Steve Tatone - Director Blog

Downtime Decisions

2011-06-02T10:56:00.001-04:00

Back from the Park City / L.A. trip with a new perspective and the seeds of a revised Game Plan taking root. One of the biggest dangers a filmmaker faces is tweaking the "finished product" so much that you completely screw it up. At some point you simply have to let go and let the movie gods take your film and do what they will with it. But here's the thing...I was lucky enough to be able to screen Beautiful Noise to over 2,500 people in 3 completely different geographic locations over the last 6 weeks or so and can now incorporate their response to the film into my thinking. The happy dilemma I now face is to leave the movie as-is after a quick re-edit of some small things I noticed that could be improved...or reshoot entire sequences that are good...but that I've decided could become great. It's not just an artistic decision, but a pure business determination as well. The feedback from the film fests and from industry pros I've shown the film to thus far has formed a consensus in my mind that we're closer than I ever dreamed to having something that could rival some of the best indie musicals ever made...in particular, the wonderful film Once. If you haven't seen Once, do yourself a favor and go rent it today. The same formula I used in making BN was employed: Great original Soundtrack; unknown actors who were accomplished singer/songwriters; a poignant Story; and shot on an extremely low budget. I love the film and it not only found distribution worldwide but had a terrific box office run and dvd/soundtrack sales thanks to the skilled rollout marketing approach Fox Searchlight utilized. I actually like our Soundtrack far better overall and, like Once, believe that if we get any kind of traction that one of Kimber Cleveland's songs could easily be nominated for a Golden Globe or Academy Award. Bold words to be sure...but no hype here. Buy our Soundtrack online at ITunes or at our website and you'll understand my bravado on the subject.

So there it is. I can choose to leave Beautiful Noise pretty much as-is or double down and redirect resources targeted for the prequel and sequel and go for the potentially bigger return that could come from some targeted reshoots. After all the excitement and non-stop running I've done over the last few months to get to this point in the process, I'm prone to take the advice of close associates to just chill for a week or so and do nothing but get my tan together at Siesta Beach and catch up on some sleep. Sounds like good advice.

I have an important conference call today that I think will help me determine the next move. A member of an entertainment family considered by one and all as "Hollywood Royalty" is now in the mix to review Beautiful Noise and give me her unvarnished take on the best course of action. The accomplished producer/story editor comes from a legendary Family Tree of directors, producers and actors that have created some of the most memorable and successful dramas and comedies of the last three decades, so once again, I'm very lucky to have access to that kind of professional critique. At the end of the day, it's my call...and with so much riding on this next critically important decision I'm blessed with the option to just take my hands off the wheel for the moment, take a breather, go walk the beach and get my mind right. I'm confident that once things settle a bit and after I make the trip to SoCal to huddle with the new Hollywood contact that Clarity and Direction will once again rule the day.

It may be a little while before I make the next post to this blog 'cause nothing much is gonna happen until I decide which path to take...but when I do, it will be full steam ahead.

ST

Rocky Mountain High & California Dreamin'

2011-05-27T08:38:00.001-04:00

Now that the first leg of taking Beautiful Noise on the film festival circuit is complete, I get a chance to sit back and reflect on things a bit. The response to the film in all 3 markets that it has played - Sarasota Florida, Dayton Ohio and Park City Utah - was exactly the same. Audience reaction was uniformly positive, at times emotional, and in all cases in complete agreement that the Soundtrack is amazing. It hit me at Wednesday nights' Park City screening that the film really works on multiple levels. There's something in it for every demographic. I saw where I can tighten up 2-3 edits in the first 20 minutes of the film to help the pacing and I still wanna oversee some additional work on the color correction - but other than that, I came to the realization that the movie is extremely entertaining and marketable. Yeah, I know...I've been saying that all along...but there was just something in that Rocky Mountain environment that allowed me to really critique the film in a way that I haven't been able to do before. I was flying solo in Utah as my stars and co-producers were not available to attend with me, and there were no distractions like the sheer excitement of the Sarasota World Premiere or the rush of family and friends who attended the Dayton screening. Wednesday night it was just me, the movie and Park City film enthusiasts who had no ties whatsoever to Beautiful Noise...and in those moments sitting with that new audience I finally got the chance to see BN like any other movie goer will. And I liked it a lot. The theatre was a major venue that's used for the celebrated Sundance Film Festival. The sound was fabulous as the music rang through the theatre in the richest stereo mix I've heard at any of the screenings so far...which is vitally important for a Musical. Chatting with people after the screening, fielding their questions and explaining how we made the film, I had the overwhelming feeling that it's not going to matter where Beautiful Noise plays. It's a damn good indie film that makes people laugh, makes 'em cry, and makes you think a little bit about the message of the piece. What more can a filmmaker ask for?

I flew to SoCal from Utah to spend a coupla days to rest up, finish polishing the prequel, Serenade, and review the Game Plan to secure a distribution deal. The film festival circuit cranks back up later this summer and fall, so I have time to work all the distribution angles and raise $ for the upcoming Dublin trip. I not only want to test screen BN in Europe to gauge the foreign box office appeal (another selling point to acquisition agents) but we're also holding auditions for a key role in Serenade. I'm on the hunt for an Irish version of Kimber Cleveland. Adding a new cast member who is a singer/actress from Ireland, as yet unknown to USA audiences, holds a lot of interest to me. I want to populate the Beautiful Noise Trilogy with amazing performers and produce Soundtracks that are unique from each other...which is another reason I'm here in L.A. - as I'm catching Ana Popovic's show this weekend and working to add her to our international Cast of Serenade.

It's almost June. This time last year we had a Table Read of Beautiful Noise in Sarasota and held the fleeting hope that we could somehow find a way to shoot the movie. Now here I am, a year later, writing another blog post about the completed film, its current success at film festivals across the country, the planned European premiere of the movie and the prep of the next 2 BN installments that will start principal photography this year. It's incredible how your dreams can be realized if you're willing to draw a line in the sand and make a firm decision, work your ass off, and never ever give up.

ST

The Dayton Embrace

2011-05-22T23:03:00.002-04:00

I can't tell you what a relief it was to see how the Dayton audience matched the enthusiastic response we enjoyed at last months' Sarasota Film Festival World Premiere of Beautiful Noise. I mean, you just never know how your film is gonna play from one region of the country to the next. In Sarasota, I'm a relative unknown - so the audience response came from a place that had no preconceived notions. The Dayton crowd, on the other hand, walked in with a hint of skepticism due primarily to the fact that the last time anyone in town saw a Steve Tatone production it either featured General Motors products or appeals to support the local food banks through a series of TV specials and documentaries I produced over 20 years ago. I was a known commodity back in the day in southwest Ohio and the notoriety had nothing to do with feature filmmaking. Fortunately, it appears our indie musical-drama instantly created a brand new picture in the hearts and minds of the sizable crowd that screened our movie at this past weekends' FilmDayton Festival. The 'Prodigal Son' came home and conquered - as the audience responded with an enthusiasm that made me incredibly proud of my Cast & Crew. They laughed, they cried and they bought the Soundtrack CD in the same ratio of audience # to CD sales as the Sarasota screenings. In short - Beautiful Noise was a big hit in Dayton, Ohio! Nice to see the old hometown embrace the movie in such a passionate way.

Now it's on to Utah this week and the next big test at the Park City Film Music Festival. I hope we hit the trifecta in this, our 3rd Film Festival experience.

And just so you don't start thinking that all I'm gonna write about are the good things that happen along this indie filmmaking trail, I'm still a bit confounded by the technical challenges I suspect all filmmakers experience from one film fest to another...as every screening of the movie so far, from the Sarasota to Dayton showcases, has looked and sounded different from the final cut product we delivered. One screening looks better from a color-correction standpoint than another...and the sound quality - which I know is fantastic in the first place thanks to the time and money we spent on the overall sound mix in post production - continues to be less than perfect. I know that each theatre has different sound and projector settings and it's driving me crazy to watch the movie and see/hear the glitches...most of which have nothing to do with anything my Team did to the film. Amazingly, when I mention my disappointment of these technical flaws, people look at me like I'm nuts. They just don't notice the things I'm wincing about and think I'm overreacting. But I'm not. We worked hard to get it right...and yes, I still have just a coupla more minor tweaks to make in the film. But at some point soon I hope I can see the movie projected in a theatre that dials in just the right settings so the audience can see and hear the movie the way we've produced it.

Is it possible I doth protest too much? Yeah...probably so. But if the film is causing such an emotional stir as-is, I can't wait to see what the full effect of seeing and hearing the movie in all its technically pristine production glory will have on an audience. Don't get me wrong, the film fest tech folks in Sarasota & Dayton did great work overall...but damn...I just feel like we haven't quite hit the sweet spot yet. Maybe Park City can dial up that perfect technical screening I crave...

ST

FilmDayton Festival update & the 'Ana' Connection

2011-05-21T10:39:00.002-04:00

Just a quick blast to say it's been a fast & furious trip to the old stomping grounds so far. The FilmDayton Festival is in full swing and I'm having fun reconnecting with Family & Friends from days of yore and making new friends. The Dayton film fest organizers are working extremely hard in this, the 3rd year of the event, and it's been great to be a part of this growing effort to develop a full-fledged film industry in the Miami Valley. I've met with serious players here in the community whose sole interest is to create and sustain a vibrant environment for filmmakers to bring their projects to Dayton - and I'm enthused by the level of interest in the possibility of bringing one or more of my film projects to the area. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the town I grew up in, so we'll see where that road leads...

I met with an absolute killer blues-rock artist - Ana Popovic - yesterday in Columbus and am working to sign her to co-star with Danielle & Jay in the BN prequel, "Serenade". Ana nearly was cast in the role of 'Candy' for the current film, but the logistics didn't work out - which turned out just fine because I went on from there to find and cast the incredible Kimber Cleveland - and the rest is history. There's a time and a place for everything...so it looks like this year is the time and Sarasota is the place for Ana to join the cast of "Serenade". Danielle and I will be meeting with Ana soon to discuss the details, so hopefully we'll have another casting announcement in the near future. For more info on this fantastic talent who is extremely well-known on the European music festival circuit and who is blazing a trail for herself in the USA - check out http://www.anapopovic.com/. The pivotal supporting role I have in mind for Ana in "Serenade" could become a breakout event for her and a tremendous boost for the BN Franchise overall, as the foreign box office potential expands greatly having her on the Team.

The "Beautiful Noise" Dayton premiere happens this afternoon - and Kimber, who is in town with me for the screening, performs her solo concert tonight at the legendary Gilly's nightclub in downtown Dayton. I'll report back in later and let you know if the Dayton crowds' enthusiasm for our film matches the Sarasota response. It's certainly going to be a 'teachable moment' for me.

ST

The Balancing Act

2011-05-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

It's all most indie filmmakers can do to draw attention to their movie once they survive the battle to get it made...so I'm grateful for the set of circumstances that enabled Beautiful Noise to come out of the gate strong with our incredible world premiere experience at the Sarasota Film Festival last month, followed up by screenings at the Dayton Film Festival next Saturday and the Park City Film Music Festival in Utah on May 25th. Our film festival strategy is crucial to our singular objective to acquire distribution and we're off to a good start on that score. Slowly but surely, the film is getting out there and having a positive, emotional impact on audiences. And far and away - the #1 comment from everyone who has seen the film has been about the incredible Soundtrack, so I figure a wise move at this juncture is to do everything possible to exploit that sentiment.

Several national record promotion companies have already contacted me offering their services to take select songs from the BN Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and work targeted markets and radio station chains to get us airplay...as they agree with me that we have 4-5 songs that could become breakout hits. Radio airplay = Soundtrack sales = live BN concert opportunities = interest in seeing the movie = worldwide distribution. It's an important formula to understand and put into action.

The album is finally available for purchase on ITunes, Amazon and other digital download sites as well as on the movie website's online store...so the full court press is about to be unleashed to promote the Beautiful Noise music score. It's going to be interesting to see what breaks first - the Movie or the Soundtrack album. Both have tremendous potential. One thing's for sure - the success of one will draw huge attention to the other. My job now is to balance the available resources and make certain both entertainment vehicles find their way in the competitive marketplace.

In today's indie film world I've come to understand that it takes perfect planning and time to nurture your product and navigate the sea of opportunities that exist...and I learned a long time ago that Patience is genius. In years past I had a lot of success shooting from the hip and going with my gut instincts alone when it came to marketing...but this is different. There are more variables in play, so I have to really bear down and focus on the consequences of every move to ensure a positive result.

First-time indie filmmakers take note. I've said it before, I'm saying it again. Pay as much attention to marketing your Art as you do creating it. Get help if it's not something you do as a natural reflex...but by all means necessary - learn to promote the hell out of your film. The payoff for all involved is tremendous...but there's little room for error. Think it all the way through with the end result you seek firmly in mind at all times. Don't get distracted from the Goal.

Then go for it.

ST

Official Selection - Park City Film Music Festival!

2011-05-11T00:07:00.000-04:00

I was just informed that Beautiful Noise is an Official Selection of the Park City Film Music Festival taking place May 20-30 in Park City, Utah. Hope the actual screening date doesn't conflict with our Dayton Film Festival showcase on May 21st. It might be tough to be in 2 places at one time...

The cool thing about the Park City fest is that we'll be in competition with both Hollywood & Indie films from all over the world in the category of "Best Use of Music in a Feature Film". I wouldn't bet against us. I'll put our Soundtrack singers and songwriters up against anyone!

More details soon on the Park City schedule. Hope I get to meet the "Sundance Kid" at the film festival. Now that would be a huge Smile!

ST

Thumbs Up from the King

2011-05-08T11:56:00.000-04:00

It's a well-documented fact by now that Beautiful Noise - the Movie has nothing whatsoever to do with the life & times & music of Neil Diamond and that it's a completely fictional Story filled with original songs - even though the great Title is taken from one of Neil's best albums from over 30 years ago. That said, I'll never deny the fact that I owe my inspiration for writing and creating the movie to the Muse inside that has favored the lyric and melodies of Mr. Diamond since my early teens. So during those first sold out screenings in April I really enjoyed watching fellow 'Diamondheads' in the audiences (and like Jimmy Buffetts' 'Parrotheads', we are legion in number and passionate about the Music and Vibe of our respective Troubadours) as they reacted with knowing looks and grins to all the coded Diamond references sprinkled throughout the movie. My homage to Neil was important to me, 'cause I can't begin to tell you how his music has kept me going over the years...both in times of joy and strife. That's the great thing about Music, isn't it? It has the power to make you look for rainbows during every rainy day and the power to heal when the dark clouds just won't subside. And when you hear your favorite songs performed live in concert by the person who created them, well...it just doesn't get any better than that...

So you can imagine what a real Smile it was for me this weekend when I got the biggest 'Thumbs Up' yet for the film from Neil's friend and longtime bandmember of the NDRRT - King Errisson. King's cameo in Beautiful Noise is terrific and he was missed at our Sarasota Premiere last month - but the 'King of the Conga's' was travelling with his fellow Diamond Muzoids on the opening legs of their World Tour - to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa - so we knew he had a schedule conflict. But Friday I had a chance to meet with King at Jay's house in Vegas to screen the film and discuss King's expanded role in the BN prequel & sequel. I gotta admit, I was more nervous watching King watch the movie than I've been with anyone else so far. I mean...talk about someone of King's stature who not only performed in the film and on the Soundtrack album, but you know damn well that he's not gonna pull any punches critiquing the quality of the film and especially the music. The man is a consumate pro, and after all - BN is a Musical! So even though King is the nicest guy in the world, I was braced for anything when the last of the film credits and final song ended.

My fears subsided quickly and I knew we were OK when the first words out of the legendary percussionists' mouth were: "We've got to find Distribution for this right away Steve." He loved the film, mentioned the same coupla edit points Marc and I already have targeted, praised Danielle's jaw-dropping performance and Kimber's work and incredible songs and immediately gave me the name and personal cell phone number of a close friend, the VP of Distribution of a major Studio. On the way out he gave his pal Jay a big congratulatory hug, then turned and flashed his famous smile, shook my hand and asked me to send him the BN Serenade & Heartlight scripts asap. I had already gone over the storylines of the prequel and sequel before I showed him the movie, so he's ready to reprise his role when we start shooting again later this year...knowing it's no longer a cameo, but rather an expansion of his part that is critical to the overall storytelling of the Trilogy.

I gave King several copies of the Beautiful Noise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD and
BN T-shirts that sport the movie tagline - "Surviving the Life never sounded so good" on the back...and couldn't help wondering as he drove away if somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, when he and his bandmates are jetting to their European concert dates in June, if their Vocalist might notice King's BN shirt or inquire about the new CD he's listening to. How cool would it be if the sum total of my Cast & Crew's effort to create our Musical-Drama brings a Smile to the man's face who inspired it all?

ST

New Songs...new Scripts...and new Perspectives

2011-05-03T23:12:00.002-04:00

Never a dull moment...

While we tweak the edit on Beautiful Noise this week as a result of the Sarasota screenings, I've been polishing the screenplays for the prequel and sequel and listening to a lot of great original songs that have been submitted for the next 2 BN films. No major changes are being made in the edit, but Marc and I did see a couple of things that made us cringe a little...but that apparently was completely missed by the 2000 + people who have seen the movie so far who were absorbed by the Story and the Characters. One new shot we're adding for sure is an establishing exterior scene of Los Angeles, as the film starts in 1974 in L.A. and then makes its way to present day southwest Florida. But other than that one additional shot, the edits we'll make to two different sequences are minor...but necessary. We're fielding some conflicting input as some people we show the film to who are in the business from a "crew" standpoint are quick to point out a few technical flaws that we're addressing...but after extensive Q&A's with audience members who have seen the film once or twice we get a completely different perspective. "Civilians" absolutely love most everything about the film as is and they seem surprised when we ask them about the so-called flaws that some tech people point out. They just don't understand what we're talking about as they are so engrossed in the emotion and message and songs in the movie. I've decided that the best thing to do now is to show the film outside Sarasota and test screen it in Ft Myers and Tampa and Orlando to make certain that the reactions and positive rave reviews we're getting are as genuine as we believe them to be. Those test screenings plus the reaction coming out of the Dayton Film Festival will guide us and put some things to rest. You can tweak your movie forever and never be completely satisfied and in fact screw it up if you're not careful...so we'll see what some new audiences think and then go with the flow. Better to deal with this stuff now before the summer/fall international film festival schedule kicks into high gear.

Meanwhile, I have a core group of primary actors and crew who are involved in the upcoming Serenade & Heartlight BN projects who are anxious to read the 2 new scripts. I've had the storylines fleshed out for some time now...but like the current film, I am writing the lyrics of the songs I'm selecting right into the screenplays because they once again are crucial in propelling the action and character development - so it's taking a little longer to polish because I keep finding cool new songs to add to the mix.

April was a spectacular month for our Beautiful Noise Team and May looks like it's going to be just as productive. The Dayton Film Festival is our next stop in a couple of weeks...then the rollercoaster ride of film festivals and special showcases in the US & Europe will dominate our schedule while pre-production commences on the 2 new BN movies.

Lots of moving parts...and lots of opportunities for all involved. We're building both a film franchise and an indie movie production company all at the same time.

Have I mentioned lately how much fun this all is?

ST

An Incredible Start

2011-04-30T10:28:00.001-04:00

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

Suncoast Media Love

2011-04-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

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

Riding The Wave

2011-04-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

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

"Beautiful Noise" - The Stage Musical

2011-04-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

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

Farewell Sidney

2011-04-22T04:33:00.001-04:00

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

Like Butch & Sundance

2011-04-19T23:14:00.000-04:00

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

One More Last Chance

2011-04-18T22:29:00.001-04:00

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

Sarasota Film Festival recap

2011-04-17T22:49:00.001-04:00

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

Unsung Heroes

2011-04-17T08:49:00.000-04:00

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

Danielle - "Where It Began..."

2011-04-16T05:29:00.001-04:00

"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

The Beautiful Noise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2011-04-14T22:20:00.002-04:00

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

The Glimmer Twins & Gwen... and a Smash Hit Soundtrack Album

2011-04-14T00:48:00.002-04:00

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

A Big Night

2011-04-13T02:06:00.000-04:00

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

Raising Dough & Rockin' the Gator Club

2011-04-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

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

World Premiere Flashbacks

2011-04-10T22:53:00.001-04:00

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

Standing Ovations

2011-04-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

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

Yesterday & Today

2011-04-09T08:11:00.000-04:00

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

Party Planning & The Look of Love

2011-04-07T00:32:00.001-04:00

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

A Momentous Day

2011-04-05T22:47:00.000-04:00

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...

The Final Touch

2011-04-04T04:17:00.001-04:00

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

Sarasota BN Feature Stories

2011-04-03T00:57:00.001-04:00

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

BN Concert musings

2011-04-02T08:19:00.000-04:00

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

"Beautiful Noise Live!" Concert tonight!

2011-04-01T07:20:00.002-04:00

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

Media Coverage & Concert Rehearsals

2011-03-31T07:48:00.001-04:00

Click on the link below for a feature story on Beautiful Noise from the Sarasota / Longboat Key Observer:

http://www.yourobserver.com/news/longboat-key/A-and-E/0330201111004/The-noisemaker

Thanks Heidi!
________________________

Jay flew in with his drummer, Bill Whitacre, last night to prep for Friday's Beautiful Noise Live! Concert in Sarasota. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Cosimos Too! then headed out to the legendary Five O'Clock Club to catch the Tony Tyler Band in action. Tony's band is backing Jay & Danielles' sets at tomorrow nights' concert at the Riverview H.S. Performing Arts Center...and they are set to rock the venue. Rehearsals happening this afternoon and all day tomorrow prior to the 8:00 pm show. Looks like a really good crowd will be on hand for the kickoff event of our Beautiful Noise marketing extravaganza. Really looking forward to Danielle, Chris McCarty, Dean Johanesen, Bud Buckley and the rest of the gang performing songs from the movie Live, followed by Jay's dynamic Neil Diamond show.

I could use a Diamond-fix Friday night. Everybody needs a little "Sweet Caroline" every now and then...

ST

Both Sides Now

2011-03-30T00:51:00.000-04:00

Joni Mitchells' classic "Free Man In Paris" is a featured song in our Musical-Drama, but as the Countdown continues toward our April 9th World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival, Joni's hit "Both Sides Now" has been playing non-stop in my head. A friend asked me today how I felt as we near those Opening Night audiences and the Q&A sessions that follow each screening. I honestly haven't had time to dwell on any of that 'cause we're buttoning up post production and prepping for the big Beautiful Noise Live! Concert event in Sarasota this Friday night. But the question lingered all day and got me thinking about the magnitude of my first feature film being screened to over 1,500 people at a world-class film festival in a few days. As a result, Joni's lyrics from Both Sides Now ring out and set the reflective mood I'm in:

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at Life that way...

I admit it. Among other things, I'm a hopeless romantic...but I don't apologize for that 'cause it fuels my writing and enabled me to pen Beautiful Noise in a way that helps me tell the Story I wanted to tell. I'm anxious to see how people respond to the film and I carry a heavy load knowing that the decisions I made making this movie affect the forward motion of the careers of my terrific Cast & Crew...and my own. But I do love the process and I am proud of what we've accomplished - and this dream to create a full-blown indie production company here in Sarasota has become a reality. Now we're about to be judged, and...

Now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day

Making this movie is the hardest thing I've ever done. I mean, it's just been unbelievable what it took to see this through to this point...and as noted in the previous blog post, it's just the end of the beginning. Now the real heavy lifting takes place trying to raise the needed capital to promote our film and Sarasota indie filmmaking around the world. But I'm a believer. I was relentless in my pursuit of the goal to make a high quality, low budget film here on the Suncoast and I know I made a lot of new friends and no doubt a few new enemies along the way. But that's what it takes to make positive things happen. You keep moving forward no matter what and hope that people understand and embrace the effort. The rest is up to the Universe and the movie gods.

I've looked at Life from both sides now
From Win & Lose and still somehow
It's Life's illusions I recall
I really don't know Life at all

In the final analysis, this movie won't make or break me and my BN Team. After all, nobody knows what the future holds - but I can say one thing with complete command and authority. This process has been a teachable moment in my life. Win or lose, I've learned a lot...and the most important thing I've learned is...if you never ever give up and never ever give in you can succeed beyond your wildest dreams and inspire those you love and work with to do the same - and that action can be life-changing for them. At that point it doesn't really matter how many critics love our movie or how much the worldwide grosses are a coupla years from now. What matters most is I did my best, I saw it through, I'm going to continue to make entertaining, marketable feature films the rest of my life and some members of my Cast & Crew will benefit immensely from their time spent with me creating Beautiful Noise. And for that I'm eternally grateful.

ST

Beautiful Noise - the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

2011-03-28T20:50:00.000-04:00

Picked up the Master of our BN Soundtrack from Steve Connelly of Zen Recording and shipped it off to the company creating our CD's and Download cards. But before that epic activity I sat by myself in my production office and listened to the album start to finish. 18 songs filled with memorable lyrics and melodies and incredible performances from our Cast washed over me for over an hour. Beautiful Noise soars every time one of these songs is performed in the movie...yet when the album is listened to without interruption a different kind of experience unfolds...one that allows you to conjure up your own images of what the songs mean. In the context of the movie...these songs, collectively, literally make the film what it is...an entertaining and meaningful cinematic experience...at least from my completely biased point of view. But even without the film, these songs and this album serves as a wonderful example of what the Gift of Song can do to heal, inspire and transport us to a place where only Music can take you. Based on that prospect alone, buying this Soundtrack could be the best ten bucks you ever spent.

I'm proud of our movie and really excited about how the album turned out. You can purchase it this weekend at our BN Live! Concert in Sarasota Friday night or online this weekend at http://www.beautifulnoisethemovie.com/. Please let me know what you think of it.

ST

End of the Beginning

2011-03-27T08:52:00.000-04:00

I've been going flat out around the clock since the moment I stepped off the red-eye from L.A. Friday morning. It's hard to believe that today - Sunday, March 27, 2011 - is the last day of post-production on Beautiful Noise. Yesterday I approved the final pass of color correction and special effects and last night Marc and I edited in the revised End Credits. I can't say enough good things about the incredible job Courtney Penna & Brett Jones did on the cc & vfx...as now, coupled with the work I did all week with Dolby sound supervisor and master-mixer Dino Herrmann, the film looks and sounds like a completely different movie. For weeks now we've had a tremendous response from all those who were invited to critique various rough cuts of BN, but I can already tell from the quick review I had with Marc during the credits session that something amazing has taken place. Not only do all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly, but the effect of fitting them all together has created something new and fresh. It's now...finally...the movie I set out to make.

Later today I will sit alone with Marc and watch Beautiful Noise from start to finish from a moviegoers' point of view. Wendy's orders. I could tweak this forever, but now it's time to watch it without interruption and see and hear how it all washes over me. If something really jumps out and takes me out of the moment I know Marc can still go in and adjust...but otherwise, today is the last time I'll see this movie before we share it with the masses. I'm already starting to get the same feeling I had the day after we completed principal photography when I was overwhelmed with a cascade of relief, joy and depression all at the same time. The only saving grace is I have no time to dwell on any of those feelings because my full attention will turn tomorrow to prepping for the Beautiful Noise Live! Sarasota Concert next Friday at Riverviews' Performing Arts Center; leading my BN Team in an all-out effort to promote our World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival starting April 9th; booking our US & European Movie & Concert promotional tour and - best of all - setting up our pre-production dates for the back-to-back filming of the Beautiful Noise prequel - Serenade and the sequel - Heartlight...both of which I'm filming back-to-back this summer and fall right here on Florida's Suncoast.

Tony Bennett is famous for stating that he's never worked a day in his life 'cause singing to him is his Bliss...it's not work. I can identify. I've been very fortunate in my life to have been able to pursue many different opportunities...some that were given to me...some that I created. But nothing remotely compares to my journey to become a Filmmaker and the creation of this movie out of thin air . I feel like an athlete who has given everything he has to help his Team win the Game and who left every ounce of effort he had out on the playing field...or artists like Neil Diamond or Bruce Springsteen, who just absolutely give it up and who pour their heart and soul into every single concert performance, leaving the stage only after they've given their all. I've been in the front row to see those guys empty their vessel in front of thousands to deliver the most memorable performance they possibly can. When they walk off that stage wringing wet you know they had nothing left to give...and win or lose...they shared a piece of their soul with you.

That's exactly how I feel. I can't do any more. I'm all in...and either way it goes, my BN Band of Filmmakers and I have emptied the tank. The result of our collective effort will be on display come April 9th at the Sarasota Film Festival and then at film festivals and showcases around the world. I can't wait to sit in the audience on Opening Night with my Cast & Crew and experience everything that has become Beautiful Noise...The Movie.

ST

Inspiration from The Greek

2011-03-24T19:19:00.003-04:00

Staying over one additional day in L.A. 'cause the Dolby Surround Sound sessions were extended the moment I heard post-production sound mix master Dino Herrmann play keyboard with some of Dean Johanesen's gorgeous guitar score for Beautiful Noise. I got so wrapped up in Dino's performance that I went back through the film and looked for other areas where Dean's score could be enhanced with piano and strings. The little spaces we found didn't seem like much at first glance, but by the time Dino and I zeroed in on them they became incredibly critical pieces of music that bridge dramatic sequences. Can't tell you how much I love meshing the sights and sounds of the movie together. The collaborative process is something I not only welcome but absolutely crave...and the Teamwork involved to bring the world Beautiful Noise is paying off immensely as I craft the final cut of my vision of the film.

For inspiration to start this last day of the Sound Design and final mix in the City of Angels I had Dino drive me up the street from his studio to a music venue that has always held a special attraction and reverence to me - the Greek Theatre - home of Neil Diamond's legendary "Hot August Night" shows and albums. Walking around the Greek, a beautiful 5,000 seat amphitheatre nestled in the most amazing locale I've ever seen, was nothing short of a religious experience for me. I played that classic vinyl album so many times all those years ago that all I had to do was stroll around the venue and let the total recall of every song from those live recordings wash over me. It was an amazing experience as my vivid imagination kicked into overdrive and transported me back to a time and place in my life where all my dreams and ambitions were all spread out in front of me.

Beautiful Noise the Movie is not about Neil Diamond in any way, shape or form and none of his songs are in the film...but those who know me well understand that everybody has a musical oasis in their life where they go to seek inspiration, guidance, pure enjoyment or to be healed from difficult circumstances that crop up - that's the magic of Music - and for me, the music and lyrics of Mr. Diamond have been a part of my DNA since my teens - so his musical vibe instinctively informs everything I do creatively. So the Story I've written and directed and the original songs I've chosen most definitely appeal to my senses and passions as surely as Neil's songs appeal to and represent his take on Life and Love. And that's the connection. Diamonds' songs move me...period. And this movie moves me emotionally in the same way. I hope that everyone who experiences Beautiful Noise comes away from it feeling something real. Love it...hate it...laugh...cry...identify with a character or two...groove to the music...whatever. I just hope it grabs you in some way. Then I know my Team and I have done our job.

Please let me know when you see it. Either way it goes, the feedback will be much appreciated.
I'm still learning.

ST

Everyone Needs A Dino

2011-03-23T01:06:00.001-04:00

I'm two 18-hr days into the final sound mix in L.A. and I'm convinced more than ever that Beautiful Noise is absolutely going to amaze people on so many levels...but none more than the Sound Design! Dino Herrmann is any Director's best friend and an absolute genius when it comes to the final stereo and dolby sound mixes we're creating. Recommended by co-producer/editor Marc Alcorn, Dino has taken our film to a new level. Sitting beside him throughout this final stage of the movie to direct and approve his work has been both educational and emotional. Educational because I now know all the possibilities that exist to enhance the sound quality of my films; emotional because I never really knew for sure how the combination of the final cut of the film and the final sound mix would hit me. Marc and I edited for months using the most basic tracks of the songs...so as I sit here in Dino's home studio watching BN on a huge screen and listening to the fully produced songs blasting through his incredible speaker system, it's like watching the film for the very first time. And it's just an undescribable rush. I couldn't be happier with the overall sound of our film and I'm grateful to have a pro like Dino on our BN Team. His outstanding work on our movie elevates both the cinematic experience of our audiences and the potential of securing worldwide distribution.

Danielle popped in to Dino's studio this afternoon between college classes and cut her background vocals to a wonderful Dean Johanesen composition titled Backroads...a song Jay sings at a pivotal point in the film. Danielle, as always, nailed her vocal and also completed some ADR work on some of her dialogue on location. It's apropo that Danielle cut both the first and last vocal on our Soundtrack.

Today's other Huge Smile was brought on by the notification by the FilmDayton folks that Beautiful Noise has been selected to be screened at the Dayton Film Festival May 20-22. I'm really happy my family and friends from my old hometown will be able to see the movie.

ST

BN Executive Producer - Wendy Williams

2011-03-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

Writing this blog post at 30,000 feet while I'm jetting to L.A. to direct the 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound mix for our musical-drama. There's so much happening now in these last two weeks of post-production I could post new info every coupla hours...

As I write this the Color Correction process is wrapping up in Sarasota; the Soundtrack CD is being mastered and the CD art work is in final design; VIP invitations to our World Premiere are being readied for Suncoast-based investors; the Beautiful Noise Live! Band is deep into the rehearsal process for our April 1st concert at Sarasota's Riverview Performing Arts Center; and forward planning on our international film festival marketing is in full swing. Thank God I'm flying cross-country tonight...it gives my cellphone and brain a little time to rest up.

The biggest news this past week is that my friend and film consigliere, Wendy Williams, decided to join our Beautiful Noise Team as our Executive Producer. Wendy, a Suncoast resident, is among the most sought-after Line Producers & Production Managers in Hollywood - and she's a HUGE addition to our film. Wendy's experience in the movie biz working with the biggest Directors, Producers & Stars in all of filmdom and her association with every major studio instantly gives Beautiful Noise a direct pipeline to the decision makers who determine which indie films get picked up for Distribution. While that guarantees us zero in terms of signing a deal, it does guarantee that we'll be noticed by the right people - so our movie will at least get a look-see by the powers that be at some point in the process. This new development, coupled with our aggressive film festival marketing strategy, really gives us a lot of momentum and positive buzz - as Wendy is not the type to put her name, passion or industry contacts on the line unless she believes heart and soul. She has watched my Team work our tails off for months as we worked through every challenge every indie film faces and she paid close attention to the kind of people I brought on board to craft our film. Wendy may work all over the globe on $100-200 million dollar films 10 months a year, but at her core she's still a filmmaker who started on the ground floor and worked her way up - so she truly appreciates seeing a Sarasota-based movie like ours struggle and succeed against the odds.

Wendy's decision to join us is not an 'honorary role'. She's hands-on and was with me at 8:00 am this morning helping me make crucial decisions on the final edit and color correction. Wendy is a game-changer for us. I was determined to make this movie my way no matter what challenges came up - but having Wendy at my side to guide us through post-production and the distribution process lightens my load and instantly makes us a real 'contender'. Her involvement gives us the kind of credibility in Hollywood circles that no amount of money could by. She believes in me, in my Cast & Crew and in all things Beautiful Noise. And we believe in her.

It's both an honor and privilege to have this multi-talented filmmaker as our Executive Producer.

Here's the list of a few of the major movies and TV series' Wendy has on her long list of Hollywood credits. Look 'em up and check out the Directors and Stars she's worked with. She has some amazing stories about the "studio system" and her journey to the top echelon of major league filmmaking.

Beautiful Noise is her first indie film she has executive produced.

Rise of the Apes (unit production manager) (post-production) Thanksgiving, 2011

2010 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (production manager)

2010/I Tooth Fairy (production manager)

2009 I Love You, Beth Cooper (production manager)

2006 Deck the Halls (unit production manager)

2006 John Tucker Must Die (production manager)

2004 The Chronicles of Riddick (unit production manager)

2002 The Santa Clause 2 (unit production manager)

2002 Insomnia (production manager )

2001 Cats & Dogs (unit production manager)

2000 Chain of Fools (unit production manager)

1998 The Net (TV series) (production manager)

1998 Strange Days (TV series) (production manager)

1997 Medusa's Child (TV movie) (production manager)

1997 Sleepwalkers (TV series) (production manager)

1997 Final Descent (TV movie) (unit production manager)

1997 Intensity (TV movie) (unit production manager)

1996 Bad Moon (unit production manager)

1996 Big Bully (unit production manager)

1995 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (unit production manager: second unit, Canada)

Opening & Closing Credits

2011-03-19T04:16:00.001-04:00

So many people to thank for helping us bring Beautiful Noise to the masses. It's 4:15 am Saturday morning and I'm late getting the credit info to Marc & Ralph so they can configure and place the info in the film. As I take a moment in this pre-dawn hour to buckle down and review exactly where the Opening credits go in the timeline and carefully review the endless list of people and companies that need to be recognized in the End credits, I'm both amazed and grateful at the sheer volume of support our production has garnered. Everyone listed was instrumental in the making of the film. Everyone listed said "Yes" when we needed it most. It's overwhelming to think back and wonder how we could have ever made it through the storm of creating an indie Musical-Drama without these terrific people. Words can't express what they all mean to me...so I'll think of something special to do for them as a small token of my gratitude for answering the call...

My thanks to everyone who have bought tix to our Sold Out 7:00 pm show for our April 9 World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival. I understand there's a few tix left for the 2nd screening at 9:15 pm that same night...and of course they're also screening Beautiful Noise 4 more times during the festival...so come join us in downtown SRQ before the SFF ends if you miss our Opening Night screenings and Premiere Party at Ceviche.

Special Thanks also to Lenny & Gino and all our friends at WTMY AM 1280 in Sarasota for the great support and the live interview opportunity. I'm back on another show this morning at 9:30 am to chat about the BN concert and World premiere, so listen in or stream it live for your viewing pleasure.

Big news to announce in a Press Release next Monday about an important new member of the Beautiful Noise Team. I'll fill you all in later today on that. For now, I've gotta get moving on these credits and get 'em to the BN Team before they wake up...as I promised to email the info to them so they could finish their work by Noon tomorrow...I mean today.

ST

Media Matters

2011-03-17T23:45:00.000-04:00

Lots to do before I catch a flight to L.A. in a few days to complete post production on the film. So far every phase of Beautiful Noise took place here on the Suncoast...but the one thing I can't do here in Sarasota is add Dolby Surround Sound to all the audio tracks...which is such a huge thing for a Musical...so I'm SoCal-bound soon to direct the Final Mix of a Musical-Drama that I'm extremely proud of. But first, I'm editing the opening & end credits; presiding over a crucial Sarasota & St Pete film festival marketing meeting Friday so our BN Team can help our movie get the most mileage out of our Official Selections to these great events; and I'm finishing off the week preparing for the media onslaught that's about to take place.

Tomorrow morning I'll appear live on Sarasota's WTMY 1280 AM to promote the film and the April 1st Beautiful Noise Live! Concert - then I'll work with Mandy on copy for the radio spots and discuss the upcoming slate of print and TV interviews lined up for Jay, Danielle, Kimber and me. It's really great watching the media sources from Ft Myers to Venice and from Sarasota to St Pete getting so charged up about BN. Shooting the film entirely on location here in southwest Florida automatically gets the media's attention...but now that word is seeping out that we might have a 'sleeper hit' on our hands just serves to create an even bigger buzz. A positive response from our hometown audiences and media will go a long, long way to help me showcase BN around the country and indeed in overseas markets.

Mandy and I attended the Sarasota Film Festival's Sponsors & Media Reception yesterday and we were greeted warmly by the film fest folks and local feature writers. Everyone is anxious to see the movie. I still couldn't believe my eyes when I paged through the Film Guide that listed all the Movies, Documentaries and Shorts set to screen at the SFF. Most every film is being screened twice, but Beautiful Noise was the only one scheduled for a record-setting six showcases from April 9 to 17. I knew we had a shot to make the cut to get into this world-class film festival...but I never dreamed we'd be embraced the way we are...and our 7:00 April 9 World Premiere screening is already Sold Out! Pretty cool stuff...

As to the publicity side of things, don't let anybody kid you...the media matters. It's important for you up-and-coming indie filmmakers to work hard to meet with every media source of any kind that's willing to discuss your film. From the terrific local newspapers to the TV stations right down to the high school radio stations...you just have to work tirelessly to promote your film whenever the opportunity presents itself. It's all an indie production can do just to make the film...so in most cases there's zero budget for marketing. Don't let that sobering thought depress you. Tweet and Facebook your tail off like there's no tomorrow and accept every invitation to talk about your movie. You can get the word out and you can find the audience for your film...but you have to be as relentless to get the attention of the media as you were to get your movie made. Actually, even more so.

One look in the mirror tells me I need to get my tan together fast and lose the bags under my eyes before our World Premiere and the media spotlight shines on us. That brief window of media attention has to help us launch our movie and build for the future...so I suspect that it might be helpful to the cause if the writer/producer/director of the film looks vibrant and is able to articulate all the wonders of making Beautiful Noise without dropping off to sleep in the middle of an interview!

Gotta pace myself. Once the sprint of completing post production is over next week...it's right back to running the marathon of marketing the film. It's a race that needs to be won and there are no shortcuts. Just peaks and valleys to negotiate. I'm thankful I grew up playing ice hockey. Indie filmmaking is a full contact sport...and vivid memories of those winning, ultra-competitive years of my youth guide and serve me well today on this Beautiful Noise Journey.

"Holly Holy" and then some...

2011-03-16T22:33:00.000-04:00

Our April 1st Beautiful Noise Live! Concert is going to be a barnburner. I spent the afternoon working with our Sarasota-based All-Star band that will back up Danielle in the show (after what promises to be an amazing opening set from BN co-star Chris McCarty) - then they will perform with Jay for his entire Neil Diamond Concert. All I can say is that this is a show you can't afford to miss if (a) you wanna hear most of the songs from the movie sung live by our Cast members & (b) you wanna see the worlds' #1 Diamond performer (save for Neil himself) perform Neil's greatest hits with a band that will have you on your feet and dancing in the aisles all night long! It's gonna be a ton of entertainment for the $20 ticket and a chance to get a sneak preview of the Soundtrack & Movie as we'll be showing snippets of the film throughout the concert event at Sarasota's Riverview H.S. Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are on sale now at http://www.beautifulnoisethemovie.com/.

The first show of the BN Live! World Tour. Don't miss it when we showcase the movie and bring the concert to your city!

ST

"Beautiful Noise" - already a Sell Out!

2011-03-15T20:06:00.000-04:00

Huge news today. This morning I learned that the initial screening of our World Premiere at the Sarasota Film festival on April 9th is already Sold Out! SFF tix don't go on sale to the public until Friday, but since we were blessed with a record-setting 6 screenings of BN by the programmers, the festival allowed me to conduct a pre-sale promotion this week. As a result, the 7:00 pm screening has sold clean and the 9:15 show that follows it is well on its way to a sellout as well. Thank God there's 4 more screenings scheduled...as I know the buzz is getting stronger every day about Beautiful Noise. My P/R- Marketing Director is under siege for tickets to our Opening Night screenings and the Premiere Party afterward at Ceviche in downtown Sarasota. What a wonderful dilemma...

To top off the day I just received the happy news that Beautiful Noise has just become an Official Selection of the SUNSCREEN Film Festival happening in St. Pete, Florida April 13-17! What more can I say? We're on a roll!

ST

"Play Me" - The Story Of His Life

2011-03-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

Spending time plotting our marketing strategy with our Executive Producer, Wendy Williams, never fails to turn into an all day session where I learn more about the movie biz than you can learn in a year at film school. This highly regarded Hollywood producer & production manager has been my consigliere on Beautiful Noise almost from the start - and after working closely with my Team for months to help us shape the film, I was thrilled when she agreed to come on board as our Exec Producer. Wendy's credits include movies with $100 million + budgets and working with some of the top Directors and Actors in Hollywood, so it's a rare and special treat that she has joined our troupe and is guiding us on our Indie Journey.

At the end of our World Premiere planning session today, Wendy asked me about the slate of movies I'm readying for production in the next few years. One of them is a film titled Play Me - a fictional story based loosely on the life of our BN star, Jay White. I think I can make a terrific Musical based on Jay's trials and tribulations on his way to becoming the world's #1 Neil Diamond Tribute artist. Wendy loved the idea but came up with the better angle to go for broke and make a no-holds-barred documentary about Jay and his Diamond career. Play Me will be shot this summer as we follow this talented performer around the world as we promote Beautiful Noise and showcase the Beautiful Noise Live! Concert event. Wendy's right. Jay's story need not be fictionalized as the truth is better than fiction in his case. So we'll be documenting everything on our US & European movie concert tour this year and capture Jay's incredible Story...the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of it. It's going to be a gripping true-life drama and one helluva Musical piece...as we'll be capturing Jay's live performances as he tours with his movie co-stars.

Play Me will be shot and edited before I start principal photography this fall on the Beautiful Noise prequel & sequel - Serenade & Heartlight. Can't wait to get started.

ST

A Sprint To The Finish Line

2011-03-13T21:54:00.001-04:00

Spent the day at the rehearsal of our Sarasota-based Beautiful Noise Live! band that's prepping for the April 1st concert at Riverview's Performing Arts Hall and afterwards mapped out the Gameplan for the June/July segment of our combined Movie & Concert showcase Tour to Ireland and the UK with band leader Tony Tyler, a terrific Suncoast musician/singer/songwriter. Everyone's excited about taking the show on the road after the inaugural Sarasota concert...

Today's light schedule was a rarity as from here on out it's going to be a sprint to the finish until our BN World Premiere on April 9th at the Sarasota Film Festival. Pulling together the final elements of post-production on the film; prepping for the BN Concert; overseeing the mastering, production and release of our Soundtrack album; executing the opening stages of our international marketing campaign, polishing the BN Serenade prequel screenplay and outlining preproduction on that new project - it's all happening at once. Can't wait to dig in and finish Strong!

ST

The Dream Team & Getting to "Yes!"

2011-03-12T21:05:00.000-05:00

Another hectic day working with my post production Team to ready the Final Product for our April 9 World Premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival. I signed off on Dean Johanesen's killer music score that complements the 18 songs in the film...and I worked with Mandy on ticket details for both the first screening of the movie as well as the April 1st BN Concert at Riverview's PAC in Sarasota. Our Foley Sound Effects Editor Brett Jones and Soundtrack mixing engineer Steve Connelly are working closely with our L.A.-based Dolby Surround Sound Supervisor Dino Herrmann to finish that critical process - and our ace Colorist Courtney Penna is working her magic to color correct some footage that needed a little touching up to bring out the vibrant hues of the Suncoast scenery featured in our film. Meanwhile, editor Marc Alcorn is busy working with me to create the new Trailer and debating whether he's going to sport a tux at the Premiere or go for that slightly less formal "Sarasota Casual Cool" look.

Yes folks - the patients are taking over the asylum.

You could safely say that our BN Team is working at full throttle and starting to understand the magnitude of our achievement - being selected to screen a record 6 times at the SFF! It's just the kind of incredible start I was hoping for as we begin our international film festival tour. I can't begin to tell you the feeling I have inside watching these half-crazed, completely exhausted, true-blue indie film fanatics and friends ply their seemingly unlimited skill set on Beautiful Noise.

If you first time indie producers/directors are wondering how I was able to bring this Dream Team together working with such a limited production budget, let me enlighten you here and now.

First - stop listening to the naysayers that tell you there's no way you can afford hiring super-talented people to score your movie...color correct your film...add Foley sound effects...get that helicoptor shot you're dying to do...licence songs by legends like Joni Mitchell for your Soundtrack...shoot your film with hi-tech cameras like the Red Cam...add Dolby Surround Sound...etc. Get away from those people who don't share your vision with a Passion fast. When it comes to making your movie, they're either in...or they're in the way.

Second - don't take no for an answer. Ever. Don't compromise on anything relating to the look and feel and sound you want for your movie. Just don't do it. If you do, you'll work your ass off for weeks and months and live with a result the rest of your life that you know deep down could have turned out differently...if you'd only stood your ground and fought with everything you've got to find a way to make your movie your way.

The way to make the impossible happen is to simply ASK FOR THE HELP. That's the secret formula. Cast your inhibitions aside and understand that you have to go through a ton of No's to get to that one "Yes!". And then you have to go through many more No's to get to the next "Yes!". And so on...until you get what you need to make the movie you have running endlessly in your head and pounding incessently in your heart. Seek out the most highly-skilled people; sincerely share the Story of your movie and your hopes for the film; ask for their help; make a deal that fits your immediate budget restraints and their future payday potential if everyone does their best work - and then ask then and there for a Yes or No.

Ask and you shall receive...if they believe in you.

I asked an incredible number of people to help me make Beautiful Noise. Some said no right away for various reasons that simply don't matter. Some said yes right away but then bailed for reasons that simply don't matter. Some said yes right away and stuck with me through thick and thin to get BN made...and it's those happy, crazy, fanatical people who shared my vision and that will soon listen to that Opening Night audience respond enthusiastically to their work. Then those triumphant warriors will cheer on their fearless and likewise happy, crazy and fanatical leader of the band as I tuck our film under my arm and showcase it at every film festival and special screening that will embrace us - seeking exposure to our movie and soundtrack album and the best avenues to secure worldwide distribution deals on our behalf.

3) Burn your ships in the harbor and make certain that there's no way for your armada to turn back and retreat when the going gets tough. Keep moving forward and remember that your Cast & Crew needs your leadership and encouragement to get them what they all want - which is to quit their day job and make movies full time someday!

So this is a teachable moment that can be applied to most any worthwhile endeavor.

Remember - remove yourself from anyone with negative waves; ask for the help you need; never give up or give in and keep moving your Dream forward at all costs until it becomes your Reality.

If I can do it...you can do it.

ST

Posters, Press & Party Plans

2011-03-11T21:32:00.001-05:00

Today was spent on a critically important element often underworked by indie film producers - Marketing the Movie. Our Marketing & P/R Director Mandy Watters and I met all day with media outlets to set up the final ad blitz to promote the fast approaching "Beautiful Noise Live!" concert on April 1st at the Riverview H.S. Performing Arts Center. The concert, featuring film co-stars Danielle White, Chris McCarty & Jay White, promises to be a barnburner as they'll be performing songs from the movie before Jay's full-blown Neil Diamond Concert after intermission. The BN Concert Tour will play everywhere the movie is showcased...from Sarasota in April to Dublin and the UK in June to who knows where the rest of the year? The concert is a great way to expose the films' killer Soundtrack and gives me an added promotional feature to leverage. I think it helps set us apart from other indie feature films in a major league way...and helps us sell a ton of Soundtrack CD's and other movie-related merchandise.

A lot of time was also spent on Poster design for the film. I worked with BN Teammates Ryan Lebar & Ralph Barnette to develop a variety of posters that will be used on the international film festival circuit. It's a really important part of the process and I'm very happy with the first round of posters the guys and I came up with...with a big assist from our ace Production Consultant...veteran Hollywood producer Wendy Williams, a Suncoast resident when she isn't managing a crew of hundreds on a $100 million dollar film set somewhere in the world.

We're also hearing from a lot of Suncoast media outlets who just got word of our "Official Selection" to the Sarasota Film Festival and who want to do feature stories, preview the film and interview me and the stars of BN. Thank God Mandy is coordinating the media requests 'cause it's all coming at us now fast and furious...which is a good thing! I'm just grateful I found the perfect person to efficiently and professionally handle those critically important requests and relationships with the media. Mandy is a superstar addition to our BN Team.

We also met with the GM of the Ceviche Restaurant & Bar in downtown Sarasota to secure the entire 3rd floor of the hugely popular eatery and nightspot for our long-awaited World Premiere Party after the April 9 screenings. It's the perfect spot for Cast & Crew and our invited guests to gather after "Beautiful Noise" debuts on the big screen for the first time - and a great place to mingle with the growing legion of sponsors and fans of our indie production. I'm inviting everyone who attends the 7:00 & 9:15 screenings of BN on April 9th to join us at our otherwise private celebratory gathering at Ceviche to hang with the Cast & Crew all night. Live band, good food and drink, and a night we'll remember the rest of our lives. It's all part of the process of indie filmmaking. Work Hard...Play Hard...then crank it up again and start pre-production on the next movie this summer. I can't wait...

I love the marketing side of the movie biz. It's such a kick to see so many people and numerous Suncoast media organizations get so excited about "Beautiful Noise"... even though at this point they're reacting to my endless amount of enthusiasm for what my BN Team created and the overall potential of the film. Soon everyone will be able to see what the excitement is all about and whether the movie can live up to all the hype.

I'm a Believer that it will.

ST

BN World Premiere - Sarasota Film Festival - April 9

2011-03-11T02:12:00.000-05:00

It's official! The World Premiere of "Beautiful Noise" happens Saturday, April 9th at 7:00 pm at the Sarasota Film Festival. I couldn't be happier for my Cast & Crew. All the hard work is resulting in not one but an unprecedented six screenings at our hometown film fest! I'm honored by the embrace of the programmers who selected our film to showcase in one of the worlds' most prestigious film festivals.

Tonight we mixed the last 3 Soundtrack songs before I head to L.A. to oversee the 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound mix. I can't wait to be standing at the back of the theatre on Premiere Night to watch the faces of our audience as the Story unfolds and as the Soundtrack soars and envelops them. It promises to be a memorable evening.

If You Know What I Mean

2011-03-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

I recently received some incredible news about our film that I've been restrained by the powers that be to tell you about...but all that changes tomorrow. Once the media is officially alerted, then I get to tell you all about it. Sorry for the tease. It's just that it's been a tough day dealing with all the plates my post-production Team have twirling at hyperspeed up in the air to meet our deadlines, so just taking a moment to contemplate the expected response about our World Premiere plans has me Smiling.

"Beautiful Noise" is in the final stages of The Countdown and is about to take flight. I couldn't be more proud of all the terrific people slaving away to complete the Soundtrack; color correct some footage; add the final Foley sound effects and - the icing on the cake - adding the 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. There's a countless number of unsung heroes on our movie...so be sure to stay seated during the end credits to read their names. My dedicated Midnight Pass Productions Team is proving once and for all that low budget, high quality and hugely entertaining feature films CAN be produced right here in Southwest Florida.

On the "Beautiful Noise Live!" Concert front, I'm happy to announce that we have a new Sponsor and ticket outlet - The Open Pub & Restaurant - located at 8579 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. Swing by for some great food and your favorite beverage and pick up your tickets for the upcoming April 1st concert at Riverview's Performing Arts Center in Sarasota. You don't wanna miss Danielle & Chris singing songs from the movie and Jay's world-famous full-blown Neil Diamond show. Come join us! It's gonna be the kickoff to a memorable month in the lives of my entire "Beautiful Noise" Team...if you know what I mean.

ST

Beautiful Noise - The Soundtrack of a Lifetime

2011-03-08T15:58:00.000-05:00

As we enter the final days of post-production on the movie and start shifting into our international Film Festival & 'Beautiful Noise Live!' Concert mode, I'll do my best to post updates on this Directors' blog daily. There's a lot happening all at once now, so I think it's important to detail the daily happenings, the good stuff as well as the challenges, so that other fledgling indie filmmakers can get a glimpse of what this filmmaking process is really all about...at least from my perspective. The daily blow-by-blow account will also no doubt delight my family and friends who, I'm told, love reading of my epic struggle to leap the final hurdles that lead to the finish line. They all have a wicked sense of humor as they enjoy seeing me sweat it out while I navigate my way through this maze. It's not like the old days when everything came so easy to me and I could make things happen at will. Creating 'Beautiful Noise' with my Cast & Crew has been the absolute hardest work I've ever done in my life...and among the most rewarding.

Last night was a high water mark for the Soundtrack. Danielle has already put her own unique spin on a piece that has become her characters' Theme song by delivering a terrific lead vocal on "Godspeed". Then Brett Jones, a key member of our BN Production Team, came up with the idea of adding a Gospel Choir to the mix. It was a stroke of genius. Brett joined me, "Godspeed" songwriter Dean Johanesen and BN co-producer Ralph Barnette at the Trinity Christian Fellowship Center in downtown Sarasota last night to record their incredible choir singing the backup vocals for the song. It was a night I'll never forget. The gospel choir worked for hours with us to get it just right...and believe me...the Better Angels in all those present brought out the best in us. I can't wait to hear this song in a theatre with Dolby Surround Sound! It's amazing...and it will be an unforgettable moment in our film.

We have a couple of important media announcements coming this week about the Soundtrack Release date and our World Premiere. Thanks for following along...and please help us spread the word about our movie when you see it or hear the Soundtrack album. I think we have a "Contender"...so very soon the success of the film in finding its global audience is going to be a matter of film festival marketing, special showcases, live concert events and, with your help, massive social media networking.

Here's a list of the songs. It's truly the Soundtrack of a Lifetime because it appeals to such a wide demographic...from kids to baby boomers to seniors...there's something there for everyone. Every lyric and melody has a specific purpose and actually propels the Story. There's no fluff or filler tunes here...just great songs from great songwriters performed with a passion and spirit by an incredible Cast that will blow you away...guaranteed.

Stay tuned for some big news this week about all things "Beautiful Noise". Meanwhile, here are the song titles.

"BEAUTIFUL NOISE" SOUNDTRACK

1. Doin’ Another Day

2. Easy

3. Butterfly

4. Coming On Strong

5. Maybe You’ll See Me When I’m Gone

6. Sorry

7. Lonely Hearts

8. Goodbye To Eleanor

9. The Story Of Us

10. Joy

11. Backroads

12. One More Song In Me

13. Fly Away

14. Last Dance

15. Free Man In Paris

16. Godspeed

17. Relax

18. Believe

Steve

A Soundtrack that's "Coming On Strong"

2011-03-02T15:58:00.000-05:00

I love movies...and I especially love movies that move me emotionally as a result of a Soundtrack that literally elevates the film and takes it to a higher place. The Story of "Beautiful Noise" has a special feel to it, an emotional journey that will make you laugh, perhaps make you cry, and for sure make you think about certain elements of Life. But the Soundtrack...well, it's one of those things that simply transforms my Story into something more - something that will stick with you - something you'll talk about enthusiastically when people ask you what you thought of the movie. I just finished working with Suncoast singer-songwriter Dean Johanesen on the music score, that is to say the 'incidental music' that helps put emphasis on critical moments in the film or that simply bridges certain sequences. It was Dean's first crack at composing for a narrative feature film - and with a little help from his favorite Director, he knocked it out of the park. Dean's fantastic guitar work coupled with the songs showcased in the film by a variety of fabulous singers, songwriters and musicians causes me to gush without hesitation about the incredible Soundtrack we've created. It will absolutely blow you away with its range, its content and with its incredible musical and vocal performances by all involved.

I'm releasing the Soundtrack album in advance of the "Beautiful Noise" World Premiere at an upcoming spring film festival - in fact, it will be on sale for the very first time at our April 1st "Beautiful Noise Live!" concert event at Sarasota's Riverview Performing Arts Center. VIP Reserved Seat ticket holders will not only have the best seats in the house, but they also receive a free download of the entire movie Soundtrack as part of their ticket purchase. General Admission patrons will have a chance to buy the Soundtrack at the concert as well...

In the coming weeks before our premiere we'll be posting a new Trailer and Music video on our Home Page here on the website...so keep checking back for the latest news flashes that will start coming fast and furiously very soon. We're proud of our Musical-Drama and we hope you'll enjoy all the songs as much as we do. It's an album of tunes that takes "Beautiful Noise" to a rare place that most indie films never experience by adding a dimension that only the Gift of Song can deliver. From Joni Mitchells' legendary classic "Free Man In Paris" that's absolutely crushed by Jay, to Kimber Clevelands' beautiful ballad "Maybe You'll See Me When I'm Gone" performed soulfully by Danielle; to the magic that is Chris McCarty singing his composition titled "Believe", to Kimber's no-holds-barred send up of her amazing "Coming On Strong" - believe me...you're in for a rare treat at your local cinema or from your ITunes download when you hear this Soundtrack!

Get ready to be amazed with what you see and hear.

From start to finish...it's truly all a "Beautiful Noise".

Steve

"Follow The Money"

2011-02-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

Three words altered the course of American presidential politics forever when "Deep Throat" (Hal Holbrook) uttered the phrase "Follow the money" to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) in one of the finest political dramas ever made - "All The President's Men". Over the years I have found that those three words can be used to solve riddles and answer many complex questions that all start with "I wonder why...or who...or how...or what...happened?" . Throughout every corner of our society, if the issue in question demands answers to sticky or curious situations involving politics, marriage, divorce, sports, business, government, foreign trade, hunger, homelessness, disease, war, peace...you name it - the first thing to do, if you really want to get at the truth, is to simply "follow the money" trail. That almost always leads you to the answers to "Why did that happen? Who decided that? or What the hell just happened?"

Such is the way of the world...for better or worse...and such is the essence of the Movie Business. Why do the handful or so of major studios make and release fewer and fewer films each year? And of those released, why are nearly all of them remakes, sequels or comic book franchise driven? And how can the box office revenue climb higher and higher each year in spite of recessionary times with so many mind-numbingly lame films? Whatever happened to the golden age of moviemaking - for me the mid 60's and the entire 1970's; and for my parents' generation the pre-war years culminating in the incredible film year of 1939? How and why and who decided that "Transformers V" and "Iron Man X" will continue to fuel and dominate the summer box office schedules in the years to come - while quality films like "The King's Speech" and "The Hurt Locker" and "Winters Bone" and "The Fighter" and "The Kids Are Alright" struggle to elbow their way into the limelight and ultimately lead the vanguard at the major award ceremonies honoring the best films of the year?

Just follow the money.

The studios are all owned by major corporations with stockholders to answer to and profit margins to maintain. Tent-pole movie franchises costing studios $100-300 million to make and at least an additional 30% of that production cost to promote are now the "safe bets" for Hollywood. Those kinds of films attract worldwide audiences and create massive ancillary income streams through cross-marketing tie-ins with the Burger King's and McDonald's of the world and other corporate giants. After all...to the studios, it's all about "Show-Biz"...not "Show-Fun". Hey, don't get me wrong. From time to time I love a little mindless summertime entertainment like those screamin' big budget, special effects-laden blockbusters - but what about the real Storytellers, the renegade indie filmmakers fighting our way through the process to showcase our vision on budgets ranging from $5,000 to $3 million and shooting schedules confined to 10 to 30 days? Taking nothing away from artists like James Cameron, who is, no doubt, a genius with his incredible visual breakthroughs with films like "Avatar" - but c'mon - if you gave just about any director $300 million and 10 years to make a movie...I'd bet it would turn out pretty cool as well.

I write all this as Prologue to encourage rookie filmmakers trying to jumpstart their careers and to alert all you potential indie film investors out there who are pondering the possibilities. The facts of the matter are these: (1) There's never been a better time in history to become a writer, producer or director of feature length indie films - so get after it and don't ever let anyone stop your forward progress or steal your Dream; and (2) There's never been a better time or opportunity for investors of all backgrounds to make money backing creative indie filmmakers. And I'm not just talking about the 'usual suspects' in the local arts and philanthropic circles who are capable of stroking $100k to million dollar checks. God love 'em...they're fantastic people...but it's also those individuals in a community who never ever get asked to invest in high quality-low budget independent movies and who are more than capable of writing $5k to 25k checks that can make all the difference when you're cobbling together a viable production budget. It's a Digital world we live in folks - so there's a growing trend and movement unfolding where intelligent investors are teaming up with talented filmmakers who know exactly how to fuse the available digital technology with the right kind of Story that has broad mass appeal and who understands exactly how to market their movie via the countless number of portals that demand more and more content (Netflix, ITunes, Video On Demand, Cable, DVD's, laptops, etc). Indie filmmakers who take advantage of available state and county film incentives (like Florida's) and who carefully explain to savvy investors the revival of the new IRS loophole that allows their backers to write off 100% of their investment in indie films in the same year the investment is made makes for an incredibly viable scenario right from the start. But filmmakers gotta speak up and be multi-dimensional creatures! It's not enough to craft together a wonderful film. You gotta be able to Conceive It...Fund it...Make It (efficiently and for a price)...and then Market & Sell It!

Whenever you 'follow the money' there's always a bottom line that tells the story in black and white - and the net results of a well-made film with a super-low budget that finds its core audience...even with no major theatrical release...can astonish even the most conservative investors. The first and most important key is to take a great Story/Script and make a marketable film on a thrifty budget (yes, it's easier said than done...but we did it...and you can too) - and then show your investors how to leverage the state and federal incentives in their favor. You don't need a multimillion dollar budget to turn a great Story into a great Film...and you don't need 'name' stars to make money (though it always helps!). In the final analysis, if the Story is strong enough and the production values are of high quality...name stars can be attracted to your film because they are, after all, ACTORS who love to perform in great roles, even if all they make is 'scale'. Look what Travolta did with "Pulp Fiction"...or Mickey Rourke with "The Wrestler". In any case, with the right material and a well-executed marketing plan investors can realize an excellent return on their money and actually thrive financially by backing worthwhile indie films. And when your investors make a buck, you and your production Team make a buck - and that allows everyone to keep making the kind of movies we want to make in the years to come.

Case in point: The movie we just made here in Sarasota...a Musical to boot...looks and sounds like much more than a million dollars was spent on it. And guess what? It didn't cost that much. To get Beautiful Noise made in the tough economic environment of 2010 it took a combination of up front cash; a kiss from the State of Florida who certified us with a 30% tax credit incentive that can easily be turned into dollars when post-production wraps; an important assist and guidance from the Sarasota Film Commission; a Cast, Crew and Songwriting Corps who were resolute and passionate about what the film stands for and that have faith in its long-term potential; some deferred compensation and 'back-end %' deals; a tight 16 day shooting schedule in the middle of the hot, humid Florida Hurricane Season; and a huge embrace from Suncoast businesses and individuals who provided no cash but lots of sponsorship of food, lodging, locations and even incredible helicoptor shots to create the visual tapestry that has become Beautiful Noise. And while there's still a few critically important weeks of post production remaining, it's easy for anyone to see that the Story and the Acting and especially the Song performances have positioned our little film to be both a crowd pleaser and a profitable venture for those in our midst who are now making financial investments both large and small to fund our international film festival marketing campaign. I am grateful to those patrons who are stepping up - now, when we need them the most - who truly want to see independent film production grow and prosper here on the Suncoast. I have 5 more feature films in various stages of development that could all be made here in southwest Florida...and Beautiful Noise is helping us open doors that once, quite frankly, were closed.
I figured out early on in the process that it was folly to approach local investors before we actually made the movie and had something special to show them. It was extremely difficult to work this way as lots of sacrifices were made by Cast & Crew...but I knew that the local $ people had heard the song and dance so many times before from others and that not much had ever come to fruition. "Here's another upstart indie producer who says he's gonna make a great movie and everyone's gonna love it and the film festival will showcase it for sure and everyone's gonna make money...yadda, yadda, yadda." So there I was - with no major track record yet in feature films, no stars, and the announcement that the entire movie is being filmed here in Sarasota...which is known around the world as a tropical paradise but not as a mecca for feature film production...yet. "Oh...and yeah...he's also making it into a Musical with mostly original songs. Oh joy! Some guy with a micro-budget and local cast & crew thinks he can make a Musical-Drama that competes with the best of 'em and is filling it with songs written and sung by singers and songwriters nobody's ever heard of...and it's probably gonna make money for sure? Yeah...right. Best of luck Stevie! Wish you well! We'd love to see it happen. We'll take a peek at it when (they meant "if") you make it..." I can't really blame anyone for that point of view. I probably would've felt the same way.

Fast forward to Today.

Beautiful Noise is going to premiere somewhere in Florida this April (hopefully at our own Sarasota Film Festival) and I'll be tucking it under my arm and traveling this year with my stars and co-producers to showcase it at every film festival that accepts us around the world. One way or the other it will be released in theatres and/or across every digital platform mentioned above where people channel their film entertainment right into the comfort of their homes. Actor-Singer/Songwriters named Danielle White, Kimber Cleveland, Chris McCarty & Jay White will no longer fly under the national entertainment radar - as their performances are nothing less than astonishing and will for sure be noticed. Their Supporting Cast and Crew members will further their careers as a result of their work on our film and our collective effort will help Sarasota be
counted among the growing number of markets that embrace and attract both studio and independent film productions alike. And me? I'm just gonna keep writing and creating movies that make people laugh, make 'em cry, and above all - entertain them. So it's all a real Smile any way you look at it.
And then...there's the hit Soundtrack Album...and the Beautiful Noise Live! Concert Tour...and maybe a TV pilot... and a full blown Stage Musical...and the prequel... and the sequel... and...
Okay. Okay...What do you expect from me!?

Like I said, you gotta Dream it, then Make it happen, then you gotta Sell it! And you gotta Believe! So - Indie Filmmakers...unite and conquer!

And Indie Film Investors...take a hard look at the possibilities! There's plenty of filmmakers that need and deserve a helping hand in your community. And there's money to be made when you choose wisely.
And for all those interested in learning more about getting 'strategically' involved in Beautiful Noise...here's a shameless plug and invitation to contact me at your earliest convenience. The train's about to leave the station and there's still room to climb aboard! Now's the time...

Steve

"Beautiful Noise Live!"

2011-02-13T16:05:00.000-05:00

Making the transition from the editing suite back to the recording studio to complete post production on our film has been a real Smile because - after all is said and done - it's a modern day Musical! Now that we've locked the movie as far as the Final Cut, it's all hands on deck to fine tune and mix all the great songs that propel the Story and that literally transport the movie to another level. I'm really proud of what's been achieved so far and I know that the next coupla weeks will be among the most joyous of the entire process. The singers, songwriters, musicians and music producers working with me on the Soundtrack are all amazing. I can't wait to release the Album this Spring and am really looking forward to everyone's reaction to the sights and sounds of "Beautiful Noise" when the film is screened around the USA this year.

To kick things off, the first opportunity to hear the songs from the film happens Friday, April 1st at Sarasota's Riverview Performing Arts Center. That's when the very first "Beautiful Noise Live!" Concert event debuts featuring some of our Cast members and songwriters from the movie. It's going to be an awesome show featuring co-stars Danielle White, Chris McCarty and Jay White as well as BN songwriter Dean Johanesen performing songs from the film in the first half of the show. After intermission, Jay brings his world famous Neil Diamond show to the Riverview stage. Proceeds from the concert will benefit select Riverview High School programs and also help fund our international film festival marketing. Check out all the details here on our website and join us for a sneak preview of all things "Beautiful Noise". It's a concert event not to be missed - and one we'll be taking around the country!

Steve

Flashbacks

2011-02-04T16:06:00.000-05:00

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!" - so says Michael Corleone in "Godfather III". And that's exactly how I felt this last week as I worked closely with my three lead actors - Danielle, Jay & Kimber - to record their lead vocals and ADR dialogue, which was a scheduled activity / and film three pick-up scenes I decided we needed to shoot before Marc & I lock the final picture edit, which was not scheduled. As a result, five power-packed 20 hour days followed that left me and my co-producers exhausted...and thrilled with a knowing that we were not only finished filming all the scenes we needed...but that we had captured lightning in a bottle.

Danielle was up first, flying in from California for 2 days to sing, among other things, a cool Dean Johanesen composition titled "Godspeed". But before the studio session, I realized I needed to write and quickly film a 'flashback' scene that enhances the Story in a special point in the movie. At the location, Danielle and her 6 year old co-star for the day, Cody Aspinall, worked with me to rehearse and block the scene...and though only 2 lines of dialogue were called for, it took quite some time of back and forth improvisation to work out the perfect words that the sequence demanded. Once the camera rolled, Danielle and Cody captured the essence of the 'flashback' in just a few takes. When Marc and I edited the scene into the movie later that night we were both astonished at how incredibly important that cinematic moment was...and I wondered aloud how the hell I could have shown the film without it. Another shining example of the better angels within pointing me in the right direction...

The next day it was time to capture Danielle's final vocal work on the film before she jetted back to SoCal. As usual, she took her time to let the first song - "Godspeed"- sink in, listening quietly in the corner of the studio control room. I could see she was a little unsure of her approach to it because Dean's original version is so strong and wonderful as is. But "Dez" needed to deliver her own unique version for the film, so her hesitation was quickly replaced with the enthusiasm and creativity I've come to know and expect from my talented star. It's important to remember that this 19 year old singing phenom writes and sings her own brand of songs which are fresh and original and completely representative of her personal take on Life. Yet the songs I've asked her to sing in the film, for the most part, are not anything close to what Danielle would choose to record for her own album. Not that the Soundtrack songs are a stretch for her in any way...it's just that the tunes are so wide in range that it's been an interesting challenge for her to bring her characters' voice and personality to each musical moment. But God, did she ever deliver the goods. Within a few takes Danielle nailed the "Godspeed" vocal in such a memorable way that I'm certain it's going to become a breakout hit single off the
Soundtrack. After Danielle headed back to Cali it was time for Kimber Cleveland to film her big moment in the film. I won't go into detail here...but I recommend that everyone stay seated during the End Credits to see and hear a performance from Ms Cleveland that will leave you dazed and amazed. Dazed 'cause her song is so damn good and amazed that she isn't already a major star. Later that day the Magic happened again. Kimber has been inspired by the Story of "Beautiful Noise" from the moment she finished reading my early draft...so much so that she's been working on a pivotal song she titled "One More Song In Me" for over 8 months! After we shot her big scene at Sarasota's Riverview Performing Arts Center we trekked over to Phillippi Creek Park, found an interesting, sunny spot on the massive lawn, framed her up in the camera and turned her loose. What transpired in front of me was a song from her heart that perfectly fits what happens next in the movie. Just Kimber and her McPherson acoustic guitar - recorded live on the spot. Another miracle of a song from an incredible performer. I am so proud to be the Director that presents her for the first time in a feature film.

After Kimber's departure from sunny Sarasota it was Jay White's turn to make the scene and record his lead vocals on several key songs in the film. Jay is the world's #1 Neil Diamond performer and he's the real deal. The best. But he learned something important while creating his character in our movie. Jay is so much more than "Neil Lite"...the next best thing to Neil himself. Jay is an Actor...and a convincing one as you will soon see. Plus he's something more. He's a world-class performer who can be just as successful singing original songs like Kimber's "The Story of Us" or Joni Mitchell's "Free Man In Paris" as he is singing all of Mr. Diamond's hits. Jay just completely slayed us with his rendition of Randy Newman's "Feels Like Home"; Dean Johanesen's "Last Dance" and demo tracks of Kimber's "Sorry" & "Coming On Strong". In between the release of "Beautiful Noise" and the preproduction on the prequel & sequel later this year I am going to produce an album of all original songs for our "Bobby Drake" to sing. I can't wait to watch my friend spread his wings...

It's been an amazing week. And more amazing weeks are heading our way. The "Beautiful Noise" journey continues and for the first time ever...I can see the End Zone. It's First Down and Goal to go from the ten yard line. Just gotta get some rest, think it all through and make sure we secure the ball all the way in to the Score!

Steve

"Feels Like Home"

2011-01-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

Shooting our movie and recording the Soundtrack right here in Sarasota was an important part of the Mission when I set out on the "Beautiful Noise" journey. The creation of a thriving indie film production environment in this region relies on local filmmakers staying home and finding innovative ways to bring their artistic vision to life. Against the advice of many, I was determined to film everything entirely on location here on the Suncoast and to use local cast & crew wherever possible...and with the exception of three actors, I accomplished that goal. Now I'm happy to report that most of the all-important post production activities on the movie is going to happen right here in Sarasota as well! Our indie film company - Midnight Pass Productions - is teaming up with a highly experienced group of filmmakers and technicians to create a full service film production complex in town that focuses exclusively on local screenwriters, authors, directors, producers, songwriters, musicians and the like to help fill a huge void that exists in Southwest Florida. Kinda like what The Beatles created when they first put together Apple Corps back in the 60's...we're forming a company and creative environment whose sole purpose is to embrace, consult, produce and promote indie filmmakers & singer/songwriters who don't have major studio or record label connections established and also handle all the post production and marketing activities required to showcase their work. Look for a big press announcement and more details soon on this exciting new organization.

Meanwhile - I'm really glad that the new strategic alliance allows me to work on all the "Beautiful Noise" film scoring, color correction, ADR looping and Foley sound effects right here in Florida. Hey - I enjoy the L.A./Santa Monica scene and know that I'll be spending a lot of time on the west coast over the course of my film career, but there's nothing like making movies & soundtracks and being able to sleep in your own bed every night! Sarasota already has an incredible local music scene going full throttle that rivals any town in the USA, but mark my words - this market will also be a hotbed for indie filmmakers from all across America within the next few years. It's great to know that the "Beautiful Noise" Trilogy, Midnight Pass Productions and our new strategic partnership is poised to form the critically important vanguard of this exciting movement.

Steve

Strike Up The Band!

2011-01-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

Sending the rough cut of the movie off to a few spring film festival programmers for their review was a much more surreal experience than I thought it would be...and personally hand-carrying the DVD copy of the film to the Sarasota Film Festival folks was an especially anxious moment. It was like dropping off my only son to his first day of school hoping he'd be accepted as a good kid by everyone and that he'd do OK. I know that competition is fierce on the film festival circuit but I'm hopeful that Beautiful Noise will be embraced and be able to compete in a lot of great fests...starting with a hopeful world premiere right here on the Suncoast come April...

My co-producers Ralph Barnette & Marc Alcorn and a small group of insiders now dive into the final weeks of postproduction with me to shape the final product. We've decided to shoot three new short scenes that will enhance the Storytelling...so Jay, Danielle and Kimber will be back in town soon for a couple of days of filming. Meanwhile, I'll be working closely with my Soundtrack co-producers to wrap up the loose ends on the Music side of things, including the incidental music that sometimes makes all the difference in the overall tone of a film. It's those little guitar or piano or string pieces that often consist of just a few short notes that I pay close attention to when I watch a movie these days. Oftentimes they're a variation on the melody of the primary song in a film, heard ever so lightly in the background...other times they're orchestral stingers that bring attention to a dramatic moment. I really love this part of the process. It's this kind of attention to detail that can make or break a film...and it's an area I'm very focused on. To assist the effort to complete the Soundtrack I've brought in two terrific Sarasota-based musicians: Dean Johanesen & Abe Feder. Dean is a dynamic singer/songwriter I found late in the BN production process who has proven to be an invaluable musical resource. Dean has 2 songs in the current film and will be working with me, in addition to other noteworthy songwriters, to develop the Soundtracks for the prequel and sequel I'm filming later this year. Abe is a heralded member of the Sarasota Orchestra and is featured on 2 of the most important songs in the movie. His understated cello performance on "Lonely Hearts" lifts that duet to new heights - and when you hear his beautiful, haunting instrument come into play at a strikingly emotional point later in the film it will send chills down your spine and a tear to your eye. Abe is creating parts for a string quartet and brass section to perform under his direction on several key songs. His addition to the BN Soundtrack Team is a watershed moment for us.

Hey! We may be a low budget indie Musical...but we're gonna deliver a high quality Film & Soundtrack thanks to great artists like Dean & Abe and all the other talented local musicians who've joined together to help us deliver Beautiful Noise.

Steve

From Rough Cut to Final Cut

2011-01-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

After all is said and done...after the focus groups, family and friends weigh in with their opinions on the rough cut...after the co-producers, editor and select cast members share their no-holds-barred takes about what the Beautiful Noise Team has created...it all boils done to one voice, one vote, one decision. Mine. That's the beauty of creating something from nothing - and it's also the burden. If the movie works, I - as the writer/producer/director - will receive far more credit than I deserve, given the tremendous contributions of cast and crew. If it fails to live up to expectations and all the positive buzz building up to the premiere, than I get all the blame. But you know what? Bring it on! That's the nature of the beast and I'm charging ahead with eyes wide open. In the final analysis, it's the only thing I can do.

The rough cut showed me and everyone who has seen it one critically important thing - that we have a truly great little movie on our hands...if we can just keep tweaking the film in ways that propels the Story without desaturating the emotional pull. I can clearly see that the movie I wrote and the themes I want to explore are right there in front of me and my editor...but to get to the point where we lock the script there are still subtle but critical decisions to make. It's a bit daunting to know that if I make just one bad decision the entire pacing and thrust of the film could be irreparably harmed. On the other hand, if I make the right calls the movie will play out strong and serve its purpose - to entertain and stir emotions.

There's two and a half more months of post-production ahead of us before the final product plays on the big screen. Once Marc & I finish tweaking the film and I lock the picture, we'll ship it off to have the color correction process completed. Meanwhile, my co-producers on the Soundtrack and I will put the finishing touches on all the songs and send them off to be mastered. I plan to release the Soundtrack album ahead of the films' premiere in the spring, so Mo & Roger and I are going to be busy this month recording and mixing final versions of the songs as they'll be heard in the movie and on the album. Then I'll be working with our Sound Design wizard to mix in the Foley sound effects, ADR dialogue looping and the incidental music that will enhance and/or bridge certain sequences.

The writing process continues on the prequel and sequel and the development of three other films I've scripted and outlined shifts into high gear this month. 2011 is the year I've been waiting on all my life. I just didn't realize that fact until I took time off for the holiday break, reflected on everything that's happened, personally and professionally, and gazed into the future to ponder the potential impact of the opportunities I've created for my entire Team.

Either way it goes, it's gonna be fun...and life-changing.

And it all depends on how well I traverse the terrain between the rough cut and the Final Cut.

Steve

The Rough Cut

2010-12-23T16:13:00.000-05:00

I've heard and read all the stories of how horrified film directors usually are when they screen the initial compilation of scenes and sequences of their first movie in sequential order for the first time. Most of the comments center around the fact that the first cut is way over the desired 2 hour or less running time of the film; or that the film is such a mess that they can't see how it can possibly be turned into the movie they envisioned when they signed on to their project. I can identify with them...to a degree.

I've always had three primary fears about seeing the first rough cut of Beautiful Noise:

1) Will it run way too long given the way I showcase the 16 songs in the Musical-Drama?2) Will it drag out in any way due to either bad writing, bad directing, subpar acting or the overall pacing of the film?

3) Will it be entertaining and thought provoking enough to garner good word-of-mouth after it's release?

My editor Marc Alcorn was thrilled with the initial result after we glued the movie together for the first time. I was, at best, encouraged that we were at least on the right track. Marc is a solid pro in the editing biz with many years of experience at his craft. I've worked with a lot of terrific editors and he's without a doubt at the top of the list of the best I've ever worked with - so I was a little worried with his overly enthusiastic response right off the bat. He's an extremely creative, precise and nit-picky editor and he lets nothing get past him if a cut doesn't feel or look just right. The guy is a harsh critic of his work and will labor for as long as it takes to nail a 5 second edit and fight me to the enth degree if he disagrees with my final edit decisions, which keeps me on my toes and is healthy for our final product. So, needless to say, his expression of awe with our first cut both delighted and concerned me. Delighted 'cause Marc knows what he's talking about...concerning 'cause I am holding the film to an extremely high standard from the get-go. Marc is too of course, but I'm not interested in simply being one of the best indie films to ever come out of Florida. I'm interested in entertaining and hopefully enlightening a worldwide audience in some small way. That's why the movie is being submitted to film festivals around the globe. I want all my films to be compared to all others, be they big studio features or small budget indie projects. It doesn't matter. A movie is either good or bad. There's no in-between. Whether or not it ultimately finds its audience is a marketing question. But nothing good can happen if the film simply doesn't do it's primary job - to entertain.

The good things about that first rough cut were obvious:

1. It came in at an hour and 45 minutes long...which is just about perfect for a Musical.

2. It didn't drag at all...if anything, it moved a touch fast for my taste in the opening sequences.

3. As for it's entertainment value, the Soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission - but Marc was most stunned and I was most happy about the uniformly wonderful acting performances turned in by the Cast. I mean, these are all relative unknowns acting in our film, but they were extremely good throughout, and often-times great. I mean it. Great. I guarantee you'll care about and identify with more than one of the characters and you'll be absorbed into the Story we're trying to tell without the distraction some indie films face...bad acting. It's a sizable cast and they all delivered the goods and made their characters believable and memorable.

So what was the problem? It was the same challenge every writer-director faces when he/she is editing their first feature film. The only way to smooth out the edges I was seeing in that first pass was to cut out some of my favorite lines or small scenes that I just really loved. Yeah, we had limited options sometimes due to technical difficulties with how we may have shot a sequence that made Marc's job editing a nightmare at times...but in a few places I simply had overwritten a scene or some dialogue. It was just amazing to me how much we were able to enhance the pacing and flow of the film as well as the already good performances of the cast by making subtle changes. Trimming, tightening, lengthening scenes in some cases, cutting to just the right beat or lyric of a song - all those little, tedious things and gut decisions I had to make made such a huge difference.

Last Sunday night was the first big test. We invited 20 people made up of cast, crew and a few civilians to screen the rough cut. Marc and I explained in great detail that we were nowhere near the finish line of delivering the final product and that the audience needed to overlook the need for color correction or a final sound mix or the fact that a few pick up scenes still needed to be edited in later. Everyone understood and they were all anxious to see where we were in the process. I can't begin to tell you the level of anxiety that engulfed me when the lights dimmed and the opening sequence began. All I could think of was - "God, what if this sucks? Will they smile/chuckle when I did? Will they get emotional like I still do at certain places in the piece? Will the music work its magic as intended?" Marc, on the other hand, had the look of the conquering hero on his face. He was supremely confident that what the test audience was about to see would not only be well received but probably amaze everyone in the room.

Thank God, Marc's take on things was spot on.

After an extended round of applause when the film ended the group shared their insights and ideas with us for over an hour. Everyone contributed to the discussion and all their input has been taken into consideration as Marc and I shape the final version of the rough cut to submit to some nationwide spring film festivals before the December 31 deadline. Once again, it's mind boggling what a coupla new pick-up shots and some more tweaking of the film does to the overall impact of a movie. We've added, deleted and continue to polish the rough cut of Beautiful Noise...and the Story I wanted to tell is shining through more and more each day. It's nice to know this is the worst that the movie will ever look. The final cut you'll see when the film is released will be head and shoulders better than what we have now...and what we have now is pretty cool...

Separate from the test group screening, I showed that first rough cut to Jay and later on to Kimber. They, of course, studied their own key performances carefully and came away from the experience with sighs of relief, terrific ideas on how to improve the film overall, and big smiles. They should smile. They are both great in the film and should become hot commodities in the film and music world as a result of their wonderful work.

In a few days I'll show the rough cut to Danielle. She was my very first Casting decision and now she'll be the last big test before we submit our work-in-progress to all those film festivals for consideration. Like Jay & Kimber, I completely trust her creative take on things. She's wise beyond her years.

In spite of my best effort as their Director, Jay & Kimber still had extremely heavy loads to carry to bring their respective characters to life and make you care about what happens to them - and they just nailed it! But now that I have a little time to sit back and really look at this movies' scope and scale - how I wrote it; how we shot it; what I wanted to accomplish - I see clearly how the heaviest burden regarding the success of this ambitious film rests squarely on the shoulders of a soon to be 19 year old actress/singer. Some thought it a bold, even brash move to cast Danielle so quickly way back when we started. After all, the whole movie really rides on that one decision. But it took me about 5 minutes to decide on her after our first meeting and audition. I just get a "knowing" when something or someone is placed in my Path that belongs...and I quickly knew she was right and deserving of the opportunity - even though all I really had to go on was that initial meeting, some YouTube videos of her winning American Idol Juniors back when she was 11 years old...plus a cool little intro video she advanced of her playing acoustic guitar and singing a vintage Bob Dylan tune...

It's a little scary to think about now, but the cold hard fact I faced was if Danielle couldn't pull off the complex lead character I wrote in a meaningful, moving and convincing way, the movie would fold like a house of cards. Sure, I may get a wee bit of credit for my direction, but believe me - once Danielle and I fell into a groove and mind set about her character depiction- it was all her sheer talent and strong desire that fueled her work. If I could turn back time and have my choice of any young actress on the planet to play the lead role in this movie - knowing what I know now - it would still be Danielle White. Taylor Swift and the rest of 'em can all take a hike. Danielle became and is "Dez"...and along with Jay & Kimber...is a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment world.

In the final analysis, it was a lot to ask of any young thespian, regardless of their experience or skill set, as you'll understand when you see the film. But Danielle's thoughtful and at times jaw dropping performance, as well as those of her co-stars, will not only entertain the hell out of you, but will force you to think seriously after you leave the theatre about the message the film strives to deliver.

What more could an audience ask for from a movie?

What more could a Writer-Director possibly ask for on his first feature film?

Danielle, Jay, Kimber, King and the rest of the troupe - they are all so Beautiful Noise.

Steve

Mission Accomplished

2010-12-17T16:16:00.000-05:00

Ah yes...the thrill of Victory in battle. It was touch and go all week, but my Team pulled together in the clutch and helped me film some crucial pick up shots that enable me to complete the rough cut and ship it to the film festivals on time. What we have now is not only a great final sequence to Beautiful Noise, but also an ending that leads perfectly into the sequel. I didn't compromise. Now it's the movie I intended to make...and not some smaller version of what it could be.

So now it's on to the Sunday night invitation-only private screening of the rough cut - which will no doubt generate some insightful critiques of the film - and then Marc and I will adjust and polish as necessary. It's amazing what a little creative writing and a handful of well-placed 5 to 30 second scenes can do to immeasurably improve the understanding and pacing of a feature film...

Heartfelt thanks to Isaac, Ryan, Jerry & Ralph and to Jim Minor at Riverview HS for making the day happen.

As a Bonus I also got word from Jim that Riverview just cleared the date of Friday, April 1st for the "Beautiful Noise Concert" Event starring Cast members singing songs from the movie and Jay performing his full-blown Neil Diamond show. We'll probably sell out 2 shows for that extravaganza. It's more than a concert - it's gonna have theatrical elements and clips from the movie and all sorts of musical surprises...so it's a show not to be missed. The cool thing is that our Concert in the fabulous 1,000 seat Riverview Performing Arts Center takes place just days before the Sarasota Film Festival, where we're hopeful to have our World Premiere of Beautiful Noise.

So once again, the teachable moment here for aspiring filmmakers is simply this:

Never give up and never give in when it comes to doing whatever it takes to get your movie made the way you want to make it! It's your Voice...it's your Dream...it's your Art. To hell with the mountains you gotta climb to make your film. Just go for it! Surround yourself with people who believe in your Vision and then don't let go of the reins - no matter how hard the circumstances and distractions try to buck you off course.

If you don't quit, you can't fail.

See it through...no matter what.

Steve

“Oh Shit!”

2010-12-10T16:16:00.000-05:00

So there I was last night, just rolling through the happy process of editing the final minutes of the rough cut with editor-extraordinaire Marc Alcorn when the dreaded "Oh shit!" moment happened. I suddenly realized that the current ending we shot was, of course, based on the original draft of my screenplay - something that was written long before the thought of a sequel ever crossed my mind. The scenes we shot are great...but they do nothing to set up the sequel...which is essential 'cause both the prequel - "Serenade" and sequel - "Heartlight" are slated to start preproduction early next year.

So my old nemesis, Anxiety, paid me another visit. And I was defenseless at that moment to fend him off.

The edit session the night before was pure Divine Guidance at work. I asked Marc to take a particularly critical sequence of the movie that was painstakingly edited with a great song originally planned for the film and alter it to accommodate a new song I recently found by Suncoast songwriter Dean Johanesen. Marc looked at me like I was crazy, which happens a lot. In fact, we had to edit in a total of 3 new songs that night, so it was probable that we'd have to re-edit all the targeted sequences...which would have been a huge pain.

But then the Magic happened.

Again.

The new songs not only sounded better, but the lyrics of each tune perfectly matched the action and dialogue of each scene as edited. I mean, they were a dead-on perfect match! As if they were meant to be there all along. It was just eerie...and miraculous. One of those moments when you get a chill 'cause you know that something unique happened that is unexplainable - unless of course you believe, as I do, that there are no accidents and that everything happens for a reason...

But last night it felt like the wheels had come off the wagon. I just couldn't figure out how to set up the sequel with the footage already shot. Another day of shooting more pick up scenes is problematic due to actors' availability and budget constraints - but we're up against a deadline to submit the rough cut to the spring film festivals - so I need to scramble with a cool rewrite and hope like hell my Team and I can pull together in the next week to shoot and edit a coupla key closing scenes that sets up the next movie while still maintaining the emotional punch of the current film.

Could I leave well enough alone? Yeah, I could. But I won't. I refuse to compromise. We've all come too far and worked too hard to settle for anything but the very best ending to Beautiful Noise possible and the chance to start the sequel off on the right foot. So now it's up to me to do one last rewrite of the closing moments of the film and then implore elements of my talented Team to gather one last time to bring it all home.

Stay tuned...

Steve

Harley's, Hitchhikers & Motor homes

2010-12-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

Shooting pick-up scenes after principal photography has wrapped is a common practice for major feature film productions, but a rare luxury for indie movies like ours. As the 'Beautiful Noise' editing process enters its final phase, Marc and I decided to huddle with co-producer Ralph Barnette to quickly pull a small commando crew together, as we needed to shoot scenes that not only fill a few small continuity holes in the footage we have on hand, but that also helps us tie the Story of "Beautiful Noise" together visually.

For 12 hours yesterday lead actors Jay & Danielle and our dynamic BN "Run & Gun" Crew - featuring Rod Millington, Ryan Lebar, Alexia Pepper, Brandy Luke, Bud Buckley, John Mulligan and newcomers Andre and Jessica - joined Ralph, Marc and me on a chilly but sunny Suncoast day that turned out to be one of the most memorable of the entire shoot. From dawn to well past sundown, our dynamic troupe moved as fast as we could from location to location to film exteriors featuring an assortment of Harley rides and stunts, hitchhiking, motor homes and a return to "Noah's" Myakka homestead. We also shot a quick interior scene at one of the finest dining establishments on the planet, the legendary Michael's on East in Sarasota. The last shot of the day was my favorite and was completely improvised on the spot. After getting the candlelight dinner scene we needed at Michael's in the can, I decided to drag my tired Team to one last location before darkness completely engulfed the coastline. We made it over to the Ringling Bridge, which connects the mainland with Lido Key & St. Armands Circle, just as dusk was settling in. Wanting to take advantage of the breathtaking post-sunset golden hues of the sky in the backdrop, I quickly positioned Danielle - who had already switched out a killer black evening gown straight out of an Audrey Hepburn film into her "Dez" hitchhiking ensemble - on the walkway at the midpoint of the bridge and directed her to simply stroll down toward the camera and then pause to gaze across the magnificent Bay, which had a single sailboat gliding across the serene water. It turned out to be an incredibly cool shot and it was apropo that the final sequence of our movie was filmed at the most beautiful time of day in one of the most scenic spots on Florida's west coast. I couldn't think of a better way to say 'Thanks' to the community for embracing our production than by showcasing our young star in such a spectacular Sarasota setting. The simple shot not only works to propel the storyline of the journey of a key character in the film, but also serves as a reminder of the journey of "Beautiful Noise". Our musical-drama could not look and sound as great as it does on such a low budget without the enthusiastic support of so many wonderful Sarasotans and area businesses.

My sincere thanks to one and all, and an extra high-five to Danielle & Jay, Marc and Ralph and our BN "Commando Pick-Up Shot" crew - all of whom went well above and beyond the call of duty yesterday to help me bring the words on the page to Life in such a passionate, heartfelt way.

Steve

THE COUNTDOWN

2010-12-01T16:18:00.000-05:00

Having worked non-stop these last 15 months writing, shooting, scoring and editing the film, the Thanksgiving holiday provided a good excuse to power down, recharge the batteries and take a look at Beautiful Noise with a fresh perspective. It was time well spent. Not only does the rough edit of the film look better than it did before the break, I also discovered two great songs from a new member of our Soundtrack Team that perfectly fills a couple of musical gaps I've been wrestling with for a few weeks. Suncoast singer-songwriter Dean Johanesen was a 'band member' Extra I met on the set on the very last day of principal photography. Dean approached me after the concert scene we shot and let me know that he loved the experience and was willing to help out any other way he could. A few weeks later I called him out of the blue to thank him again for his time and to ask if he had any original songs I could listen to, as I am deep into writing the BN prequel and sequel and on the lookout for new tunes. Deans' new CD was chocked full of great music, but when I heard "Godspeed" & "Last Dance", I knew immediately I had spots for them in the film. Danielle cut an incredible version of "Godspeed" this week in the studio and Jay is set to record "Last Dance" soon. Both songs are just fantastic and add immeasurably to an already hit-laden Soundtrack album.

So the Countdown is on. After we shoot one more day of pickup scenes with Jay & Danielle, Marc and I will have the rough edit ready to submit to select Film Festivals around the country, just in time to meet the early January deadlines. Then the final post-production work of color correction, ADR looping, Foley sound effects and the final sound mix of the Soundtrack and film audio all comes together early next year. And then - the world premiere of Beautiful Noise will be upon us in the Spring. What once seemed a long way off is suddenly rushing toward me. I'm ready for the embrace.

Steve

Singers & Songwriters - The Soul of 'Beautiful Noise'

2010-11-16T16:19:00.000-05:00

Without a doubt, my love of Music in the Movies has emboldened me to write and produce the three musical-dramas that make up the Trilogy: Beautiful Noise; Beautiful Noise 2 - "Serenade"; and Beautiful Noise 3 - "Heartlight". While I really like the Storylines of all 3 films and the Characters I've created, it's the Songs I'm selecting that tie everything together and that will hopefully transport our audiences to places that Dialogue and Scenarios alone couldn't accomplish. Music is a universal language and its ability to help a Spielberg, Scorcese, Eastwood or Coppola to drive their Storytelling to new heights also works wonders for independent filmmakers. Just look at the impact that the original songs from the Academy Award winning indie crowd-pleaser "ONCE" had on that little film. Or give a listen to the score of Edward Burn's new film, "NICE GUY JOHNNY", and then tell me how much those cool little tunes mean to that new indie gem. It's simply amazing to me how a piece of just one song, or a simple orchestral theme, inserted in just the right dramatic moment, can fill us up with every emotion the filmmaker aches for us to feel.

Think about it. Remove a John Williams score from a Speilberg classic; or the variety of rock music from any given Scorcese film; or the simplicity and touch of Clint Eastwood's sparse yet haunting piano phrases in many of his movies; or the sweeping score from Coppola's Godfather epics, or Simon & Garfunkels tunes from The Graduate -and then tell me how much it would have changed how we feel about the work? Okay, okay...so my baby-boomer examples show how long I've been around...but you get the point, right?

My first exposure to combining sights and sounds on film was with my work on commercials 20+ years ago that, for better or worse, became memorable. That experience led me to work with musicians, producers and recording engineers from every musical genre on albums and prime-time television specials on a hometown project called "Holiday Aid". All that was followed by years of promoting concerts with artists as diverse as Beatle Ringo Starr, The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, The Monkees, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Miranda Lambert, B.B King and the late, great Ray Charles, to name only a few. So yeah, the Music has always meant something special to me. And now, the Muse is helping me fuse my love of Story & Films with the Gift of Song in a way that powers me through 15-18 hour days like I was a teenager. It's a groove that I hope lasts me the rest of my filmmaking career.

The first Beautiful Noise film, now in post-production, has a Soundtrack bursting with lyrics and melodies from pop legend Joni Mitchell, the incomparable David Poe, and new names for some of you like Kimber Cleveland, Chris McCarty and Doug Frasure. And the task of rearranging and producing some of the great songs in the film has fallen to my music co-producers Mo Katiraee and Roger Hughes and an eclectic, dynamic group of Sarasota-based musicians I've met along the way. Names like Clair Franklin, Brett Jones, Bud Buckley, Dean Johanesen, Bobby Brader and many other Suncoast artists may appear in smaller type in the end credits, but make no mistake...they are no less important than anyone else on our Team.

The Story we're trying to tell may be the Heart of the Beautiful Noise Trilogy - but the Songs are the Soul of the three films. We hope the Soundtracks move, inspire and encourage you to spread the word about our little musical-dramas...

Steve

I'm A Believer

2010-11-09T16:20:00.000-05:00

Last week's trip to Santa Monica was fruitful in many ways. In addition to meeting with established film and record producers who are interested in joining our Beautiful Noise Team to help market and distribute the current film and soundtrack, I was able to huddle with Danielle and Jay away from the hustle and bustle of a movie set to discuss the next 2 BN films in detail. I've also been in contact with Kimber and other terrific songwriters to start the process of selecting great original songs for the upcoming films - and I've already started the casting process for "Serenade" & "Heartlight" by bringing Dane Diamond into the BN fold. Dane's a marvelous L.A.-based actor/musician who will play an important role in the prequel and sequel. It will also mark the first time he's been able to act in the same film with his Father, King Errisson, who will be reprising his role as 'Zeus'.

As for the movie that will launch the Beautiful Noise franchise, Marc Alford and I are closing in on the final stretch of editing the film. The more we see of the footage that was shot entirely on location here on Florida's Suncoast, the more we believe we have something special on our hands. We pieced together the heavy dialogue scenes first; now we're ramping up to edit the intricate song sequences, which we've purposely saved for last. Across town, my co-music producers Roger & Mo are prepping the final tracks and mixes for the Soundtrack at Sarasota's Top Secret Recording Studio.

The day is coming soon where we'll marry up the sights and sounds that comprise our little musical-drama and submit the finished product to film festivals the world over and release the film through all the digital platforms discussed in my previous blog post. But for now, I'm savoring these private moments where I'm meshing my Story with the songs and the performances of some truly wonderful actors and singers.

Steve

Reaching The Masses

2010-11-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

It's a minor miracle getting any feature-length film made, especially an independent one, and it's an even larger hill to climb to secure distribution so your Story can find it's audience. That's why I'm spending the week in California. In addition to meeting with Danielle and Jay to flesh out the storylines for BN 2 - "Serenade" and BN 3 - "Heartlight", I'm also hard at work making contacts and laying the groundwork with industry execs and distributors at the annual American Film Market (www.AmericanFilmMarket.com ). Setting up and executing strategies to attack the 2011 film festival circuit and securing a distribution deal of some sort is a priority at this stage of the game and something often overlooked by indie filmmakers until after their films finish post-production...but it's essential to begin with the end in mind. Throughout the entire process of writing the screenplay, casting the roles, selecting the songs and pulling together my production team and shooting schedule, I never lost sight of the marketing side of the equation and the daunting task of navigating through the Hollywood maze to give "Beautiful Noise" a fighting chance to be seen around the world. And just when my due diligence on the subject started to turn my dream of a major theatrical release into chasing windmills ala Don Quixote, along came my indie film guru, Edward Burns, to pull me out my temporary funk and show all of us how to complete the mission of getting our films out to the public and make money in the process. As noted in earlier posts, Ed Burns is not only one of my favorite actors, but he's also one of the primary catalysts who inspired me to move forward and make my movies regardless of the budget resources available at any given moment. Ed's first film, "The Brothers McMullen", was made in 1995 for $25,000, went on to become a darling of the Sundance Film Festival and took in over $10 million at the box office and millions more since then from DVD, pay-per-view, cable and other ancillary revenue streams. Not a bad return on the investment, right?

Fast forward to Today. Look how the landscape has changed with regard to how people watch movies. All the different platforms, from Netflix to cable On-Demand to DVD to ITunes and yes, your local cineplex - there's a myriad of ways films are being delivered to global movie audiences. So, indie filmmakers like me need not be frightened by the task of fighting through the Hollywood studio film distribution system because the need for content is overwhelming and the opportunities to get our films directly to the people who want to see them have never been better. But first, you must - as 'Yoda' Burns preaches - fall out of love with a theatrical release and make your movie with a new mindset. You want to see your movie on the big screen? Take it to film festivals and work your ass off to set up special screenings around the country; then follow Ed's lead and embrace the new distribution model he's trailblazing. If your film is strong enough it always has a chance to be picked up by studios looking to fill their distribution pipeline to go with their mega multi-million dollar spectaculars...but the point of making "Beautiful Noise" and all my upcoming films is to have them be seen - one way or another - by the public, to entertain and ultimately to turn a profit for me and my investors so I can keep making films the way I want to make them! This is what I do now and it's what I'll be doing for the rest of my life...so to create momentum and maintain longevity in this business it's critically important to get with the new program.

And exactly what is the new program? Below are a few key excerpts from an interview Mr. Burns did recently with Michael Tully of HammertoNail.com. Read and learn:

Mike Tully: "In 1995, back when the independent film world was in a (seemingly) much more stable place, Edward Burns burst onto the scene when his debut feature The Brothers McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. After being picked up by Fox Searchlight, this tiny $25,000 movie with no stars went on to make ten million dollars at the box office. In the annals of American independent film history, it’s one of the great rags-to-riches tales. Fifteen years—and many films—later, Burns has returned to his roots by making another 25k feature, Nice Guy Johnny. This time, however, rather than holding onto the crumbled dream of the specialized theatrical release model that he himself participated in, Burns and his team have decided to forge a new path. This week Burns, in partnership with Cinetic’s FilmBuff, simultaneously released Nice Guy Johnny on iTunes Movies, Nationwide Video On Demand, DVD, and other digital platforms. By both returning to his micro-budget roots and embracing the role of spokesman for this burgeoning distribution platform, Burns has become an unexpectedly inspiring role model for all aspiring indie filmmakers..

Edward Burns: I remember when we were at Tribeca, and John Sloss, who has this new venture called FilmBuff, who is our distribution partner with this film...gave me an argument, but not so much for Video On Demand. Maybe five years ago, I had this movie called Looking For Kitty. And the movie got one tiny, tiny distribution offer from THINKFilm. It was one of those no advance partnerships, and we had made the movie for a quarter of a million dollars. John said, “Look, you’re gonna sell the movie for nothing and they’re gonna own it, just so you can satisfy that part of your ego that wants the film to be released theatrically.” He goes, “If you were to just go straight to DVD, you could make your money back. And maybe make some more money.” At the time—this was maybe ’04 or ’05—my ego wouldn’t allow me to do it. So, we sell the film to THINKFilm, get no money, we’re supposed to have a partnership, and we’ve never seen a red cent from it. Years later, when we’re presented with the same kind of offer for Purple Violets, now iTunes is up and the iTunes movie site is in their infancy. And we thought, “Look at how bands are delivering their music directly to their fans. Maybe there’s a way for us to try and do that with the film.” And we did. I don’t have the numbers exactly right but I think it was like a nine-month exclusive window for iTunes. And we did surprisingly good business there.

...Flash forward three years later to Nice Guy Johnny. Two different things happened. We knew what we could make at iTunes even if we didn’t have the kind of “stars” and well-known faces that we had in Purple Violets, which certainly helped. So we said, “Let’s just think the lowest possible number we can do on iTunes. If we’re even gonna entertain theatrical, someone needs to beat that number.” But we never even got there, because John then said to me, “Remember back to Looking For Kitty. This is the moment. We can sell your film for theatrical distribution, and you’re gonna open up on four screens in New York and LA, like you did with Looking For Kitty, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that if this company has enough money to market the thing, we might make an impression, and you can expand to the next level of a platform release. If we do well there, maybe, maybe you can go on and expand fully.” He said, “Or, you can release your film onto VOD and be in 46 million living rooms, in that moment when you’re doing all of your press.”...As my producing partner says, “There’s nothing special about a specialized film release.” We just thought, we’ll take our film and we’ll do the most aggressive film festival tour we’ve ever done. And that’ll satisfy the need to see it in theaters, sit in the back row with an audience, hear the laughter, and get the thrill of theatrical out of that. But financially, it just made absolutely no sense to try and sell the film to an audience theatrically. And those were all of the things that played into embracing this model...

...We knew that we could make a film for $25,000. We did not want to deal with any interference. We wanted full creative control. We wanted to make a film that, when we were done with it, we felt great about it. But also, we did not want the pressure of having a financier look at us and say, you know, “What happened to my three million dollars?”

...The other thing is we’re, I don’t want to say 100% certain, but we’re 99.9% certain that this new model that we’ve created is gonna keep us in business. The fact that we can make these movies at that number, a lot of people ask, “Well, how do you do it for $25,000?”...We just formed a collective and everyone on the crew and the post team owns the movie. So, in success, we’re all gonna be able to pay our bills, and then hopefully make some money on top of that. But we know that we’re gonna make enough where we get to do another one of these next year...There are certain screenplays that I have that I know I need to put on the shelf indefinitely, because I want to spend the next couple of years pursuing this uber no-budget model and ride it for as long as we can.

...On this film, the thing that’s cool is we were independent of any sort of influence through the production. And now, we didn’t sell our film; we licensed it to FilmBuff. We still own the film and because of that, we are in charge of—granted, we don’t have a marketing budget—so everything is being done by us. We’re doing our own Facebook and Twittering. We made our own posters. But it’s our poster that we made in house. All of the trailers, my editor and my post-production supervisor, we made them...And, you know, there are plenty of sites that will put your trailers up for free. So, when it’s your baby and you’re doing all that work, it’s much easier to get excited by it.

...One of the cable providers, Comcast, has really warmed to the idea and they’ve even started something called the “Indie Film Club.” The idea is, if you don’t live near an art house, let our On Demand channel be the art house in your living room...There’s even a group, a website I just got involved with called On Demand Weekly, and they’re realizing that people are starting to get their heads around the idea that VOD should be a destination as opposed to an afterthought. We have no idea, quite honestly, how well it’s gonna work, but I bet you three years from now, this is the norm.

So, if you're an indie filmmaker, or aspiring to become one, my best advice is to Google Edward Burns and read everything you can about this new distribution model. If you're a potential investor and want to get in on the ground floor of my "Beautiful Noise" franchise and other films in development with our Sarasota-based Midnight Pass Productions company, contact me on this website. You'll be pleasantly surprised to learn how a very small investment can possibly reap a nice return for you, given the low-budget financial model and production/distribution process employed. And if you're simply a casual observer or fan of the upcoming Beautiful Noise Trilogy, then keep checking back in to this blog - 'cause I'm telling it like it is as I continue down the road that winds up with the release of "Beautiful Noise".

Steve

Stills from The Set

2010-10-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

Our Production Team consists of professional film crew people, volunteers and student interns from all over the Suncoast, all of whom bonded together beautifully to help me produce our movie. Among the most skilled of us is the incomparable Rod Millington. Rod is without question one of the finest photographers in America and he not only provided us with outstanding stills from our varied locations, but he also jumped in to help with lighting our sets and serving the production as a 2nd unit camera operator. Rod was one of the many Sarasota-based professionals who heard I was producing an ambitious indie feature film on a low budget and volunteered his time and talent to help me create "Beautiful Noise". I figured he'd come and go and help whenever he could, which would have been great, but he kept showing up on the set everyday at 5:00 am and pitching in and working with the Crew all day long - so I sat him down and made a formal deal to compensate him for his invaluable service. All my actors, especially the stars of the film, went out of their way to thank me for the wonderful atmosphere that was created for them to work in - and Rod's professionalism and enthusiasm added immeasurably to the positive vibe that was prevalent each and every day on the set.

So, for the rest of post-production right up until our World Premiere in the Spring, I'll be working with our webmaster Ryan Lebar to post some of Rod's great work. Keep checking back to see the weekly pictorial updates...and for the growing legion of fans of our little musical-drama clamoring for more videos, we'll also be releasing a new Trailer and Music Video from the film in the near future.

Marc and I are working diligently editing the film...and yes, there are lots of great shots to choose from that are cutting together beautifully; but make no mistake, there are some technical issues we're overcoming daily that have to do with every element of the shoot - from blocking the shots to weather to directing to acting to continuity to sound to focus to you name it. I don't want anyone to think that everything is all peachy-keen and we miraculously did everything right on every take. We didn't, as the outtakes and the behind-the-scenes "Making Beautiful Noise" special feature on the DVD will clearly show . But it's all part of the process...and we have more than enough great stuff in the can to create a truly memorable movie experience!

Steve

Edit...Write...Edit...Sleep...Edit...Write...

2010-10-17T16:22:00.000-04:00

"If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you I came to live out loud." - Emile Zola

Living out loud' has been my modus operandi for as far back as I can remember and it is an essential element to keep in mind when you're writing screenplays. I mean, what's the point if your Characters don't express themselves in ways that really connect with movie audiences? And I'm not just talking about verbal or physical gymnastics, as many times I find that 'less is more' when trying to portray a characters' feelings. I'm referring to the challenging task of writing scenarios and dialogue that bring your story to life in a vibrant and often passionate way that resonates throughout the movie. This, I believe, is especially important when you're creating musical-dramas.

Making the decision to continue the Story of Beautiful Noise with a prequel and then to resolve the Trilogy in a sequel was easy, 'cause I have a lot more to say about the themes of Life that were touched on in this first installment - and because I know my Characters better now thanks to the wonderful portrayals Jay and Danielle and Kimber & King and the rest of the Company delivered. The tough part is sticking to a dedicated writing schedule while I'm editing all night and developing the film festival marketing plan for the current film most of the day. But that's the Key. Writing each and every day, and at the same time of day, is the only way for me to stay sharp and take advantage of the raging flood of ideas and subplots that dance in my head.

Holed up with my editor, Marc Alford, to edit Beautiful Noise is a great experience as the film seems to be cutting itself effortlessly. We're agreeing on almost every take to use in the final cut and we can plainly see that something special is unfolding on the screen. It's a helluva rush to see Danielle's amazing acting ability infuse such life into the movie and to see Jay play off her lead and react so convincingly to where her 'Dez' wants to take his 'Noah'. And then to watch Kimber, a complete newcomer to film acting, play her role like her life depended on it - well, suffice it to say that no director was ever more eager than this one to get to the editing suite every night to watch his tremendous performers create such memorable Characters.

So it's a whirlwind schedule of Edit...Write...Edit...Sleep...Edit...Write...and so on. And I'm lovin' every minute of it.

The prequel is already outlined and carries the Title of: Beautiful Noise 2 - "Serenade". I'll have the first draft completed within a coupla weeks as Inspiration has once again taken hold of my senses. And I expect the first rough cut of the current film to be ready by Thanksgiving. And then, of course, there's the business of mixing, mastering and marketing the hit Soundtrack we have on our hands...

It 's simply amazing what an indie filmmaker can accomplish when you banish all doubt and elect to "Live Out Loud".

Steve