Every film needs a trailer and we’re excited to share it with you now. Here’s a first look at I Am What I Play.
Be sure and follow the film:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-What-I-Play/297875140261718
Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiodjmovie
Over at the I Am What I Play Facebook page, we have been posting screen shots from the film on a regular basis. If you’re on Facebook, be sure and like the page for updates on the movie. We will continue to update this blog but the Facebook page has more up to the minute action:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-What-I-Play/297875140261718
Having said that, here are a few screen shots from the film:
Charles Laquidara in a 1970’s TV commercial for his morning radio show, The Big Mattress.
Meg Griffin in the WNEW studios in New York City, late 1970’s.
David Marsden being inducted into the Canadian Music and Radio Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2011.
Newspaper ad for Pat O’Day’s radio show in the late 60’s.
Larry Gifford is a U.S. radio guru/consultant and he hosts a podcast about radio called Radio Stuff. I joined him on the podcast recently to talk about the film. Click on the link below to listen. The interview starts at the 13:00 minute mark:
http://radiostuff.podomatic.com/entry/2014-06-19T15_04_35-07_00
In addition to reading this blog, the best way to keep up-to-date on the film is to join us on Facebook and like the page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-What-I-Play/297875140261718
In February, we completed two test screenings of the film. Intimate locations – the screening room of a post-production facility. About 15 people in attendance each night. I served wine. I know it’s rock radio so an Australian Merlot doesn’t immediately come to mind but I’m just trying to add a touch of class to the proceedings. (Editor note: I even took a picture of the wine and glasses but my picture upload is not cooperating!).
Needless to say, it was a thrill to sit and watch the finished product with a live audience. Now I knew almost everyone at both screenings but it was still a nice mix of a few radio/voice over types, a few old friends, a couple of people who worked on the film and even a couple of strangers who have nothing to do with radio, TV or film. The feedback was universally positive – people really seemed to love the film. And I do have friends and colleagues who can dish out the constructive criticism when it’s warranted.
In this case, it was mostly constructive praise. Criticism was mainly of the “tweaking” variety. I gave them all a questionnaire to fill out at the end. Some comments:
“You meted out the story telling with each character in such a way as to make the point on that portion and move on to the next. I thought your timing was excellent. ”
” Well produced!! Very interesting subject matter, a great range of music, and visually compelling. ”
“The best film about radio I’ve ever seen.”
I was looking for any obvious holes or segments that didn’t work or make sense. There was very little of that so here we go: I have begun the outreach to broadcasters and distributors. Another journey has begun. I am trying to avoid the pounding the pavement on the film festival circuit, though Friday was the deadline for submitting to the Toronto International Film Festival and I dropped it off in person. Updates to follow!
Matthew Lasar has a nice piece on the Radio Survivor website about the film. Have a look:
http://www.radiosurvivor.com/2014/01/30/i-am-what-i-play-documenting-the-rock-dj/
Controversy brewing in Seattle. Here’s Pat talking about being dumped as the voice of Seattle’s Seafair after 45 years!
UPDATE: Public outcry returns Pat to the broadcast booth!
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2315860/Pat-ODay-returns-to-Seafair-hydro-broadcast-after-outcry
Here’s a Seattle TV news feature on Pat O’Day’s brain operation. The interview clips with Pat were just four days after his surgery!
We are back from a week in the Pacific North West. This was Pat O’Day territory. As Charles Cross, the well-known Seattle music writer, told us, there isn’t a generation in Seattle that doesn’t know Pat O’Day for something. Whether it’s his legendary on-air and then management stint at radio powerhouse KJR or his dance and concert promotion business in the 60’s and 70’s, or his 47th year in a row doing the TV play by play for Seattle’s Sea Fair, or as part owner and chief spokesman for The Schick Shadel Hospital (“Give us 10 days and we’ll give you back your life”), O’Day is a Seattle legend.
We spent 2 days on the San Juan Islands, where O’Day now runs a successful real estate business and a solid 5 hours at O’Day’s beautiful home on the water, running down all the stories from a life of peaks and valleys. We covered O’Day’s relentless promotion of the local Seattle music scene which laid the groundwork for the grunge scene that would come decades later, his friendship with Jimi Hendrix, an attempt on his life early in his radio career, his brush with the mafia during his concert promotion days, his alcoholism, anti-trust lawsuit and Chapter 11 flirtation, and his time in Russia, helping to train the next generation of DJ’s. And this only scratches the surface!
We spent time at The Space Needle, the Hendrix grave site, Pioneer Square, the always enticing Pike Fish Market, Kerry Park and the oldest Japanese restaurant in Seattle, to name a few locales. And the aforementioned Schick Shadel Hospital where we talked with some addicts who are literally learning to get sick of alcohol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPfL4LGALx4&feature=related. The biggest challenge is going to be condensing O’Day’s story to bite size pieces in the edit. His life could be a film on its own!
Left to right: Kevin MacKenzie (Sound Engineer), David Cain (Director of Photography), David Jermyn (Production Manager), Roger King (Producer/Director). Middle: Pat O’Day
