Wizardrockmentary/Wizardschlockumentary

[pegkerr]

There is a project underway called the Wizard Rockumentary, an independent feature length documentary exploring Harry Potter fandom, the Wizard Rock community, and the goals of these musicians to promote literacy. The filmmakers, a pair of identical twins named Mallory and Megan Schuyler have written on their website:

So, in celebration of the HP music scene, we decided to create The Wizard Rockumentary: a feature length documentary on Wizard Rockers and the HP following (think "Trekkies" but way cooler because it's Harry Potter!). We hope that this documentary will expose the wizarding community to the joy that is Wizard Rock!

We discovered "Wizard Rock" back in the summer of 2004 when we saw Harry and the Potters perform in Olympia. Their cds became favorites on our stereo, traveling with us to college and played for fellow HP fans who had not yet been enlightened by Wizard Rock. Earlier this year, we were coaxed into joining MySpace and we discovered that dozens of additional bands had formed all across the country, and a few internationally, to write songs based on the Harry Potter world.

Primarily through MySpace.com, these WR bands have created a positive online community for themselves where they can share their music and even sell merchandise. A supportive fanbase has developed, and the WR bands have found themselves with an audience of thousands. Now, in addition to Harry and the Potters, many of the bands are also performing live and some are even touring the nation. Dedicated fans of all ages show up at libraries, coffee shops, and night clubs to meet them and hear them play-- many dressed in HP gear or wearing WR t-shirts. In fact, these musicians of varying skill have become celebrities to a select population of HP fans.

We have received a lot of support for this movie already from this same group, and we are very enthusiastic about this project's potential. While the internet has provided a stage for these musicians, the news of their existence has not reached the majority of HP fans. We hope that this documentary will help to spread the word, and both wizards and muggles should be able to enjoy the spirit and creativity of these young musicians and their stories.

As part of their promotion, they have created a preview video, here:

And now a parody video of that preview video has also been created (using some of the very same bands), promoting the Wizardschlockumentary, in which the musicians such as The FruitoftheLupins and Polymerboyd and the Dismemberalls cheerfully explain they got into wizard schlock to score chicks and free beer. Some of it is rather rude, yes (hey, it's a parody). But still pretty funny.

Comments

[aome.livejournal.com]

On the subject of wizard rock (well, sort of rock), I recently put "It's can(n)on!" on my mp3 player, listened to it the last two times I went running, and now it's stuck in my head thankyouverymuch. :P

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

*smirk*