http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/04/16/tempe-filmmakers-reviving-90s-music.html
Tempe filmmakers reviving '90s music scene in crowdsourced movie
Phoenix Business Journal by Mary Shinn
Date: Monday, April 16, 2012, 1:04pm MST - Last Modified: Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 4:41pm MST
Related: Tempe
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Assistant Director Nick Skogen holds the director's board for
All photos by Jim Poulin/Phoenix Business Journal
Assistant Director Nick Skogen holds the director's board for "Stuck Outside of Phoenix," an independent film being produced in the Valley about the Tempe music scene of the early 1990s.
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An independent film about Tempe’s music scene in the early 1990s has started production with financial help from a crowdsourcing campaign.
“Stuck Outside of Phoenix” is being produced on a shoestring budget of $22,000. It focuses on a 21-year-old bass player who wants to escape his problems in Phoenix and become part of the hot music scene in Seattle. Odd events keep preventing him from leaving, but that series of events finally leads to his dream gig.
The fictional story reflects the journeys of several bands from Tempe who attained national fame in the early 1990s, such as the Gin Blossoms, the Refreshments, Dead Hot Workshop and the Pistoleros.
“The main character is really the music,” Producer Nicholas Holthaus said.
Art Edwards, former bassist for the Refreshments, asked Holthaus to produce a film version of his book “Stuck Outside of Phoenix” after Holthaus’ film “Mill Ave Inc.” was released. For the past two years, Edwards and Holthaus have been working together to transform the book into a screenplay.
In mid-January, they launched a fundraiser on Kickstarter.com, a website for crowdfunding startups of all kinds.
The Kickstarter campaign stalled at about $3,000 for 15 days, but then the production received a donation of $8,000 from Mike Kearns, who knew Holthaus through a documentary project called “Dear America.” His large donation added momentum to the project, and Holthaus did some minor fundraising on Indiegogo.com to add to it.
The soundtrack, featuring unreleased songs by several bands, is driving excitement for the film, Holthaus said. It includes the last song Doug Hopkins -- one of the founding members of the Gin Blossoms -- wrote before he died. Songs by Dead Hot Workshop and the Pistoleros also will be on the soundtrack.
Holthaus was part of the 1990s music scene he is trying to capture. He moved to Tempe just as many local bands were gaining notoriety on college radio, and he befriended and worked with members of the iconic bands.
“The coolest thing about Arizona bands at the time was that anybody could play with anybody,” he said.
In addition to showcasing the bands of the time, many of the minor characters are based loosely on people who were part of the music scene, such as Elvis the Cat, a street artist who made a name for himself locally.
The production is being shot at local businesses including the Big Fish Pub and Yucca Tap Room. The team plans to film for 20 days. The crew already has filmed at Mane Obsession Hair and Nail Studio and M-Troniks in downtown Mesa.
Nina Hartnett opened Mane Obsession in 1989 and said she was happy to help when the crew asked to use her salon. She said the crew chose her shop because they were looking for a venue that reflected 1990s decor.
“It was fun watching the production. You don’t realize all the time that goes into it,” Hartnett said.
Holthaus is accustomed to producing low-budget films and has drawn on community backing to help cover some costs and recruit extras. He hopes to draw 500 to 1,500 extras to be part of the final concert scene, to be filmed at a large music venue.
“It is a project that is of, for and by the community,” he said.
Holthaus recruited many of his former film and media production students to work on the film. Roughly 80 people are involved in the production, and many of them are volunteering their time.
Dean Mongan, the director, planned to work with his longtime friend Holthaus for many years. Although Mongan didn’t live in Tempe during the early 1990s, he is excited to be working on the project.
“It’s something that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to. Everybody wants to be a rock star,” he said.
Lee Lusby, the director of photography, has been involved with the project for about seven months. He approaches his work with a little self-deprecating humor.
“It’s not really planning,” he said. “It’s more like chaos management.”
Susan Rienzo started working with the crew in February to help find continued funding for post-production work. So far, she is working on a grant application through the Arizona Humanities Council for $10,000. She has also worked to help coordinate donated catering for the project.
The Democracy Foundation also backs “Stuck Outside of Phoenix.” The foundation got involved because it has a goal of “trying to recapture the vibrant culture of small towns,” Reinzo said.
“‘Stuck Outside of Phoenix’ is trying to remind people what a thriving community can look like,” she said.
The film premiere is planned on Tempe’s Mill Avenue in September, though the venue has not yet been selected. The show will play throughout the Southwest, and Holthaus hopes it will gain a larger distribution.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/04/16/tempe-filmmakers-reviving-90s-music.html