The Spaghetti Stains
An immersive look into up-coming Melbourne band 'The Spaghetti Stains', including their upbringing in the regional Victoria area of Gippsland, their experiences as an all-female band, and their outlook on life and the future of the Melbourne music scene.
Interview with Writer/Director Finegan Sampson and Producer Max Kearsley
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
FINEGAN: As a part of our Film & TV studies at Swinburne University back in 2021 we had the opportunity to create a documentary for one of our units. I had been friends with a couple of members of The Spaghetti Stains prior to this, having performed alongside them as a part of a local band myself. Their female-driven story, which is often not highlighted within the local music scene was something I felt could make for a really insightful documentary.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
FINEGAN: I believe this film's unpolished raw nature and sense of relatability are at the heart of its appeal to audiences. We had the privilege of getting to know the three members of The Spaghetti Stains throughout the filmmaking process, and at the end of the day, they are just three really down-to-earth and funny people. Combine that with their clear musical talent, and their incredibly insightful perspectives on not only being an all-female band in the independent music industry, but the issues facing the wider industry as a whole, are issues that a wide range of people will be able to relate to. Even when you strip the music element away, it's a story of three young people trying to make a living doing what they love, which has universal appeal.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
FINEGAN: Our film really focuses on universal themes of creativity, ambition and friendship, with these being at the core of the band itself. Female friendship in particular forms the backbone theme of the narrative, with all of the band members speaking in-depth and really sincerely about the special bond they all share, and what it has meant to them to be able to not only work together creatively but to be able to grow together as people.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
FINEGAN: Because of the film's nature as a documentary, we were in a position to really let whatever we captured over the days filming the band drive the direction of the narrative. Whilst in our original conception of the narrative and original formation of the questions we directed more of our focus into their experiences as an all-female band and the roadblocks that came as a result of that, our discussions across filming really broadened the narrative to not only focus on this issue but the wider issue of being an independent up-coming musician. Add to that the timing of having come out of a year of lockdowns when this was filmed at the end of 2020, and we ended up with a more in-depth perspective on the struggles of the entire musical industry than we had initially anticipated, which really enriched the overall narrative.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
MAX: We've been really happy with the positive reception we've had so far. The film was an exciting independent project when we took it on, and people seem to have really connected with the film's themes and perspective. We've been told by people that they really resonated with the members of the band, and their perspectives on the music industry.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
MAX: I think the documentary has been able to gain more legs festival wise than we originally expected which has been fantastic and something we've been incredibly grateful for. We've been fortunate enough to screen earlier this year at Capricorn in Queensland, as well as having screenings in Argentina and Indonesia amongst other places. It has shown that whilst the story being told is very Melbourne-based, its wider themes and messaging have been accessible to audiences globally.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
MAX: We believe that We Are Moving Stories is an exciting platform for independent filmmakers like us to be able to showcase work to a wide range of people who in previous years may not have ever had the chance to be exposed to it. Not only this, but it provides creatives with a chance to connect with each other and explore each other's work, hopefully developing the chance for bonds which could lead to more projects down the track. We'd love for The Spaghetti Stains to find an audience on We Are Moving Stories, and believe its female-driven story centred around creativity will resonate with the platform's audience.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
MAX: We'd love for any form of buyers, distributors, film festival directors or journalists to jump on board and help us with widening the message of The Spaghetti Stains. We believe the film's universal themes and the relatable trio of band members make the film appealing to mainstream audiences, and would hopefully be something other festivals and platforms would be interested in investing in. We'd love the opportunity to continue to display the film worldwide.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
FINEGAN: We'd love for this documentary to not only be something that audiences really enjoy and connect with but be a starter point for discussion. Music is an integral part of a lot of people's lives, whether we realise it or not, and whilst the top percentage of musicians earn a substantial amount of money, the majority of working musicians can struggle to make a significant living from their craft. With so many talented artists operating within the independent music scene worldwide, we hope this documentary is able to even contribute a small amount to get more people to invest their time and money into supporting local musicians.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
FINEGAN: How are we able to help local musicians to be able to survive and make a living in the independent music scene?
Would you like to add anything else?
FINEGAN: We just wanted to give a massive thank you to the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival for giving us the incredible opportunity to screen on the opening night prior to the Annie Lennox documentary. It is an incredible privilege and we are very grateful and excited. We also want to thank Jeff Bird from Swinburne for his faith in the documentary since its completion, and for providing us with the pathways to be able to screen at a range of festivals.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
MAX: OneHouse Story Company has recently completed three short films: Teach Me How to Cry, A Step Apart and Porcelain. We are currently in the process of submitting them to festivals internationally and are hoping we will have some exciting screening news about them soon so keep your eyes peeled on our socials!
Interview: July 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
The Spaghetti Stains
An immersive look into up-coming Melbourne band 'The Spaghetti Stains', including their upbringing in the regional Victoria area of Gippsland, their experiences as an all-female band, and their outlook on life and the future of the Melbourne music scene.
Length: 17:10
Director: Finegan Sampson
Producer: Max Kearsley
Writer: Finegan Sampson
About the writer, director and producer:
FINEGAN SAMPSON is an aspiring writer and director with a background in film from a young age. Fin's first ventured into the world of filmmaking in his youth through acting, appearing in the feature film Predestination as well as a variety of other shows and shorts. Fin's professional pursuit behind the camera began through his Film & TV studies at Swinburne University of Technology, through which he was involved in the formation of OneHouse Productions.
MAX KEARSLEY is an up-coming film producer, whose love for organisation, planning and being on time has led him to helm the majority of producing work for OneHouse Productions projects since the company’s inception. Max's love for producing was first realised through his studies at Swinburne University of Technology’s Bachelor of Film & TV course, where he was fortunate enough to be involved in the production of three graduation projects in 2022. He has also produced a plethora of music videos and corporate-based content through OneHouse.
Key cast: Rose Verey (Herself), Panjiti Lawrence (Herself), Emmah Hellings (Herself)
Looking for: film festival directors, distributors, buyers
Facebook: OneHouse Story Company
Twitter: @ohstoryco
Instagram: @ohstoryco
Hashtags used: #spaghettistains #onehouse #ohstoryco
Website: www.onehouseproductions.com.au
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: OneHouse Story Company
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Melbourne Documentary Film Festival/Melbourne - 21/7/23