Melbourne Documentary Film Festival / Revelation Film Festival - Meal Tickets
A band of best friends, a roadie who wanted rock-stardom and documentary ten years in the making.
Interview with Producer Brooke Silcox
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Mat de Koning (director) wanted to see whether his friends had potential to be the next big thing. Over ten years later of filming he discovered he got something more!
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We all have ambition for our future. Meal Tickets shows us that what is important is the journey, the loyalty, the relationships, the personal integrity. It is a rock and roll documentary but ultimately it is a story for all of us about growing up.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Personal and universal themes of being true to oneself, friendship, loyalty, integrity and hopes and dreams are key to this film. Generational experiences of the change in the music industry are key as Meal Tickets documents the fall of the music industry that we have seen.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Mat says there are probably around twenty drafts of this film. When I was brought on in 2011 it was when Mat had a 110 minute cut of the first act of the film called ‘USA or Bust’. In the final edit that section is around 16minutes. At one stage there was an entirely different storyline that was going to play out in the third act of the film about the art world, but in 2014 that section was dropped for the next documentary. Mat estimates there is 700 hours of footage he has cut through to make this film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We have received phenomenal feedback! It has been overwhelming and wonderful. Any one who has worked in the music industry has given us so much support because so much of Meal Tickets resonates with their lives.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We’ve had challenging moments in how the film has been promoted because for us it is clear that this film is about success and what we value not about failure. However, because this isn’t a film about the Rolling Stones somehow it gets perceived as such. There is only one band that is the Rolling Stones and there are countless numbers of others that tried and found that sometimes life gets in the way. This is the story for all of those people in bands that aren’t the Rolling Stones.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We hope it encourages more people to come and see the film that was more than ten years in the making!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
To give Meal Tickets a further voice we need sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists. We want to make sure Meal Tickets plays regional festivals as well as internationally. We are also looking for a VOD deal so that the people who want to watch it can!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We just want people to enjoy it and reflect on their own lives and those around them while watching it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What does success truly mean?
Would you like to add anything else?
There’s no guidebook to Rock and Roll!
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are going to collaborate together on our next documentary called 29 Years & Eight Days which looks at the life of our close friend Matt Doust who passed away in 2013. In addition, Mat is working on community stories and promotion for Hank Marvin. I am working on a feature film, developing a range of projects in documentary, kids, feature narrative and virtual reality.
Interview: June 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Meal Tickets
A band of best friends, a roadie who wanted rock-stardom and documentary ten years in the making.
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Mat de Koning
Producer: Brooke Silcox, Mat de Koning, Dave Kavanagh
Writer: Mat de Koning, Dominic Pearce, Brooke Silcox
About the writer, director and producer:
Mat de Koning: film, skate park and community space maker. He was the West Australian Filmmaker of the year in 2011.
Brooke Silcox: works in arts, film and law. She worked in the art department of the film industry and moved into producing. She was the 2016 recipient of the $100,000 Emerging Producer Grant from Screenwest.
Key cast: Ben Ward, Lee French, Charlie Austen, Mitch Long, Will Ferrier, Dave Kavanagh, Pip McMullen
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Sales agents, distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Social media handles: www.mealtickets.tv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mealticketsdocumentary/
Twitter: @MealTicketsDoc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mealtickets/
Other: www.mealtickets.tv
Funders: Screenwest and Lotterywest
Made in association with: Screenwest and Lotterywest
Where can I see it in the next month?
Melbourne: Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on 16 July at 7pm @ Cinema Nova – one night only!
Perth: Revelation Film Festival Perth @6.30 pm on 8 July and 2.30pm on 18 July at Luna Leederville