BREAKING A MONSTER: Unlocking The Truth Documentary with Band & Director

• published: 24 Mar 2015
• views: 112

BREAKING A MONSTER, is the Unlocking The Truth documentary that follows the teenage Brooklyn metal trio from the beginning of their notoriety through a major label record deal and the conflict that follows. We sit down with the band and documentary director Luke Meyer to learn about the accelerated evolution of their profile, fame, and the strange situation of still being as reliant on their families as any other 13 year olds, in this interview from the 2015 SXSW fest, on BYOD hosted by Ondi Timoner. FILM & GUEST INFO: BREAKING A MONSTER chronicles the break-out year of the band UNLOCKING THE TRUTH, following 12 and 13-year-old members Alec Atkins, Malcolm Brickhouse and Jarad Dawkins as they first encounter stardom and the music industry, transcending childhood to reckon with their rock-star dreams. Breaking a Monster begins as the band members of Unlocking The Truth are all in 7th grade, spending their weekends playing metal music in Times Square - often to substantial crowds. They take on a 70-year-old industry veteran manager. With his guidance they are soon on their way to a $1.8M record deal with Sony Music. Luke Meyer’s first feature documentary, DARKON, won the Documentary Audience Award at the SXSW in 2006, and aired on IFC in 2007 after playing in theaters across the country. He directed the documentary NEW WORLD ORDER which started airing on IFC in 2009, breaking the channel’s records for documentary VOD numbers. He has edited, written and produced other award-winning films (KING KELLY, ALICE NEEL, THE FEATURE), and is part of SeeThink Films in New York. Brooklyn-based metal trio Unlocking the Truth are a great band for any age, creed, time or color. As 14-year-old frontman/guitarist/co-founder Malcolm Brickhouse says: “People can play music at any age, and people either like your music or not. I see us doing this forever, because we want to become one of the world's best heavy metal bands.” In 2012, UTT won raves on Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater; rocked the AfroPunk Battle of the Bands in 2013; and also did the Fun, Fun, Fun Festival in Austin and at the NYC film premiere after party for Death Metal Angola. Since then the band has participated in a Ted xTeen Talk, appeared on numerous talk shows and news programs, including The Colbert Report, Charlie Rose and Diane Sawyer. Unlocking The Truth has opened for Guns N’ Roses, Motorhead, Marilyn Manson as well as performed at Coachella and the Vans Warped Tour in front of worshipful crowds often more than twice their age. ADD’L LINKS: http://seethink.com/breaking-a-monster/ https://twitter.com/BreakingaMonstr https://www.facebook.com/breakingamonster http://thelip.tv/show/byod-bring-your-own-doc/ http://thelip.tv/ BYOD Full Episodes Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyl_j7ziZeY&list;=PLjk3H0GXhhGdZbrANmO6kYPy8IQC0GiN_&index;=1 BYOD Short Clips Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEUqFtPETwc&index;=1&list;=PLjk3H0GXhhGeu2DCf6Ouo7hTsA5QB2MAL http://www.youtube.com/theliptv https://www.facebook.com/BYODOC?directed_target_id=0 https://www.facebook.com/thelip.tv?ref=hl EPISODE BREAKDOWN: 00:01 Welcoming Luke Meyer & Unlocking The Truth of BREAKING THE MONSTER. 01:36 From SXSW 2014 to SXSW 2015, and telling the story beyond the music. 02:16 Inspired by WWE wrestling to make metal. 02:57 Meeting Luke and filming. 04:14 Making decisions in the music business. 05:22 Making the film and telling the story of Unlocking The Truth. 08:33 Breaking a monster and GTA. 11:15 Doubts about success. 12:15 Following the band. 13:57 Feeling like a teenager, in spite of business. 15:40 Thanks and Goodbye.