Draft:More Than Just A Party Band Film

More Than Just A Party Band Film
More Than Just A Party Band
Directed byRobert Redfield
Written byRobert Redfield
Produced byEmile Millar
CinematographyRobert Redfield
Edited byRobert Redfield
Production
companies
Hello Santa Barbara, Redfield Pictures
Release date
Fall 2023
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

More Than Just a Party Band is a documentary film about the 40-year personal and professional journey of a Santa Barbara cultural icon, musician Spencer Barnitz, best known for his band Spencer the Gardener.[1] [2]

Synopsis

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The film is personal story about what it means to be a cultural and musical icon in a community. Growing up in an idyllic 1970s Santa Barbara, California, a surfing-basketball-playing tango-dancing musician easily achieves a flash of early fame, but is then forced to rewrite his definition of success when faced with an uncaring music industry, catastrophes, and cultural shifts.

The result is a fun and quirky music and entertainment style, beloved by the community, that some say sounds like the soul of Santa Barbara, California.[3]

Friends, neighbors, musicians, and national media such as Good Morning America, join Spencer in telling the story of his music and its inspirations against a backdrop of personal setbacks, comebacks and successes while living in Santa Barbara, London, Peru, and Mexico.[4]

Stories from Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) and Marko DeSantis (Sugarcult) describe Spencer’s role in the raucous Santa Barbara music scene of the 1980’s and 90’s in his bands The Tan and Spencer The Gardener.

While making the film, Spencer sees his many past lives focus into a coherent story just in time to face another existential crisis.

The film explores several themes including the meaning of creative success, an artist's influence within the community, and the role of fun and love in songwriting.

Themes

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Within the backdrop of Spencer's life history, the following themes are explored:

  • Fun
  • Community Fabric
  • Love and Loves Lost
  • Mexico as a muse
  • Songwriting
  • Comebacks after Catastrophes
  • What's Next?
  • Making it as an artist

Film festivals

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The film played in international film festivals including the Riverside International Film Festival[5], Roma Short Film Festival (winner Feature Documentary Award)[6], the Maryland International Film Festival[7], Seattle Film Festival and the Ojai Film Festival[8][9][10][11]

Production

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Research and story development began in February 2021 and primary photography occurred between the summer of 2021 and October 2022.

Soundtrack

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The film contains 21 original songs from The Tan and Spencer The Gardener and available on a Spotify playlist.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "More Than Just A Party Band Film". More Than Just A Party Band Film. Square Space. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. ^ Palminteri, John (May 19, 2023). "Spencer the Gardener film coming out". News Channel 3-12. KEYT Santa Barbara.
  3. ^ Woodard, Josef (July 21, 2022). "Life of the Party, Man About Town". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  4. ^ Dinaberg, Leslie (May 2, 2023). "From Spencer the Gardener to Spencer the Subject". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "Riverside International Film Festival". Riverside International Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  6. ^ Mag, Tokyo Cine (2024-03-06). "Roma Short Film Festival February 2024 Winners". Roma Short Film Fest. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  7. ^ "Films". Maryland International Film Fest. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  8. ^ Dinaberg, Leslie (2023-10-31). "Ojai Film Festival Fun". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  9. ^ Stewart, Elizabeth (2023-11-03). "24th Annual Ojai Film festival". Elizabeth Appraisals. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  10. ^ Festival, Ojai Film (2023-09-07). "More Than Just A Party Band -". Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  11. ^ Walker, Mimi (2023-11-03). "A select lineup to see at Ojai Film Festival". Ojai Valley News. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  12. ^ "Spotify". Spotify.
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