The rags-to-rock story of Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from internet obscurity to become the current lead singer of Journey, is a modern fairy tale story that deserves the movie treatment. That movie is coming: Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, directed by award-winning filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz, is a documentary on Arnel Pineda's amazing tale. Here's the teaser trailer:
Here's an excerpt from the film's synopsis:
How it started: halfway around the world Journey, the iconic, quintessentially American rock band who recorded 8 platinum-certified albums during their heyday between 1978–1986, has chosen a lead singer in a manner befitting this internet age: they found him through YouTube.The independently produced and financed film is currently in post-production and raising funds to get the project finished. They need $50,00 to kickstart the editing phase and have set up an IndieGoGo page to make it happen and bring it home. Here's part of the fundraising pitch:
Filipino Arnel Pineda had been singing Journey songs for many years with his cover band Zoo in clubs all over Manila, his hometown, and posting their performances on YouTube. Arnel grew up in poverty; his mother died when he was 12 years old and he ended up on the streets. "I would hang out with my friends and they would make me sing in exchange for food. I'd tag along just so I could eat. Then we would go to the park and I'd sleep there with other homeless kids." He worked at the pier in Manila Bay gathering scrap metal, bottles, and newspapers for eight pesos (20 cents) a day. At night, he would roam the bars in bohemian Manila, singing here and there, meeting other urban nomads with whom he would, over the years, form - and dissolve - bands. In 1991, he relocated to Hong Kong where he would live and perform for fifteen years. He lost his voice twice in the intervening years: once in 1995 due to drugs and alcohol and again in 2005 due to exhaustion and TMJ dysfunction. He decided to move back to Manila in 2006. By then he “had a little dream to make it big in the Philippines, just alone in the Philippines. Suddenly, I got this call from Neal Schon... and here I am."
Arnel’s story is a fascinating look at how fame and celebrity have transformed in our super-connected Youtube age. Like fellow Youtube sensation-turned-pop icon Justin Bieber, Arnel was catapulted to stardom after being “discovered” by sheer chance. Our film follows him through this uncharted world of democratized media, where a celebrity’s fame is fueled by viral hype and destroyed by short attention spans and fickle opinions.Ramona Diaz is an accomplished filmmaker, having made the critically-acclaimed, award-winning documentaries Imelda and Spirits Rising. And this is just one of those stories you have to make a movie about. So if you want to see this film become a reality, you can make a pledge here.
Do you want to be part of a real-life rock’n’roll legend in the making? The good news is that the film has already been shot. We now need to raise $50,000 to kickstart the editing phase and need your support! Whether you’re a Journey lover, an Arnel follower, a documentary buff, a fan of inspiring true stories, or simply want to get involved, we are looking for “Believers” to help us finish our film. Join us! Thanks in advance for your interest and support.
And spread the word. That costs you nothing. For more information about Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, and to follow along with the film's progress, go to the official website here and the Facebook page here.