Ever had an idea for a great movie or TV show? Maybe it’s a show so different from everything else out there that people would stand up and take notice. What if you focused on topics that everyone cares about?
Scott Ryan would tell you, “Good luck” if his phone service still worked, if his electricity was still on, and if he hadn’t been evicted from his apartment. Those harsh realities aren’t the things you dream about when you’re developing your vision, but such things can easily happen.
The documentary We Want the Airwaves chronicles the story of Ryan, his producer Charmel Green, and his co-producer/cinematographer Cory Clay as they develop and attempt to sell a docuseries called Manifesto, a TV show spotlighting people who want to make a positive change in their communities and the world. One such person is Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe water to people around the world. Ryan’s dream was to create TV that uses such stories to motivate, not sedate, to present ideas that would get people off their couches, computers, and phones to make something positive happen in the world. A show filled with such important stories should be an easy sell, right?
But if the concept can’t be communicated easily and clearly, that’s a problem. Even if you can get a TV executive to talk to you, you have a limited amount of time, and your pitch had better be stellar, something that separates you from the rest of the pack. If you’re fortunate enough to get an audience with an exec, you’ll wonder how long you’ll have to wait after hearing the words that spell the kiss of death: “We’ll get back to you.” Even hiring a supermodel like Amber Arbucci as your host may not be enough.
Ryan and his team understood how to make a good film, how to capture compelling stories that would move people. They had a great product, they just didn’t know how to sell it.
Through actual footage and recreations, We Want the Airwaves is a cautionary tale for prospective filmmakers, holding back none of the enormous challenges that can face visionary creators. Yet the film also celebrates how persistence and personal sacrifice can lead to good things, even if those good things are not the end goal you started with.
The documentary We Want the Airwaves is an educational resource particularly recommended for anyone interested in media production, film, television, and marketing. Community college and university academic libraries will want to purchase the film for classes which focus on these areas, yet public and high school libraries should also consider purchasing the film.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
We Want the Airwaves would be a valuable documentary resource for community colleges and universities offering classes on media production, film, television, and marketing.
What kind of film collection would this title be suitable for?
We Want the Airwaves would be a good addition to collections focusing on media production, television, films, and marketing. With the appropriate public performance rights, the film could also fit into any unique library programs or events.
What subjects or college majors would benefit from the content covered in this film?
Media studies, entertainment industry, entertainment business, television, film studies, marketing.
Director's Bio
A life-long advocate, Scott began his filmmaking career directing documentaries for the startup streaming platform Zoom Culture. Many of these short films were produced for the national TV shows Playground Earth and Hip Hop Nation which ran on NBC and MTV networks. During his time at ‘ZC’ Scott found himself shooting stories on everything from professional street lugers to Los Angeles street art and multiple PSAs. Scott further honed his documentary skills shooting with the Gantz Brother’s production company View Film (of Taxicab Confessions fame). Recently, Scott founded Monkey Wrench Agency, a company focused on production of PSAs for underserved non-profits. A PSA he directed and produced for 5 Gyres Institute was featured in their international campaign to ban plastic microbead pollution in our waterways; this resulted in a statewide ban in California and contributed to a nationwide ban, signed by Barack Obama in 2015, known as “The Microbead Free Waters Act.” We Want the Airwaves is Scott’s feature documentary directorial debut.
Director's Statement
"Manifesto!" may have started in 2005 but it has never been more relevant. Today, in the era of actual fake news, infotainment, and attacks on journalism in general, a citizen’s platform is incredibly important. A platform of this kind has never been seen on televisions in the United States. Today we have these voices on the web and increasingly on forward thinking news programs or fleeting docuseries, but with net neutrality reversed, how long will it be until these voices are drowned out online or when the news trend reverses? We "Want the Airwaves" documents the struggle to bring these stories to the masses, whatever the cost.
Accolades
"As an educator, I really am glad this film exists for it can show wannabe entertainment creators what it takes to make it through countess meetings and rejections...I look forward to screening this film for students." - Dan Pal, A Movie Guy
"Scott Ryan's "We Want the Airwaves" forces you to question the adage, "follow your dreams." Of course, nothing in life ever gets done without having a dream, but dreams of success are rarely given away so easily. Instead our dreams are fulfilled in ways we never expected." - Alan Ng, Film Threat
"We Want the Airwaves" is an engaging rollercoaster ride, chronicling the highs and lows of making a groundbreaking television show..." - Joseph Lindsey
"This unique, engaging, and remarkably transparent feature doc is easily worth your time and, by god, also worth a view just to support these inspiring creatives and the world they want to bring to life." - Richard Propes, The Independent Critic
Awards
- A Show for a Change Film Festival (Creativity Award, Documentary Feature)
- Impact Docs Awards (Award of Merit, Documentary Feature)
- Santa Monica Film Festival (Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Feature)
- WorldFest Houston (Platinum Remi Award, Documentary Feature)
Film Festivals & Special Screenings
- 2022 | SANTA CRUZ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2022 | GREAT PLAINS FILM FESTIVAL
- 2022 | BLACK CAT PICTURE SHOW
- 2022 | BURBANK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2022 | VISIONS DU REEL MARKET
- 2022 | SANTA MONICA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2022 | MALIBU INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | CULVER CITY FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | STUDIO CITY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | IMPACT DOCS!
- 2021 | WHISTLEBLOWER FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | HOUSTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL / WORLDFEST
- 2021 | INTERROBANG FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | LIGHTHOUSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | MIAMI INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | INTERNATIONAL ACTIVISM FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | A SHOW FOR CHANGE FILM FESTIVAL
- 2021 | MONTREAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
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Venice Manifesto Title Sequence
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Ruthie
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Scott Folsom
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Amber
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Clown Venice
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Charity Water
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Remember When Photography JT
Hollywood Blvd
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Painting the Wall
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Filming Manifesto Venice
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Brian Folsom
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Amin Joseph
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Zoe
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TV Guy
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Tyler 2
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Tyler Office
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Scott Van
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Mulholland
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Mulholland
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Venice behind-the-scenes
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Paws behind-the-scenes