The last scene in a favorite Robert Redford film of mine, The Candidate, comes to mind this morning. After taking the blows of running the gauntlet and going through a seemingly impossible journey of running for a California Senate seat he had absolutely no chance of winning, Redford's character - who has just beaten the odds and won the election by just being himself, bucking the usual tactics and laying everything on the line with a 'take it or leave it' attitude - looks to his campaign manager amid the wild celebration of their victory and asks him quietly: "What do I do now?". After all...he wasn't supposed to win...and now that he has...it's a scenario he can't quite get his mind around because he never thought, deep down, he really had even a remote chance of breaking through and winning. But win he did.
I can relate to that.
Don't get me wrong...there's a Game Plan in place that I've carefully crafted with my exec producer Wendy Williams that's geared to the singular objective of acquiring the best possible distribution deal for Beautiful Noise...but after the whirlwind of the last 18 months in general to get the movie made and the last 60 days in particular to prep it for our World Premiere here in Sarasota...I write this blog post with a sense of "How in the hell did all this happen?" and "What do I do now?".
The incredible start that every indie filmmaker dreams of has happened. The movie is a hit...at least to the 2000 + people who have seen it so far. I mean, the audience response has been overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by the 6 six sold out screenings at the recently concluded Sarasota Film Festival and again last night at the exclusive one-night-only screening at Riverview's PAC that generated a lot of cash for the schools' drama department. Audiences are moved emotionally by both the film and the Soundtrack...they're all asking when the DVD will be available and meanwhile buying the Soundtrack CD after each screening in record numbers - and the report back from people is that they can't stop listening to the 18-track album as it has an addictive quality to it somehow. Like I've said before...it's 18 great songs with 5-6 breakout smash hits on it...so there's no doubt in my mind that there is huge financial potential for Beautiful Noise once we find the correct marketing path that leads to worldwide distribution.
And therein lies the rub. It's one thing to worry about your film being commercial enough to be successful financially...but it's quite another to absolutely KNOW that people will want to see it once the all-important positive word-of-mouth takes root...but now, after all the excitement and congrats and hoopla and frenzied experience of this unforgettable month of April - Reality is setting in. There's more work to do, and this is no time to sit back and bask in the warm embrace of our hometown audiences and investors. It's time to finish the job and either sell off the North American and Foreign distribution rights or decide to self distribute and clean up financially without the cost of a "middle-man" in the process. Thankfully, we have that option because we created a feature length musical-drama that looks and sounds like a multi-million dollar production...for far less than the 'going rate' of such an endeavor. But first, we have to find a way to break through the Wall that is standing between our popular movie and the worldwide film audiences who we know will enjoy Beautiful Noise. That Wall is represented by the studio execs and distributors' acquisition agents who comb the international film festival circuit looking for 'sleeper hits' to fill their distribution pipelines. The trick now is to get their attention and make certain that our film is as technically perfect as we can possibly make it.
When I sit and watch the audience response to BN I am both amazed and grateful; amazed that my Story and the performances of my Cast touches peoples' hearts...and grateful that they seem to be overlooking all the little things my co-producers and I still see in the film that need to be tweaked. 'Civilians' don't seem to notice the minor technical flaws that drive me crazy because, as an audience, they are hooked into the movie and following the plot at the edge of their seat. So like I stated before...it's just mind-blowing to know that the film can be released as is and do incredible business - but if we're holding out for a while to test the studio distribution scenario, which is potentially the most lucrative financially in the short run, then we need to take the time before the next round of film festival submissions and go in and correct the minor tech issues that only we and the festival programming committees still can see. Thank God it's nothing major...but we clearly see where we can tighten up an edit here and there and also rework the color correction in places, etc.
So that's what we do next. And while that's going on in the next 2 weeks, I'm meeting more investors who love the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the Beautiful Noise Franchise; flying west this week to meet with Danielle, Jay & King Errisson about the new screenplays for the next 2 BN installments - Serenade & Heartlight; continue the search for new original songs for those films that we start shooting this Fall in Sarasota; begin the casting process for a coupla new key Characters I'm introducing into the Storylines; prep for the next film festival screening back in my old stomping grounds in Dayton, Ohio and continue to map out the international film festival strategy.
First - I think I'll take a couple of deep breaths and work in a little meditation time. I gotta feeling that finding those 'quiet moments' is going to be a challenge this year...not that I'm complaining mind you. I'm just sayin'...
ST
Beautiful Noise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Beautiful Noise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Suncoast Media Love
While it was a given that the local media would write about and cover Beautiful Noise, since we shot the film entirely on location here on Florida's Suncoast, there was no way to foresee the positive feature stories pouring in on us from everywhere in the region. Today's story by Wade Tatangelo of The Bradenton Herald - click on https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FPRK1w6a&h=aabed - is another in a series of terrific articles and coverage about our movie. My sincere thanks to Wade; Jay Handelman and Tim Sukits of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, David Jones and Linda McKnight of WSRZ-FM; Lenny Lyons, Gino Norman and the gang over at WTMY-AM and all the great media sources in the region who have written about or broadcast interviews of all things Beautiful Noise. You never have to recover from a good start...and the warm embrace of our Hometown Media has certainly provided us a platform to springboard into the international film festival scene with incredible momentum and a ton of confidence.
ST
ST
Riding The Wave
So far this week it's been non-stop meetings with investors and production staff, terrific media feature stories, song selections and script polishing of the Beautiful Noise prequel and sequel and a slew of international film festival submissions. And there's no sign of a break in the action anytime soon. Working to acquire distribution for the current film while gearing up for pre-production on the next 2 BN installments makes for interesting days. It seems like, overnight, Midnight Pass Productions has gone from a fledging indie film company flying under the radar with one musical/drama to a vibrant movie production organization that has no less than 6 feature films, 3 Soundtrack albums, a TV pilot and stage adaptation in various stages of development. Suddenly there's a host of actors, musicians, songwriters and film crew bombarding our Team with Resumes and Audition requests; a switched-on local media following every move we make; and investors lining up to get in on the ground floor of a new industry taking root here in Sarasota - feature film production.
To be sure, I've been this way before...so I recognize the shape and size of the positive wave my Team and I are riding. Now it's our task to keep surfing the top crest of the wave so we can see where we're heading and make the right decisions as to how to maximize the opportunity. Beautiful Noise proved we're more than capable of creating entertaining films that can evoke a variety of emotions...but it's called Show-Biz...not Show-Fun...so I'm not taking my eye off the prize while all the hoopla and excitement for our movie continues to swirl all around us. We made a good movie. Now it's time to find creative ways for people to see and enjoy it.
I've never had the chance to sell a product that has worldwide appeal. Chronicling the process of selling the North American and Foreign rights to distributors, or deciding to self-distribute if it comes to that, should be as interesting and informative a read as anything else I've posted previously that's detailed how the movie was conceived and shot. I'm looking forward to revealing the highs and lows of that effort. Stay tuned.
ST
To be sure, I've been this way before...so I recognize the shape and size of the positive wave my Team and I are riding. Now it's our task to keep surfing the top crest of the wave so we can see where we're heading and make the right decisions as to how to maximize the opportunity. Beautiful Noise proved we're more than capable of creating entertaining films that can evoke a variety of emotions...but it's called Show-Biz...not Show-Fun...so I'm not taking my eye off the prize while all the hoopla and excitement for our movie continues to swirl all around us. We made a good movie. Now it's time to find creative ways for people to see and enjoy it.
I've never had the chance to sell a product that has worldwide appeal. Chronicling the process of selling the North American and Foreign rights to distributors, or deciding to self-distribute if it comes to that, should be as interesting and informative a read as anything else I've posted previously that's detailed how the movie was conceived and shot. I'm looking forward to revealing the highs and lows of that effort. Stay tuned.
ST
Monday, April 25, 2011
"Beautiful Noise" - The Stage Musical
Had a great Easter holiday. Rested up, walked the beach, got my mind right. Back in action and ramping up to launch the entire BN Franchise in full force - finding Distribution for the current film and Soundtrack, and producing the prequel, the sequel, the concert tour, the TV pilot and yes folks - the Stage Musical. Click on this terrific feature story by Jay Handelman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for some highlights:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110424/BREAKING/110429706
Looking forward to meeting with a variety of veteran Suncoast stage producers and others to help me turn Beautiful Noise into a really cool Musical. I can just picture Danielle, Jay & Kimber reprising their roles on stage before live audiences...but who knows? If my movie stars are otherwise preoccupied, other terrific performers will step into those roles in the live stage version of BN. Time will tell...
I met this afternoon with a key member of our BN Composer Team - Dean Johanesen - to set the timetable for writing and recording specific songs for the BN 2 - "Serenade" & BN 3 - "Heartlight" films. Dean is gearing up to create wonderful new incidental music scores and also contribute new songs. I'm also deep into the hunt looking for original songs to include in both films, slated to be shot on location here in southwest Florida this Fall. I'm listening to tons of new music coming in from all directions. As this past weekends' SRQ "Noise Ordinance 2" music festival showcased, the Sarasota Music scene is thriving...and I'm looking forward to once again including local songwriters and musicians on the new Soundtracks.
ST
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110424/BREAKING/110429706
Looking forward to meeting with a variety of veteran Suncoast stage producers and others to help me turn Beautiful Noise into a really cool Musical. I can just picture Danielle, Jay & Kimber reprising their roles on stage before live audiences...but who knows? If my movie stars are otherwise preoccupied, other terrific performers will step into those roles in the live stage version of BN. Time will tell...
I met this afternoon with a key member of our BN Composer Team - Dean Johanesen - to set the timetable for writing and recording specific songs for the BN 2 - "Serenade" & BN 3 - "Heartlight" films. Dean is gearing up to create wonderful new incidental music scores and also contribute new songs. I'm also deep into the hunt looking for original songs to include in both films, slated to be shot on location here in southwest Florida this Fall. I'm listening to tons of new music coming in from all directions. As this past weekends' SRQ "Noise Ordinance 2" music festival showcased, the Sarasota Music scene is thriving...and I'm looking forward to once again including local songwriters and musicians on the new Soundtracks.
ST
Friday, April 22, 2011
Farewell Sidney
This week has been filled with daily meetings with investors and media interviews with journalists interested in the aftermath of our hugely successful Sold Out run of 6 screenings at the Sarasota Film Festival. Thankfully, the fact that Beautiful Noise has struck an emotional chord with most everyone who has seen it so far has caught the attention of a lot people and has resulted in a continuing wave of excitement and anticipation for the film and the upcoming BN prequel, sequel, TV pilot and stage musical that's in development. The Beautiful Noise Franchise has liftoff! It's been a fun week and it sets the stage for our final Sarasota screening of the season on Friday, April 29th at the Riverview H.S. Performing Arts Center.
At the moment, it's 4:20 in the morning and I've been up all night watching the tribute to the late, great Director Sidney Lumet on TCM. Never having attended film school, I've learned more from watching and studying the work of master filmmakers like Mr. Lumet then most anything else that's informed my film work. Just sitting here banging out this quick blog post while watching Pacino do his thing in Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon is yet another opportunity to soak up the incredible artistry of one of my favorite Directors of all time. I just finished a Musical where the Soundtrack and Music Score means everything...and here I am watching a drama that is so well done that it has no music whatsoever holding it together. It's simply a masterpiece.
From Fail Safe to Twelve Angry Men, from Serpico to Network and so many more classics, Sidney Lumet stands with the Giants of the Film Industry. Trailblazing for other Directors like Woody Allen and Edward Burns who also call New York City home and who love to shoot their movies in that great city, Sidney Lumet has been an inspiration to me and countless other filmmakers over the years. I hope I can look back some day at the body of work I'll have shot on location here on the Suncoast and feel as good as I know Sidney felt about getting up every morning and making movies in the city he loved.
Like many of his contemporaries who have gone before, Sidney Lumet will be sorely missed.
I'm shutting down the engines and cooling the jets this holiday weekend. It's a time for reflection and appreciation of all that's transpired...and a time to get grounded again. I'll watch Gibson's Passion of the Christ again and melt into the meaning of this Easter weekend...then crank things back up come Monday.
Have a great holiday and check back in next week. This indie film adventure is really just getting started, so I'll keep posting my experiences in the hope that it makes for an interesting read for those following along and also helps inform other filmmakers just starting out.
ST
At the moment, it's 4:20 in the morning and I've been up all night watching the tribute to the late, great Director Sidney Lumet on TCM. Never having attended film school, I've learned more from watching and studying the work of master filmmakers like Mr. Lumet then most anything else that's informed my film work. Just sitting here banging out this quick blog post while watching Pacino do his thing in Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon is yet another opportunity to soak up the incredible artistry of one of my favorite Directors of all time. I just finished a Musical where the Soundtrack and Music Score means everything...and here I am watching a drama that is so well done that it has no music whatsoever holding it together. It's simply a masterpiece.
From Fail Safe to Twelve Angry Men, from Serpico to Network and so many more classics, Sidney Lumet stands with the Giants of the Film Industry. Trailblazing for other Directors like Woody Allen and Edward Burns who also call New York City home and who love to shoot their movies in that great city, Sidney Lumet has been an inspiration to me and countless other filmmakers over the years. I hope I can look back some day at the body of work I'll have shot on location here on the Suncoast and feel as good as I know Sidney felt about getting up every morning and making movies in the city he loved.
Like many of his contemporaries who have gone before, Sidney Lumet will be sorely missed.
I'm shutting down the engines and cooling the jets this holiday weekend. It's a time for reflection and appreciation of all that's transpired...and a time to get grounded again. I'll watch Gibson's Passion of the Christ again and melt into the meaning of this Easter weekend...then crank things back up come Monday.
Have a great holiday and check back in next week. This indie film adventure is really just getting started, so I'll keep posting my experiences in the hope that it makes for an interesting read for those following along and also helps inform other filmmakers just starting out.
ST
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Like Butch & Sundance
So OK...it's a coupla days removed from our 6th and final Sold Out screening of Beautiful Noise at the Sarasota Film Festival...the most successful movie, box-office wise, ever to play the festival...and all everyone keeps asking me is "How does it feel?". And all I can manage to give them in return is a sigh of relief and a satisfied smile...until now. I've processed it all and experienced the tension flowing out of my mind and body, leaving me with, of all things, an empty feeling of sorts. It's almost the exact feeling I had the day after principal photography wrapped. My Cast & Crew departed after days of battle getting the film shot against all the odds...and there I was the next day...suddenly alone...feeling empty. So as the accolades continue to roll in this week, as my Team preps for the upcoming international film festival run, as we help Sarasota's Riverview High School promote the benefit screening of the film at their Performing Arts Hall on April 29th, at a time where I rightly should be gliding on air for having written, produced and directed a feature film that took the town by storm during one of the most prestigious film fests in the world...I can only say I feel a little like Butch and Sundance.
My all-time favorite movie is The Godfather...and a close second is Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. William Goldman's screenplay and Newman & Redfords' portrayal of the legendary outlaws has stayed with me for decades now. The final frames of the film showing Butch & Sundance trying to fight their way out of that South American plaza are among the most thrilling sequences I've ever experienced at the movies. After falling in love with the characters for two hours, watching them evade their pursuers and finding ways to clear every hurdle in front of them, I felt every shot that ripped through their bodies as they stumbled and fell together into the small room that briefly shielded them from the hellacious firepower they faced. Bloodied and exhausted from the gun battle, they still managed to kid with each other and yet, right before they bolted back out the door together to continue the fight, they paused, looked at and acknowledged each other...their friendship, their journey, their time together and what it took to get them to that time and place.
That's how I feel now.
When I look in the mirror and think back on everything it took the last 18 months to make the movie and have it ready in time to showcase at the Sarasota Film Festival, I see a bloodied, exhausted gunslinger looking back in the reflection. Making Beautiful Noise is the hardest thing I've ever done. Nothing...and I mean nothing about this indie motion picture was easy...with the sole exception of deciding to cast Danielle, Jay & Kimber. That was easy...'cause they are all fantastic people and you know that the moment you meet them. The rest of the process was a bitch. But at the same time, it's among the most worthwhile things I've ever tried and accomplished...and it has confirmed that this is what I'm supposed to be doing the rest of my life. I'm no longer chasing a Dream...I'm living it.
When Butch & Sundance blasted back out into the plaza, with guns drawn and determination written all over their faces, the picture goes to freeze-frame, desaturates from color to sepia tone, then the camera slowly pulls out to an extreme wide shot before it fades to black amid the echoes of gunfire that engulfed them. In my teens when I first saw the movie, I was always glad that my heroes were never shown gunned down by the Brazilian Army they faced. In my mind, I chose to believe that they somehow made it out of that plaza and made yet another getaway.
So yeah...that's how I feel. It was tough stuff...and there were more times than I can count where I thought it just wasn't going to happen...but I made it through...and I learned so much from the experience. Now I'm a full-fledged Filmmaker...with a core group of talented, loyal actors and crew that I'll work with time and time again...and a Musical-Drama I'm so proud of because it does what I set out to do...to entertain...to make 'em laugh and make 'em cry and send a little message along the way about the power of Love, Belief & Inspiration. The themes of Beautiful Noise mirrored the themes of making our indie film. Never give up...never give in...trust your gut instincts and keep moving forward...no matter what.
Standing still and waiting around for something good to happen is not in my DNA. Like Redford states in full "Sundance" mode at an important point in the film..."Can I move? I'm better when I move." So I'm moving fast to capitalize on the positive wave that has washed over our Beautiful Noise production. We're hot on the trail to secure worldwide distribution for our Movie and Soundtrack - and at the same time I'm polishing the screenplays and scheduling pre-production for the prequel and sequel. There's no time to waste. It's all happening...and the cool thing is, when it comes to figuring out how a movie like Beautiful Noise was made here on the Suncoast, there are an awful lot of people who are asking the same question Butch & Sundance did: "Who are those guys?".
We're Midnight Pass Productions. And we make feature-length movies in Sarasota Florida.
We do what others talk about.
We make it happen.
And we love what we do.
ST
My all-time favorite movie is The Godfather...and a close second is Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid. William Goldman's screenplay and Newman & Redfords' portrayal of the legendary outlaws has stayed with me for decades now. The final frames of the film showing Butch & Sundance trying to fight their way out of that South American plaza are among the most thrilling sequences I've ever experienced at the movies. After falling in love with the characters for two hours, watching them evade their pursuers and finding ways to clear every hurdle in front of them, I felt every shot that ripped through their bodies as they stumbled and fell together into the small room that briefly shielded them from the hellacious firepower they faced. Bloodied and exhausted from the gun battle, they still managed to kid with each other and yet, right before they bolted back out the door together to continue the fight, they paused, looked at and acknowledged each other...their friendship, their journey, their time together and what it took to get them to that time and place.
That's how I feel now.
When I look in the mirror and think back on everything it took the last 18 months to make the movie and have it ready in time to showcase at the Sarasota Film Festival, I see a bloodied, exhausted gunslinger looking back in the reflection. Making Beautiful Noise is the hardest thing I've ever done. Nothing...and I mean nothing about this indie motion picture was easy...with the sole exception of deciding to cast Danielle, Jay & Kimber. That was easy...'cause they are all fantastic people and you know that the moment you meet them. The rest of the process was a bitch. But at the same time, it's among the most worthwhile things I've ever tried and accomplished...and it has confirmed that this is what I'm supposed to be doing the rest of my life. I'm no longer chasing a Dream...I'm living it.
When Butch & Sundance blasted back out into the plaza, with guns drawn and determination written all over their faces, the picture goes to freeze-frame, desaturates from color to sepia tone, then the camera slowly pulls out to an extreme wide shot before it fades to black amid the echoes of gunfire that engulfed them. In my teens when I first saw the movie, I was always glad that my heroes were never shown gunned down by the Brazilian Army they faced. In my mind, I chose to believe that they somehow made it out of that plaza and made yet another getaway.
So yeah...that's how I feel. It was tough stuff...and there were more times than I can count where I thought it just wasn't going to happen...but I made it through...and I learned so much from the experience. Now I'm a full-fledged Filmmaker...with a core group of talented, loyal actors and crew that I'll work with time and time again...and a Musical-Drama I'm so proud of because it does what I set out to do...to entertain...to make 'em laugh and make 'em cry and send a little message along the way about the power of Love, Belief & Inspiration. The themes of Beautiful Noise mirrored the themes of making our indie film. Never give up...never give in...trust your gut instincts and keep moving forward...no matter what.
Standing still and waiting around for something good to happen is not in my DNA. Like Redford states in full "Sundance" mode at an important point in the film..."Can I move? I'm better when I move." So I'm moving fast to capitalize on the positive wave that has washed over our Beautiful Noise production. We're hot on the trail to secure worldwide distribution for our Movie and Soundtrack - and at the same time I'm polishing the screenplays and scheduling pre-production for the prequel and sequel. There's no time to waste. It's all happening...and the cool thing is, when it comes to figuring out how a movie like Beautiful Noise was made here on the Suncoast, there are an awful lot of people who are asking the same question Butch & Sundance did: "Who are those guys?".
We're Midnight Pass Productions. And we make feature-length movies in Sarasota Florida.
We do what others talk about.
We make it happen.
And we love what we do.
ST
Monday, April 18, 2011
One More Last Chance
Quick News Flash -
Though we Sold Out 6 screenings at the Sarasota Film Festival, it was a bit discouraging so many people were turned away who really wanted to see Beautiful Noise. So early this morning I contacted Jim Minor over at Riverview High in Sarasota, the scene of our concert sequence in the film, and asked if they'd like to host a special One Night Only screening. Jim got back to me right away and said their Performing Arts Center is open on Friday, April 29th for a 7:00 pm showcase of the movie. Advance Tickets go on sale this Wednesday and 100% of the proceeds goes to the school to support their great programs for the student body. So if you were shut out from seeing the movie at the film festival...or if you'd like to see it again...this is your chance!
Look for ticket outlet info tomorrow on our Facebook movie site and on the Home Page of the official website at http://www.beautifulnoisethemovie.com/.
ST
Though we Sold Out 6 screenings at the Sarasota Film Festival, it was a bit discouraging so many people were turned away who really wanted to see Beautiful Noise. So early this morning I contacted Jim Minor over at Riverview High in Sarasota, the scene of our concert sequence in the film, and asked if they'd like to host a special One Night Only screening. Jim got back to me right away and said their Performing Arts Center is open on Friday, April 29th for a 7:00 pm showcase of the movie. Advance Tickets go on sale this Wednesday and 100% of the proceeds goes to the school to support their great programs for the student body. So if you were shut out from seeing the movie at the film festival...or if you'd like to see it again...this is your chance!
Look for ticket outlet info tomorrow on our Facebook movie site and on the Home Page of the official website at http://www.beautifulnoisethemovie.com/.
ST
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sarasota Film Festival recap
Sunday night / 10:45 pm
All I can do at the moment is detail a few high points...but I promise to go into more detail soon about the whole film festival experience. I'm just exhausted. My Team and I gave it everything we had these last coupla weeks...and we walked away with an all-time box office record for most screenings sold out in the history of the Sarasota Film Festival. The last Sold Out screening today at 2:00 pm had an additional 45 people in the Rush line desperately trying to get in to see Beautiful Noise...which is another record the SFF folks told me about. What an unbelievable response...
The audience was amazing today. I have never sat through a movie where people break into applause after a song - in this case Jay & Danielle's ballad - "Lonely Hearts"...penned by their castmate Doug Frasure. It did happen at the first screening last weekend 'cause the theatre was filled with cast & crew and our families and friends. But today it was a packed house filled with 'civilians'...people who are not connected to the production in any way. It was off the hook amazing. They even applauded the credits!
Then the Q&A went on for a long time after the lights came back up. Lots of questions about how was I able to make such a film here in Sarasota...and also how in the world did I find Danielle, Kimber, Jay and Chris? Everyone reacted strongly to the announcement that we're filming the Beautiful Noise prequel and sequel back-to-back this fall in Sarasota...and they all wanted to know when the DVD would be available.
To leverage the incredible momentum we've generated coming out of the SFF, I've decided to allow additional screenings of BN for worthy Suncoast charitable causes in the next few weeks. There are a lot of frustrated moviegoers who tried unsuccessfully to see our film, so it makes sense to keep the ball rolling and use the excitement to raise $'s for local charities. More on this new development later this week...
Meanwhile, it's back to the beach and the gym to recharge the batteries, get my tan together and get back into great shape mentally and physically. I need to be ready for the tremendous travel and promotional schedule ahead that will be followed by long days of prepping the shooting schedules for BN 2 "Serenade" and BN 3 "Heartlight" later this year. After the special showcases this month here in Sarasota, our next film festival is in Dayton, Ohio May 20-22...then we hit the road to other US film fests and then on to Ireland and probably the UK early this summer.
I'll never forget these last 10 days at the SFF. Sarasota came out in droves to support Beautiful Noise. I'm only too happy to return their embrace by expanding the scope of our company, Midnight Pass Productions, and keep making indie feature films right here on the Suncoast.
ST
All I can do at the moment is detail a few high points...but I promise to go into more detail soon about the whole film festival experience. I'm just exhausted. My Team and I gave it everything we had these last coupla weeks...and we walked away with an all-time box office record for most screenings sold out in the history of the Sarasota Film Festival. The last Sold Out screening today at 2:00 pm had an additional 45 people in the Rush line desperately trying to get in to see Beautiful Noise...which is another record the SFF folks told me about. What an unbelievable response...
The audience was amazing today. I have never sat through a movie where people break into applause after a song - in this case Jay & Danielle's ballad - "Lonely Hearts"...penned by their castmate Doug Frasure. It did happen at the first screening last weekend 'cause the theatre was filled with cast & crew and our families and friends. But today it was a packed house filled with 'civilians'...people who are not connected to the production in any way. It was off the hook amazing. They even applauded the credits!
Then the Q&A went on for a long time after the lights came back up. Lots of questions about how was I able to make such a film here in Sarasota...and also how in the world did I find Danielle, Kimber, Jay and Chris? Everyone reacted strongly to the announcement that we're filming the Beautiful Noise prequel and sequel back-to-back this fall in Sarasota...and they all wanted to know when the DVD would be available.
To leverage the incredible momentum we've generated coming out of the SFF, I've decided to allow additional screenings of BN for worthy Suncoast charitable causes in the next few weeks. There are a lot of frustrated moviegoers who tried unsuccessfully to see our film, so it makes sense to keep the ball rolling and use the excitement to raise $'s for local charities. More on this new development later this week...
Meanwhile, it's back to the beach and the gym to recharge the batteries, get my tan together and get back into great shape mentally and physically. I need to be ready for the tremendous travel and promotional schedule ahead that will be followed by long days of prepping the shooting schedules for BN 2 "Serenade" and BN 3 "Heartlight" later this year. After the special showcases this month here in Sarasota, our next film festival is in Dayton, Ohio May 20-22...then we hit the road to other US film fests and then on to Ireland and probably the UK early this summer.
I'll never forget these last 10 days at the SFF. Sarasota came out in droves to support Beautiful Noise. I'm only too happy to return their embrace by expanding the scope of our company, Midnight Pass Productions, and keep making indie feature films right here on the Suncoast.
ST
Unsung Heroes
Sunday morning: 8:40 am
Reflecting on everything in this quiet Sunday morning hour...trying to sort out the emotions and the next steps...gotta get to my walk on the beach and clear my head...
It's surreal. I can't stop replaying in my mind the flashes of film festival audience reactions to the movie...the laughs, the tears, the overwhelming applause at the end of each Sold Out screening. Then the scene changes to the blur of the Rush Line and demand for tickets, the positive reviews from the critics, the people coming up to me making appointments to invest in Beautiful Noise and the coming prequel and sequel...the clamor to buy the Soundtrack CD after each screening, watching the cast take their bows at the premiere and signing autographs, all the Red Carpet interviews, making the rounds at the SFF events with Danielle and realizing the impact the film will have on her and her co-stars...
...and then there's the flashbacks of the unsung heroes of Beautiful Noise...the small Team of people who stayed loyal and hung in with me through thick and thin...who helped me overcome every hurdle to get us to this place and time. From the intern production assistants to the staff at Riverview H.S.; from the legion of Suncoast sponsors to the family and friends who stepped up to kick-start the process; from the musicians and engineers who helped me create a hit soundtrack album to the Sarasota Film Commission staff who kept us pointed in the right direction - to the Cast members who had to keep juggling their lives and schedules due to changing production dates...it's just mind boggling what it took to get BN made and showcased.
Through that blur of scenes playing on an endless loop in my head a few faces do come into sharp focus...the ones who form the inner sanctum of our production...the ones who answered the call when the struggle seemed too much or when the voices of a few malcontents and naysayers tried to throw us off course...the ones who were there whenever I needed a lift and the encouragement to keep moving forward no matter what: Linda - Sean - Ralph - Marc - Ryan - Brett - John - Mandy...and Wendy.
The Guiding Light through it all has been Wendy Williams. First as an off-the-set advisor to me over the months, now as our Executive Producer and partner in the Beautiful Noise Trilogy - it was Wendy's decision to come on board in an official "hands-on" capacity that provided the rocket fuel we needed to position us to professionally work the international film festival circuit and at some point acquire Distribution. No matter how things end up, we'll all look back on the day Wendy signed on to the BN Team as the Turning Point for all things Beautiful Noise...now and yet to come.
Our 6th and final Sold Out SFF screening happens at 2 pm today. It's been a helluva ride so far...but the cool thing is...we're just getting started...and there's so much more good stuff coming up for us.
ST
Reflecting on everything in this quiet Sunday morning hour...trying to sort out the emotions and the next steps...gotta get to my walk on the beach and clear my head...
It's surreal. I can't stop replaying in my mind the flashes of film festival audience reactions to the movie...the laughs, the tears, the overwhelming applause at the end of each Sold Out screening. Then the scene changes to the blur of the Rush Line and demand for tickets, the positive reviews from the critics, the people coming up to me making appointments to invest in Beautiful Noise and the coming prequel and sequel...the clamor to buy the Soundtrack CD after each screening, watching the cast take their bows at the premiere and signing autographs, all the Red Carpet interviews, making the rounds at the SFF events with Danielle and realizing the impact the film will have on her and her co-stars...
...and then there's the flashbacks of the unsung heroes of Beautiful Noise...the small Team of people who stayed loyal and hung in with me through thick and thin...who helped me overcome every hurdle to get us to this place and time. From the intern production assistants to the staff at Riverview H.S.; from the legion of Suncoast sponsors to the family and friends who stepped up to kick-start the process; from the musicians and engineers who helped me create a hit soundtrack album to the Sarasota Film Commission staff who kept us pointed in the right direction - to the Cast members who had to keep juggling their lives and schedules due to changing production dates...it's just mind boggling what it took to get BN made and showcased.
Through that blur of scenes playing on an endless loop in my head a few faces do come into sharp focus...the ones who form the inner sanctum of our production...the ones who answered the call when the struggle seemed too much or when the voices of a few malcontents and naysayers tried to throw us off course...the ones who were there whenever I needed a lift and the encouragement to keep moving forward no matter what: Linda - Sean - Ralph - Marc - Ryan - Brett - John - Mandy...and Wendy.
The Guiding Light through it all has been Wendy Williams. First as an off-the-set advisor to me over the months, now as our Executive Producer and partner in the Beautiful Noise Trilogy - it was Wendy's decision to come on board in an official "hands-on" capacity that provided the rocket fuel we needed to position us to professionally work the international film festival circuit and at some point acquire Distribution. No matter how things end up, we'll all look back on the day Wendy signed on to the BN Team as the Turning Point for all things Beautiful Noise...now and yet to come.
Our 6th and final Sold Out SFF screening happens at 2 pm today. It's been a helluva ride so far...but the cool thing is...we're just getting started...and there's so much more good stuff coming up for us.
ST
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Danielle - "Where It Began..."
"Where it began...I can't begin to knowin'...but then I know it's growing strong. Was in the spring...then spring became the summer...who'd a believed you'd come along..." - ND
As I enter the final 2 days of an incredible run of Sold Out screenings of my first feature film, I already know I'll take away a ton of great memories from the World Premiere of Beautiful Noise at the Sarasota Film Festival - but none more vivid than watching Danielle White's face light up countless times this week at all the SFF functions we attended when complete strangers greeted us and praised our movie. I could gush about our entire ensemble cast ad nauseum, but at the end of the day, given all the great performances and original songs and beautiful shotmaking by our production team, the movie is carried on the shoulders of a young talent from the Suncoast who heads back to southern California in a few hours with the knowledge that she's been embraced by her hometown in an even more spectacular way than she was when she won the spinoff "American Idol" competition - "American Juniors" back when she was 11 years old. All of 19 now - Danielle's starmaking turn as "Dez" in BN is the talk of the film festival...as evidenced by the constant parade of wellwishers encountered everywhere we went this week to promote the film.
"Warm...touching warm...reaching out...touching me...touching you..."
Danielle was the first casting decision I made...and the best, which is saying something considering the sterling performances turned in by Jay, Kimber and the rest of the troupe. At that first meeting with her at Mattison's in downtown Sarasota there was no question in my mind that I had found my lead actor. It was the first of a countless number of fortunate breaks I had crafting this film. Danielle is an 'old soul' and, despite her youth, she displayed a level of artistry, professionalism and passion for our Musical-Drama that you'd expect from a far more experienced actor. We clicked on the set almost immediately with regard to how we both thought her character should react in any given sequence...and that freed me up to spend more time working with her co-stars to capture the essence of their respective characters. In the final analysis, we were all going to sink or swim on Danielle's portrayal of the hippy-dippy Bohemian songstress that leads the audience on a journey that touches every aspect of the primary themes of Beautiful Noise - Love, Hope, and ultimately the timeless Story of Rise, Fall & Redemption.
I knew from the moment we began principal photography that I had lucked out by following my gut instincts and casting the relative unknown in the pivotal lead role...and my daring selection of Danielle was reaffirmed when I saw the smiles on the faces of these SFF audiences when Danielle takes the film by storm belting out Kimbers' Easy in the opening act...and then later on when 'Dez' brings an entire theatre to tears in a sequence that will make Hollywood stand up and take notice of the dawning of yet another breakout indie film star performance.
"Sweet Caroline...good times never seemed so good..."
Like Jay and Kimber, who took their well-deserved bows last Saturday night at our Premiere, Danielle will be sorely missed at the final 2 BN screenings today and Sunday. Soon we'll learn if our film wins the coveted Audience Award at the film festival...but that prestigious honor pales in comparison to the prize already won - Danielle has committed to work closely with me and the BN Team to produce
the Beautiful Noise prequel and sequel later this year and reprise her role as "Dez".
Danielle is a rare talent. She knows how good she is, yet is humble to a fault. She's the lead Star in the production, but always took time to help the crew breakdown and carry equipment at the end of the shooting day. She gave everything she had on every take and readily shared her knowledge and acting insights with her co-stars. She put off college and arranged her life around the starts and stops of the hectic production schedule that drove me and others crazy. For all this I'm forever grateful. But the real gift she offers to audiences is the one that only truly great actors can advance - she makes you really care about what happens to her character. And as for me, I can best express the impact she's had by simply stating that working with Danielle makes me want to be a better Writer & Director.
I can't wait to see the career of Danielle White continue to blossom...and for at least the rest of this year, we'll all have a front row seat watching this superstar-in-the-making work her magic in a role that she was born to play.
ST
As I enter the final 2 days of an incredible run of Sold Out screenings of my first feature film, I already know I'll take away a ton of great memories from the World Premiere of Beautiful Noise at the Sarasota Film Festival - but none more vivid than watching Danielle White's face light up countless times this week at all the SFF functions we attended when complete strangers greeted us and praised our movie. I could gush about our entire ensemble cast ad nauseum, but at the end of the day, given all the great performances and original songs and beautiful shotmaking by our production team, the movie is carried on the shoulders of a young talent from the Suncoast who heads back to southern California in a few hours with the knowledge that she's been embraced by her hometown in an even more spectacular way than she was when she won the spinoff "American Idol" competition - "American Juniors" back when she was 11 years old. All of 19 now - Danielle's starmaking turn as "Dez" in BN is the talk of the film festival...as evidenced by the constant parade of wellwishers encountered everywhere we went this week to promote the film.
"Warm...touching warm...reaching out...touching me...touching you..."
Danielle was the first casting decision I made...and the best, which is saying something considering the sterling performances turned in by Jay, Kimber and the rest of the troupe. At that first meeting with her at Mattison's in downtown Sarasota there was no question in my mind that I had found my lead actor. It was the first of a countless number of fortunate breaks I had crafting this film. Danielle is an 'old soul' and, despite her youth, she displayed a level of artistry, professionalism and passion for our Musical-Drama that you'd expect from a far more experienced actor. We clicked on the set almost immediately with regard to how we both thought her character should react in any given sequence...and that freed me up to spend more time working with her co-stars to capture the essence of their respective characters. In the final analysis, we were all going to sink or swim on Danielle's portrayal of the hippy-dippy Bohemian songstress that leads the audience on a journey that touches every aspect of the primary themes of Beautiful Noise - Love, Hope, and ultimately the timeless Story of Rise, Fall & Redemption.
I knew from the moment we began principal photography that I had lucked out by following my gut instincts and casting the relative unknown in the pivotal lead role...and my daring selection of Danielle was reaffirmed when I saw the smiles on the faces of these SFF audiences when Danielle takes the film by storm belting out Kimbers' Easy in the opening act...and then later on when 'Dez' brings an entire theatre to tears in a sequence that will make Hollywood stand up and take notice of the dawning of yet another breakout indie film star performance.
"Sweet Caroline...good times never seemed so good..."
Like Jay and Kimber, who took their well-deserved bows last Saturday night at our Premiere, Danielle will be sorely missed at the final 2 BN screenings today and Sunday. Soon we'll learn if our film wins the coveted Audience Award at the film festival...but that prestigious honor pales in comparison to the prize already won - Danielle has committed to work closely with me and the BN Team to produce
the Beautiful Noise prequel and sequel later this year and reprise her role as "Dez".
Danielle is a rare talent. She knows how good she is, yet is humble to a fault. She's the lead Star in the production, but always took time to help the crew breakdown and carry equipment at the end of the shooting day. She gave everything she had on every take and readily shared her knowledge and acting insights with her co-stars. She put off college and arranged her life around the starts and stops of the hectic production schedule that drove me and others crazy. For all this I'm forever grateful. But the real gift she offers to audiences is the one that only truly great actors can advance - she makes you really care about what happens to her character. And as for me, I can best express the impact she's had by simply stating that working with Danielle makes me want to be a better Writer & Director.
I can't wait to see the career of Danielle White continue to blossom...and for at least the rest of this year, we'll all have a front row seat watching this superstar-in-the-making work her magic in a role that she was born to play.
ST
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Beautiful Noise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Something really cool is happening with our Beautiful Noise Movie Soundtrack Album. It's not only that nearly 1 in every 4 people who see the movie are buying it on the spot after each Sold Out Sarasota Film Festival screening, but most are going out of their way to tell us either (a) we're selling it too cheap at only 10 bucks for the 18 song album; or (b) they are listening to it constantly as the lyrics and melodies take them right back to their emotionally charged BN theatre experience. The Soundtrack has caught on in a big way...and I can't wait to release it globally next week via our Online Store at http://www.beautifulnoisethemovie.com/! Jay, Danielle, Kimber & Chris deliver powerful performances. It's the best film soundtrack of original songs since ONCE. With so many hit songs on the album, I'll be shocked if one of our BN songwriters isn't nominated for a Best Original Song come Awards Season next year.
ST
ST
The Glimmer Twins & Gwen... and a Smash Hit Soundtrack Album
Had a great time tonight with Danielle, her mother Jeannie and sidekick Gwen - as we took in a Sarasota Film Festival press/cocktail party event at the SRQ Yacht Club. There I was with 3 drop-dead beautiful women playing the role of Film Producer. Danielle's mom looks like her 19 year old daughter and naturally passes as her sister; and Gwen looks like a Hollywood starlet...so yeah...I played 'Cool Hand Luke' tonight as we breezed through the gathering and posed for the paparazzi. All of us were taken with the number of people who went out of their way to say hello and tell us how much they loved Beautiful Noise. It happened all night long. There's no doubt about it...we have a sleeper hit on our hands backed up by a Soundtrack Album that will sooner or later become a huge seller in its own right...
Investors are jumping on the BN bandwagon this week and we're off to a great start in raising the marketing budget we need to take the movie 'round the world on the international film festival circuit.
The big news of the day was finding out we are under strong consideration to showcase at the Galway, Ireland International Film Festival in July. How great would that be to make our European Premiere at that fantastic festival?
The Sarasota Film Festival is a blast. Everyone on the Suncoast should support this terrific event. I plan to enter at least one feature film a year in the SFF from now on...
ST
Investors are jumping on the BN bandwagon this week and we're off to a great start in raising the marketing budget we need to take the movie 'round the world on the international film festival circuit.
The big news of the day was finding out we are under strong consideration to showcase at the Galway, Ireland International Film Festival in July. How great would that be to make our European Premiere at that fantastic festival?
The Sarasota Film Festival is a blast. Everyone on the Suncoast should support this terrific event. I plan to enter at least one feature film a year in the SFF from now on...
ST
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
A Big Night
The 4th straight Sold Out screening of Beautiful Noise at the Sarasota Film Festival was a blast. The audience had a great vibe from the moment they walked in to the theatre. You could just feel their anticipation. For the first time since our opening night last Saturday I was able to relax and just watch my movie as a member of the audience. They laughed, they cried, and they were riveted right from the first song. They asked the most questions at the Q&A after the movie and they also bought the most copies of the Soundtrack CD!
Can't wait for Saturdays' 6 pm show and the finale happening Sunday at 2 pm. I have a feeling that the positive wave that just keeps building for Beautiful Noise will reach a high crest point during that last weekend of the film festival that may dwarf the warm embrace we've received so far. Bring it on!
ST
Can't wait for Saturdays' 6 pm show and the finale happening Sunday at 2 pm. I have a feeling that the positive wave that just keeps building for Beautiful Noise will reach a high crest point during that last weekend of the film festival that may dwarf the warm embrace we've received so far. Bring it on!
ST
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Raising Dough & Rockin' the Gator Club
This is an extremely important week for us on many levels, but chief among them is the opportunity to raise the $'s we need to showcase Beautiful Noise at film festivals 'round the world in a non-stop effort to secure Distribution. I made a conscious decision early on in the process to wait until after we made the film and presented it for the first time at the Sarasota Film Festival before I started to ask for the financial support required to take things to the next level. It was a huge gamble 'cause if the movie sucked we'd have been dead in the water. Thankfully, the tremendous response from audiences in the first 3 Sold Out screenings and the rising number of Soundtrack Album CD's being sold at the SFF has me feeling pretty damn good this morning. Not smug, mind you...and not content either. It's just a knowing that comes from watching the faces in the crowd as the reaction to Beautiful Noise vibrates throughout the theatre. The general consensus is that we have a 'sleeper' hit musical-drama & soundtrack on our hands that moves people emotionally. What more can I ask for? How about lots of checks from lots of investors who wanna see this Sarasota motion picture production go global! Thankfully, that's already starting to happen...
The Monday night crowd skewed a bit older demographically. It was a different kind of energy in the room...a less boistrous group than Saturdays' premiere gathering and yet one that you could really tell was locked in to the Story. They laughed at the right places and you could here the sniffles when the Story's drama unfolded. And the audience questions afterwards were focused on how I came to find such an incredible no-name Cast and what's the prequel and sequel going to be about? All in all it was another great night at the SFF.
After the screening a group of us headed down Main Street to the legendary Gator Club where old pal Scott Curts was rockin' the joint. Kimber jumped on stage and delivered a blistering set of covers and original songs...Danielle sang "Easy" from the film as well as a few other songs...and I got a chance to finally chill out for a coupla hours and reflect on the last few days. Our executive producer Wendy Williams is back in Vancouver producing the upcoming reboot of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise titled "Ceasar - Rise of the Apes", which is a multi-million dollar SFX-laden film starring James Franco, but I know she's also working hard to put Beautiful Noise in front of the studio execs she's working with. It was nice to know that while I shut the engines down to cool my jets, BN is being pitched to some heavy-hitter Hollywood decision makers.
The newspaper broke the news today about the next two BN movies - the prequel Serenade & the sequel Heartlight - that I'm filming back-to-back later this year. It's quite a rush to know that while I'm hitting the international film festival circuit with the current movie that pre-production is set to commence in just a few months on the next 2 films in the BN Franchise. Meanwhile, I'm meeting with people in town to develop the Beautiful Noise stage musical and TV pilot.
It's been a long, hard climb...but this is no time to take a breather. Beautiful Noise is the hottest film and story at the Sarasota Film Festival and the momentum we've created is gonna be leveraged to the hilt.
Timing is everything. And our time has come.
ST
The Monday night crowd skewed a bit older demographically. It was a different kind of energy in the room...a less boistrous group than Saturdays' premiere gathering and yet one that you could really tell was locked in to the Story. They laughed at the right places and you could here the sniffles when the Story's drama unfolded. And the audience questions afterwards were focused on how I came to find such an incredible no-name Cast and what's the prequel and sequel going to be about? All in all it was another great night at the SFF.
After the screening a group of us headed down Main Street to the legendary Gator Club where old pal Scott Curts was rockin' the joint. Kimber jumped on stage and delivered a blistering set of covers and original songs...Danielle sang "Easy" from the film as well as a few other songs...and I got a chance to finally chill out for a coupla hours and reflect on the last few days. Our executive producer Wendy Williams is back in Vancouver producing the upcoming reboot of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise titled "Ceasar - Rise of the Apes", which is a multi-million dollar SFX-laden film starring James Franco, but I know she's also working hard to put Beautiful Noise in front of the studio execs she's working with. It was nice to know that while I shut the engines down to cool my jets, BN is being pitched to some heavy-hitter Hollywood decision makers.
The newspaper broke the news today about the next two BN movies - the prequel Serenade & the sequel Heartlight - that I'm filming back-to-back later this year. It's quite a rush to know that while I'm hitting the international film festival circuit with the current movie that pre-production is set to commence in just a few months on the next 2 films in the BN Franchise. Meanwhile, I'm meeting with people in town to develop the Beautiful Noise stage musical and TV pilot.
It's been a long, hard climb...but this is no time to take a breather. Beautiful Noise is the hottest film and story at the Sarasota Film Festival and the momentum we've created is gonna be leveraged to the hilt.
Timing is everything. And our time has come.
ST
Sunday, April 10, 2011
World Premiere Flashbacks
I can't remember any time in my life that I skipped sleeping for 48 hours...but I guess last nights' World Premiere of my first feature film qualified as a fairly good reason to blow past bedtime and keep working through all the emotions the epic moment drew out of me:
It's all a blur tonight, but the highlights from yesterday include:
- Watching the 7:00 pm and the 9:15 audiences actually applaud after several songs were performed in the film...especially on Doug Frasure's sure-fire hit ballad "Lonely Hearts", the duet sung by Jay & Danielle at the midpoint of the film.
- Tears in peoples eyes at a crucial moment in the film.
- Standing ovations.
- Soundtrack CD's and Beautiful Noise t-shirts and posters selling like crazy.
- The look on Danielles', Kimbers' and Jays' faces when I introduced them during the Q+A and brought them down in front with me and Wendy right after the film ended.
- The insanity of watching the Hollywood 20's projector bulbs blowing out not once, not twice, but three times during the 9:15 show. But everyone stayed and patiently waited for the theatre people to fix the technical problems....thanks to Wendy's incredible impromptu conversations with the crowd while I was out pacing the hallways 'till they fixed the friggin projector!
- The Investor Reception earlier in the evening where several people confirmed they want to meet with us asap to further discuss their financial support of our Beautiful Noise Trilogy.
- The euphoric feeling walking the block to our premiere party after both sold out shows let out.
- Watching family and close friends who flew in from out of town to be with me on this momentous occasion just absolutely get caught up with emotion for the film and for me...as they know how much blood, sweat and tears has gone into Beautiful Noise.
- Watching Danielle, Kimber & Jay perform at the party and meeting hundreds of people who flat out loved the movie.
- Meeting with Tony Tyler's Band for breakfast at 3 am to discuss their participation in our upcoming Beautiful Noise Live! Tour to Europe and the USA.
- Conversing with Wendy about the incredible evening we just experienced; our distribution acquisition strategy and the opportunity she and I have by melding her 20+ year powerhouse Hollywood experience and credentials with my abilities to write, produce and direct high quality, low budget feature films...starting with BN 2 + 3 that we're filming back-to-back later this year here in Sarasota.
It's a really strange feeling realizing that there's nothing more for me to do with our Beautiful Noise film other than to hit the film festival circuit hard and sell it...which is something I know how to do very well...
Really looking forward to Monday nights' Sold Out screening and all the other Sarasota Film Festival events Danielle and I will be attending this coming week. I could not have asked for a better start to the marketing of our film.
Beautiful Noise has been unleashed! And so far there's nothing but rave reviews coming in from all quarters.
ST
It's all a blur tonight, but the highlights from yesterday include:
- Watching the 7:00 pm and the 9:15 audiences actually applaud after several songs were performed in the film...especially on Doug Frasure's sure-fire hit ballad "Lonely Hearts", the duet sung by Jay & Danielle at the midpoint of the film.
- Tears in peoples eyes at a crucial moment in the film.
- Standing ovations.
- Soundtrack CD's and Beautiful Noise t-shirts and posters selling like crazy.
- The look on Danielles', Kimbers' and Jays' faces when I introduced them during the Q+A and brought them down in front with me and Wendy right after the film ended.
- The insanity of watching the Hollywood 20's projector bulbs blowing out not once, not twice, but three times during the 9:15 show. But everyone stayed and patiently waited for the theatre people to fix the technical problems....thanks to Wendy's incredible impromptu conversations with the crowd while I was out pacing the hallways 'till they fixed the friggin projector!
- The Investor Reception earlier in the evening where several people confirmed they want to meet with us asap to further discuss their financial support of our Beautiful Noise Trilogy.
- The euphoric feeling walking the block to our premiere party after both sold out shows let out.
- Watching family and close friends who flew in from out of town to be with me on this momentous occasion just absolutely get caught up with emotion for the film and for me...as they know how much blood, sweat and tears has gone into Beautiful Noise.
- Watching Danielle, Kimber & Jay perform at the party and meeting hundreds of people who flat out loved the movie.
- Meeting with Tony Tyler's Band for breakfast at 3 am to discuss their participation in our upcoming Beautiful Noise Live! Tour to Europe and the USA.
- Conversing with Wendy about the incredible evening we just experienced; our distribution acquisition strategy and the opportunity she and I have by melding her 20+ year powerhouse Hollywood experience and credentials with my abilities to write, produce and direct high quality, low budget feature films...starting with BN 2 + 3 that we're filming back-to-back later this year here in Sarasota.
It's a really strange feeling realizing that there's nothing more for me to do with our Beautiful Noise film other than to hit the film festival circuit hard and sell it...which is something I know how to do very well...
Really looking forward to Monday nights' Sold Out screening and all the other Sarasota Film Festival events Danielle and I will be attending this coming week. I could not have asked for a better start to the marketing of our film.
Beautiful Noise has been unleashed! And so far there's nothing but rave reviews coming in from all quarters.
ST
Standing Ovations
It's 6:30 am Sunday morning and I haven't made it to bed yet.
The 7:00 pm screening was all I hoped it would be. Wonderful response from the capacity crowd. Tears, cheers and a standing ovation at the end.
The 9:15 pm show was going great until the theatre started having a series of technical glitches. Wendy did a magnificent job chatting with the crowd while I paced the hallways waiting for the projector bulb to be replaced. Still, the audience loved the film.
The premiere party was a blast with Tony Tylers' Band rocking the house...and Kimber, Jay & Danielle all took to the stage before we shut the festivities down at 2 am.
All 6 BN screenings are Sold Out at the Sarasota Film Festival.
Our movie is a smash hit here in our hometown! Can't wait to take it on the road...
More details on our World Premiere later today.
ST
The 7:00 pm screening was all I hoped it would be. Wonderful response from the capacity crowd. Tears, cheers and a standing ovation at the end.
The 9:15 pm show was going great until the theatre started having a series of technical glitches. Wendy did a magnificent job chatting with the crowd while I paced the hallways waiting for the projector bulb to be replaced. Still, the audience loved the film.
The premiere party was a blast with Tony Tylers' Band rocking the house...and Kimber, Jay & Danielle all took to the stage before we shut the festivities down at 2 am.
All 6 BN screenings are Sold Out at the Sarasota Film Festival.
Our movie is a smash hit here in our hometown! Can't wait to take it on the road...
More details on our World Premiere later today.
ST
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Yesterday & Today
Friday night at 6:00 pm I picked up Jay at his hotel and drove over to the Sarasota Opera House to meet Danielle & our exec producer Wendy Williams for the Opening Night Red Carpet Event for the Sarasota Film Festival. As we entered the venue all the news organizations stopped us, took pics and interviewed us about our movie. It was a bit surreal but a lot of fun. After the documentary about the behind the scenes action at the NY Times we mingled with the 1000+ people at the reception, got our face time in...then bolted for Mattison's Grille downtown for a bite. Wendy's insider stories of her legendary Hollywood career kept us mesmerized all night. It was fun to be with the 3 of them the night before our premiere. It took my mind off what Saturday will bring...
Saturday morning: I can't believe this day has finally come. A reporter asked me last night how I felt about everything. My first response was about how thrilled I am that it appears all 6 screenings are Sold Out for Beautiful Noise (there may be a handful of tix still available for Tuesday night); and my second response was that there was absolutely nothing more I can do to affect the outcome. The movie is screening tonight, the premiere party is set, everyone has their tix, friends and family and cast & crew are all ready to go - so I'm in that uneasy position, at least for me, where I may as well just buckle the seat belt tight and go with the flow, 'cause this rollercoater is off and running and I have no way to steer it anymore. It's like Butch & Sundance jumping off that cliff and Sundance yelling "Ohhhhhhhh Shiiiiiiit!!!!!" all the way down. They survived the leap and splashed into the raging waters and were basically helpless as the rapids pulled them along down the river. Get the picture? I'm Sundance. I'm better when I move...but now it's all out of my control.
I'm meeting Jay & Danielle at the film festival at 2:00 pm for a slew of press interviews. Then it's on to our 5:00 pm VIP cocktail reception to meet with friends and potential investors...then at 7:00 pm...the first-ever screening of our Musical-Drama takes place...followed by a Q+A with the audience...then the 9:15 screening...then another Q&A...then I get to walk a block over to our premiere party and finally relax. I'm looking forward to a few glasses of red and celebrating with the Cast & Crew and about 500 of our closest family, friends and fans of Beautiful Noise.
But right now...I gotta take a walk on the beach and sort it all out in my head.
It's all moving pretty fast now.
Everything changes tonight.
ST
Saturday morning: I can't believe this day has finally come. A reporter asked me last night how I felt about everything. My first response was about how thrilled I am that it appears all 6 screenings are Sold Out for Beautiful Noise (there may be a handful of tix still available for Tuesday night); and my second response was that there was absolutely nothing more I can do to affect the outcome. The movie is screening tonight, the premiere party is set, everyone has their tix, friends and family and cast & crew are all ready to go - so I'm in that uneasy position, at least for me, where I may as well just buckle the seat belt tight and go with the flow, 'cause this rollercoater is off and running and I have no way to steer it anymore. It's like Butch & Sundance jumping off that cliff and Sundance yelling "Ohhhhhhhh Shiiiiiiit!!!!!" all the way down. They survived the leap and splashed into the raging waters and were basically helpless as the rapids pulled them along down the river. Get the picture? I'm Sundance. I'm better when I move...but now it's all out of my control.
I'm meeting Jay & Danielle at the film festival at 2:00 pm for a slew of press interviews. Then it's on to our 5:00 pm VIP cocktail reception to meet with friends and potential investors...then at 7:00 pm...the first-ever screening of our Musical-Drama takes place...followed by a Q+A with the audience...then the 9:15 screening...then another Q&A...then I get to walk a block over to our premiere party and finally relax. I'm looking forward to a few glasses of red and celebrating with the Cast & Crew and about 500 of our closest family, friends and fans of Beautiful Noise.
But right now...I gotta take a walk on the beach and sort it all out in my head.
It's all moving pretty fast now.
Everything changes tonight.
ST
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Party Planning & The Look of Love
Spent the entire day working with my Team on the Premiere Party plan for Saturday night. We're expecting 500 + for the Big Bash after our 2 sold out Saturday shows. Earlier in the day its an exclusive invitation-only reception for investors. Saturday is going to be epic...
Tomorrow I gotta get my tan together and walk Siesta Key Beach. My last day of solitude before the madness and fun of the Sarasota Film Festival takes over my Life for those 10 days. But in spite of the wonderful record-setting performance of the film at the festival that anyone would be right to gloat about, all I'm thinking about is looking deep into the eyes of Danielle, Jay & Kimber when the lights first come up after the end of the first screening. I've been encouraging them all along and telling them for months that what we accomplished on screen is going to move people emotionally...and all along they've looked at me with a longing to believe me...but not willing to do so for fear of the possible disappointment. Linda knew all along I could pull it off because she knows me so well and saw my dedication and that of my closest BN Teammates...but it's my stars I'm going to look for first in that huge crowd Saturday night. I'm just dying to see the expressions of 'Dez', 'Noah' & 'Candy' when the movie ends and the audience responds.
First off I'll be scanning the theatre for Danielle. I just wanna see her incredible smile and her face light up as only a young performer just starting out can when she realizes that the initial roar of approval is all for her in her first starring role. Danielle is a force to be reckoned with and I just can't wait to film her in the prequel and sequel to Beautiful Noise later this year. The dimension she'll bring to the role she created will be off the hook as she now has a real bead on what 'Dez' is all about and what my Storytelling themes for the Trilogy are all about. She gets it like nobody else and her coming on board to help me cast and select songs for the next 2 soundtracks will be invaluable. She is a stunningly beautiful and talented actress/singer who is going to become a superstar the moment she comes to grips with her talent and decides to unleash it completely and confidently. When she decides on something she goes all out and I'm grateful she believes in me as a writer and director and as a friend. I hope to cast her in a variety of challenging roles in the years to come and will always revel in the fact that I was there when she got her start...
I also wanna see Jay's expression when he realizes that after a 20 year career at the top as the worlds' #1 Neil Diamond performer - he now has a 2nd Act as a screen actor that will take his career into new directions. I'm not certain why or how the stars lined up for the both of us working together on this difficult indie film...but we locked in quickly that first week on the set knowing we had the potential of capturing lightning in a bottle. Jay didn't play 'Neil Diamond' in the movie, tempting as it must have been. It took him 3 days to lock into his character, but the moment he did the film changed. Playing off Danielle's beautifully convincing performance, Jay captured the essence of the bitter has-been rock icon from the 60's and played it to the hilt. And when it came time for him to sing...well, just close your eyes folks and listen to what sounds like all-new Neil Diamond hit songs. What a lethal combo of talent for a director like me to work with. I'm looking forward to helping guide Jay's movie and music career from here on in. The guy is a powerful piece of Talent, whose best days as a performer are ahead of him.
And then I wanna see Kimber's face, which might be the one that beams the most as she finally gets her due as the prolific songwriter she is. Kimber is living the life of her character...working the club scene relentlessly and trying so damn hard to break out and break through. Her incredible songs form the backbone of Beautiful Noise musically...and there's no way she'll be overlooked after this film plays around the world. We had a difficult time at first communicating for reasons that revolved around my own fears of how much to push her as an actress and how much to lay back and just let her do what she does best...perform her own songs on a stage. But she threw herself into her role even though she had never acted before a day in her life. You'd never know it after you see her work in Beautiful Noise. This raging beauty gave Jay all he could handle in their crucial scenes and she won him and the rest of us over that first day on the set with her dedication, professionalism and sheer determination to succeed. Kimber wants this movie to be the breakout vehicle for her...and I'm committed to doing everything in my power to expose this powerful songwriter and budding actress to a worldwide audience.
In the end I did what every Director I've ever read about does at one point or another...I looked deep into their eyes to find their spark and motivation and simply fell in love with my Stars. I have come to know them as well as my closest lifelong friends and I would do anything for them. I trust them and believe in their talent and in them personally. They are truly great Spirits who care about people and in their craft. I've learned a lot from them...and I think I've taught the three of them that sheer willpower and determination and total belief in oneself can make miracles happen. The miracle that is Beautiful Noise is about to be screened and judged by the masses. Either way it goes, with the critics' comments and box office reports still out there somewhere in the future, I know that the condition of my life and career has been immeasurably improved simply by having the privilege to work with Danielle, Jay & Kimber.
ST
Tomorrow I gotta get my tan together and walk Siesta Key Beach. My last day of solitude before the madness and fun of the Sarasota Film Festival takes over my Life for those 10 days. But in spite of the wonderful record-setting performance of the film at the festival that anyone would be right to gloat about, all I'm thinking about is looking deep into the eyes of Danielle, Jay & Kimber when the lights first come up after the end of the first screening. I've been encouraging them all along and telling them for months that what we accomplished on screen is going to move people emotionally...and all along they've looked at me with a longing to believe me...but not willing to do so for fear of the possible disappointment. Linda knew all along I could pull it off because she knows me so well and saw my dedication and that of my closest BN Teammates...but it's my stars I'm going to look for first in that huge crowd Saturday night. I'm just dying to see the expressions of 'Dez', 'Noah' & 'Candy' when the movie ends and the audience responds.
First off I'll be scanning the theatre for Danielle. I just wanna see her incredible smile and her face light up as only a young performer just starting out can when she realizes that the initial roar of approval is all for her in her first starring role. Danielle is a force to be reckoned with and I just can't wait to film her in the prequel and sequel to Beautiful Noise later this year. The dimension she'll bring to the role she created will be off the hook as she now has a real bead on what 'Dez' is all about and what my Storytelling themes for the Trilogy are all about. She gets it like nobody else and her coming on board to help me cast and select songs for the next 2 soundtracks will be invaluable. She is a stunningly beautiful and talented actress/singer who is going to become a superstar the moment she comes to grips with her talent and decides to unleash it completely and confidently. When she decides on something she goes all out and I'm grateful she believes in me as a writer and director and as a friend. I hope to cast her in a variety of challenging roles in the years to come and will always revel in the fact that I was there when she got her start...
I also wanna see Jay's expression when he realizes that after a 20 year career at the top as the worlds' #1 Neil Diamond performer - he now has a 2nd Act as a screen actor that will take his career into new directions. I'm not certain why or how the stars lined up for the both of us working together on this difficult indie film...but we locked in quickly that first week on the set knowing we had the potential of capturing lightning in a bottle. Jay didn't play 'Neil Diamond' in the movie, tempting as it must have been. It took him 3 days to lock into his character, but the moment he did the film changed. Playing off Danielle's beautifully convincing performance, Jay captured the essence of the bitter has-been rock icon from the 60's and played it to the hilt. And when it came time for him to sing...well, just close your eyes folks and listen to what sounds like all-new Neil Diamond hit songs. What a lethal combo of talent for a director like me to work with. I'm looking forward to helping guide Jay's movie and music career from here on in. The guy is a powerful piece of Talent, whose best days as a performer are ahead of him.
And then I wanna see Kimber's face, which might be the one that beams the most as she finally gets her due as the prolific songwriter she is. Kimber is living the life of her character...working the club scene relentlessly and trying so damn hard to break out and break through. Her incredible songs form the backbone of Beautiful Noise musically...and there's no way she'll be overlooked after this film plays around the world. We had a difficult time at first communicating for reasons that revolved around my own fears of how much to push her as an actress and how much to lay back and just let her do what she does best...perform her own songs on a stage. But she threw herself into her role even though she had never acted before a day in her life. You'd never know it after you see her work in Beautiful Noise. This raging beauty gave Jay all he could handle in their crucial scenes and she won him and the rest of us over that first day on the set with her dedication, professionalism and sheer determination to succeed. Kimber wants this movie to be the breakout vehicle for her...and I'm committed to doing everything in my power to expose this powerful songwriter and budding actress to a worldwide audience.
In the end I did what every Director I've ever read about does at one point or another...I looked deep into their eyes to find their spark and motivation and simply fell in love with my Stars. I have come to know them as well as my closest lifelong friends and I would do anything for them. I trust them and believe in their talent and in them personally. They are truly great Spirits who care about people and in their craft. I've learned a lot from them...and I think I've taught the three of them that sheer willpower and determination and total belief in oneself can make miracles happen. The miracle that is Beautiful Noise is about to be screened and judged by the masses. Either way it goes, with the critics' comments and box office reports still out there somewhere in the future, I know that the condition of my life and career has been immeasurably improved simply by having the privilege to work with Danielle, Jay & Kimber.
ST
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A Momentous Day
Today I delivered the Final Cut of Beautiful Noise in an HD Cam format to the Sarasota Film Festival.
It was exactly like dropping off one of my kids to their first day of school. A mix of elation and fear.
It's out of my hands now. The BN Team and I gave it all we had.
The SFF reports that we've already sold out 4 of the 6 screenings they've scheduled...and the World Premiere doesn't happen for 4 more days. Looks like we'll sell out the entire run of shows. What a great start.
Come Saturday night about 8:40 pm, that first Sarasota audience will respond to our first ever screening.
At that moment I become a full-fledged independent filmmaker.
What a huge Smile that's gonna be...
It was exactly like dropping off one of my kids to their first day of school. A mix of elation and fear.
It's out of my hands now. The BN Team and I gave it all we had.
The SFF reports that we've already sold out 4 of the 6 screenings they've scheduled...and the World Premiere doesn't happen for 4 more days. Looks like we'll sell out the entire run of shows. What a great start.
Come Saturday night about 8:40 pm, that first Sarasota audience will respond to our first ever screening.
At that moment I become a full-fledged independent filmmaker.
What a huge Smile that's gonna be...
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Final Touch
It's official. I have driven my editor, Marc Alcorn, to the edge of madness with my last second tinkering on the film. Ah...but the young lad has learned a valuable lesson in the process. Marc is among the most talented editors I have ever worked with...maybe the best...but I have taught him something new...and it's that Patience is Genius.
Marc is a stickler to details and deadlines...and our final cut of the film was due in to the Sarasota Film Festival days ago...a fact that troubles Marc to no end. But I've been working closely with our Executive Producer, Wendy Williams, (who is on location in Vancouver on a huge $200 million dollar film she's steering to completion) and with our Colorist, Courtney Penna, to make certain that the visual tone and vibrancy of Beautiful Noise matches what I've had in mind all these months. And we've accomplished that feat. But tonight, just when Marc thought he was going to be able to button things up and ship the film off to be transferred to HD Cam for the film festival screenings, I threw in one simple 5 second scene that to me is absolutely crucial. The single line that Kimbers' character 'Candy' delivers to Jay's character 'Noah' during the climactic 3rd Act sets up the entire ending of the film. It was 2:00 am when I informed Marc that something was missing in that particular sequence...so you can imagine the look on his face after he'd been slaving away double-checking every frame all day long. If looks could kill...After a few anxious moments discussing the situation he went back to an early edit of the film we did months ago and showed me everything that had been cut from what we affectionately call "Candy's explosion" scene. And there, amid the footage that had been left behind, I found the one line I needed that sets up the punch line of the scene. Now we have the movie I've always envisioned firmly in hand.
I know a lot of capable editors who would have thrown up their hands and walked away weeks ago due to my endless search for different scenes or small portions of scenes that I thought could help the Storytelling aspects of our movie. I have been relentless to seek and use every angle, every shot, every syllable possible to create just the right moment in every frame of Beautiful Noise. I know exactly what I want to convey and I'm not going to compromise on that vision. No matter what. So yeah...it takes a patient person to hang in with me for 4 months of post production while I reshaped what we shot into the best film I could possibly present.
Marc hung in there with me tonight and his patience paid off...as he instantly recognized we had indeed uncovered a gem of a scene I wrote that had been totally forgotten. His patience with me is greatly appreciated because, in the end, when all is said and done...we produced a film we're both extremely proud of. So Marc will render the new scene tomorrow and Courtney will spend 20 seconds color correcting it...then our Mission is complete.
The Countdown to our World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival this Saturday night continues. It's going to be an amazing week...
ST
Marc is a stickler to details and deadlines...and our final cut of the film was due in to the Sarasota Film Festival days ago...a fact that troubles Marc to no end. But I've been working closely with our Executive Producer, Wendy Williams, (who is on location in Vancouver on a huge $200 million dollar film she's steering to completion) and with our Colorist, Courtney Penna, to make certain that the visual tone and vibrancy of Beautiful Noise matches what I've had in mind all these months. And we've accomplished that feat. But tonight, just when Marc thought he was going to be able to button things up and ship the film off to be transferred to HD Cam for the film festival screenings, I threw in one simple 5 second scene that to me is absolutely crucial. The single line that Kimbers' character 'Candy' delivers to Jay's character 'Noah' during the climactic 3rd Act sets up the entire ending of the film. It was 2:00 am when I informed Marc that something was missing in that particular sequence...so you can imagine the look on his face after he'd been slaving away double-checking every frame all day long. If looks could kill...After a few anxious moments discussing the situation he went back to an early edit of the film we did months ago and showed me everything that had been cut from what we affectionately call "Candy's explosion" scene. And there, amid the footage that had been left behind, I found the one line I needed that sets up the punch line of the scene. Now we have the movie I've always envisioned firmly in hand.
I know a lot of capable editors who would have thrown up their hands and walked away weeks ago due to my endless search for different scenes or small portions of scenes that I thought could help the Storytelling aspects of our movie. I have been relentless to seek and use every angle, every shot, every syllable possible to create just the right moment in every frame of Beautiful Noise. I know exactly what I want to convey and I'm not going to compromise on that vision. No matter what. So yeah...it takes a patient person to hang in with me for 4 months of post production while I reshaped what we shot into the best film I could possibly present.
Marc hung in there with me tonight and his patience paid off...as he instantly recognized we had indeed uncovered a gem of a scene I wrote that had been totally forgotten. His patience with me is greatly appreciated because, in the end, when all is said and done...we produced a film we're both extremely proud of. So Marc will render the new scene tomorrow and Courtney will spend 20 seconds color correcting it...then our Mission is complete.
The Countdown to our World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival this Saturday night continues. It's going to be an amazing week...
ST
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sarasota BN Feature Stories
It appears the growing 'buzz' is turning into a bit of a Roar! My sincere thanks for all the incredible coverage of Beautiful Noise by the Sarasota Herald Tribune:
http://www.ticketsarasota.com/2011-03-31/section/arts/beautiful-noises-makes-a-splash-at-sarasota-film-festival
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110402/ARTICLE/110409914/2416/NEWS
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110402/ARTICLE/110409919/2416/NEWS?Title=Sarasota-fest-fuels-visions-of-a-local-Hollywood-
ST
http://www.ticketsarasota.com/2011-03-31/section/arts/beautiful-noises-makes-a-splash-at-sarasota-film-festival
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110402/ARTICLE/110409914/2416/NEWS
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110402/ARTICLE/110409919/2416/NEWS?Title=Sarasota-fest-fuels-visions-of-a-local-Hollywood-
ST
Saturday, April 2, 2011
BN Concert musings
Our Beautiful Noise Live! Concert last night in Sarasota served as a great kickoff to the overall marketing plan for our film. We had a sizeable crowd that seemed to really enjoy the first half of the show that featured Chris McCarty & Danielle singing songs from the film...especially when Jay came out for the duet with Danielle on Lonely Hearts. It was a special moment and reminded me of Neil + Barbra singing You Don't Bring Me Flowers on the Grammy's years ago. I have absolutely no doubt that our version of BN cast member Doug Frasure's Lonely Hearts is going to catch on big. It's a killer song from the film.
Tony Tyler's Band, with an assist from Jay's drummer Bill Whitacre and BN Team members Dean Johanesen and Bud Buckley, were fantastic as well and brought the house down with Charlie Daniels' Devil Went Down To Georgia. Tony & Dani J were awesome - and both of them are being featured in our BN prequel shooting this summer/fall in Sarasota titled Serenade.
After intermission it was time for Jay to do his 'Neil' thing. I've seen Jay's show several times now and I have to say that I love the combination of his Diamond set list backed by the energy of this new Suncoast-based touring band I've put together to support our BN World Tour. They all did an incredible job for having only played together for the first time in concert at last nights' show. I assisted on a little rhythm guitar work on Cherry Cherry, then screwed up the intro a little on I'm A Believer...but hey - I think the gangs' gonna let me keep playing with the band. They know how to keep a smile on their Producers' face!
The only mistake I made was not having the common sense to book the concert the weekend AFTER the films' World Premiere, not the weekend before. The media spent the last two weeks promoting the movie instead of the concert, so my miscalculation probably kept us from a complete sell out. That said, the show was a smashing success and has launched Beautiful Noise in an exciting, upbeat way. I can't wait to to travel and showcase the movie and the concert with this great group of troubadours I've put together. We're gonna spread some Beautiful Noise everywhere we can in the coming months.
Now the Countdown to next Saturday night and our World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival comes into full focus. We're already being contacted by Hollywood distribution agents...so this final week before Opening Night at the Hollywood 20 Theatres in downtown Sarasota promises to be both a hectic and memorable one.
ST
Tony Tyler's Band, with an assist from Jay's drummer Bill Whitacre and BN Team members Dean Johanesen and Bud Buckley, were fantastic as well and brought the house down with Charlie Daniels' Devil Went Down To Georgia. Tony & Dani J were awesome - and both of them are being featured in our BN prequel shooting this summer/fall in Sarasota titled Serenade.
After intermission it was time for Jay to do his 'Neil' thing. I've seen Jay's show several times now and I have to say that I love the combination of his Diamond set list backed by the energy of this new Suncoast-based touring band I've put together to support our BN World Tour. They all did an incredible job for having only played together for the first time in concert at last nights' show. I assisted on a little rhythm guitar work on Cherry Cherry, then screwed up the intro a little on I'm A Believer...but hey - I think the gangs' gonna let me keep playing with the band. They know how to keep a smile on their Producers' face!
The only mistake I made was not having the common sense to book the concert the weekend AFTER the films' World Premiere, not the weekend before. The media spent the last two weeks promoting the movie instead of the concert, so my miscalculation probably kept us from a complete sell out. That said, the show was a smashing success and has launched Beautiful Noise in an exciting, upbeat way. I can't wait to to travel and showcase the movie and the concert with this great group of troubadours I've put together. We're gonna spread some Beautiful Noise everywhere we can in the coming months.
Now the Countdown to next Saturday night and our World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival comes into full focus. We're already being contacted by Hollywood distribution agents...so this final week before Opening Night at the Hollywood 20 Theatres in downtown Sarasota promises to be both a hectic and memorable one.
ST
Friday, April 1, 2011
"Beautiful Noise Live!" Concert tonight!
From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune's TICKET entertainment section, click on the link below:
http://www.ticketsarasota.com/2011-03-31/section/nightlife/beautiful-noise-preview-concert-this-weekend
Thanks Abby!
Our BN Live! Concert happens tonight at Riverview H.S. Performing Arts Center. Showtime is 8:00 pm. It's gonna be a "Holly Holy" night filled with Beautiful Noise! See you there.
ST
http://www.ticketsarasota.com/2011-03-31/section/nightlife/beautiful-noise-preview-concert-this-weekend
Thanks Abby!
Our BN Live! Concert happens tonight at Riverview H.S. Performing Arts Center. Showtime is 8:00 pm. It's gonna be a "Holly Holy" night filled with Beautiful Noise! See you there.
ST
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)