“Remember the guy who did the crazy MTV promos in the ’80s, sang “Don Henley Must Die” and is now a DJ on SiriusXM Outlaw Country? This is his origin story and it’s pretty fucking funny.” Director Matt Eskey on THE MOJO MANIFESTO: THE LIFE & TIMES OF MOJO NIXON which screens at SxSW 2022.
Welcome to SxSW! Is this your first SxSW experience? Are you attending in person or doing the virtual fest?
Thanks! I’m a musician who lives in Austin so this is my 31st SXSW Music but my first SXSW Film. I’ll be there in person, going to movies and playing music shows.
How did this whole project come together? Give me a rundown from the preparation to execution to now!
I got the idea for the film back in 2011. Mojo was OK with it and said “Just show it to me when you’re done.” I spent the next couple years filming interviews and tracking down archival materials. I knew that I had to edit it myself because it would be impossible to pay someone to deal with it. I didn’t have time to do it until 2019, when I closed the music business I was running. I took a year off to learn Adobe Premiere and edit the movie. I also did my own color and captions so it was a pretty DIY affair. It was supposed to premiere at SXSW 2020 but when that got cancelled I knew I wanted to wait until an in-person premiere was possible. The whole idea was to have fun and that was how I pictured having the most fun with it.
While working on a project, what’s your creative process?
I was pretty obsessed during the editing process. I was looking for the story and putting it together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. I would think about it constantly and then grind it out.
What was your biggest challenge with creating this feature, and what was the moment where you realized “Yes, this is IT!”?
My biggest challenge was my complete lack of experience with the medium. I had been a graphic designer for years so I knew Adobe Photoshop, which helped me to learn Adobe Premiere. I also knew Pro Tools from being a musician but had zero film experience when I started. I made a lot of mistakes but I knew I had a good idea. I questioned whether I had a feature-length movie up until the moment where I found the ending. That was when I knew I had the edge pieces of the puzzle and could just fill in the middle.
I am a tech person, so I would love to know about the visual design of the movie from the cameras to the formats used and how it was made from a technical standpoint!
Mojo came up in the ’80s so I had a lot of archival footage and photographs from that period. A lot of stuff came off VHS and Beta tapes. The interviews were shot on various Sony and Panasonic cameras in a lot of different situations. Sometimes I had a cameraman and lights and other times it was just me and natural light. We also shot in a lot of odd situations, like backstage at music venues or in Mojo’s living room. It was a real mishmash of sources but I feel like that matches the chaotic nature of Mojo.
What are you looking forward to the most about showing your movie at SxSW?
Most looking forward to everybody who worked on the film getting together. I’m also looking forward to seeing the movie on a big screen and watching the audience react.
Where is this title going next? More festivals or a theatrical or streaming release?
We will probably do more festivals and screenings before it goes to streaming. I do want to make it available to people as soon as possible so I don’t want to take too long before going to streaming.
What is the one thing that you would say to someone who is wishing to get into making movies, especially now as the world is changing at such a fast pace?
Making a movie is big undertaking but, like most things in life, if you take it on a little bit at a time, it’s something anybody can do. For me, the biggest factor is the story you have to tell and how passionate you are about telling it. The technical stuff can be learned, especially these days. In that way, it’s not so different from recording music. It doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot to make something good.
And final question: what is the greatest movie you have ever seen at a film festival?
I haven’t been to a film festival before but the doc that probably inspired me the most is DOGTOWN & Z BOYS. I grew up in that era of skateboarding and loved the way Stacy Peralta captured the excitement of the time.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 11-20. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!