A team of South Florida filmmakers are gearing up to shoot an independent documentary on Planet of the Drums, the longest running electronic dance tour headed up by four DJs who, at the millennium, were intent on bringing drum 'n' bass out of the underground into the world.
The four-person film crew will be on-site at Will Call in downtown Miami getting footage this weekend that will be used in the feature-length documentary geared at profiling said DJs: AK1200 (Orlando's Dave Minner), DJ Dara (Darragh Guilfoyle), Dieselboy (Damian Higgins), and MC Messinian (James Fiorella).
The film's creators -- South Florida film producer Kevin Kocak, Fort Lauderdale-based IME Films producer Ronaldo Bahamon, line producer Kyle Weisenberg, and cinematographer Steven Brevig -- have linked up to produce this flick through Fort Lauderdale's CACO Entertainment. They'll get to work on it in January 2015, and the film has a projected post-production wrap date for May 2015.
"I've always had a passion for this genre of music," said Kocak in a recent interview. "But I also saw there was an interesting story to be told here. I got to know these guys working with them as a DJ, and they each have a compelling story."
Telling that tale also presents a unique way to document the rise of drum and bass, he added. Through the documentary, viewers -- whether they are fans of the music, or not -- will have a unique insight into the lives of four of the most influential artists in that scene today. The film will take a closer look at the each of the group members, while also covering the history of how the subgenre originated, and where the music is headed in the future.
The team has already logged some hours, traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee, where they filmed and interviewed Planet of the Drums during a live performance on November 8. To help with production and travel costs associated with the creation of the film, they plan to start a Kickstarter campaign.
Besides having "unique" lives to showcase, Kocak says they also have "an army of fans who have been waiting for years to hear them told in a personal and entertaining way," he added, "We believe we will have a documentary that many have attempted to make over the years, but few have actually accomplished."
Filming for the documentary will continue on Saturday, November 22, at the 12-hour drum 'n' Bass blowout, Florida D&B All Stars, at Will Call in Miami. The documentarians will interview both the DJs and event-goers.
"Anyone that can be there will have the chance to be a part of the documentary," said Bahamon. "It's a great opportunity to be a part of a really unique story."
Florida D&B All Stars, from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., Saturday, November 22, at Will Call, 700 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Visit Facebook.
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