Private Project

Claptrap

A single camera ob-doc about the longest tour in Australian history.

A videographer observes a rock band during a continent spanning regional bus tour. The dichotomy of the forever touring musician is slowly deconstructed, then reassembled through frontmen and lifelong friends, Alex & Fergus.

  • Darcy Newton
    Director
    Icebergers
  • Luca Catalano
    Producer
    Good Together
  • Rex Woods
    Editors
    Pelican Girls, Stella and the Seagulls, The River
  • Jade Valeontis
    Editors
    Where the Platypuses Live
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Observational Documentary, Concert Film
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes 55 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Blackmagic RAW
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Melbourne Documentary Film Festival
    Melbourne
    Australia
    July 28, 2024
    Music Documentary
Director Biography - Darcy Newton

Darcy Newton is a 24-year-old filmmaker, he completed a Bachelor of Film & Television with Honours from the Swinburne Institute of Technology in 2022. Newton has always had a passion for documentary, directing & producing Icebergers (Winning Best Documentary at
the Melbourne Indie Film Festival 2020, Nominated Best Emerging Filmmaker at Setting Sun Film Festival 2020), as well as working on Mushroom Studios’ Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story. It was predictable that when the opportunity arose to document the longest tour in Australian history while living on a bus, the answer was a resounding but simple ‘Yes’.

Claptrap is Newton’s debut feature as Director & Cinematographer, it was made on a
shoestring budget, and independently funded, made possible only by the very highly
motivated crew. Outside his passion for filmmaking, Newton’s interests range from history & physics to grand strategy video games - so if nothing else, Claptrap was an excellent reason to get out of the house.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Imagine embarking on a rock & roll odyssey across a continent-sized country in a bus— the highs, the lows, and the utterly surreal experiences of life on the road with a perpetually touring band. Venturing on Australia’s longest tour as an inexperienced videographer was a leap of faith that I took without any contemplation. However, what transpired during the six months of filming was nothing short of sheer madness, and I'm thrilled to say Claptrap captures every bit of it. Many moments defied expectation, yet many bore a curious resemblance to sedentary lifestyle. Claptrap aims to offer a glimpse into the extraordinary world of touring musicians. I sincerely hope you find it as captivating as I found the journey itself.