Vice on Fyre
VICE helped deflect blame from co-producers: Jerry Media and Matte Projects in a documentary purchased by Netflix.
It was only a few months ago that Hulu was working on a 3–4 part miniseries about the Fyre Festival. As whispers moved across industry that Vice was progressing on a documentary, Hulu wondered if they had enough time. When Netflix announced mid-December a launch the following month, Hulu rushed to be first. They trimmed to feature-length and surprise released it four days before Netflix. This is how we got ‘dueling docs’.
Both Hulu and Netflix documentaries have been accused of ethical missteps. Hulu paid for an interview with Billy McFarland, the “brain” behind Fyre Festival, but (i) Netflix also negotiated a deal. In both cases, the money was meant to go back to Billy’s victims. Hulu’s lack of disclosure sums up my criticism… but Netflix’s flaws are unparalleled in scope.
Vice Media co-produced the Netflix documentary with Matte Projects and Jerry Media (aka fuckjerry) the people who helped cover up Fyre’s fraud. Their documentary which, based on IMDB ratings, got about six times as many views: (ii) hid disclosure; (iii) had executive producers (EP) complimenting themselves; (iv) brushed over how comments were deleted; (v) didn’t interview non-Vice journalists; (vi) missed out on a key interview who foresaw ethical problems; (vii) didn’t mention how their EPs are named in at least four lawsuits; (viii) and ultimately let the subjects paint themselves as victims.
This article will detail each point with unreported details as well as summaries of current reporting.
Netflix released the same filmmaker statement to Entertainment Weekly, Ringer, Insider and Gothamist. The unattributed statement (approved director Chris Smith) said “At no time did [Jerry Media, Matte Projects], or any others we worked with, request favorable coverage in our film, which would be against our ethics.”
I call bullshit.
(i) Both Docs Offered Billy McFarland Money
Chris Smith threw shade at Hulu when he said he rejected a deal with Billy McFarland — the millennial goon now in jail for fraud charges. It wasn’t until after Netflix aired its doc that Eliot Trebele, the fuckjerry founder and EP, tweeted that their team brokered a deal with Billy before Hulu. They negotiated “a deal for 12% of film’s proceeds” in exchange for Billy exclusively interview with Netflix but “Billy broke this contract and accepted [Hulu’s] money.”
Billy McFarland owes millions from multiple settlements. Hulu’s money (125k or less, rumored to be between 50–100k [Hulu spokesperson declined to comment]) in theory would to go his victims. Still, it’s hard to imagine any money passing through Billy making its way to victims. Billy isn’t living large on Hulu’s dime, he is currently serving a six year sentence for wire fraud.
(ii) On Hiding Disclosure
Three of six executive producers appeared in the Netflix documentary. You wouldn’t have noticed unless you have a photographic memory and that photographic memory avoids looking at supermodels.
I’ve made several documentaries. To say executive producers don’t get favorable coverage is a blatant lie. The Executive Producer role IS A PREFERRED ROLE. Typically, an EP provides funding or something worth money (eg: footage, access) in order to be tied into the financial success of the film. EPs have direct and indirect influence over the final cut. Producers roles vary quite a bit… but typically are paid problem-solvers involved in most aspects of production, they can typically provide suggestions to the final cut.
- EP / Subject: Gabrielle Bluestone, Vice News Journalist
- EP / Subject: Brett Kincaid, Director of Matte Projects (Fyre Squad)
- EP: Max Pollack, Matte Projects (Fyre Squad)
- EP: Matthew Rowean, Matte Projects (Fyre Squad)
- EP / Subject: James Ohliger, co-founder Jerry Media (Fyre Squad)
- EP: Elliot Tebele, creator FuckJerry (Fyre Squad)
- Producer / Subject: Mick Purzycki, CEO of Jerry Media (Fyre Squad)
- Producer: Chris Smith is the director working for Vice Media
- Producer: Danny Gabai working for Vice Media
(iii) Netflix Had EPs Complimenting Themselves
Fyre Festival was about the follies of vapid, millennial hype, and the doc shouldn’t have included any.
In the Netflix doc, Brett Kincaid, EP / Director of Matte Projects, said they “were hiring the best of the best in each category. The best talent, the best distribution, best social media company”. Just as Brett said “best social media company” Jerry Media’s Instagram appears on screen showing millions of followers.
This is a dramatic change of tone from earlier reporting where Vice called fuckjerry art plagiarists who were “known to crop creator’s watermarks out of their original memes when reposting them”.
Jerry Media is experienced in blocking criticis who accuse them of stealing. When they aren’t blocking they get combative, telling one critic to “get a face transplant” and calling another “a cumbucket of salt” and “bitch”. In 2016, when Comedy Central video editor Vic Berger asked James ‘krispyshorts’ Ohliger, the CEO of Jerry Media to credit him for the video he stole the response he got was “Shut up” followed by a block. Vic relies heavily on fair use, when asked to confirm the story he shared correspondence about the arduous take-down process — something he would have overlooked if ‘krispyshorts’ hadn’t commercialized his Instagram feed.
Matte Projects got the velvet glove treatment too. Matte Projects, the team behind Brooklyn's boutique, Full Moon Music Festival on Governors Island has been covered by Vice in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017. How could Vice let seasoned festival experts act as if they were hoodwinked?
(iv) Brushed Over Deleting Comments
Both documentaries spoke with Jerry Media but only Hulu had a “whistleblower”. Hulu showed how Jerry Media was complicit in covering up fraud.
In the Netflix doc, Jerry Media CEO said they and Matte Projects “didn’t have any visibility into what was happening on the production side” of the Fyre Festival. He made a hand gesture to illustrate his point.
In the Netflix doc, Mick Purzycki, Jerry Media CEO, in defense of purging comments stated that they were “degrading the brand”. He also says that comments were screen-grabbed then deleted but this is a distortion of the truth. The Hulu documentary and court documents, naming Jerry Media and Matte Projects as defendants, show how comments containing certain words were automatically hidden.
How can words like “artists, details, info, lineup, performers and playing” be degrading a brand?
Hulu put emphasis on the many red flags. Viki Segar summing things up well saying “if you’re a partner in [Fyre] and you have the information that this is going to be a shit-storm you should tell somebody”. As vendors began to drop away Oren, the Jerry Media whistle-blower, said “this is one of those things that you question if they are doing something — why aren’t we?”.
Netflix’s documentary producer, Mick, the Jerry Media CEO, says in the doc, off-camera, that Grant Margolin, was “trying to use our employees for customer service but isn’t what we were hired to do”. The image shows a blurred out Slack message that matches the profile of “oren_fuckjerry” (see below).
Still, Jerry Media’s story doesn’t add up. It’s difficult to understand how Vice would have missed this as their own doc shows an Instagram message saying “DM us directly on Instagram!”. A casual viewer would have missed this because Mick is there repeating “email concierge” and the video highlights “email concierge”. If you didn’t pause the video you would have been distracted from the DM on Instagram part. Fishy.
Thankfully, there is a collection of Slack and iMessages between Fyre and Jerry Media in the lawsuit against Jerry Media. There were “very confidential” messages “about a date change” from Grant Margolin months before the festival. These messages reveal credit card issues and requests to purge mentions of the fyrecay.com – the ‘Wikileaks of Fyre Festival’.
(v) Didn’t interview non-Vice Journalists
Gabrielle Bluestone, Vice News journalist / EP, was the one-stop-shop for all journalist comments. Her reporting was good but only publicly announced interest the day before the festival started. She filed her first story: A complete “s — t show”, April 28 2017, the day after people arrived.
Earlier reporting came from:
- FyreFraud Twitter: “#FyreFestival is a fraud…” (March 28 2017)
- WSJ: At Up to $250,000 a Ticket, Island Music Festival Woos Wealthy to Stay Afloat (April 2 2017)
- Buzzfeed (Community Member) Is Fyre Festival The Next Big Music Event Or The Next Big Scam? (April 11 2017 / removed after the festival)
- Page Six Are Fyre Festival organizers in over their heads? (April 17 2017)
(vi) Missed out on Key Subjects
Michael Swaigen was asked to participate in both films. He told me that he carefully considered both filmaking teams and decided that morally he could only participate in the Hulu doc.
“I have final cut on the film” — Mick Purzycki (Jerry Media CEO) to Michael Swaigen. March 25 2018.
Michael was the cinematographer who filmed behind the scenes of the supermodel video and floated the idea of filming the whole process. Michael sought permission from Matte Projects but they rejected the idea (NOTE: imagine if someone had documented the whole Bahamas fiasco?). Michael didn’t return to filming until after the festival, when Billy called Michael asking him to film a bizarro redemption documentary.
When Jerry Media CEO Mick, was seeking Michael’s participation, both for footage and a possible interview in the Netflix film, he wrote in an email “I have final cut on the film and will not be approving anything that is not done with integrity”. A contradiction to Netflix’s filmmaker statement on preferential treatment of its subjects. (Chris and Mick have not respond a request for comment)
Michael turned down the Netflix team and only participated in the Hulu doc. He licensed the failed redemption footage with permission of Billy and received an ‘Associate Producer’ credit. Unlike a ‘Producer’ credit, associate producers get no control over the final edit — Michael was okay with this since he implicitly trusted the Hulu directors because of their past work.
(vii) Producers Are Named in Four Lawsuits
Ben Meiselas, the lawyer featured in the Hulu doc, added Jerry Media by name in an amended complaint. It argues Fyre’s Chief Marketing Officer “worked with a social media marketing company called “F*ck Jerry” to identify negative comments from the public on social media, including Facebook, and then hide those comments from public view.”
Quick summary of the lawsuits (DOE defendants are yet-to-be named defendents):
- (April 29, 2017) Jung v. Mcfarland F**k Jerry added in amended complaint Oct 12 2018.
- (May 2 2017) Chinery et al. v. Fyre Media et al names Matte Projects as a defendant (+ DOES)
- (May 2 2017) Petrozziello et al. v. Fyre Media et al.
- (May 3 2017) Herlihy et al. v. Fyre Media, Inc et al. (+ DOES)
- (May 3 2017) National Event Services v. Fyre Festival et al.
- (May 5 2017) Reel et al v. McFarland et al names Matte Projects as a defendant (+DOES)
- (May 9 2017) Seth Crossno, et al v. Fyre Festival, et al (Billy did no show up to court and judge awarded 5 Million — no payments have been made)
- (May 10 2017) EHL Funding LLC v. McFarlane, et al
- (Oct 2 2017) USA v. William McFarland (McFarland pled guilty Mar 6 2018)
(viii) No Perfect Victims
When asked “Who’s guilty?” Oren, the whistleblower in the Hulu doc says “Everyone”. The documentary ends with an almost surreal montage of people’s lame attempts to avoid being culpable.
The Netflix doc has a much different story. The narrative arc transitions between ominous, suspense-building music and a montage of locals getting angry which gives way to light piano music of Fyre staff pleading ignorance and dodging fault.
One particular moment, during the ominous music, shows a local worker, looking up while raking seaweed in slow motion. The worker is dark-skinned and in silhouette, he looks towards the camera and dissonant keyboard music plays. An editing decision that Gavin McInnes would be proud of. (The film has two editors and neither responded to a request for comment)
Martin Howell says “after the locals realized they weren’t gonna get paid some of them started putting hits out on people either to take them hostage and then get ransom or just to hurt and injure.” No evidence was provided, just stories of staff escaping the island unharmed. (H/T Tyler A King)
Conclusion
While it may be true that nobody asked for ‘favorable treatment’, the filmmakers gave favorable treatment by hard-wiring its subjects as producers. Ultimately, Chris Smith a hero of the documentary world, use his integrity to sell millennials on a false narrative.
Despite their flaws, both are worth watching if you know the inherent conflicts of interest. It would be great if Hulu had an edit with Andy’s interview (BJ for water) so viewers could forego Netflix entirely.
Damage Control
Everyone likes a good redemption story — unless the people seeking redemption are joke thieves. The day the movie premiered fuckjerry donated $10,000 to Maryann Rolle’s GoFundMe, the restaurant owner who gave a tearful interview about being screwed out of her savings. Two days later, fuckjerry founder Eliott Tebele wrote on Twitter “Just gave every dollar my agency earned from the Fyre Festival back to the go fund me. Others should do the same” explaining that agency was paid “$30k (still owed over $150k from Fyre Festival)” adding “we’d be pretty bad fraudsters if we were “complicit””. (OK, I guess they are pretty bad fraudsters.)
Oren Aks, the Jerry Media whistleblower, took to Twitter and Instagram calling his former employers tactic “a scam”. He captioned jerrymedia’s Insta with “Don’t be fooled by this. Jerry media is trying to bounce their bad image” and highlighted employee comments saying they were “to make Fuckjerry look good”.
Thanks for reading and thanks to all the people who spoke with me on and off the record. If I made any mistakes I’m happy to fix them. If you can’t get enough of Fyre: subscribe to Dumpster Fyre Podcast.
To help the real victims: donate to Maryann Rolle (she reached her goal) or Exuma Foundation for the day laborers impacted by Fyre.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DANIEL VOSHART works in architecture and virtual reality. He is a forensic video consultant and writes in his spare time.
ABOUT NOT VICE
not vice is a blog about the Vice Media: the dumpster Fyre of media companies.
