Afterwards I share some updates about some possibilities on the horizon.

My conversation with Tom Piazza:

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My commentary about Treme and the interview with Tom:

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Related Episodes

On this podcast commentary from the 2018 Cutting Edge Music Conference, I share some takeaways about the New Orleans music community. My interviews episode from Cutting Edge 2018 includes a story about Clarence “Frogman” Henry.

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I met with Tom at the historic Columns Hotel in New Orleans to talk about his work and the city that has shaped so much of it. Some of the things we discuss in the episode include

• Highlights from the 50th anniversary of Jazz Fest
• How to write about a place like a local
• What not to do when writing music criticism
• Research that went into his album notes for Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues
• How the writing room on Treme worked together to flesh out challenging story points

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Related Episodes

One of the bands featured in Treme is Papa Gros Funk. On this episode I interviewed the filmmakers behind Do U Want It, a documentary about the band that focuses on their final performances before their indefinite hiatus.

This episode features an interview with Laura Cayouette, a New Orleanian actress who played Kay, a recurring character on Treme. Laura is often recognized for her role in Django Unchained, where she played the sister of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character.

The post Treme & Why New Orleans Matters: Writer Tom Piazza appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Some of the things we discuss include

• How to build a music career that lasts for years
• How to get music on TV show like NCIS: New Orleans
• What it takes to get established in a discerning music community
• How New Orleans has influenced Lynn’s sound and outlook
• Collaborating with musicians to put on a great show
• Staying inspired in spite of heartache

Making music is knowing when to be quiet.” – Lynn Drury

Lynn’s songs that we discuss include “11:11,” “Anniversary,” “Blue Streak,” “Butterfly,” and “Northern.”

After the interview, you can hear Lynn’s song “Blue Streak.”

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Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen enjoyed seeing Lynn perform at Tipitina’s back in December.

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Commentary Track

In this track I share some of my takeaways from the interview and related thoughts.

Some of the things I discuss include

• How to be more effective as a performer
• Building quality relationships over quantity
• The role of the artist in the world at large
• Things that get in the way of trying to make the world better in some way

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Related Episode

To hear more about the New Orleans music scene, check out this interview I did with the filmmakers behind the Papa Grows Funk documentary, Do U Want It?

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The post 20 Years of Making Music in New Orleans: Lynn Drury appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

We seek out good people in the industry.  You can go out and meet sharks anywhere, but you don’t need to come and meet them at the Cutting Edge.” – Eric Cager, founder and executive director of Cutting Edge C.E. 

Below is a breakdown of the interviews and the approximate times when they start.

1. Bucky Goldberg and Marietta Roebuck, Wild Rabbit Salad – 4:48 min

Their song “Amelia” has been tracking high on the Americana charts, and “Killing Flood in Houston” was the No. 1 song on Reverbnation in Houston back in February.

2. Filmmaker Paul Catafago, founder of Mosaic Culture Project – 8:22 min

Paul is a New Yorker whose sense of artistic purpose was significantly shaped by the 9/11 attacks. Along with his Mosaic partner Lance Arnold, Paul has put together a series of documentaries on icons in the New Orleans music community. Some of the musicians he interviewed include

• Clarence “Frogman” Henry, best known for his 1956 hit song “Ain’t Got No Home”
• Deacon John Moore, guitarist for Allen Toussaint and head of the New Orleans Musicians Union
• George Porter Jr., “the grandfather of funk bass” who has a residency at the Maple Leaf Bar

3. Henry Turner Jr., a soul and funk musician – 20:02 min

Henry who wrote the Baton Rouge theme song and spreads the Louisiana spirit across the country with his Ultimate Louisiana Tour. In appreciation of his music outreach efforts, the city of Baton Rouge proclaimed Oct. 28 as Henry Turner Jr. Day. Henry’s song “Ugly Man” can be heard shortly after his interview.

4.  Cliff & Jeana Downing and Michael Roberson, The Captain Ledge Band – 39:02 min

Captain Ledge Band’s latest album, Rumors of the Great White Skunk, was awarded the 2018 Bluegrass Album of the Year by the International Music and Entertainment Association.  The band has a sweet way to make a first impression on music industry types, which we also discuss.

After the interview concludes, you can hear the band’s song “Bucket Mouth,” which was nominated for bluegrass song of the year by the International Music and Entertainment Association (IMEA).

5. Eric Cager, founder and director of Cutting Edge C.E. – 59:31 min

We discuss the unique vision behind Cutting Edge and some of the highlights from this year’s music conference.

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I had a number of takeaways from the conversation and things I wanted to expand upon, so I recorded my commentary as a separate track, which you can hear below or next in the podcast feed.

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If you’d like to hear from another band that has played at Cutting Edge, check out this interview I did with Mystery Loves Company, a chamber rock band I met at the music conference a few years ago.

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It also offers an insider’s glimpse into what makes the New Orleans music community so special, which the film sometimes accents with New Orleans-styled animation. No surprise then that the film won the audience award at the New Orleans Film Festival when it screened there in 2017.

The film has also screened in festivals across the country including San Francisco Indie Fest, Oxford (Mississippi) Film Festival, and Chicago International Movies & Music Festival. Just a few weeks ago, the film won Best Music Documentary at San Francisco’s Frozen Film Festival.

I had the chance to catch the film when it screened at the Louisiana International Film Festival in April.  That’s where I met the film’s directors, Josh Freund and Sam Radutzky. I was captivated by their affection for the New Orleans music scene and by the way their film explores Papa Grows Funk’s creative collaborations, both when they work and when they don’t, so I invited them to come on the show.

Some of the things we discuss include

• How to connect with bands at shows
• What makes the New Orleans music scene so distinct
• The tension that arises between musicians who are content to preform locally and those who want to build a national following
• How much footage and editing goes into shooting a feature-length music documentary
• The way that Josh and Sam resolved their own creative differences during post
• Budgeting for animated clips in a film and an indie tip for getting a lower rate
• How to shoot a band on tour

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Want to hear from a band that played at Jazz Fest this year?  Then check out this interview I did with Daniel and Jesse Reaux from The Rayo Brothers.

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Here are my prior interviews from #LIFF2018. On the recap below, I share some of the highlights from each interview, what it was like getting to screen my short at the festival, and some of the new discoveries and filmmaking observations, and life lessons I learned while attending.

Films from LIFF2018 that I discuss on this episode include

• 1000 Year Flood
• And Then I Go 
• Blaze 
• Brimstone & Glory 
• Cut Off 
• Do U Want It 
• Gabriel & the Mountain 
• Hearts Beat Loud
• Larger Than Life: The Kevin Aucoin Story
• Mixed Signals (short)
• Mr. United States (short)
• Stay Woke (short)
• Stuck
• Tinker
• Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

Want to learn more about one of the bands that played at the festival? Then check out this interview I did with Peter Simon, the lead singer of Minos the Saint, which was one of the bands that played at LIFF’s Filmmaker Lounge this year.

Sponsor for this Episode

nsavides productions – I make videos and tell stories. My new video portfolio is here!

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My short film Mixed Signals premiered at LIFF 2018 on April 21.

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Say hello: podcast@nsavides.com

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Related Things

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Other Films & Shows Mentioned

• Breaking Bad
• Gunslinger
• Godfather
• Home Remedy (web series)
• Lost

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Bands & Musicians Mentioned

• Minos the Saint
• Pappa Grows Funk
• Ryan Harris

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Spotify

The post Louisiana International Film Festival Recap #LIFF2018 appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Some of the better known acts at BUKU 2016 include Pretty Lights, Kid Cudi CHVRCHΞS, Miike Snow, Griz, and Above & Beyond. The festival has only been around for five years, but the event sold out, and there were over 30,000 people in attendance according to the festival’s estimates.

Based on other festival coverage I’ve done (like the New Orleans Film Festival and the Twisted Oak Music Festival) I was given the opportunity to do media coverage for BUKU. At first I was apprehensive since I don’t know a lot about EDM, but then I noticed that some bands I recognized were playing there.

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I decided that doing media coverage for the festival could be a good opportunity to learn more about EDM and some of the related genres that have grown popular in recent years. To prepare for the festival, I talked to some music enthusiasts who were well versed in the electronic music scene and listened to some BUKU-related playlists.

I attended both days of BUKU and saw as many performances as my schedule would allow. At the festival, I interviewed

• CRWNS
• Donovan Wolfington
• Fro-Yo Ma
• DJ Soul Sister
• Taylor Guarisco from the Givers

DJ Soul Sister during her set at BUKU

Some of the topics that came up include: mixing musical genres, audience interactions, drug use, and how to have better collaborations with other artists. After the interviews, I share my festival impressions and some of my experiences while attending.

Prior to BUKU, I had some things on my mind, and they stayed with me throughout the festival. In short, I was wondering if it was possible to find answers to some of the bigger questions while surrounded by all the noise and flashing lights.

I address some of those questions in the episode, which turned it into one of the more personal episodes I’ve recorded.

Listen to the Episode

In addition to musicians and venues, I also photographed some of the outfits that caught my eye.

Here’s an example:

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A post shared by Nick Savides (@nsavides)

If you’re curious, you can see more of my BUKU photos on Instagram.

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In New Orleans, the Professional Sound Services office is run by Justin Ditch and Lukas Gonzales, accomplished audio professionals in their own right. They both set aside some time to show us some of the equipment they offer and share tips on how to record better audio.

I shot and edited a video of their demonstration. In the video, we learn:

• a specific kind of boompole that can make things easier for a boom operator
• what kind of sound recorder and mixer is right for the job
• the benefits of using high-end wireless microphones
• when to use a stereo microphone or a short shotgun, and more

Watch

To go along with the video, I’ve included an audio track below where I talk more about the making of the video, specifically some of my insecurities and mistakes that came up while I was working on it. I actually had a certain mindset that almost killed the project, and it took me some effort to plow through. From what I’ve seen and read, it’s a mindset that impedes a number of creative types, so I thought I’d share it with you, in case it helps:

Listen to the Episode

The post [Video] Recording Tips from Professional Sound Services in New Orleans appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Below are the interviews included in this part.

Part II

My leisurely lunch at St. James Cheese Company

• Kevin Hughes, director on Louisiana short Tough Love, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Mourning Hills, a film which won the Apex Post Award for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Kenny Lass and Alex Wiltz co-directors of Louisiana short Hut
• Ian Midgley, director of documentary Reversing the Mississippi, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Pedro Lucero, transportation coordinator for festival, filmmaker
• Greg Tilton, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Love Me True, InDepth Media partner
• Kirby Voss, director of Louisiana feature Love Me True, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Elise Berggreen, festival volunteer and actress
• Allen Frederic, director; Brian Friedman, writer; Laurent Dupepe, editor of The King of New Orleans, Special Jury Award for Louisiana Feature
• This part also features my reflections on my festival experience.

In case you missed it, below are the interviews in Part I.

Part I

This is me with Jane by her art installation.

• Jennifer Medvin, director of Little Hero, Special Jury Award for Documentary Short
• Jordan Shiele, director of Turtle, Jury Winner for Narrative Short
• Kevin Prockup, film composer of Lousiana short, Does God Hear Robots Pray
• Erica Anderson, head of crowdfunding & education at Seed & Spark, festival panelist
• Conway Solomon, actor from Louisiana short Us Against the World, which won the Apex Post Special Mention for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Russell Blanchard, director; Benjamin Gouldthorpe, writer of Louisiana short The Lot, featured in the festival’s Cinema Classroom program
• Victoria Greene, festival volunteer, filmmaker for upcoming documentary Forgotten Bayou 
• Morgan Roberts, director of Louisiana short, Rite, Jury Winner for Louisiana Short
• Brian Richard, director; Hunter Burke, co-writer and actor; Natalie Kingston, director of photography; Chris Haney, producer of Louisiana short Atchafalaya
• Jane Cassidy, artist with a featured installation at the festival, experimental shorts juror
• Justin Ditch, from Professional Sound Services, sponsor and audio work

A photo I took of Quvenzhane Wallis, the actress from Beasts of the Southern Wild, on the opening night of the festival. You can see more of my festival photos here.

A special thank you to Jolene Pinder and Emily Reimsnyder for giving me media access to cover the event.

Listen to the Interviews

This is Part II:

The post New Orleans Film Festival 2015 Recap Part II appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

The interview came in at over 2 hours, so I broke up into two parts. Below is the breakdown of who I interviewed in each part.

The festival bus that took us to the Reflektor Party where Win Butler from Arcade Fire was the DJ

Part I

• Jennifer Medvin, director of Little Hero, Special Jury Award for Documentary Short
• Jordan Shiele, director of Turtle, Jury Winner for Narrative Short
• Kevin Prockup, film composer of Lousiana short, Does God Hear Robots Pray
• Erica Anderson, head of crowdfunding & education at Seed & Spark, festival panelist
• Conway Solomon, actor from Louisiana short Us Against the World, which won the Apex Post Special Mention for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Russell Blanchard, director; Benjamin Gouldthorpe, writer of Louisiana short The Lot, featured in the festival’s Cinema Classroom program
• Victoria Greene, festival volunteer, filmmaker for upcoming documentary Forgotten Bayou 
• Morgan Roberts, director of Louisiana short, Rite, Jury Winner for Louisiana Short
• Brian Richard, director; Hunter Burke, co-writer and actor; Natalie Kingston, director of photography; Chris Haney, producer of Louisiana short Atchafalaya 
• Jane Cassidy, artist with a featured installation at the festival, experimental shorts juror
• Justin Ditch, from Professional Sound Services, sponsor and audio work

This is me with Jane by her art installation.

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Part II

• Kevin Hughes, director on Louisiana short Tough Love, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Mourning Hills, a film which won the Apex Post Award for Best Sound in a Louisiana Film
• Kenny Lass and Alex Wiltz co-directors of Louisiana short Hut
• Ian Midgley, director of documentary Reversing the Mississippi, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Pedro Lucero, transportation coordinator for festival, filmmaker
• Greg Tilton, sound mixer on Louisiana feature Love Me True, InDepth Media partner
• Kirby Voss, director of Louisiana feature Love Me True, which had a world premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival
• Elise Berggreen, festival volunteer and actress
• Allen Frederic, director; Brian Friedman, writer; Laurent Dupepe, editor of The King of New Orleans, Special Jury Award for Louisiana Feature
• This part also features my reflections on my festival experience.

A photo I took of Quvenzhane Wallis, the actress from Beasts of the Southern Wild, on the opening night of the festival. You can see more of my festival photos here.

A special thank you to Jolene Pinder and Emily Reimsnyder for giving me media access to cover the event.

Listen to the Interviews:

This is Part I:

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