D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist

D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist
Directed by	Michael W. Dean
Produced by	Michael W. Dean
Starring	Lydia Lunch Ian MacKaye J Mascis Jim Rose J. G. Thirlwell
Cinematography	Peter Spicer
Edited by	Miles Montalbano
Music by	Fugazi
Distributed by	Music Video Distributors (MVD)[1]
Release date	2002 (2002)
Running time	55 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$5000[2]

D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist is a low-budget documentary film released by Music Video Distributors in 2002.^[1] The film is a "celebration of the underdog" and deals with why artists do what they do, regardless of the lack of a continuous paycheck.

Details

The film features some artists that define the DIY ethic and speaks to the overall DIY culture. It features interviews with Lydia Lunch, Ian MacKaye, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, Jim Rose, J. G. Thirlwell of Foetus, Mike Watt, Eric McFadden, Richard Kern (filmmaker), Ron Asheton of The Stooges, Madigan Shive of Bonfire Madigan, Lynn Breedlove of Tribe 8 and Dave Brockie of Gwar, among others.

Alicia Dattner appears in the credit sequence as a punk street artist stapling DIY flyers. Original artwork for the credits drawn by Attaboy, co-founder of Hi-Fructose Contemporary Art Magazine.

The DVD was released (under the title "D.I.Y. or Die: Burn This DVD") with no region restrictions or copy protection. Director Michael W. Dean allowed and even encouraged people to make copies for non-commercial use.^[3]

References

1. "Company Credits page at DIY or Die's Page on IMDB".
2. "DIY or Die's Budget Page on IMDB".
3. Deming, Mark (2007). "D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist (2002)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2010.

External links

• Review in Film Threat magazine
• D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist at IMDb