{"id":27824,"date":"2019-09-19T06:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T11:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=27824"},"modified":"2019-09-18T17:27:33","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T22:27:33","slug":"apsu-students-documentary-selected-for-nashville-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2019\/09\/19\/apsu-students-documentary-selected-for-nashville-film-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"APSU students\u2019 documentary selected for Nashville Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – A guitar thrums at the start of \u201cListen Hear\u201d \u2013 an Austin Peay State University (APSU) student-produced documentary that explores the Clarksville music scene. Iconic Clarksville images \u2013 a downtown mural, a Strawberry Alley street sign, a theater marquee \u2013 flash across the screen.<\/p>\n

\"(L<\/a>

(L to R) Austin Peay State University students Lizzy Patterson, Josef Clark and Taylor Moore collaborated on the film during Karen Bullis\u2019 documentary production class last year. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

As the accompanying song fades, local musician Ryan Gardner appears in a knit cap and sunglasses: \u201cThere\u2019s some really cool cats playing some really cool music in the Clarksville music scene.\u201d Another artist, Rufus Dawkins, adds, \u201cI think the scene is very nurturing, I guess, because this is where it started everything, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next frame, however, splinters Gardner and Dawkins\u2019 cool-cat nurturing.<\/p>\n

Local country singer Justin Mobley draws on a cigarette \u2013 deeply \u2013 and exhales with a smirk, \u201cYou really want my truthful thoughts?\u201d A voice off screen responds, \u201cYeah.\u201d Mobley pauses and blinks. And the screen goes black.<\/p>\n

That two-minute beginning \u2013 pleasant thoughtfulness obliterated by Mobley\u2019s screeching question \u2013 shows in part why \u201cListen Hear\u201d is an official selection at next month\u2019s Nashville Film Festival. The 23-minute documentary is scheduled to play at 12:30pm October 6th at the festival.<\/p>\n

\u2018We Fell In Love With Our Characters\u2019<\/h3>\n
\"Here\u2019s<\/a>

Here\u2019s a screen capture of Justin Mobley from a low-resolution preview of the film. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

Senior Taylor Moore and recent graduates Lizzy Patterson and Josef Clark collaborated on the film during Karen Bullis\u2019 documentary production class last year. Patterson had the idea to do a documentary about Clarksville\u2019s live music scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like in Tennessee, everybody hears about Nashville but doesn\u2019t really know about Clarksville,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Moore and Clark joined and started adding layers to the project.<\/p>\n

[320left]\u201cI remembered when Lizzy pitched the idea, it was a very optimistic view, and I knew quite a few people with a very negative view about the Clarksville music scene,\u201d Clark said. \u201cI thought it would be interesting to contrast those.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patterson brought mellow recording artist Rufus Dawkins to the film. Clark and Moore spent time with rocker Ryan Gardner, lead singer of FEVER, and country artist Justin Mobley. Dawkins, Gardner and Mobley quickly formed the \u201ccharacters\u201d of the documentary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all fell in love with our characters,\u201d Patterson said. \u201cWe had to figure out how to make their stories fit. We had this country guy who really didn\u2019t like the Clarksville music scene, and then you have Rufus, who is this go-lucky guy, and FEVER, who is just straight in the middle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018We Showed Who They Are\u2019<\/h3>\n
\"(L<\/a>

(L to R) Austin Peay State University students Lizzy Patterson, Josef Clark and Taylor Moore collaborated on the film during Karen Bullis\u2019 documentary production class last year. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

The documentary progressed into three acts, the first setting up how Dawkins, Gardner and Mobley stand in the Clarksville music scene, and the second dives into the musicians\u2019 creativity, Moore said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I feel like the third act was where we humanized them,\u201d Clark added.<\/p>\n

Throughout, the musicians \u2013 though interviewed separately \u2013 seem to punch and counterpunch each other\u2019s observations.<\/p>\n

[320right]Dawkins, for example, discusses how his niche is as a solo artist though he\u2019d \u201cgo to hell and back\u201d for past band members. Mobley counters, \u201cI\u2019ve been a part of four (bands), but at the end of the day, people suck as people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark explained the juxtaposition: \u201cWe wanted to explore one artist\u2019s view then get the polar opposite right after that. We wanted to get the rhythm of opposing views, kind of like they were bantering, almost as if they were responding to one another like they were having a dialogue. Structurally, that was the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the film, Mobley continues with his thought: \u201cInstead of being let down by people not showing up and not really putting their heart into it, I know when I\u2019m sitting there in my living room writing music and singing myself into the wall, it\u2019s gratifying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moments later, Gardner says, \u201cThe most joy and satisfaction comes from the writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the film succeeds, Patterson said. \u201cWe showed who they are. We showed everything about them, stuff no one really sees.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2018We All Put In Blood, Sweat and Tears\u2019<\/h3>\n

Moore cried when he found out the film was selected for the Nashville Film Festival. He said he might cry when he watches it at the festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt encompassed so much of my time and so much of my effort,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my proudest achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patterson agreed. \u201cI feel like we all put in blood, sweat and tears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what I was scared of (when starting on the film) was someone not loving the piece as much as I would love it,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd they loved it as much as I wanted to love it. This is awesome because I have people with the same passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

To See The Film<\/h3>\n

The Nashville Film Festival is October 3rd-12th at Regal Hollywood Theaters in Nashville. \u201cListen Hear\u201d is scheduled to start at 12:30pm October 6th in Theater 2.<\/p>\n

For more information about the festival, visit www.nashvillefilmfestival.org<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[470center]<\/p>\n

Other APSU Films In The Festival<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe End of the Hall\u201d<\/strong> is a short horror film captured on campus by recent graduates Lynsie Cook and Tiara Hall \u2013 and starring APSU students Elizabeth Pegram and Elizabeth Patterson and APSU adjunct Sara Anderson.<\/p>\n