yet, but as soon as a new opportunity emerges, we will be more than happy to work together again.

What's up next for you guys?

Tom: I am in the development of two projects, both closely related to music: a biopic and a documentary. But mostly I concentrate on commercials and I am looking forward to new challenging projects.

Rainer: We rock on! We're actually in preproduction for a very special project which may be interesting to talk about when finished.

Posted on 7th May 2013