Local pop/rock band The Maine seems to be on a quest for world domination. They're barely out of high school but already they have an imprint on Warner Brothers, a keepsake book, a box set, and a button pack. Now, the early-20-somethings have set their sights on cinema.
The Maine recently designed and scored a short film called In Darkness and In Light, about a group of children surviving in a deserted world without technology or order. It debuts at Pollack Tempe Cinemas at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, December 17.
"We wanted to express our creativity through a medium other than just music," says singer John O'Callaghan. "This is a risk we wanted to take to see just how far we could take things without jeopardizing our integrity as musicians."
The film stars 25 child actors whose characters ultimately engage in bloody war and is related to the band's most recent album, Black and White. The band traded scripts and treatments with directors Jim Sullos and Mike Jones for about four months before the project was approved for shooting, and the team had only four weeks to complete the entire project, including preparation, shooting, and post-production. The band scored the film while on tour, uploading footage and recording on their bus.
"This could very well be the first short film about war made from a tour bus in the middle of the night!" Sullos says.
The end result is a movie geared toward young people that, like the album, concerns growing up and cultivating an identity.
"We want young people to realize that you have to fight for what you believe in and that you should never just do something because it's what others expect of you," Sullos says. "You have to go out there, find your own voice and forge your own path. It's too easy to walk through the tunnel that's already been dug."
Fans who see the film in Tempe will be able to meet the band, which will also present three music videos, behind-the-scenes footage of making Black and White, and a four-song acoustic performance. This is one of your last chances to see the band live for a while, as they're gearing up to go on tour to Australia and Europe in February. As for what's next for the group — beyond music — anything is possible.
"This phase in our band's career represents metamorphosis," O'Callaghan says. "We are striving to take every aspect of The Maine to the furthest boundary in hopes to solidify our vision. My hope is that you come along for the ride and embark on the next chapter with us."
