The Callsheet: What is the documentary called?

Michelle: Journey Through the Shadows

The Callsheet: What is it about?

Michelle: The making of the new album of The Parlotones. aptly called Journey Through the Shadows. The documentary shows the real, working musicians behind the commercial perception of the band. It explores the recording process over weeks of filming and discovering the meanings behind Kahn's famous lyrics and the evolvement of new songs. Showing the life of a travelling musician the documentary films them on their overseas tour to the USA and UK. The band hopes to break internationally but even if they don't it’s about the journey for them.

The Callsheet: Where was it shot?

Michelle: It was shot in Johannesburg, Cape Town, USA and the UK

The Callsheet: What equipment did you use?

Michelle: Canon 7d and Sony ex1 and 3's

The Callsheet: Where was it edited?

Michelle: Cape Town by Carlos Feyder

The Callsheet: How many people were involved in the production?

Michelle:Eight people at different times - but for a large part it was also just myself travelling with the band and spending hours in the recording studio, filming, directing and producing

The Callsheet: Where can people see it?

Michelle: SABC3 screened and it’s being added to the new cd launching this week Mnet also plans to screen it

The Callsheet:  How did this documentary come about?

Michelle: I approached the band's manager to do a documentary for them. He suggested we do a documentary on the making of the new album and on their travels overseas where they are trying to break internationally

The Callsheet: What other projects has Thinking Owl Films done?

Michelle:Live DVD (in Musica as part of the Deluxe Edition) of acoustic show of The Parlotones at Cresta Barnyard performing their acoustic album Eavesdropping on the Songs of Whales - MTV unplugged style, I won a Vuka/TAG Award last year for my PSA for Operation Smile. I’ve also done a short documentary for Springbok Nude Girls, music videos - including one for Dan Patlansky collaborating with Ross Learmonth and Dave Ferguson, live improv poetry reading series for Cape TV, a documentary on abandoned baby called The Chosen Ones, documentary about a small farm school in rural South Africa called Juffrou, a documentary called Broer Willem about a farmworker in rural South Africa changing his life from lifestyle of domestic violence and alcoholism told out of the perspective of the farmer he works for. I have also worked on plenty of short films, in particular COSMOS a project in development to become a feature film. I have done EPK's including one for new young sensation Ice Project. And I am busy filming an EPK for Arno Carstens for his upcoming album.

The documentary shows The Parlotones as four hardworking, talented musicians practising their craft. So often they are perceived as a larger than life, commercially, perfect band, this documentary gives an insight into the real musicians.