Director Dori Berinstein profiles one of the most popular and prolific singer-songwriters of the 1980s and ’90s — and beyond! — in Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart. We posed our Qs à la mode to Dori, and here’s what she shared!
If I had to describe my film using only three adjectives, they would be: Soulful, authentic, evocative.
I wanted to make this film because: Kenny’s music is joyous and overflowing with heart. I wanted to understand Kenny’s artistic evolution, his process of creation, and how he’s managed to stay so relevant and beloved across eras, genres and decades.
The thing that surprised me most while making my film was: It seems like everyone has a Kenny Loggins story! Whenever I mentioned to anyone I was making the film, I’d hear wonderful stories that reaffirmed for me that Kenny’s music is timeless and has deeply impacted generations of music lovers: “I sang House at Pooh Corner to my kids every night when they were growing up… we did a flash mob to Footloose at our wedding… Kenny’s music got me through the most difficult times in my life…”, etc.
My favorite moment/scene/sequence in my film is: Capturing Kenny and Richard Marx writing a brand new song for our documentary.
My most invaluable piece of doc-making equipment was/is: Sound. Our wireless lavs and high-powered recorders were the most valuable tools we had. You can forgive imperfect images, but if you can’t understand what someone says — or you miss the line — you lose the scene.
My must-have snack to get me through hours in the editing room is: Our editing and post production took place in Holywood, Ireland. A little nearby store makes THE BEST “toasties” [cheese sandwiches] in the world! Needless to say, it was a very fattening project.
One piece of documentary-filmmaking advice I’d like to share with aspiring documentarians is: Keep the camera rolling! Some of my favorite, most authentic moments, happened after the interview, after a performance, in the “in between.”
Want to check out Dori’s film, or just learn more about it?
Get the scoop, and your tickets, here!
