For 18 months, Brian Bieber traveled between six states interviewing musicians who were active about 40 years ago in an attempt to hear their stories.
The following 10 months of editing and producing with his wife Brienne Maner brought forth I Really Get Into It, a documentary about the rise of the Sioux Falls punk scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
“This is a story about young people who couldn’t find a place for themselves in the dominant culture, so they created their own,” explained Bieber.
He continued, “A handful of the people I interviewed were former Sioux Falls promoter and musician Terry Taylor, punk icon Ian MacKaye, Lookout! Records founder Larry Livermore, Cadillac Blindside’s Rebecca Hanten, and a ton of pioneering members of the Sioux Falls all-ages music scene.”
Interested viewers can check out the film on DVD from its website, or the DVD is also available at Total Drag Records and Last Stop CD Shop locations.
Bieber shares some intel into the process of producing the film and a look into his life.
On the Big Screen
From June 24-27, buy tickets to a showing of I Really Get Into It at the State Theatre in downtown Sioux Falls and try a special I Really Get into It hazy IPA by Look’s Beer Co. At the end of the documentary on June 24, stick around to get all of your questions answered at the Q&A and for a gig poster. One hundred percent of Bieber’s cut of ticket sales will be donated to The Transformation Project. For more information, visit transformationprojectsd.org.
I REALLY GET INTO IT DIDN’T START AS A DOCUMENTARY… it started as a website, collecting and digitizing analog recordings from the early days of the Sioux Falls all-ages scene. Somehow, that turned into a movie.
SOMETHING I LEARNED DURING THIS PROCESS WAS… what every editor and filmmaker I know told me from the beginning: “fixing it in post” seems like a good idea when you’re shooting, but it should always be your last option.
MY FAVORITE WAY TO SPEND MY LEISURE TIME IS… at the zoo with my wife and daughter or at an early bird weekend matinee, usually by myself.
SOME TOPICS COVERED IN THE DOCUMENTARY ARE… how the history of the Sioux Falls punk scene creates a framework for the narrative, but topics ranging from political activism and social justice to entrepreneurship and making a living as a professional artist are covered, among many others.
“MUSIC PLAYED A PROMINENT ROLE IN THAT CULTURE, BUT THE FILM IS LESS ABOUT PLAYING PUNK ROCK THAN IT IS ABOUT BUILDING COMMUNITY.” -Brian Bieber
SOMETHING THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO DO WITH THE DOCUMENTARY WAS … manage my time. My wife and I have a very young daughter, so most of the film’s editing started after her bedtime and went into the wee hours, long after mine.
VIEWERS ARE GOING TO WITNESS… a lot of smart, interesting people, a lot of cool archival footage, and a lot of great music.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THE DOCUMENTARY IS… Rebecca Hanten discussing her experience being a prominent musician as a young woman, and realizing in retrospect the impact her presence on stage might have had on her young fans. A close second is Larry Livermore’s story of having to restrain Ben Weasel from attacking Wilbur the Coyote at Gigglebees Family Fun Center.
“I started working on the documentary because it seemed like it would be a fun project, and by the time I realized how difficult it was going to be, I was in too deep to stop.” -Brian Bieber
Film Followers
Facebook: /ireallygetintoit
Instagram: @ireallygetintoit
WHAT I LOVED ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER I REALLY GET INTO IT WAS… reconnecting with so many people I hadn’t seen in years, and befriending new ones that I wish I had met years ago.
WHEN I WALK AROUND DOWNTOWN, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO STOP BY IS… Zandbroz Variety. Zandbroz has been the coolest place downtown for three decades and counting, and it’s run by some of the coolest people in town.
MY FAVORITE PLACE TO GO FOR INSPIRATION IS… the car, probably. My 3-year-old daughter makes sure that the energy level in our house stays pretty consistently high, so I’m quick to volunteer to run our household errands and use those minutes to clear my head when I’m working out a new idea.
ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA IS… there are a lot of people here who are thirsty for big ideas and willing to support them.
