Pleasantville Native’s Band Documentary to Be Screened at Jacob Burns
For Pleasantville native Heather Craig, 2011 was a year like none other. She took a cross-country tour with the pop music band Porches, which includes several fellow Pleasantville natives.
The 40-day, 36-concert sojourn is the subject of Craig’s first film as a director, “Being Alone: A Porches Tour Documentary.” A free screening will be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville.
Following the screening, Craig, who also served as the film’s producer and cinematographer, will participate in a question-and-answer session with Erin Whitson, the film’s editor.
“Being Alone” is being presented at the Burns in conjunction with two film series – the “Sounds of Summer: New Music Documentaries” and “Local Element: Work From a Westchester Perspective.”
Craig said she has been friends with some of the band members growing up in the village, including Aaron Maine, the group’s songwriter who now lives in Manhattan, and lead guitarist Kevin Farrant, now a Brooklyn resident. Doug Roberts, a visual artist and another village native, supervises the sale of band merchandise at concerts.
Though the group is now based in Brooklyn, it formed in Pleasantville in 2009. Its first full-length CD, “Slow Dance in the Cosmos,” was released last year.
Craig, 27, a Pleasantville High School and Drexel University graduate who is also a photographer, said after working with other directors as a cinematographer, she wanted to make her own movie.
“I was working in the film industry and became disheartened working for larger productions,” she said. “I wanted to use my talent to make films that leave a positive impact. I had just bought the 5d Mark II and looked in my own backyard at the amazing talent of my friends. They were going after their dreams and I felt like it would be an inspirational story to tell for other young artists.”
Craig said she tagged along with the band as it toured the United States in a van. After Craig completed filming, the editing process took three years, with Whitson coming in for the final year. Farrant met Whitson at a party last year and understood the project immediately, she said.
“It’s hard to edit something that you shot yourself, especially when you are so close to the subject,” Craig explained. “Plus I wasn’t funded. I had a $3,000 kick starter that went very quickly. I had to work for money while I was working on the film.”
Prior to this week’s upcoming presentation at the Burns, the film has been screened at
Babys Alright in Brooklyn and the Heirloom Arts Theatre in Danbury, as well as other festivals in the Northeast.
Craig said she can identify with the band as members tried to make a name for themselves.
“You don’t do it for the money,” she said. “There is no money.”
Craig said she would like to direct in the future.
“I am leaving it open for new stories to tell. In the meantime I am focusing on my photography,” she said. “One day I dream of becoming an environmental lawyer.”
For tickets to the screening and the Q&A, send an email to lzakalik@burnsfilmcenter.org with the subject line Porches. However, space is limited.
The Jacob Burns Film Center is located at 364 Manville Rd. For more information, call 914-747-5555 or visit burnsfilmcenter.org.
“Being Alone: A Porches Tour Documentary” can be purchased via download or as a DVD at Craig’s website, www.thefeathervane.com.
