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 :: INTERVIEW :: DAVID KREBELJ
Posted byBomber on Monday, September 29 @ 02:18:55 CDT
Contributed by Bomber
We've told you about the forthcoming DVD release of 'Colour, Light, Movement, Sound' the fly on the wall, 5 years in the making DVD documenting five years in the life of Melbourne hard rock band Full Scale who had the world at their feet when they were picked up in the USA, but it was not all glamourous, and eventually what they thought would make them, was what ultimately broke them. This DVD captures the adventure, from the very start, through to the very end of the band and makes for great viewing, whether you were a fan of the band or not, it's a great insight into the workings of a band on the rise. Justine de Jonge caught up with the film-maker David Krebelj to discuss how the project came about and more. Read More to check it out. The DVD is launched with a show this Saturday at The Hi-Fi Bar in Melbourne.
In Colour Light Movement Sound! you mentioned you first met Full Scale back in 2001. Can you elaborate further about how this connection was born?
I came to Melbourne in August of 2001 to spend a month with my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time. Prior to coming over she told me about this guy Zeke who was in the same musical as she was and how we are both into the same type of music and that he has this band that he reckons I would enjoy. Zeke was also set to direct a music video for another member of the cast so we arranged for me to bring my camera and shoot the video. When we finally met in person we hit it off quite well and Zeke brought up the idea of also filming his band perform at the South Yarra Saloon Bar but he wanted me to meet them first and hear a few tracks.
I met the rest of the band a few days later and it was literally like I described it in the movie. Zeke brought me to their rehearsal space in Richmond and as soon as we opened the door I see Crutey pounding away on the drums and Jimmy is asleep on the floor, about 3 feet from the bass drum, and Rob was messing around with some bass gear. They played 2 songs for me (can’t remember which ones) and Zeke blew out 2 mics in the process. A few days later I was filming their gig and our relationship was born.
Can you elaborate about your first impressions of Full Scale? What gave you the drive to agree to film the band?
First thought after the whole Richmond experience was “These guys are sooo rock’n’roll, I’m definitely filming their gig.”
After seeing their live set at the Saloon Bar I was convinced they were going to go far. I loved the raw energy to their songs and Zeke’s onstage presence was incredible. My gut told me that I should film them as much as possible because great things were on their horizon.
Full Scale experienced extremely volatile times in the U.S when they relocated after they signed to a major. How did you cope being so close to the band during such explosive times? How did the band cope with you around filming these moments?
It was a bit awkward at times on both ends.
For myself, it was always a question of how hard do I push to get the story out of them about what was happening. I could tell when they were holding back and when they were giving me full disclosure. I had to be careful not to overstep my access and risk having them shut me out but at the same time I had to give them a bit of a nudge here and there so they don’t shut down in front of the camera.
What really helped, for both of us I think, is that we spent a lot of time talking about the doco and being honest with our thoughts and worries with filming. Trust became a major cornerstone in coping through all of the shit. The five of us needed to trust each other, otherwise it was not going to work.
For them, I think it was extremely difficult to be filmed during the rough times. The objective of the film was to chronicle their success in America and now the exact opposite was happening. Of course they weren’t thrilled to be in that situation, let alone have me sticking my lens in their faces. I could tell that they started to hate it at times because they did not want to be reminded of their lack of success. Who would be? In the end though, their trust in me allowed them to allow me to continue filming.
What was your main objective for Colour Light Movement Sound? Do you think you achieved this objective effectively?
My main objective was to give Full Scale’s fans an honest, unbiased document of the band’s story from Australia to America and to also give them an honest and unbiased look at the personalities that make up the band and how they coped with everything that occurred.
I am proud to say that I believe I was successful in meeting my objective.
What have been some of the responses to the documentary thus far?
From fans: The response has been really good. The feedback ranges from they love seeing all the behind the scenes footage of the band recording and hearing them speak honestly about what is happening, to them doco answers a lot of questions they had about the band and what they went through. They also say that even though it has a sad ending they feel that it still manages to celebrate what a great band they were.
From friends of the band: They all agree that I really captured the band for who they are and that I did a great job in presenting Full Scale’s story objectively. They all seem to agree that the doco does a good job letting the viewer form their own opinions on what ultimately led to the demise of Full Scale.
From people who have no idea who Full Scale was: The response has been great. People got sucked into the story even though they didn’t know the band. They got hooked into watching it all fall apart and watching how the band copes and don’t cope with what was happening. They were also fascinated by how you see their personalities change as the band grows older and as their situation grows dire.
How did it feel being an American focusing on an Australian band for this documentary? Were there any moments when you felt alienated / an outsider because you were a foreigner?
Not really. If anything, my role as a documentarian made me feel alienated and like an outsider, especially in the early years when the trust levels weren’t fully established.
I understand you fully funded this project yourself. How did you keep yourself motivated during the making of this documentary?
Video production is my career so for me it is always fun to be filming and editing, especially when it pertains to music. Just the fact that a story was developing in front of me and that I had been able to document it was enough motivation.
After the band broke up I was not about to abandon years of hard work so the motivation became to get this story out there regardless of whether the bad was still together.
Colour Light Movement Sound is clever in the sense that it’s extremely honest and objective. How did Full Scale interpret the documentary? Were they satisfied with the results?
Individually they each went through their own range of emotions upon seeing the final cut but ultimately they were all satisfied with the result and they all felt that I delivered on my promise on being objective and truthful, even if the truth made them cringe at times.
What are your plans for the future of Colour Light Movement Sound? Do you / Full Scale have any plans to release / feature it overseas?
The DVD will be available for purchase worldwide. I hope to find interest from overseas broadcast markets in the near future or I may pursue online. For the moment I’m mainly focused on the Aussie release.
Do you have any plans for more music documentaries in the future? Where do you see yourself in the near future?
I’m not planning on actively pursuing any more music docos but if the right opportunity / band presents itself I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it again.
In the near future I will be back in NYC doing more production work. In 2009, I will be producing a series of biographies for the Bio Channel (I recently did one on Giorgio Armani which will eventually air on BIO in Australia) as well as a series of martial arts instructional videos. Beyond that, my goal is to work on as diverse of an array of projects as possible.
Interview By Justine de Jonge
"Colour, Light, Movement, Sound!" is launched this Saturday night in Melbourne.
You can purchase the DVD at the show or online at http://www.fullmoonnyc.com/
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