BACKYARDS: LA's Gen Z Music Scene
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary, Music
Gen Z high schoolers have created a thriving indie music scene - and this movie will take you to shows all across LA. These amazing young musicians and their scene changes every year, with some now graduating, and others in college already. We want to document it all before it slips away.
BACKYARDS: LA's Gen Z Music Scene
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary, Music
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $4,574 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
44 supporters | followers
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Gen Z high schoolers have created a thriving indie music scene - and this movie will take you to shows all across LA. These amazing young musicians and their scene changes every year, with some now graduating, and others in college already. We want to document it all before it slips away.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Step into Backyards...
(FORSYTHIA)
What this film is about
There is a vibrant music scene full of indie bands -- who are still in their teens. These bands get together in backyards all across the wilds of Los Angeles, from Glendale to Altadena, Mt. Washington to Silverlake. Screamo, electronica, pop, indie rock - all kinds of different sounds.
(SEQUOIA)
There hasn't been anything like this since the DIY punk rock days. These shows are organized, run, and performed by teens, and where the early punk scene was notorious for male egos, this new scene is heavily female powered.
(CHARLOTTE DOOR)
A moment in time frozen in amber
Before the winds of college and adulthood sweep away these bands, we will create a lasting tribute to this scene with a feature-length documentary film using footage from the gigs all over town, interviews, and more.
(WHILE WE SLEEP)
The Bands
Forsythia, Charlotte Door, While We Sleep, Lena Joy & Tetra, Missing Wiba, Post, Dot Org, Birdhouse, BugLikeHug, Persona Non Grata, Mae Mae, Sequoia. Some of these musicians will go on to other careers but many are already taking music seriously as their life's passion. So this documentary will be before the hits, before the fame, before the awards; a portrait of this exact moment in time when everything was possible.
(DOT ORG)
Why Us
Music has always been our lifeblood. Whether it was the chaos and energy of punk rock, the heady escapism of shoe gazer, the robotic rhythms of Krautrock, or just hearing a great tune on an acoustic guitar, music has shaped and informed our lives. Keith and myself were weaned on the worlds of punk rock and skateboarding. It wasn't possible to capture much of this early magic without high end film gear, and so most of it is lost to time. We don't want to let that happen to this scene.
Paul is a professional filmmaker with over 25 years experience. He's edited dozens of feature films, been a film festival judge, and produced a feature length documentary on the band True Sounds Of Liberty.
Keith has been a professional photographer among many other hats he's worn. He cut his teeth doing snowboarding and skateboarding photography, and has had DJ gigs across the globe. Keith is also a well-known figure in the world of cybersecurity, having been employee #1 of Black Hat, who owns DEFCON (the world's oldest and largest hacker convention).
Our small but mighty crew usually numbers 3 but sometimes numbers 5 and 6. We all are wearing multiple hats. If we had a full budget instead of self-financing, we would hire a boom swinger and arrange for pro live recording. The same goes for our camera package. Lights, panels, memory cards, hard drives, lenses, mounts - it's all part of the camera bundle. We are bringing a hodgepodge of gear to this project that we already own, have borrowed, or are renting. With funding from this campaign, we hope to upgrade many elements.
Why Now
In many ways, we are racing against the clock. The Eaton Fire recently tore through the heart of the foothills communities. Several of the people we have interviewed lost their homes to the fires. Some were away at their first year of college, some were still in high school, but change blew in like a hot wind at their heels. Already, they are being shaped by new forces in their lives, out of the friendly community of this Backyards scene. They are changing before our eyes, and we wanted to capture them in this amazing moment.
We have shot a total of 16 days so far, and are a little over halfway through our expected band performances and interviews.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Color Grade
Costs $500
Adjusting the color, contrast, and gamma of every shot is called a Color Grade. It will cost north of $15,000 but this is just to get going.
Finishing Software
Costs $300
Keeping this project in the Blackmagic Design ecosystem, needed to generate DCPs and other deliverables.
Hyper Drive
Costs $750
Fast SSD are needed to handle these monster files, as we're shooting in 4K. We have one, we need one or two more.
Sennheiser MKH 416-P48 Short Shotgun Interference Tube Mic
Costs $1,000
This will record audio so good your ears will think they are in heaven. Many live shows have no board sound, so directional mics are needed.
Lights for exterior shoots
Costs $300
Color CL60 Bi-Color LED Monolight kit.
SanDisk Ultra memory cards
Costs $57
SanDisk Extreme PRO 512GB memory card. Our cameras record to SD cards, and they are getting full.
Western Digital 6TB External Hard Drive
Costs $180
WD 6TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Blue. We use these to archive footage and cuts.
SanDisk Extreme V90 512GB
Costs $338
The C70 and the C80 record to these cards.
Sound Design
Costs $500
When we are recording we use 4 to 6 mics. Those recorded tracks all need to be balanced and pristine. Likely to cost 10X this amount, min.
Key Light Reflectors
Costs $100
When interviewing a subject, it helps to have a grip/camera assistant angle the light onto the subject's face without using another light.
Tilta Shoulder Rig
Costs $289
These cameras, lenses, mics, get heavy. This will save a trip to the back surgeon.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Paul Covington, Director & Producer & Editor
I am a filmmaker with over 20 years in the film business. I’ve done everything from being a set PA to acting, directing, editing, producing, and writing. In 2023 I helped produce a doc about southern Californian punk icons True Sounds Of Liberty (T.S.O.L.) called IGNORE HEROES. I will be completing most - but not all - of the post-production work in-house.
Keith Myers: Cinematographer & Producer
Keith is a SoCal native who cut his cinematography teeth as a snowboarding and skateboarding photographer. He wears many hats in addition to Cinematographer, among them are computer wizard, grey hat hacker, EDM DJ, and filmmaker.
Ainslie Covington: Co-Producer, Writer, Camera
inslie is a high school senior who has been attending these backyard shows for the past couple of years. She is an editor for the CVHS yearbook and passionate about writing. She will be crafting the narrative and interviewing the band members.
Cian Covington: Production, Camera
Cian is the Swiss Army Knife that helps out wherever and whenever he is needed. Currently being certified in various types of welding.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Step into Backyards...
(FORSYTHIA)
What this film is about
There is a vibrant music scene full of indie bands -- who are still in their teens. These bands get together in backyards all across the wilds of Los Angeles, from Glendale to Altadena, Mt. Washington to Silverlake. Screamo, electronica, pop, indie rock - all kinds of different sounds.
(SEQUOIA)
There hasn't been anything like this since the DIY punk rock days. These shows are organized, run, and performed by teens, and where the early punk scene was notorious for male egos, this new scene is heavily female powered.
(CHARLOTTE DOOR)
A moment in time frozen in amber
Before the winds of college and adulthood sweep away these bands, we will create a lasting tribute to this scene with a feature-length documentary film using footage from the gigs all over town, interviews, and more.
(WHILE WE SLEEP)
The Bands
Forsythia, Charlotte Door, While We Sleep, Lena Joy & Tetra, Missing Wiba, Post, Dot Org, Birdhouse, BugLikeHug, Persona Non Grata, Mae Mae, Sequoia. Some of these musicians will go on to other careers but many are already taking music seriously as their life's passion. So this documentary will be before the hits, before the fame, before the awards; a portrait of this exact moment in time when everything was possible.
(DOT ORG)
Why Us
Music has always been our lifeblood. Whether it was the chaos and energy of punk rock, the heady escapism of shoe gazer, the robotic rhythms of Krautrock, or just hearing a great tune on an acoustic guitar, music has shaped and informed our lives. Keith and myself were weaned on the worlds of punk rock and skateboarding. It wasn't possible to capture much of this early magic without high end film gear, and so most of it is lost to time. We don't want to let that happen to this scene.
Paul is a professional filmmaker with over 25 years experience. He's edited dozens of feature films, been a film festival judge, and produced a feature length documentary on the band True Sounds Of Liberty.
Keith has been a professional photographer among many other hats he's worn. He cut his teeth doing snowboarding and skateboarding photography, and has had DJ gigs across the globe. Keith is also a well-known figure in the world of cybersecurity, having been employee #1 of Black Hat, who owns DEFCON (the world's oldest and largest hacker convention).
Our small but mighty crew usually numbers 3 but sometimes numbers 5 and 6. We all are wearing multiple hats. If we had a full budget instead of self-financing, we would hire a boom swinger and arrange for pro live recording. The same goes for our camera package. Lights, panels, memory cards, hard drives, lenses, mounts - it's all part of the camera bundle. We are bringing a hodgepodge of gear to this project that we already own, have borrowed, or are renting. With funding from this campaign, we hope to upgrade many elements.
Why Now
In many ways, we are racing against the clock. The Eaton Fire recently tore through the heart of the foothills communities. Several of the people we have interviewed lost their homes to the fires. Some were away at their first year of college, some were still in high school, but change blew in like a hot wind at their heels. Already, they are being shaped by new forces in their lives, out of the friendly community of this Backyards scene. They are changing before our eyes, and we wanted to capture them in this amazing moment.
We have shot a total of 16 days so far, and are a little over halfway through our expected band performances and interviews.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Color Grade
Costs $500
Adjusting the color, contrast, and gamma of every shot is called a Color Grade. It will cost north of $15,000 but this is just to get going.
Finishing Software
Costs $300
Keeping this project in the Blackmagic Design ecosystem, needed to generate DCPs and other deliverables.
Hyper Drive
Costs $750
Fast SSD are needed to handle these monster files, as we're shooting in 4K. We have one, we need one or two more.
Sennheiser MKH 416-P48 Short Shotgun Interference Tube Mic
Costs $1,000
This will record audio so good your ears will think they are in heaven. Many live shows have no board sound, so directional mics are needed.
Lights for exterior shoots
Costs $300
Color CL60 Bi-Color LED Monolight kit.
SanDisk Ultra memory cards
Costs $57
SanDisk Extreme PRO 512GB memory card. Our cameras record to SD cards, and they are getting full.
Western Digital 6TB External Hard Drive
Costs $180
WD 6TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Blue. We use these to archive footage and cuts.
SanDisk Extreme V90 512GB
Costs $338
The C70 and the C80 record to these cards.
Sound Design
Costs $500
When we are recording we use 4 to 6 mics. Those recorded tracks all need to be balanced and pristine. Likely to cost 10X this amount, min.
Key Light Reflectors
Costs $100
When interviewing a subject, it helps to have a grip/camera assistant angle the light onto the subject's face without using another light.
Tilta Shoulder Rig
Costs $289
These cameras, lenses, mics, get heavy. This will save a trip to the back surgeon.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Paul Covington, Director & Producer & Editor
I am a filmmaker with over 20 years in the film business. I’ve done everything from being a set PA to acting, directing, editing, producing, and writing. In 2023 I helped produce a doc about southern Californian punk icons True Sounds Of Liberty (T.S.O.L.) called IGNORE HEROES. I will be completing most - but not all - of the post-production work in-house.
Keith Myers: Cinematographer & Producer
Keith is a SoCal native who cut his cinematography teeth as a snowboarding and skateboarding photographer. He wears many hats in addition to Cinematographer, among them are computer wizard, grey hat hacker, EDM DJ, and filmmaker.
Ainslie Covington: Co-Producer, Writer, Camera
inslie is a high school senior who has been attending these backyard shows for the past couple of years. She is an editor for the CVHS yearbook and passionate about writing. She will be crafting the narrative and interviewing the band members.
Cian Covington: Production, Camera
Cian is the Swiss Army Knife that helps out wherever and whenever he is needed. Currently being certified in various types of welding.