worker ▁of ▁C ain ' s , ▁joined ▁the ▁band ▁as ▁keyboard ist ▁just ▁three ▁weeks ▁before ▁the ▁band ▁recorded ▁their ▁first ▁album . ▁Johnson ▁had ▁never ▁played ▁the ▁keyboard ▁before ▁but ▁C ain ▁taught ▁him ▁the ▁parts ▁that ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁written . ▁After ▁their ▁first ▁attempt ▁at ▁self - rec ording ▁an ▁album ▁failed , ▁the ▁band ▁cul led ▁together ▁$ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁record ▁with ▁producer ▁Ed ▁Rose , ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁Get ▁Up ▁K ids . ▁They ▁recorded ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁debut ▁album , ▁I ▁Am ▁the ▁Movie , ▁in ▁ten ▁days . ▁Initial ▁copies ▁were ▁hand - pack aged ▁inside ▁flo ppy ▁dis ks , ▁which ▁were ▁sold ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁their ▁tour ▁van ▁for ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁band ▁began ▁receiving ▁offers ▁from ▁various ▁record ▁labels , ▁including ▁Universal , ▁Tri ple ▁Crown ▁Records , ▁and ▁Drive - Th ru ▁Records , ▁and ▁they ▁performed ▁at ▁industry ▁show cases . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Bre tt ▁G ure witz , ▁founder ▁of ▁Ep it aph ▁Records , ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁from ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁Match book ▁Rom ance . ▁He ▁attended ▁four ▁of ▁their ▁shows ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁that ▁Pierre ▁later ▁regarded ▁as ▁among ▁his ▁worst , ▁as ▁his ▁voice ▁was ▁poor ▁from ▁constant ▁tour ing . ▁While ▁they ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁Universal , ▁they ▁chose ▁to ▁sign ▁to ▁Ep it aph ▁as ▁they ▁felt ▁the ▁contract ▁was ▁less ▁restrict ive ▁and ▁more ▁honest . ▁Eli ▁Jan