• TEENAGERS + SURFBOARDS + GUITARS

“Sound of the Surf” is the historic Rockumentary that tells the TRUE story of Surf Music, before it became an exploited, distorted, Hollywood production. It uses intimate interviews, media archives, personal scrapbooks and home movies to present the stories of the musicians who created the genre. It explores the questions: what is Surf Music, where did it come from, who invented it and what, if anything, did it have to do with SURFING? 

• WHAT DOES THE PROJECT NEED TO COMPLETE?

Not really a KickSTARTER, but a FINISHER. We need YOU to step up and help! After nearly 13 years and over $150K in production costs, we are NOW in the final stretch and it will take a total community effort to reach the final goal. I’ve waited until I had secured the essential elements of the film before I turned to the fans for help, I would know I can deliver. We are now at that stage! We just need a polished final edit, marketing and manufacturing costs to release the film to the world. We need money!

Please check out the list of awards and support levels on the right hand column and consider being a backer of the project. MORE merchandise items are being designed as we speak and will be added soon.

• WHY DOES IT COST SO MUCH?

I want the final film to be seen by Millions of people through worldwide distribution using Broadcast, Subscription and Streaming services, retail DVD, plus limited Theatrical release. Such a ambitious goal requires the highest production values be used to reach the bar. This means lots of photos, clips and music are needed.

In addition, much of the ongoing costs are for the cast and musicians in the form of licenses, for sharing the above mentioned scrapbooks, home movies and photographs. Your support directly compensates the people who no longer benefit from the music they created. Then… there are the corporate people, copyright owners of music. We want to be able to include the top Surf hits in the film, but it’s not cheap. (It also takes attorneys to navigate the legalities, but don’t get me started.)

• WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

In the evolution of Rock n’ Roll, Surf Music is the missing link between the primordial 50’s and the tumultuous 60’s. Elvis was in the Army, Little Richard found religion, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis had their legal issues and the top up and comers were killed in a plane crash.

“That was the era of Bobby Rydell and Frankie Avalon. The ones who ‘tamed’ rock and roll, to where it was ‘safe’. The dangerous stuff was over and it was still a few years before the Beatles showed up.” – Paul Johnson, the Belairs

“Sound of the Surf” presents the stories of Surf Music that no other film has.