OH GOOD GOLLY WE WON!!

WOWSERS IN TROUSERS! Well I am delighted, baffled and discombobulated to say... we won the Best Comedy Shortie Short at the LA Comedy Film Festival. No really. We did!

Yes we look delighted, baffled and discombobulated. See I wasn't lying!

Things have been so crazy that I didn't get a chance to blog after the glorious chorus sang on Saturday night, so let me take you back briefly...

THE SCREENING

We met them on Saturday morning. Yes the DAY of the screening! And when they first sang along to the film, which we were seeing on the big screen for the very first time, I'm man enough to say I cried like a girl. They were stunning. They'd clearly worked really hard to pull this together so expertly at such short notice, the were OFF THE SCALE and especially Lea Endres who was my gal on the inside, and Ben Fordham who stepped up as ace conductor...

Then on Saturday night, our little film headlined the screening, and this stunning choir elevated the flick to a whole new level! It was quite simply breathtaking to see this group of (former) strangers sing their hearts out for us, and a room of hardened film makers so supportive and touched. A. MAY. ZING.

Our amazing chorus!! They're members of the Silver Lake Chorus, but this was an unofficial gig, they took time out to come and sing for us, JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT! Legends!!

THE... ERM... WINNING! Wot?!

We saw SO MANY awe inspiring films this week, it was an absolute flipping treat! The standard was extremely high! So genuinely the very last thing were were expecting was to win! So much so that we were filming the announcement of our category in order to flip the camera round on ourselves when whoever won and do the old classic ungracious loser swearing nonsense. So I did nearly drop Lee's camera when they said With or Without U2!

We were so delighted, baffled and discombobulated that we forgot to say a speech or use a single one of our noises. So... we would like to say:

A MAHOOSIVE thank you & well done to our cast and crew who worked like demons for love and cake but no coin whatsoever - Tom Price, Mark Martin, Nicola Lince, Tabitha Beckmann, Darren Vale, Robert Shiret, Carli Vallance, Chris Lince, The Mill, Mick Dow, Eirlys Bellin, Nana Amoo-Gottfried, Diane Easterbrook & Kes the Dog

A GIGANTIC thank you to the members of the Silver Lake Chorus who sang so beautifully for us - Kevin Kim, Noel Soriano, Victor Mazzone, Anthony Starble, Greg Arata, Jennifer Knight, Pi Jacobs, Lijah Barasz, Stephanie Chan, Jennifer Daking, Samantha Posey, and especially to conductor Ben Fordham and our new BFF Lea Endres who not only sang beautifully but also organised the whole thing with me across the pond!  

A GARGANTUAN thank you to Mark Roberts the incredible arranger & composer who created the entire gorgeous sound for the chorus in LA from Sheffield, and who we've still yet to meet!

Lea Endres has been the organiser, the angel, the girl on the inside... oh and she sings like an angel too! I think I owe her my first born child at the very least.

And finally an EPIC thanks-a-bajillion to the incredible people of the LA Comedy Shorts Festival! Most especially Jeannie Roshar, Ryan Higman and Gary Anthony Williams who were not only mad enough to let us bring a live chorus along to sing, but who were so awe inspiringly passionate about comedy film. They genuinely LOVE unearthing treasures and helping new film makers, and the verve and zeal with which they run this festival is THE BOMB. End of.

Peace out, I'm off to spoon with the trophy. HAVE A KISS X. 
The End... or is it?......!! [watchthisspace]

We're in LA BABY! And tomorrow's the big day....

Isabel Fay: All the grace and poise of Mazza Monroe. Moments later I lost control of the skirt and it fluttered freely round my ears. Didn't think you'd want to see *that*

Greetings from LA LA Land! This is just a wee update to say wotcha to our mums. Oh and the blimmin HUNDREDS of you that are being ACE, supporting & following our mad journey: 


***********A brief recap if you don't know the story 
(if you do, then choose your own adventure, follow the knight into the forest & turn to page 143)
I wrote and Lee York directed our debut short film With or Without U2, which got selected for the finals of the LA Comedy Film Festival BABY! It's a silent short written to a choral score of U2's With or Without You. BUT.... U2 denied us rights to the music. But rather than be defeated, we're jumping through a loony legal loophole and having a LIVE CHORUS sing the score as our film plays silently. Oh and it's headlining the Saturday night screening. We've just arrived in LA, and we haven't even met our amazing chorus yet. Now you're up to date!************


Lee & I are recovering from the glorious opening night party and the shock of walking our first red carpet. Lee was a natural. Calm, collected, almost cool. Almost.

I, however, got a bizarre facial tic and pulled this expression out of the bag. Shame.

The quality of the films we saw in the first screening yesterday was outstanding! There was some top notch film making, and it made us feel all the more honoured to have been selected. Anyway, back to us...


TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!


We're so very excited to meet our glorious chorus tomorrow & the festival have been super kind and are opening up dead early so the chorus can rehearse with the film. We blush at the kindness and support we've been shown. I'll have lots of exciting photos and updates tomorrow in the meantime THANK YOU for reading my nonsense and for cheering from all over the place. U Too Kind. KISS X

That's a big old cinema! And Lee has a big old face.

With, most definitely WITH you lot!

I pull this face in the film. Shame about that.

Wow wow wooo-wow, you people are nothing short of amazing. In the last 5 days since my first blog asking for help I have been showered with offers of support, help, introductions and general resounding cheering! You lot have taken this mad plan to heart and messaged me in your hundreds upon hundreds. I am utterly overwhelmed by how kind each person who has taken the time to get in touch has been. THANK YOU!! *bottom lip quivvers*

I’m super duper grateful, truly awed. I should leave it at that before get all Gwyneth Paltrow about the whole thing….

Anyway I am delighted to say, CALL OFF THE SEARCH!!

• I now have the amazing Mark Roberts creating an original arrangement of the track for the chorus (his website’s here, listen to “Time” it’s utterly gorgeous! www.markaroberts.co.uk)

• And a selection of members from the incredible Silverlake Chorus as my chorus of angels (check out their videos here, they’re freaking awesome!  http://thesilverlakechorus.com/) All thanks to my new BFF Lea Endres.

• Plus I have a horde of brand new pals in the US of A to boot!*

(*With several offers of places to stay - you loonies really want me in your house? Right now if I was a cat my tail would be permanently pouffed up like a bog brush. I’m quite jangly at the moment. Seriously you don’t want me, I have a hotel. But thanks so much!)

So I am over the moon to say that because of kindness of these (former) strangers, my tiny film With or Without U2 will not only still be eligible for the finals of the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival, it will now be headlining the Saturday night screening and voiced by a chorus of angels with an amazing original arrangement!

 

One should always rely upon the kindness of strangers.

I also dress as a doggie in the film. I wrote it. I have only myself to blame.

Here comes the “science” bit

Lots of you have asked about the licensing – how come I can’t play the film with the score but can use a live choir. So...

The choir Scala (who’s cover of the song I wrote my film to) offered me a license, no probsies, they were very sweet about it. But I still needed the license from the writers (who are of course U2) to have it as a soundtrack for the film. U2 personally said an unequivocal no to any form of license whatsoever. The end.

But my film is still my film, it just has to be silent.

As it’s being shown in a theatre in LA they have a license to play live music, as any venue like a pub, bar, theatre etc would. In real terms this means that I can come to your local pub and repeatedly sing Careless Whisper all the live long day with my ukulele and there ain’t a single thing George Michael can do to stop me. You might object though. Espesh as I only know 3 chords. Though given that I’m singing all the live long day I might eventually fathom a 4^th chord, going with the Monkey + Typewriter x Time = Shakespeare theory. I digress.

Therefore if a live chorus HAPPEN to be in the screening room where my film HAPPENS to be playing silently, and they HAPPEN to sing With or Without You, well… there ain’t a single thing Bono, The Edge and The Other Two can do about that.

Yes, it means this will be the only time my film will be shown in public. Which makes it all the more special, and makes all of the messages of support and offers for help all the more heartening. I feel like the luckiest little lady in all the land and this is going to be an adventure. THANK YOU I'll keep you posted X

My Short Film 'With or Without U2' - Most definitely without U2! Can you help?

An unintentionally filthy press pic from the film

 Recently some of you will have seen me jellified with joy that my teeny tiny debut short film With or Without U2 made the finals of the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival! I have been in a permantent state of delirium and possibly reached critical mass several times. Quite pleased.

It’s a silent film written to a soundtrack: With or Without You sung by a Belgian all girl’s choir: Scala.

But in a devastating twist it can never ever be shown in public as it stands. Ever. Why? Sadly, it's because U2 have declined our license application to use any version of their track.

If you want to read the full story it’s below, but for those time poor but compassion rich, I am asking for HELP!! I have a cunning plan to jump through a loophole….

The LA Comedy Fest are totally behind my idea – to show the film in the style of the silent era, with a live choir singing the score! Amazing! They love this idea so much we’re now headlining the Saturday night screening!

But only if I can recruit:

• a Los Angeles choir/glee club who are just mad enough to learn a new score by 9^th April and perform along to the film
• a composer to help us create an original arrangement
• general help/fixers in LA to help me liaise until I get there on 7th April

And if we win our category, every cent of the prize money will go to Comic Relief!

Granted, this is a tall order, but if you know anyone who might be able to help, please do get in touch, I would be unutterably indebted and grateful! X

isabelfaycomedy@gmail.com

Here are some images from the shoot http://www.flickr.com/photos/isabelfay/sets/72157626163161355/

Tom Price (yes him, PC Andy off Torchwood! How lucky am I?!) and me on the set of With or Without U2

The long version:

So… having made a few sketches to music, like this one for Funny Or Die http://www.funnyordie.co.uk/videos/0c48868303/total-paperclips-of-the-heart-from-fod-team-uk?rel=user&rel_pos=2 I have fallen in love with writing comedy to music. It’s such an inclusive way to work: if you remove language you not only get to find inventive ways to tell stories, you also get to tell them to literally anyone in the world. Music and visuals are universal languages.

In my eager naivety as a first time producer, I had no idea that I needed the music licenses approved before shooting. Idiot. I know. But a keen, passionate idiot. So with barely a budget to speak of, ace director Lee York and I invested and shot it with the highest possible production values, because the entire cast and crew worked like demons for love and cake. But not a penny of coin. I was genuinely astonished that so many seriously talented people gave their skill, time and love to this film so willingly!

Written to a beautiful version of the iconic U2 track With or Without You, sung by a Belgian all girl’s choir Scala: It’s haunting, lush and we shot every moment to the beats of the music. I used the track because it was stunning. Then I applied to Blue Mountain music for just a one year festivals only license to show it at film festivals. No internet, no TV, just a festival only license for 12 months. They asked for a copy for the band. Wowsers in trousers! The band! Sure thing, Bono watching my little tiny film, what an honour!

But I’m devastated to say the band have personally said an unequivocal no. This is of course completely their right, it's their song! And a gorgeous song it is too.

But I don’t let little things like nay-saying megastars keep me down! Too many people have worked like demons for this. So, with the festival’s full support we’re looking for an LA based choir or glee club just crazy enough to learn a new arrangement in the next 2 weeks, and to sing my soundtrack live! The festival are so behind this idea that they have moved our screening, it will now headline the Saturday night show! I am over the moon.

So if you know anyone in LA who can help? If you happen to be friends with an entire choir? Or have friends there who will be willing to help? I would be so grateful. It ain’t over til the glee club sings! X