Where I Am (film)

***Where I Am*** is the debut mini-documentary by American singer-songwriter, Sean Kennedy. It was released on September 18, 2021. The film follows Kennedy's musical journey, which he has been documenting since he began releasing music. The film's title is derrived from a lyric in the song, "My Worth", off of Sean's third studio album, *What's Left Unsaid*.

## Background

Kennedy first alluded to a documentary on January 3, 2020, two weeks after the release of "Goodbye". Sean posted a clip of the song's recording session on his Instagram story with the caption, "Here's a bit from my upcoming album documentary". Presumably, the film was slated for release following his second record, *The One*, but was postponed after Sean decided to make another album during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

On September 12, 2021, the Instagram account @SeanKennedyOfficial posted three images, reading, "The New Mini-Doc Premiering September 18th", and the caption "trailer tomorrow". The following day, on the 3 year anniversary of his debut single, "Anyone", the official trailer for *Where I Am* was shared to all of Sean's social medias. The 1 minute video included footage from multiple music video shoots and recording sessions. It opens with a voiceover from Sean talking about how music has had a great impact on his life, as well as his mom's cancer and his drive to learn guitar.

On September 18, 2021, *Where I Am* was officially published to Sean's YouTube channel. Kennedy reflected on the film, writing:

> I've been thinking for a long time about how and when I wanted to tell this story. Music continues to be an amazing part of my life, and I've spent the past nine years creating these three albums. While I take some time off before making a new album, I've had fun going back. Thank you all so much for watching.
>
>

## Plot

*Where I Am* is divided into seven chapters, coinciding with Sean's releases: the Intro, "The Demo Albums", "Anyone", "*Tell Me*", "*The One*", "*What's Left Unsaid*" and the Epilogue. Each chapter is accompanied by Sean's age at that point.

### Intro

The film opens with a video of Sean as a child playing the guitar and singing. Kennedy's voiceover begins with him talking about how much music means to him, and how it's changed his life. He goes on to reveal that he got started making music when his mom was diagnosed with cancer when he was 9 years old. Even after his mom entered remission, he still spent all of his time writing. Sean walks the viewer through all of his different home studios, starting in his bedroom, and moving to mutliple places in his basement, eventually landing where he recorded all three of his albums.

### The Demo Albums

Photos of Sean's two demo albums, *Crazy* and *The Next Chapter* appear on the screen, and Sean talks about how important they were. He says they were vital in helping him navigate what he wanted to say with his music. Around that same time, Kennedy's grandma gifted him a studio session with Shaul Dover, and the pair recorded the track, "Nona". Sean reveals one of his demos was leaked, and he decided he was going to prove his doubters wrong. A video from the "Anyone" recording session appears onscreen. Sean's walking down a flight of stairs, and says, "Guys, today is the day. We're recording my debut single today".

### "Anyone"

Additional videos from the "Anyone" recording session play out. Sean tracks guitars, drums and a bass. He can be heard singing the song's opening line, "I have a million words to say/But I know they won't come out". Kennedy narrates that the track was a favorite among his friends, and he thought it'd be the perfect debut. Sean believes the song came as a shock, because, "no one knew [he] had plans to release music." After the song's release, comments continued to pour in, and Kennedy decided he wanted to make an album.

### *Tell Me*

The chapter opens with a session for the song "Tell Me". Sean sings the bridge over a stripped early instrumental. Kennedy explains his debut album was a culmination of songs written for his demo albums, as well as songs he wrote entering high school. He discusses how there was no "professional aspect" to the record, as it was made just by him and friend Evan Volkman. After the album comes out, Sean reflects on being asked to play a show for his high school over a rehearsal video for "Had My Chance". He debuts two unreleased songs, "All the Time" and "Goodbye". This was a turning point for his second record.

### *The One*

A clip from the "Goodbye" recording session plays. Kennedy's recording the song, singing alternate lyrics. He notes that it sounds wrong, and switches the line to the final version. Sean explains he had no deadline for his second album, he just could not stop making music. After reflecting on his first release, he decided he wanted to do everything he could to create a professional rollout: professional mixing and mastering, singles, music videos, and a professional album photoshoot. A montage of footage from *The One'*s album photoshoot, photographed by Adam Brett Schnee on November 2, 2019, plays out. A video of Sean's friend, Tierney, plays, as she yells, "Stream "Goodbye" by Sean Kennedy" on the song's release date. Sean notes how the album expanded his opportunies, and how it began to feel like his hard work was paying off. The "All the Time" music video gets shot, with Sean explaining how it was his first "real" video shoot, and how much fun it was to make. Kennedy recalls how he did not want to force himself to make another record, but then the COVID-19 Pandemic came.

### *What's Left Unsaid*

Sean's writing the song "First", and explains how natural the process for his third record was. He notes he was in the studio constantly, and felt it was the perfect way to close out high school. Videos from several sessions of "Cross Your Mind" are shown, and Sean explains how he was adamant about not having a feature on a song "just to have a feature". He reveals the song was iniatially written during *The One*, but it felt unfinished. He asks longtime friend Giuliana Calandrucci to join him, and the two recorded a "little acoustic demo". Due to scheduling conflicts, the song was not finished in time for the album's release. The two met back up multiple times to finish it for Sean's third record. Kennedy and Brooke Williams prepare for the "Regret" video shoot. Several videos not included in the "Regret (Behind the Scenes)" video are shown. Sean reveals that he storyboarded the entire video out during quarantine. The photoshoot for *What's Left Unsaid* takes place on January 10, 2021, with Charles Zanetti. Kennedy packages PR boxes, and reflects on how far he's come, noting people are now excited about releases, rather than "just gossip[ing]". He and Williams deliver them on the song's release day. Sean reflects yet again, this time about how well his latest release was recieved. He finds out the song is going to be premiered on 100.7 WHUD, and discusses how it will be a moment he remembers "for the rest of [his] life".

### Epilogue

A video of Sean at a young age singing plays. Kennedy reflects on all of his accomplishments thus far, and explains that when he listens to his most recent album, he tends to think of his younger self. Sean hopes that he's making his 9-year-old self proud. He notes that people ask if he regrets releasing his debut album when he "didn't know much", and reveals that, while he might re-release songs from his debut album, he will always be proud of it. The film ends with the outro to "First", where Sean explains how he's so happy to be where he is right now.

## Gallery

Official PosterPhysical Release VersionAlternate PosterHorizontal VersionOfficial Trailer Poster
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sean's "Where I Am" Announcement on Twitter.
2. ↑ Sean's "The One" Story Highlight.
3. ↑ "Where I Am" Release Date Reveal.
4. ↑ Sean's Tweet on the "Where I Am" Release Day.
5. ↑ "Where I Am".