Music Documentary: Art, Money, Ego, Success, Fear | WELCOME TO THE DREAM- Directors Chair (FULL) (2010)

"DIRECTORS CHAIR": Rat Skates, Director of the Documentary Film (in-production) "WELCOME TO THE DREAM- The Rude Awakening of Rock Stardom" candidly explains the cold, hard realities of the Artist's dream, WHY this project's completion is so important, and the consequences of ignoring it. (Full Version: Recorded in 2010)

http://welcome-to-the-dream.com

http://ratskates.com

FILM LOGLINE:

Surviving the rock dream, a coalition of Recording Artists struggle with the egos and fears of young musicians to save them from the fatal mistakes of stardom.

FILM DESCRIPTION:

"We want to be the biggest band in the world" is the battle cry from the young musicians in this film. When asked how they will do it, the overwhelming response: "We just copy what the bigger bands are doing".

Bigger bands...mostly broke and suicidal. Signing with a major label the goal, understanding the contract optional. Paying to play, at any price. Kids wait in line to follow; the media's amplification of glory and dismissal of reality creates a dangerous dream, and the nightmare of undefined stardom continues to crash and burn into the cemetery where Hendrix, Joplin, Cobain, Bonham and other gifted young artists now rest.

The internet has changed the recording industry, but was has NOT changed? Was it the powerless addiction for the artist to share his creativity that fed the industry monster to begin with? Will their roster of fears remain the vulnerability that kills them?

Afflicted with a stardom-obsessed diet and fed by the media controlled menu, the young artist races faster than ever to be seen though the window of disposable talent with reckless abandon. If fame and fortune is "the dream", then why are Artists suicidal when they live it? Will the happiness machines of drugs and alcohol maintain eternal partnerships with the celebrity-addicted ego? Is art itself now a permanent tenant to the landlord of capital?

This film highlights a celebrity roster of "dream survivors", who shine the spotlight of reality away from the stage. Can they save their young followers from the dangers that await, or will the light at the end of the tunnel be just another train wreck?

FILM SYNOPSIS:

Not a varsity quarterback or honors student; fitting somewhere in the middle...but also not fitting anywhere. Magnetized by the power and fueled by the rebellion, music finds him. Self esteem filled by his guitar, he bonds only with the few "who understand" in the garage of lost souls. He has found a family, identity and a purpose. He has something he must say, and dreams of the day when the world will hear him. Struggling between the rules and his feelings, he starts putting substances in his young body as he looks for answers.

He is chosen out of millions. Men in suits with expensive vocabularies bring him a stack of documents, a pen, and extend a handshake. Without putting a toe in, he dives headfirst into the dark, cold unknown waters of the music business. The tides of reality rise up on him fast...waves of hyper-scheduling pummel him. He is trapped by the rip-currents of his public demands. His dream, his fans, his stardom, depends solely on his brilliance...and meeting a deadline. Calculating quarterly profits, his industry enablers relax safely on the shore, watching him gasp for air.

His heart and his works lay naked; both praised and condemned. Autograph seekers and flashbulbs pop everywhere, but he feels empty and alone. A bottle of gin eases his morning shakes. He thinks back to his garage friends and their dream. Unable to understand his own feelings and completely powerless, he puts the only reliable thing he knows to his lips again. A muted young voice calls her fathers name. Slowly opening the door within the silence, her father is lying face down motionless and cold...pills and bottles on his nightstand...and gold records on his walls.

We all know the names: Cobain, Hendrix, Joplin, Michael Jackson. On and on, their stories are the same as countless young artists. The unresolved collision of art, money, fear and success is now at epidemic levels. 96% of artists live with unrecognized A.D.D, O.C.D, aspergers or depression, and they journey down a path completely lost...no map, no directions. Used as disposable talent in the media controlled trend window, our young artists today are truly confused, scared and alone. This film highlights a celebrity roster of "dream survivors", who turn the spotlight away from the stage and shine it on reality. From garage to Grammy, they traveled the path and survived. They CAN save the young artist from crashing...but will they follow directions?

Varsity quarterbacks have coaches...what does the artist have?

Production: Kundrat Productions LLC

Distribution: The MVD Entertainment Group

Fiscal Sponsorship: The International Documentary Association (IDA)