Firewall of Sound

Devin DiMattia graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a degree in Film Studies in 2008. It’s been his dream to make movies ever since he saw 2001: A Space Odyssey when he was 15.

Q1. Devin, the subject of your new documentary is a very emotive one for a lot of people and particularly for those of an age that can remember a time before people held their entire collection of music on a hand held device. What inspired you to make this film and what kind of reaction are you receiving to it so far?

I guess my biggest inspiration for Firewall of Sound is just my love of music as a whole. I feel that, for the last fifteen years or so, the music industry has undergone this massive transition, and every aspect, from buying to selling, recording to listening, all of that has been changed. I ultimately want my documentary to act as a sort of snapshot of the independent music scene, to show what it has accomplished, what its current state is, and where it’s destined to go. So far, the reaction from people who I’ve told about the project and who’ve seen the trailer on YouTube has been very positive. I’ve been amazed at the number of people wanting to be interviewed for the film. Everyone wants to weigh in on this topic, and everyone has a different opinion on what the future will hold.

Q2. I have always been a massive admirer of the US underground scene which I believe to be unique to anywhere else on the planet in terms of local and national networking, self sustainability and freedom away from the influence of big business, do you think that if the decline of the independent store continues it will have a negative impact upon the local and national scenes?

As more and more record stores shut their doors, we will soon say goodbye to one of the most cherished retreats of the music lover. I fear it won’t be long before they build a replica of a record store at the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, to show future generations how people used to buy their music, before the advent of iTunes and Myspace. But while that may seem like a negative attitude, I do feel like a lot has been gained. Local bands can now find a much wider audience than ever before. At the same time, fans can seek out an unprecedented amount of music on the web, and frankly, the weirder and more eclectic, the better. Whether its Belgian Satanic freak-folk or Japanese bikini-clad trombone players (both real; the latter played SXSW), I am constantly amazed at the wealth of bands I have found on the Internet, bands I would never have discovered otherwise. So while I am upset at what we are losing to the “digital revolution,” I am hopeful for the future of music.

Q3. I agree that it is now easier to seek out bands than ever before, Music is available on demand via your laptop, cell phone and also through your tv at anytime anywhere, but do you not think that the quicker and more accessible(perhaps even disposable?) music becomes to purchase that it is in danger of being devalued as an art form in the eyes of the consumer?

I totally agree with that statement. As more and more music is made available to the consumer, it has become harder and harder to keep the attention of the public on any one band or album. Even in indie circles, there have been many “next big thing” bands that have turned out less-than-stellar results. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve downloaded a song off a music blog, only to have it collect virtual dust at the bottom of my iTunes library. And while I do think music’s been slowly losing its value as an art form ever since groups of teen heartthrobs got together to pop-and-lock and lip sync in unison, it’s up to the consumer to search out the bands and the songs that he or she finds merit with. Before you chuck that MP3 file in the trash, give it a couple more listens. Revisit albums you haven’t taken off the shelf in a long time. Don’t feel obligated to speed through all of Pitchfork’s Top 100 Albums of the Year. Music only loses its artistic value if we choose to treat it as something less than art.

Q4. What kind of release are you planning for the film and will you be doing the rounds of film festivals around the US and possibly in Europe?

My hope is to premiere the film at the Cucalorus Film Festival in my hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina. From there, I would run the festival circuit here in the U.S., focusing mostly on documentary or music-based fests (SXSW, Full Frame, etc.) I can’t really go into any detail, mainly because I’m still focused on just finishing the film, which I hope to do before the end of 2009. The official website for Firewall of Sound (firewallofsound.com) will have any updates regarding the production and, ultimately, screenings of the film, so keep your eyes peeled.

www.firewallofsound.com

Andy Maddison