Haley explains the Windsong trip to SXSW.
A couple weeks ago, some of our crew went to South By Southwest to attend the world premiere of a film that our head of development, Joshua Krause, helped produce and edit. I say “some” of our crew, mainly meaning I didn’t get to go. Only the people who worked on the movie (The Art of Organized Noize, a documentary about the Atlanta-based production company that put southern hip-hop on the map) got to attend. I did try to work on the film. More accurately, I tried to get credit for working on the film even though I didn’t really do anything except give Krause ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT AND UNWELCOME AFFECTION FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR while he finished it. I guess there isn’t an official title for that sort of thing. I begged Krause to give me credit as a “Producer’s Consultant” or “Assistant Co-Worker to the Editor” or anything else that might get me a seat on that FAT to AUS plane, but there are, apparently, rules or standards or something when it comes to movie credits.
Joann asked me to write a blog about Windsong’s SXSW experience, even though I pointed out to her multiple times that I didn’t, in fact, get to experience anything. She told me to try and be creative with it. I told her I MOST CERTAINLY WOULD NOT, but that I’d be happy to write something obnoxious and whiny instead.
So, without further delay, here is a list of things I heard second/third hand, saw online, or flat out made up about the week certain Windsingers spent at one of the largest film festivals in the country.
1) Krause, Sara, Byron, Kyle, and Dave got to go to the festival. I already told you why Krause was there (’cause he was being all important and stuff). Sara and Byron managed the post production process, Kyle helped shoot a lot of the movie, and Dave helped with audio. Our friend Justin McAleece of BLARE Media also helped shoot some of the movie but he couldn’t attend because he was busy on another shoot in Amsterdam. What a loser, amiright?
2) In case any of you want to attend SXSW in future years, the low down is that there are different areas of the festival where different types of people congregate. Sixth Avenue is essentially the Bourbon Street of Austin. Then there is another area uphill that is way cooler. Then there is yet another area across the river that is, remarkably, so very cool that unicorns serve beer, the stages float in mid-air, and mermaids give out free chocolate. Or you could just save your money and visit California, which everyone knows is the best state in the union. Whatever. I’m not jealous.
3) Everyone who attends the festival is sooooooo cool and talented, even the animals. The following foursome stayed next to Byron in the hotel, for instance, and kept leaving their business cards under his door. They self-produced a documentary about their band Xu (pronounced “zoo”) and their newest album “We’re All Just Mammals (Except Henry, He is a Bird)”
4) Barack and Michelle Obama both spoke at different events during the festival, marking the first time in the 30-year history of SXSW that a sitting President and the First Lady have participated. In other words, traffic probably sucked.
Photo: Neilson Barnard, Getty Images for SXSW
5) Our team… excuse me, PART of our team, hung out with the members of Organized Noize and it was apparently “rad”, “legit”, and “way cool”. But I bet they’re all exaggerating. It’s probably just the Instagram filter that makes it look like they’re having super fun.
6) The Art of Organized Noize was one of the most anticipated documentaries of the festival. At least according to small, unreputable online publications like Rolling Stone.
7) The reviews/hype for The Art of Organized Noize were OK, I guess. If you consider phrases like “long overdue” and “you will watch this documentary over and over again” OK.
8) The movie is available on Netflix now. In all seriousness, it’s really great and I am really proud of Krause, in spite of the fact that he has already forgotten my name since his 15 minutes of fame. In fact, he asked me, “Helen, can you make me some coffee?” when he got in this morning. What a jerkface. I’m totally not going to remember him when I have one of my films play at South By Southwest in 2017.
Genuine Envy and Faux Resentment,
Haleybear
