Jack Gulick - Director of If All Goes Wrong

Interview with Jack Gulick - Part 5

See Part 1 | Part2 | Part 3 | Part 4

SP.com: Fans seem to be anxious on getting an official release of "Gossamer", one of the more epic songs they debuted on tour. Can you say anything about the song and whether it will be included on the DVD?

JG: The full performance of "Gossamer" is indeed on the Concert DVD, clocking in in excess of 35 minutes. Not only that, but the story of "Gossamer" is told on the DVD, including some of the difficulties and tensions around the difficult process of learning and performing the song. We were able to finally capture what ended up being the song’s triumphant final performance (my understanding is that, after we shot the song, it was never performed again).

SP.com: Can fans expect any other special features on the DVD?

JG: The real bonus feature is that both DVDs were created to make a complete statement. In the first place, the Documentary carefully reveals the creative process leading to this remarkable new body of work. Some of the scenes are very intimate and revealing about the creation of the work, and how it is brought to the band, and, finally, to the audience. The Concert DVD takes this concept further and shows the songs in their full power as they are performed for the audience in San Francisco. There will most likely be deleted scenes on the documentary DVD, and, frankly, Gossamer really is the big bonus on the Concert DVD. That, and the astonishing 5:1 mixes by Kerry Brown; probably some of the most natural and honest 5:1 music mixes I have ever heard. They are worth it on their own.

Also, I looked to a chorus of voices from Pumpkins fans to help me fill in the story and vital details. What was so difficult for us in the edit room was the amazing amount of strong, intelligent commentary the fans gave us. We used the voices of the fans, journalists, and other performers equally. One of the strongest features of the Documentary is the intelligent commentary, and even criticism, from the fan participants in the Residency process, and in the reporting of it in the Documentary. They become my eye witnesses, my historians, and really powerful defenders of the whole effort: a very strong collective voice. It was very difficult not to use everyone interviewed, because each person made such a terrific effort to speak effectively and with purpose. These interviews brought a certain focus to the Documentary that could not be found any other way. They completed the circle, and were hugely important to me.

SP.com: Finally, is there anything special that you can tease about this DVD?

JG: Both the Documentary and the Concert DVD get in very close to Billy & Jimmy and the new band members. The Documentary proves the incredible value of this band, and the Concert presents the new music in a way that nothing else can. What is special is that we capture a part of music history, and, like many events before it, time and study of the work done will reveal how truly important this undertaking was. Through the Documentary and the Concert DVDs, we have been able to expose hidden layers of the musical creative process that have not been fully shown before. There are moments filmed when you see the exact moment of creation and the formation of a new work. And I don't mean some sort of re-enactment, but the actual moment of original thought and creation; the artistic, personal, private process revealed.