Behind the Scenes of '99 Percent: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film'

99% - The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film

Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites, the team behind 99 Percent: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film, initially attempted to adopt a filmmaking model as decentralized as the Occupy movement itself. However, the pair soon discovered that the consensus decision process is as complicated for directing films as it is for orienting political movements.

"It just didn't work. We couldn't get anything done," Ewell tells Rolling Stone. "At least with the Occupiers, [they] were in one physical space together. We didn't even have that; we had an email list with hundreds of emails."

Photos: Occupy Wall Street

99 Percent, which premiered this week at the Sundance Film Festival, began to form after Ewell and Aites grew interested in the movement after the October arrests on the Brooklyn Bridge. "I was watching the live stream when they started to cattle them and started arresting them. I turned on the TV, and there was nothing," recalls Ewell. "There are like a thousand people being arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City in broad daylight and that's not news."

So the filmmakers, who previously made Until the Light Takes Us – a 2009 documentary on black metal – went to lower Manhattan and began shooting. ??"We had three rules when we started the film," Ewell says. "The first rule was that anybody was welcome and that meant any perspective, any skill level, any format. But we couldn't get anything done."

To move the process forward, the pair created an outline to add structure and adopted leadership positions. Many Occupiers were reportedly frustrated with this shift and left the project as a result, but Ewell explains that the decision felt necessary. "It was actually possible to make a movie this way, still having the collaborative process and many people's voices, but we had to do a 180 from where we started on consensus." The result was a national filmmaking network with four directors, five co-directors and more than 100 contributors divided regionally who regularly uploaded footage to a daisy-chain of hard-drives crisscrossing the country.

The documentary chronicles the movement with on-the-ground footage, protestor interviews and perspectives from commentators including Naomi Wolf and Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi. ??"We'd set up these maps basically of where people were and how much they'd shot at that point because we couldn't wait until the end to collect, so we were constantly swapping out hard drives," Ewell explains. Eventually, each director prepared a segment of the film and Ewell and Aites went back over their pre-edit.

"It felt very much like this parallel experiment really was paralleling the movement," Ewell says in retrospect. ??"[Occupy] was so intent on having their voices heard, but they took it to such an extreme. What we found was that you didn't have to give up, you didn't have to abandon hierarchy and structure. You could still have that and, in fact, that would facilitate more voices being heard because the structure would be there to create space for those voices."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Premiere: Behind the Scenes of Amon Tobin's 'ISAM' Live 2.0 Tour

Premiere: Behind the Scenes of Amon Tobin's 'ISAM' Live 2.0 TourElectronic composer gives a peek at his intense new show $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Electronic producer and composer Amon Tobin is one of the genre's most respected innovators, but his progressive sounds don't align very closely with the current EDM craze. In this exclusive clip, Tobin talks about his upcoming ISAM Live 2.0 Tour and its improvements from last year's ISAM Tour. "I guess because it's electronic music, people tend to equate that with dance music, which is pretty natural," he says. "I had this record that didn't really fit into any one thing and I had to find a different way to present it as a live show."

In translating his studio-based music to live performance, Tobin ended up with a complex stage and light setup that he compares to an art installation. "How can I make a genuine attempt at visualizing music and making something that made sense, to me at least, and be part of it?" he asked himself while brainstorming the show.

Tobin kicks off the ISAM Live 2.0 Tour on September 1st in Seattle, Washington. Full tour dates are listed below.

9/1 Seattle, Washington – Moore Theatre
9/2 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
9/4 Denver, CO – Ellie Caulkins Opera House
9/6 Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
9/8 Chicago, IL – Congress Theater
9/9 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Hall
9/10 Toronto, ONT – Kool Haus
9/12 Boston, MA – House of Blues
9/13 Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre
9/14 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
9/17 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
9/19 Clemson, SC – Brooks Center at Clemson University
9/20 Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
9/21 Orlando, FL – House of Blues
9/22 Miami, FL – The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason
9/24 Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom
9/25 Austin, Texas – Austin Music Hall
9/27 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/5 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre Berkeley
10/12 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre

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Premiere: Behind the Scenes of Amon Tobin's 'ISAM' Live 2.0 Tour

Premiere: Behind the Scenes of Amon Tobin's 'ISAM' Live 2.0 TourElectronic composer gives a peek at his intense new show $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Electronic producer and composer Amon Tobin is one of the genre's most respected innovators, but his progressive sounds don't align very closely with the current EDM craze. In this exclusive clip, Tobin talks about his upcoming ISAM Live 2.0 Tour and its improvements from last year's ISAM Tour. "I guess because it's electronic music, people tend to equate that with dance music, which is pretty natural," he says. "I had this record that didn't really fit into any one thing and I had to find a different way to present it as a live show."

In translating his studio-based music to live performance, Tobin ended up with a complex stage and light setup that he compares to an art installation. "How can I make a genuine attempt at visualizing music and making something that made sense, to me at least, and be part of it?" he asked himself while brainstorming the show.

Tobin kicks off the ISAM Live 2.0 Tour on September 1st in Seattle, Washington. Full tour dates are listed below.

9/1 Seattle, Washington – Moore Theatre
9/2 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
9/4 Denver, CO – Ellie Caulkins Opera House
9/6 Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
9/8 Chicago, IL – Congress Theater
9/9 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Hall
9/10 Toronto, ONT – Kool Haus
9/12 Boston, MA – House of Blues
9/13 Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre
9/14 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
9/17 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
9/19 Clemson, SC – Brooks Center at Clemson University
9/20 Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle
9/21 Orlando, FL – House of Blues
9/22 Miami, FL – The Fillmore at Jackie Gleason
9/24 Dallas, TX – Palladium Ballroom
9/25 Austin, Texas – Austin Music Hall
9/27 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
10/5 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre Berkeley
10/12 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre

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Premiere: Beach Boys Behind the Scenes: 'A Signature Harmony'

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Q&A: Malin Akerman on 'Rock of Ages' Love Scenes and Playing Debbie Harry

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Singing for the Fences: Behind the Scenes of Major League Stadium Concerts

Paul McCartney performs at the Billy Joel 'Last Play At Shea' Concert at Shea Stadium in New York City.

Baseball season is finally in full swing – but the crack of the bat, umpires calling strikes and vendors hawking hot dogs, popcorn and beer aren’t the only sounds one hears at the old ballpark. With the new baseball season comes a new concert season, and in 2012, several Major League venues will host shows featuring artists as diverse as Kenny Chesney (Angels Stadium), Roger Waters (Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Citizens Bank Park) and Madonna (Yankee Stadium).

One of the appeals of the ballpark concert experience is the energy of a large arena show held within the more intimate feel of a baseball stadium. And when major acts perform in these venues, their colleagues take notice and want to follow suit. In 2010, the Dave Matthews Band performed at Citifield (the new home of the Mets, which opened in 2009), and Dave Howard, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the New York Mets, says part of the reason the group expressed interest in performing was because of Paul McCartney’s shows, which were the first concerts in the new space.  The Mets organization wanted McCartney as a sort of bridge to the history of concerts at Shea, including the historic 1965 performance by the Beatles. "We had three great shows," says Howard. "It was one of those awesome experiences, to witness that level of excitement and energy and history."

Ballpark stadium shows also allow the venues to make their spaces more profitable. After all, teams play 81 games on the road, and filling the seats during off times can help fill coffers. New York Yankees COO Lonn Trost says that when the team decided to build a new stadium in 2006, they took non-baseball events into consideration when planning. "We concluded that the stadium should be used 365 days a year," he says, pointing out that Yankee Stadium also hosts events for soccer, football, boxing and other events. The first concert in the new Yankee Stadium was in 2010, a year after the park opened for baseball – two nights of a double headlining bill featuring Jay-Z and Eminem. "I figured that was a good way to start," Trost says. That year, the hip-hop stars also played two nights at Detroit’s Comerica Park, home of the Tigers.  ?This year, Yankee Stadium will host Madonna for two nights in September. Trost says that the impetus for booking acts boils down to a simple formula: "Big name, what’s important at the time, what we think works with the stadium." 2012 is already booked at Yankee Stadium – "we’re looking ahead to 2013," Trost says. "Yankee Stadium is the cathedral of baseball. We hope to make it the cathedral of concerts."

The Mets and the Boston Red Sox, meanwhile, are still talking to some artists about performing at their parks this season. Red Sox COO and Executive Vice President of Business Operations Sam Kennedy discussed the quirks of putting on concerts in 100-year-old Fenway Park, which is the smallest and oldest park in the league. "It’s a challenging facility to work at," Kennedy says, because of the space constraints and there being only one roll-up door in center field to load in equipment. "It’s a different flavor of ice cream than a multi-purpose stadium with 70,000 people," he says.

Fenway Park also will also host acts that might not be on the level of mega-fame of a Bruce Springsteen or Paul McCartney, but who are better known locally. Last year, the park hosted the Dropkick Murphys for two nights. The Red Sox and the Murphys have a long history together. Former Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon used their song "Shipping up to Boston" as entrance music. The band has performed in the park before games and at fan rallies, but it had never done an actual concert at Fenway.

For Dropkick Murphys lead singer Ken Casey, the performance was a special experience. "It wasn’t so much the size or the spectacle. It was that this is the place I was going since I was a little kid," he says. His grandfather was friends with Sox legend Johnny Pesky, so Casey spent his childhood running around on the field after games, and when he hit the stage, memories came flooding back. "It all kind of came full circle," Casey says. 

All the memories of the experience weren’t necessarily happy. "I got my car stolen," Casey recalls.  "[The team] suspected it was a fan that stole it and then realized it was mine," he says. "The Red Sox actually paid to get it detailed and everything, so it really worked out in my favor."

"He was a very good sport about it," Kennedy says. "For the record, we recovered it."

So as the season begins and fans hear the music of Roger Waters, Madonna, Kenny Chesney and others flooding the ballpark, there is one act that even the "cathedral of baseball" can’t manage to procure, and it’s not just because their tour is over.

"We can’t do U2," says Yankee COO Lonn Trost. "The stage is too big."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Read more »

Singing for the Fences: Behind the Scenes of Major League Stadium Concerts

Paul McCartney performs at the Billy Joel 'Last Play At Shea' Concert at Shea Stadium in New York City.

Baseball season is finally in full swing – but the crack of the bat, umpires calling strikes and vendors hawking hot dogs, popcorn and beer aren’t the only sounds one hears at the old ballpark. With the new baseball season comes a new concert season, and in 2012, several Major League venues will host shows featuring artists as diverse as Kenny Chesney (Angels Stadium), Roger Waters (Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Citizens Bank Park) and Madonna (Yankee Stadium).

One of the appeals of the ballpark concert experience is the energy of a large arena show held within the more intimate feel of a baseball stadium. And when major acts perform in these venues, their colleagues take notice and want to follow suit. In 2010, the Dave Matthews Band performed at Citifield (the new home of the Mets, which opened in 2009), and Dave Howard, Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the New York Mets, says part of the reason the group expressed interest in performing was because of Paul McCartney’s shows, which were the first concerts in the new space.  The Mets organization wanted McCartney as a sort of bridge to the history of concerts at Shea, including the historic 1965 performance by the Beatles. "We had three great shows," says Howard. "It was one of those awesome experiences, to witness that level of excitement and energy and history."

Ballpark stadium shows also allow the venues to make their spaces more profitable. After all, teams play 81 games on the road, and filling the seats during off times can help fill coffers. New York Yankees COO Lonn Trost says that when the team decided to build a new stadium in 2006, they took non-baseball events into consideration when planning. "We concluded that the stadium should be used 365 days a year," he says, pointing out that Yankee Stadium also hosts events for soccer, football, boxing and other events. The first concert in the new Yankee Stadium was in 2010, a year after the park opened for baseball – two nights of a double headlining bill featuring Jay-Z and Eminem. "I figured that was a good way to start," Trost says. That year, the hip-hop stars also played two nights at Detroit’s Comerica Park, home of the Tigers.  ?This year, Yankee Stadium will host Madonna for two nights in September. Trost says that the impetus for booking acts boils down to a simple formula: "Big name, what’s important at the time, what we think works with the stadium." 2012 is already booked at Yankee Stadium – "we’re looking ahead to 2013," Trost says. "Yankee Stadium is the cathedral of baseball. We hope to make it the cathedral of concerts."

The Mets and the Boston Red Sox, meanwhile, are still talking to some artists about performing at their parks this season. Red Sox COO and Executive Vice President of Business Operations Sam Kennedy discussed the quirks of putting on concerts in 100-year-old Fenway Park, which is the smallest and oldest park in the league. "It’s a challenging facility to work at," Kennedy says, because of the space constraints and there being only one roll-up door in center field to load in equipment. "It’s a different flavor of ice cream than a multi-purpose stadium with 70,000 people," he says.

Fenway Park also will also host acts that might not be on the level of mega-fame of a Bruce Springsteen or Paul McCartney, but who are better known locally. Last year, the park hosted the Dropkick Murphys for two nights. The Red Sox and the Murphys have a long history together. Former Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon used their song "Shipping up to Boston" as entrance music. The band has performed in the park before games and at fan rallies, but it had never done an actual concert at Fenway.

For Dropkick Murphys lead singer Ken Casey, the performance was a special experience. "It wasn’t so much the size or the spectacle. It was that this is the place I was going since I was a little kid," he says. His grandfather was friends with Sox legend Johnny Pesky, so Casey spent his childhood running around on the field after games, and when he hit the stage, memories came flooding back. "It all kind of came full circle," Casey says. 

All the memories of the experience weren’t necessarily happy. "I got my car stolen," Casey recalls.  "[The team] suspected it was a fan that stole it and then realized it was mine," he says. "The Red Sox actually paid to get it detailed and everything, so it really worked out in my favor."

"He was a very good sport about it," Kennedy says. "For the record, we recovered it."

So as the season begins and fans hear the music of Roger Waters, Madonna, Kenny Chesney and others flooding the ballpark, there is one act that even the "cathedral of baseball" can’t manage to procure, and it’s not just because their tour is over.

"We can’t do U2," says Yankee COO Lonn Trost. "The stage is too big."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Amazon MP3 Download Center

Read more »