Tuesday 12 April 2011

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]

Friday 8 April 2011

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.