Chattanooga Pulse

On Friday, Sept 4, local design and screen-print collective Young Monster teams up with AVA and the local chapter of AIGA to present the Chattanooga premiere of Died Young, Stayed Pretty, Eileen Yaghoobian’s highly anticipated film about rock posters and the people who make them.

The documentary chronicles Yaghoobian’s travels across the United States and Canada, offering a look into to the world of such gig poster giants as Art Chantry, Brian Chippendale, the Ames Brothers, Print Mafia and Rob Jones, who have worked on posters for bands like Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Radiohead, White Stripes, The Melvins, Ween, Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull—and the list goes on.

The Pulse caught up with director Eileen Yaghoobian, who talked to us about inspiration, rock ’n roll, and the search for the illustrious “Underground.”

Alison Burke:  So why make a movie about rock posters? What drew you to this medium in particular?

Eileen Yaghoobian:  I was drawn to the cultural and political dialogue that pervaded each piece, as well as the artist’s individual expression of “rock ’n roll.” Passion for art and music is what ultimately drives the poster-art scene, as well as my own interests.  I also love the fantasy of the “Underground.” I wanted to see if it existed, and to see if the feelings derived from posters mark out a physical space in comparison.  Where is “off the radar?”

AB:  Well, you certainly looked all over to find it! How did you get from the idea stage to the making of a full-length film?

EY:  I took a risk, and made a feature film with out-of-pocket money.  I lone-wolfed the project, traveled solo for three years, filming on location in Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Seattle, Providence, Calgary, and all across the USA and Canada. Kinda like a band on tour. I tried to match the energy of rock, and equally cut my film like a rock poster. After collecting the 200-something hours of footage, I got Canada Council money to finish the film. At this point, I had enough footage to make four documentaries!

AB: How did the subject matter dictate your approach and presentation?

EY: I wanted the artists in my film to have their own voice to match the aesthetics that make rock posters powerful. With a film like this, you can easily get caught in the traps of the glitter and gloss of rock ’n roll.  If you’re not careful it can sink you. Instead, I chose to go with a story that told what I love most about music and rock posters, which is the community of poster makers and the cultural dialogue that lives in the posters.

I knew that some people would want the traditional documentary structure, and want to be fed information by narration, or by the history of poster art. They want to see facts and truth in a world that blurs the line between fantasy and reality. But that wasn’t the kind of film I wanted to make. I didn’t want to create a façade narrative in the film.  I wanted to be “true” to rock ’n roll!! I was very specific about this.  I cut it as though I were cut-and-pasting a poster. The history of rock posters is there, but it’s in the location filming. You can see it in the artist’s worlds.  You see it in the background, in their conversations, studios, spaces and work.

AB:  You mentioned “lone-wolfing it” for the filming.  Did you have any help in finishing the movie?

EY:  My very small crew, family and friends have all been incredibly generous with their support for the film from start to the never-ending finish. Mark Greenberg (who used to be in the band The Coctails) did an incredible job on the soundtrack— we have 16 original tracks for the film.  And Pete Dionne did amazing work on the VFX for the posters. I really wanted their talents to shine on the screen and I think they do.

AB:  Do you have any favorite parts in the movie?

EY:  The location filming was a high point. The places and people I met, and the wonderful surprises that happen when you’re filming on location.  Like the conversation at Sam’s BBQ where Noel Waggener is talking about the economy and predicting the recession, while in the background a man is struggling to get his wallet out of his back pocket.  At the end, the teller reaches over to grab it.  Moments like this were high points, every step of the way.

AB:  So, did you find what you were looking for?

EY:  Mark Greenberg, the film’s composer, said to me when he first saw the cut, “Out of these dirty, murky places comes this shining art and community.” And I was allowed to bear witness to it, fully. There is this amazing, shining art and community. And I try and share that with audiences.

Died Young, Stayed Pretty: Screenprinting Demo/Workshop
Young Monster is collaborating with Print Mafia, a Kentucky-based studio featured in the film, to design a 25-print run of posters especially for this event. Attendees can help produce their own special edition prints by pulling the final color of their custom poster. Reservations required at (423) 265-4282, ext. 106 to register or
www.avarts.org
Friday, September 4
6 – 7:30 p.m.
$20
Young Monster Studio
Chattanooga Business Development Center, 2nd Floor
100 Cherokee Blvd.
www.weareyoungmonster.com

Live Music at JJ’s Bohemia
10:30 p.m.
$6 (free if workshop attendee)
JJ’s Bohemia
231 E. MLK Blvd.
(423) 266-1400.
www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia