On The Road With "BARBERSHOP PUNK" aka Georgia in Georgia

Ok,

Solo roadtrip should have involved an Ipod or something, but I have been having fin with the radio cranked jamming down the highway. Did I mention people around Atlanta drive FAST!  We are talking about a 70mph speedlimit and folks zooming past -- totally goes with the Steppenwolf, AC/DC et all... and this car is HUGE!

So the Drive From Madison to BEAUTIFUL. Rolling hills, green fields and tall trees flank the road.

I wish I had a better understanding of time and distance and it seems a pity not to get to pull over and wander around a bit.  I just am so worried about being rudely late that I press on.

Gainesville is a much bigger city than Madison, however: unlike Los Angeles, there is still a strong

"town center," and unique flavor of community.  I do a bit of site-seeing and make a plan for tomorrow morning on my day off to see more before I head to my screening.

(I'll add some more pic's later - having camera issues....)

 I love discussing the issues of my film, but it's really important to me that people understand that I came into the issue via the film.  I wasn't an advocate for an issue seeking an outlet, rather, we were following a compelling character/individual who led us there.  With that in mind it's always a real treat for me to get to talk about the process of filmmaking as well as Telco and Internet policies
(woo hoo) so this audience filled with film students was a blast. 

I feel like I'm making friends :)

xo - G

On the road with "Barbershop Punk"

From Georgia Archer -

DAY 1:


Talk about Mr. Toads Wild Ride (eek I hope there are still Wind In The Willows fans out there.)


So I woke up around 4:30 AM to hit the road.  Stopped to check my emails on the way out the door only to find and urgent email from our DP informing me that our website was down!
THANK YOU AMY!   So there I am keys in hand, on phone and trying not to freak out...


Well, the website took a chunk of time to fix, so now very late - jumped in the car, LAX bound.
I'll spare you the play by play,  (which included traffic jams, a broken zipper and running the distance of the terminal,) happily I did make the plane and landed in tact in Atlanta, which BTW is a giant airport.  Jumping into my rental I didn't really stop to question that I drive a little tiny car at home and
I'm loading into a Jeep with no real idea where I'm going...I am now that driver, you know, the one in the rental car - going too slow and swerving, and folks in Atlanta drive FAST -- a little grandma even flipped me off :(


Once out of the city limits the highway opened up into beautiful wide roads and skylines filled with trees. I thought it was supposed to be cold, but was closer to mid 70's and I admit I wished I was sharing this with Anthony, but had some selfish pleasure in the alone time.

The screening in Madison went well.  Direct questions. I realize how much SOPA has really helped in bringing Internet Issues into the public eye -- It's so important that we all take a look -- and at least it's one good thing that came out of that horrible slice of legislation.

The evening ended with a group of us heading into town for continued conversation and Cava's.  I was really sorry it was a Wednesday night, wish I had more time.  It's also during their fundraising drive to bring the tour back next year.  Can't speak enough about what a great program this is, and communities finding a direct way to support the arts is really where it's at. So three cheers for all you local patrons out there, you really are making it happen and three cheers for getting involved.

B.Punk!
xo - G

On tour with "Barbershop Punk"

From Georgia Archer 

Before I left Los Angeles,  I spent a beach day with my husband, Anthony, and my dog, Booker. 

It was a perfect afternoon and a wonderful send-off for  this Southern adventure. I'm very excited about what is ahead and all the people I will meet and share the film with.  I do hope many of you come out and say "hello."  Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina - Here I come :)

Introducing Georgia Archer

Welcome Georgia Archer and her film, Barbershop Punk, to the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers! Georgia's first screening is Wednesday, February, 8th at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in Madison, Georgia. The film starts at 7 pm, so be there early and get the best seat in the house!

Barbershop Punk will also be screening in the following communities:

Gainesville, GA

Hapeville, GA

Manteo, NC

Orangeburg, NC

More about Georgia Archer: Georgia Archer is a graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory, where she was awarded both the Women In Film and George & Barbara Bush Foundation fellowships.  As a music video and still photography producer, Georgia worked alongside iconic visual artists including jazz photographer William Claxton.  She produced videos and album artwork ranging from Mariah Carey to White Zombie, with whom she received an MTV Award for Best Hard Rock Video.  Georgia moved into narrative filmmaking with the Sundance award-winning Peter Rabbit And The Crucifix, and Odd Man, featuring John Doe, with an experimental score from Nels Cline.

In approaching Barbershop Punk, Georgia drew upon her background in film, music, dance and photography – lacing the narrative structure by blending dialogue, motion, and visual elements within classic storytelling themes.
Georgia currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, filmmaker/producer Anthony Dominici, and their dog, Booker. Barbershop Punk is her feature documentary writing and directorial debut.

Hi, I'm Georgia Archer and I am the Writer/Director of the documentary "Barbershop Punk."

I'm going to be blogging here about my tour with The Southern Circuit of Independent Cinema which will be bringing me to Madison GA, Gainesville GA, Hapeville GA, Orangeburg SC and Manteo NC over the next few weeks.  I'm very excited, a little bit nervous and, as always - a touch behind schedule in my preparations.  I'll also add, that while I blog, please join our page of friends on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.  We would love to have you along on Team Punk :)!  The issues at hand involve all of you from Left to Right, Grandparent to infant -- and it's important we get beyond ourselves and join hands together in this one. I'm also hopeful I'll meet some more filmmakers out there, love to hear what's going on. 

My filmmaking partner, co- Director, Kristin Armfield, and I have been friends since we were in High School.  This is a first feature film for both of us.  People often ask about the trouble of working with friends, to which we always respond - if you can make it through being teenage girls together , you can survive anything. Truth is our whole tiny crew are very much friends, and we wouldn't have gone a third of the way had that not been so.   It's been a journey of laughter and tears, and we are so proud where we have landed.

Here's our trailer:

Right now it's Superbowl Sunday and I am missing all the parties to pack and get ready for my trip.

At moments like this I worry about so many things - and I cant stop running the film over and over in my mind.  I think about a few interviews I wish I could have included, relive choices made in the editing room and more than anything else,  the question that always repeats in my head, "Should we have gone with a different title?"  But then, something always pulls me back and I  remember this is all part of independent filmmaking - making choices that aren't always in the mainstream - - and that can mean anything from packing myself into a tiny carry-on for a 2 week screening adventure, to finding themes within characters, to going with a title that just walks on the edge. It's all about taking a chances, and reaching for a little light.  And then I'm thrilled events such as this Southern Tour exist and that I'm going to get to meet and learn from so many of you. 

So I'm once again happy the film is called "Barbershop Punk." I really hope you will come, even if the title is confusing, I promise it won't be by the end of the night :) 

B.Punk!

xo - G.

www.BarbershopPunk.com