Digital Video magazine — March 2012
Discovering ‘The Other F Word’: DIY Spirit Drives Production on the Punk Rock Documentary

What happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians become society’s ultimate authority figures? With a large chorus of punk rock’s leading men-turned-fathers — including Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath, and Greg Hetson of the Circle Jerks, Redd Kross and Bad Religion — The Other F Word follows Jim Lindberg, a 20-year veteran of the skate punk band Pennywise, on his hysterical and moving journey from belting out his band’s anthem, “F**k Authority,” to embracing his mid-life role as a father.

Each of the musicians interviewed for the documentary feature offers a unique take on the process that took them away from outright rebellion and into more settled terrain: Black Flag front man Ron Reyes condemns the brutish attitude of the scene, while both Everclear’s Art Alexakis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea consider the impact of their neglectful fathers on their own family commitments.

“The Other F Word” premiered at Sundance in March 2011, and is screening at festivals and theaters around the country prior to its DVD release at the end of the month. The filmmakers collected over 200 hours of interviews and archival footage over the course of the project, which took nearly three years to complete.

DP Geoffrey Franklin, who also served as editor for the project, used the Canon XH A1 along with a low-level two-watt lighting kit and Sennheiser wireless microphone system to capture interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. “Our production team was very lean,” comments Director Andrea Blaugrund Nevins. “We felt that shooting these people in their own environments, where they would be comfortable, was crucial, and we wanted to do it in a way that was true to the punk spirit and DIY mindset that they embrace.” (Read full story…)