Melbourne raised, UK based film maker Thomas Meadmore’s debut full-length documentary How To Lose Jobs And Alienate Girlfriends is a warts-and-all documentary about the rollercoaster creative process of two separate, independent music artists as they pursue their dreams to become professional singers and songwriters.
Directed, filmed, edited and narrated by Meadmore, the doco came to life when encouraged by his boss, Tony Jackson (TV Director, Lonely Planet) to take the plunge and make his first film. But after just a few months behind the camera, Meadmore slams head first in to major pitfalls that see his two subjects and two closest relationships; boss, Jackson and girlfriend, Amanda become a disaster zone, and Meadmore’s insecurities flare as he struggles to find a concrete story. Five years in the making, How To Lose Jobs And Alienate Girlfriends is an unflinching, utterly engaging and incredibly important and honest documentary.
The film will be screening tomorrow, Saturday 19th of July at Cinema Nova Carlton (invite only and Q&A session) and Sunday July 27th at the Twilight Film Festival ‘Splendour Forum’ tent at Splendour In The Grass. In the lead up to the film’s release we chatted with Thomas and asked him to curate a list of his favourite Aussie music docos, for more info on Thomas and the the film you can visit www.gofishfilms.com.au.
Intro
“I love documentaries, and while I have a soft spot for music docos I haven’t seen the full pallet of what Australia’s music doco scene has to offer. So I have chosen for you a selection of my favorites and the reasons why they struck a nerve.
Overall I love films that reveal deeply the people themselves, all the way to the darkness and back, not just the music they make. I think both go hand in hand, and each of these films touches on both in a different way. Enjoy!”
Mrs Carey’s Concert (2011)
Film subject: Karen Carey
“Ok this film is like a mini Aussie ‘Hoop Dreams’ in the classical music world, following several teachers and their gifted high school students as they prepare for a concert at the Opera House. How did filmmakers Bob Connelly and Sophie Raymond get such incredible access to these high school students??
The film is exceptionally crafted and it’s an excellent example of allowing the pictures to tell the story with no narration. Like ‘Hoop Dreams’ the storytelling is so subtle, so skilled. For me the film’s subtext explores the importance of potential – an incredible first stepping-stone in life, fostered (or squandered) through a privileged school system. Potential is something I didn’t value or understand when I was in high school – I always wanted to be perfect, now.”
Rock and Roll Nerd (2008)
Film subject: Tim Minchin
“Before Tim Minchin was famous, several of my friends performed improv musical theatre (shout out to ‘A’Muse-mrical’). By choosing audience suggestions out of a hat, the actors had to make up songs on the spot with master Tim providing music on the piano. My sister Kelly’s song was chosen – and it was the most inappropriate song title you could possibly imagine. But Tim and the crew came up with the goods and the audience voted it best on the night! Tim’s virtuosity left a major impression.
This bio film begins not long after that night, charting the beginning of ‘the next stage’ in a performers career from the inside out. I am a sucker for access documentaries. The film is beautifully put together and I admire how incredibly candid Tim is. He is very brave in this film, and he’s so, so funny.”
The Sunnyboy (2013)
Film subject: The Sunnyboys
“It’s irrelevant that Jeremy Oxley from Aussie band The Sunnyboys was a pop star – this is a bio story about someone giving their all to something, losing themselves in the process, then finding themselves all over again and the effect this journey has on their key intimate relationships. The film looks a lot at Jeremy’s ‘Schizophrenia’, but I think everyone has demons to battle, which for me makes this story universal, popstar or not. I’ve never seen an Aussie music doco that looks at these key relationships so frankly in such minutiae.”
Blokes You Can Trust (2013)
Film subject: The Cosmic Psychos
“I worked with director Matt Weston at my very first professional job cutting corporate films. A character himself, Matt was always into grunge metal through his band, The Nation Blue, so it’s no surprise he’s come out with a gritty grunge Aussie punk film.
It’s a great retrospective doco about a crazy Aussie band (who I’d never heard of before) that’s very well put together with just incredible characters. I mean incredible. Despite how grossly inappropriate they are (fine by me), it’s a terrific example of Aussie charm at its best – they could get away with murder. For me it’s a story about simply loving the music, life and truly being oneself, something Matt captured in spades.”
Stories of Me (2012)
Film subject: Paul Kelly
“This is a retrospective bio film about Paul Kelly. For me the candid and honest treatment of Paul Kelly’s addiction to heroin really got me. It’s not often I see artists with a big profile get so vulnerable about their past. Also the film is very colourful, literally, and it introduced me to layers of Paul Kelly’s music on a new level – giving me a greater appreciation of the creative process itself and just how good a songwriter Paul Kelly is. Love the title treatments too.”
Making Mirrors (2011)
Film subject: Gotye
“Ok, so this film is only ten minutes long, but truly, its one of the best films on just simply the creative process I’ve ever seen. It’s so, so personal too (I am a sucker for personal, introspective stuff). It’s beautifully conceptualized, shot and put together.
I was SO jealous of filmmakers James Bryans and Wally De Backer – the whole time I was thinking ‘I wish I had made this movie!’ Major strength too is I think anyone could enjoy this film, even without knowing the artist Gotye. It’s simple and intimate. But its greatest asset is how openly and selflessly Wally De Backer shares his decision making process in making such a fabulous album. Any aspiring musician should be so lucky!!!”
