ROFFEKE: The filmmakers of the Rockumentary "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" filmed 1600 hours of footage which was cut down to 2 hours 20 minutes. How many hours (or minutes) of footage did you film for this 10 minute documentary about the TriTones? What criteria did you use to include or not include footage in the final cut of Jazz and Roll?
ZEKE HANSON: That was a monster of a documentary. I remember when they did that, and it's still hard to wrap my mind around that incredible amount of footage. I think TriTones was about 2.5 hours, give or take. What does or doesn't make the final cut is always the storytellers dilemma. My goal is always to be in a situation where I have to cut good footage, because I have too much that I like to make it work. But that's not always the case. For The TriTones it was different. They were minors at the time, and it was almost the end of their school year, so there really wasn't a possibility for me to shoot practice room or the jam sessions that they were talking about. It was more of capturing a moment in time, so that no matter what they all end up accomplishing down the road, this was something that they did and that they could use to look back on.
ROFFEKE: How did this project come about? Did you reach out to the TriTones or did The TriTones reach out to you? What challenges did you face while making Jazz and Roll?
ZEKE: I was actually working on another series at the time. (Step Into My Studio, on SDPB) and was interviewing Drex's (Trombone player) dad. During the interview he was sharing stories about a band his son was a part of and said it might be a fun story if I wanted to check them out. It took a bit for me to finish up some other projects, but I was able to make it to one of their last shows that summer.It was an uncertain time for them as the majority were graduating high school and leaving the regularity of the group. I'm glad I was able to see them play. It's one of those projects that came about by being present in the conversation, not just the interview.
ROFFEKE: Your other project - which is quite different from Jazz and Roll - is called "The Missing and Murdered". What inspired you to work on this? What lessons did you learn from that project that you (may have) applied in filming Jazz and Roll?
ZEKE: Yes. It is quite different. When I started on The Missing and Murdered, I didn't really understand what I was getting into. I was working on another feature documentary at the time, and was told that if I rode along on the Missing and Murdered ride, that it might help get other interview participants for the other project. At the time I had never done a cross documentary state trip. Not on my own and certainly not periodically from a horse. It was a long shoot and I had to negotiate a lack of electricity to make it work. I think the lesson that I learned from that, that I take with me for every project is that there will always be obstacles. Part of telling any story is accommodating the struggle to make it. It can be a frustrating journey, but the story has to reveal itself sometimes. You can't just force it. How any filmmaker handles that is part of their style.
ROFFEKE: Your thoughts on Artificial Intelligence and the future of filmmaking?
ZEKE: Oh. Good. I think art has been kicked around and bullied for its entire existence. You can always find people who are willing to take credit for other people's work. But now you see people who are taking credit for something that isn't even real. Art should be felt, not simulated. In my opinion, fake intelligence is a steroid. It should be treated the same way as any asterisk is used in a sporting event or record book. Heavy use of anyone else's work isn't homage, it isn't creative, and there is a word for it. Plagiarism. It culls from existing art to "create" something else. There's nothing new about it. Just heavy filtering. For some of my other documentary research, the immediate incorporation of AI into search engines has actually made it more difficult to find what I'm looking for. Why use artificial, when we are all capable of using the real thing?
ROFFEKE: Your advice for aspiring documentary filmmakers?
ZEKE: You have to have that sick to your stomach feeling.That need to create. Filmmaking is a tough business. Not because of the storytelling, but because of the business. It'll come at a cost, and not always just financially. It costs time, resources, and focus. It'll beat you down and chew you up. But it can also take you around the world and introduce you to people and places you would never otherwise see. I can't imagine doing anything else. For me, documentary filmmaking shines a light on the community of the world. It isn't always pretty, but... if you don't share it...then who will?
Director's Biography:
Zeke Hanson is a film producer, documentarian and author.
"Jazz and Roll" Synopsis:
A little bit rock'n roll, a whole lot of jazz fusion. Hear from The TriTones about what music means to them, and why they can put their musical twist on any genre.
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