Customer Reviews

Diy Or Die: How to Survive As Independent [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings about this Video / DVD.
First, part of the movie's title is "How to Survive as an independent artist" and i place an emphasis on the word SURVIVE. This video is not a guide for artists to get rich and famous in 15 minutes or less. If you are looking for hot tips on how to strike it golden, this ain't it.
This DVD is not a substitute for business school, it won't tell you how to start a record label or how to magically promote your art to make you famous.

What this video provides is an insightful and inspirational guide to artists looking for viable ways to make a living of what they love the most: their art.
Are you looking to get your music heard? why not find inspiration on Ian Mackaye, one of the fathers of hardcore rock music and the quintessential independent record company owner that has launched the career of countless punk and hardcore artists and paved the way for other independent punk labels such as Epitaph Records.
The artists interviewed on this DVD are not some of of Michael Dean's "completely unknown buddies", as some *completely* clueless reviewer put it, but well known artists such a Dave Brockie of metal shockcore GWAR, Jim Rose who's performed with his shock circus for hundreds of thousands of people on Lolapallooza festivals across the country. Photographer and filmmaker Richard Kern and performance artist / writer Lydia Lunch are fairly well known NYC underground artists around the world. Or how about producer / musician J. G. Thirlwell who at some point managed to get a record contract with Sony records and has released over seventeen full length albums including remixing artists like NIN and Marilyn Manson?

This DVD is a masterfully edited and conceived piece of work; low on slick Hollywood production effects but high on content and inspiration.

Quoting Ian Mackaye from the DVD, "you can't fail doing what you love", so any true artist will find a piece of this DVD in their artists' heart.

This is a great movie! It deals with artists who do their art just because it's what they do. The film maker interviews artists of all types from painters to musicians to dancers. It's not a "How To" guide as some other reviewers mistakenly thought, but it does give you a look into the lives of artists who are really doing it. People who do their own thing on their own terms. For those of us that believe that is how it should be, this is an extremely well done movie, and definitely worth watching.

"Pleasure is the ultimate revenge, and I love revenge..." chortles Lydia Lunch on the D.I.Y. or DIE DVD, a video handbook for the independent artist. Created in the spirit of Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book, D.I.Y. or DIE isn't just the artist's DVD guide to doing it yourself and surviving-it's more like a sermon as to why D.I.Y. and following your own happiness without selling out is the better route. And to prove they put their money where their mouth is, the DVD has no region restrictions or even copyright protection and buyers are encouraged to burn non-commercial copies for friends. D.I.Y. or DIE is a labor of love, by indies, for the indies.

Discussing important survival subjects such as Inspiration, Publicity, Dealing with Adversity and Commerce, the film sidesteps things like tools and technique, giving the audience more of a pep-talk to put some fire under their own creative asses. Creator/director Michael Wareham Dean says in the film, "If you need an Independent Artist for Dummies book, then being an independent artist is not for you."

Read more from this review on www.nighttimes.com.

Dean taps into the core of the punk rock DIY ethic by interviewing independent musicians, photographers, performance, print, film, and graphic artists. These artists are both entertaining and have profound things to say about independence, integrity and working outside of the "culture industry." The message is solid and inspiring while it isn't sugar-coated. A solid film and one to copy and share with your friends. (Its encouraged!)

Portrayals of professional artists in American culture are often unrealistic (would anyone know who Jackson Pollock was if Peggy Guggenheim hadn't been paying his rent?) and/or sad (being an artist is about being depressed/tortured/chemically dependent, etc.). Michael Dean offers us a view into the lives of artists who recognize that their chosen profession requires dedication, hard work, and perhaps a slightly unconventional view of the world. Those who are looking for a step-by-step guide to 'making it' as an artist won't find that here, everyone has to find their own way. That's the basis of the DIY ethic. If you need a reminder that it IS possible to live your life as an artist, you'll be reinspired by the film. If you wonder whether you have to 'sell out' to be successful, the film will offer some answers. A very useful movie for anyone in the arts, thinking about an artistic career, or those trying to understand artists better.

Anyone familiar with the $30 _______ School books (on film, writing, and music respectively), will certainly appreciate this lil' doc produced & directed by the author of the aforementioned series. He doesn't just preach the gospel, he practices it. (the next piece of review will sound like a rip; it isn't). The movie's lackluster sound and image reproduction, no doubt shot on 1-chip DV cameras, clues one that he's not a "professional" in the popular sense. He's not concerned with such technical details, nor should he be. It's the message that counts.
The interviewed subjects make the film worth the $10 alone. MacKaye, Kern, Lunch, Rose, Thirlwell, &c, never waited for approval. They do what they want, with what they have, on their terms. No exceptions. No apologies. No compromises.
Who can argue against that?
Thanks, Mr Dean. You have a new fan.
Can't wait for the Selby doc to hit DVD.

Loved it! I bought the book $30 Film School by Michael. In the book he referred to the film quite a bit so I bought it as well. The book was great and the film was just as good. Both left me feeling completely inspired. Hearing the words of so many other artists, and being able to completely relate, gave me hope for the future of art. I plan on buying this DVD for everyone I know as a Holiday gift this year!

The interviews have a comfortable feel. They are light hearted and fun, and make you want to be an artist. The interviewees are intelligent and well spoken; they are people you may of heard of, you may not of heard of, but you will be glad you heard speak.
Some of the tech and production may be a bit rough - but it has a good spirit.
You want to see this film.

This inspiring and fun film should give any struggling independent artist a shot in the arm. A musician himself, Michael Dean has the right punk rock-inspired DIY attitude to make this film. Don't want to spoil it for anyone, but this piece has some belly laughs, some profound, prophetic quotes and some great live performance clips. It's a steal at $8.

I've read Dean's $30 Film School and it's a great guide for the beginning filmmaker so naturally I wanted to check out his first film. In a way, this is more a collection of interviews than a proper documentary, but it serves its purpose, which is to prove that yes, you too can say %$@* the system and make art and continue to eat while doing it. If that's your dream and you need a dose of inspiration then you should find this film helpful indeed.