Grad Student Brings Music To Life Onscreen

By Kendra Bobowick

“We have to tell this story now.” This is “definitely personal, it’s burning. We need to do this story, and professionally, we want to do this right. It will be a true independent film.” —digital filmmaking student and 2004 Newtown High School graduate Mathew Miller

He found a film in the songs.

“It’s a long story…” said Mathew Miller, and ambitious.

He was happy to explain how a favorite concept album Subterranea by the progressive English band IQ, which “follows a [storyline] from first song to last,” appealed to him as a filmmaker. IQ has been playing and touring for nearly 30 years.

Mr Miller has spent the last year turning the creative music of Subterranea into a film of the same name. “I have had this album for a handful of years and it’s been on my mind,” he said. He started writing a script based on the “vague” and “abstract album story.” He “did a lot of filling in,” he said. Mr Miller who now lives in Missoula, Mont., where he is studying filmmaking, will be returning home next week for a meet and greet fundraiser to support production. His parents Debbie and Keith Miller welcome supporters to their home at 29 Marlin Road on Friday, August 24, from 6 to 8 pm. All are welcome. RSVP at contact@subterranea-movie.com.

After attending New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce College then transferring to the University of Montana where he earned a BFA in media arts, Mr Miller took “a few years off” and is now enrolled in a graduate program at the same university, focused on digital filmmaking.

Subterranea “appeals to me as a filmmaker…it had story embedded already,” he said, containing strong elements of “raw human nature.”

The story’s main personality both on the album and on film is a “raw slate,” Mr Miller said. “The music and lyrics are so vivid already and would translate well into a movie…”

Turning music into a film “usually works well because they’re linked already,” he said. He feels that the “two worlds of music and film are meshed. The media blend.” Is it a natural step to translate one to the other? “It is for me. I hear music and create it into visuals. I am always seeing things in my mind as if seen on a camera’s lens.” Regarding Subterranea, he said, “I already saw the music in my mind and I felt I could create interesting and new visuals.”

Next, he contacted the band. “It was completely out of the blue. I had never seen them before; it was a shot in the dark,” he said. Mr Miller sent them a script. “They were really receptive,” he said. “I sent them a draft and talked about the gaps [in the album’s story] that I filled in and we worked together on ideas.”

He said, “They were thrilled and seeing their work turned into film was an honor. Their involvement is thrilling.” IQ will be playing the score for the movie.

Mr Miller is now on his seventh draft and “still working on it daily until we shoot.”

Behind The Scenes

During high school, Mr Miller was “into finding new groups and music. At a record store I came across Subterranea and I bought it. It looked interesting and I fell in love with it right away.”

He chose to turn it into a film for its story. “It always comes down to the story. If the story is not there, the movie won’t be successful. I knew the story was there.” He felt the music was “so visually oriented already,” and he “knew the transition would be smooth.”

Also, the time is right, he explained. Ready to branch out, he said, “I have filmmakers around me who are dedicated and we have resources and colleagues. Feels like the right time.” He also feels compelled to share the tale. “We have to tell this story now.” This is “definitely personal, it’s burning. We need to do this story and professionally, we want to do this right. It will be a true independent film.”

The projected two-part filming could begin as soon as January and again in June 2013. Mr Miller plans the different filming dates so he can include “a little bit of winter and a little bit of summer.” With the ideas in place, he now needs money and support to add to the “already good strong base of people who are behind this.” On August 24, he will be reaching for local contacts. He will be using a mix of hired actors and nonprofessionals, and is aiming to enter Subterranea in the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

While writing the story he envisioned, he said, “I have created a whole set of characters to become part of this world.” The album’s story needed “bones and meat put on it to become a full living story.”

The Narrative

The story is about a man who spent his life within a darkened cell, and is released into society for the first time as an adult. Facing a brand-new world, he must learn how to live in order to survive.

He interacts with other people for the first time and begins to adapt. He realizes the choices he makes affect his future. He also soon discovers that he is the cornerstone of an orchestrated social experiment.

As stated on the band’s web page, iq-hq.co.uk, Mr Miller said: “Every penny we get will go directly onto the screen — the more funds we raise, the bigger and better the film will be in the end. So please, donate to the film, tell your friends, and let’s bring this inspiring and special story to life!”

To support this project, visit subterranea-movie.com. Also visit KickStarter.com/projects/812444518/subterranea-feature-length-film?ref=home_location.