Making a Violent Movie with Davey Havok

These days there are a million different things being funded online. At this point, there is so much out there that a lot of good campaigns are getting lost in the shuffle. We have all become a little jaded when it comes to funding a project or idea online. For instance, I recently found a fundraiser for the World's Largest Jockstrap, a fund to build a Floating Pool in the Middle of a River and a grilled cheese that had the face of Jesus burned into it. There is simply too much out there and a lot of it is bullshit.

When online funding first came into play, it was a little easier to get the word out about what you were doing, but the clutter has made it more difficult. That is why I knew I had to write about an Indiegogo campaign to fund a punk movie set in the '90s that stars Davey Havok from AFI. This seems like an awesome idea and a movie that I would like to see. I think a lot of you out there might be similarly intrigued by the teaser and together we can help them reach their goal.

I had a chance to ask the movie's writer and producer, Clint Carney, a few questions about the project. You might know him from his band SYSTEM SYN. He is a Los Angles based painter, musician, writer, sculptor, and prop maker, and the mind behind a movie called The Violent. Watch the teaser for the film below and check out what he has to say about the project. If you like what you see and hear, throw a couple of bucks their way and lets see a movie that tells a different story about punks and skins in the '90s, one that we know to be a little more true.

The Violent - Promo from Clint Carney on Vimeo.

HID- What inspired you to write this film? Why do you think that this story needs to be told?
Clint Carney- "For one thing, I don’t think there are any high school movies out there that accurately portray what it was like to be a part of a subculture in the mid nineties. At least there aren’t any that I can relate to. I think it was a strange time, not too far before the Columbine school shooting, where perhaps many adults weren’t really paying attention to what was going on with the youth. At high schools nowadays, you have metal detectors, floodlights, uniforms, zero tolerance policies for drugs and violence, etc. It was much different back then, and I think it’s a part of American history worth remembering. Also, Hollywood only ever shows us racist nazi skinheads in movies. You rarely, if ever, see a film with Traditional Skins or SHARPs (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) in it, and I thought it would be an interesting subculture to introduce to filmgoers. Punks and Skins are a diverse group, represented by people from many different racial and social backgrounds. I didn't want to make another movie stereotyping or marginalizing this group, but rather, I wanted to give a realistic glimpse into their world."

HID- Why did you decide to use IndieGogo to fund the film?
Clint Carney- "When you don’t have the backing and money of a major studio, it can be extremely difficult to make people aware of your movie. IndieGogo offers a nice user-friendly platform which is helping “The Violent” to get attention from a very large audience. And of course, it also provides a channel for people to chip in to help make this film a reality."

HID- How did Davey Havok become involved?
Clint Carney- "Davey and I are both touring musicians and had run into each other at various shows over the years. He’s one of the nicest, most genuine guys that I've met. I hadn't seen him in while, and then we reconnected backstage at a mutual friend’s show (Trevor Friedrich of The Witch Was Right). I mentioned the project to him, and he expressed interest in reading the script. I was very pleased to hear that he had enjoyed it, and I asked if he’d like to come on board to be a part of the film. Thankfully, he agreed."

HID- What kind of rewards can a person get for contributing to this campaign?
Clint Carney- "We’ve got a lot of great perks; exclusive shirts and posters, autographed copies of Davey’s book, props from the film, invitations to the premiere, even walk-on roles in the movie, and more."

HID- Where will the movie be filmed?
Clint Carney- "We’re shooting it all in Los Angeles County, California, mostly in the suburbs. So many film productions are leaving our state these days, and as a life-long resident, I want to help bring money and jobs to our local economy."

HID- When will it officially be released if it gets made?
Clint Carney- "It will get made for sure. I won’t stop until it does. I’m hopeful that we’ll have a 2015 release date, but the specifics will depend largely on when we complete our funding goals. Aside from the IndieGogo campaign, we’re also actively seeking funding from private investors interested in owning a piece of the film."

HID- Have you ever done anything like this before or is this new territory for you?
Clint Carney- "I've worked in the film industry for a few years now, creating artwork and props for many high profile movies. More recently, I've begun directing and producing music videos. The Violent however, is my first step into the world of producing a feature film."

HID- Where can we look at some of your past work?
Clint Carney- "I recently directed a video for my band, SYSTEM SYN, and you can find that here. The Director of Photography on that video is Kelly Jones, who will be directing The Violent.
You can see some of the other film and television productions that I've been involved with on my IMDB page here."

~S