Blog Archives

DIANE'S DELI: Cast Update and Teaser Trailer

7/31/2013

The cast for DIANE'S DELI: A Tale from Paradise Heights is now finalised. A terrific ensemble I am sure you will agree, congratulations to all involved and the hard work now starts here. The cast are as follows:

RICHARD ALLEN
NEIL BELL
JULIE DONNELLY
EMMA LAIDLAW
JO MALONE
JOE O'BYRNE
DAVID EDWARD ROBERTSON

The first teaser trailer for the play has now been released, please share this where you can :)

I'm sure you'll agree that is a beautiful vocal from DENISE MORGAN, the full song is below and details of the song concept and recording of the song in the update below this one.

Tickets can now be booked at the link below.

We advise people to book quickly as we anticipate this will sell fairly quickly, it would be great to see you.

http://www.kingsarmssalford.com/index.php?id=9

Add us to your favourites for further updates...best wishes, Joe x

0 Comments

DIANE'S DELI rolls into pre-production: THEME SONG RELEASED

7/27/2013

0 Comments

Logo design by Darren McGinn

And so it begins...

Pre-production on DIANE'S DELI officially kicked off this week. I'll be doing a cast and crew update over the next couple of days, but for now, something - well, a little different. There aren't many plays that have a theme song or tune, not many to my knowledge anyway. Well, DIANE'S DELI now has its own theme song.

There is nothing pretentious about this, no, there is a solid reason for it as those that will see the play will realise. There are themes and threads within the play that lead us back to the troubles of Northern Ireland. It would have been easy to look for an existing song and use that, but with that there are all kinds of copywrite issues and I don't have the time or money for that. So I set out to write one of my own - how hard could it be?

The song tells the tale of a battle weary soldier, trying to make his way home across many battlefields; will he end up in the arms of his fair maiden or will he end up in the arms of the banshee that wails over the dead on those battle fields? It needed an olde world title, needed to be Irish too - so why not -

THE MAIDEN AND THE BANSHEE...?

Works for me. Well I wrote it. The lyrics I should say, as musically I am next to useless. I knew I needed a composer and I knew the kind of sound, instrumentation I wanted - but how do I get that across to a musician? Well, luckily I had worked with the genius that is HOLLY WYATT before, and Holly is one of those few people that can understand my feeble attempts at talking around music and composition. She got it, but she also is a brilliant creative in her own right, and as ever Holly delivered in spades. She got together with Craig Edmonson - AKA Stickboy a great creative in his own right, more of Craig's stuff here, and believe me it's well worth a visit. http://www.youtube.com/stickboymusic

Denise Morgan - pic by Andrew K Moss

Holly and Craig came up with the perfect melody for the song, something that needed to be military in style, traditional and somewhat haunting, all necessary to match the lyrics. They more than delivered. Obviously we needed a vocalist, someone who could capture the right traditional flavour. I put a request our on facebook - and we hit the jackpot.

DENISE MORGAN offered her services, Denise a finalist of last years' THE VOICE - she was on Tom Jones team, there are links to Denise's own work here.
http://soundcloud.com/denise-morgan
and
myspace.com/denisemorgan

Vicky Batrack joined us at the School of Sound Recording (SSR) in Manchester, as our engineer for the evening and she did an absolutely superb job - we were done in just over an hour. Vicky is a professional engineer for live, studio and post production sound, her site is here:

LITTLE DOOR AUDIO http://www.littledooraudio.com

Holly Wyatt: Overseeing the producing

Vicky Batrack: Monitoring things...

Denise works her Magic

Joe: it really wasn't that intense...

For something that we have turned around in such a short space of time, I have to say I am very proud of our work here, and it really sets the tone for the play to come, the link is below, everyone has done a stirling job and Denise's vocal is so haunting, we hope you enjoy it.

Click the link and spread the word, oh and give Louis Walsh a shout, it's got that 'get up off the stool' moment...:)

Theme from Diane's Deli: The Banshee and The Maiden
https://soundcloud.com/dianesdeli/the-maiden-and-the-banshee

Cast and Crew update soon...stay tuned...Joe x

Vicky Batrack, Holly Wyatt, Joe O'Byrne, Denise Morgan. I have a very long right arm...

0 Comments

THE RED DRESS and DIANE'S DELI Update

7/5/2013

0 Comments

Concept sketch by Joe O'Byrne

THE RED DRESS by Joe O'Byrne

I was inspired to write a poem around a demonic red dress, the poem is below. I want to produce and direct this as a short film. I'm currently crewing up and I will be auditioning for actress's - many actress's to take a part in the film, this is a no budget shoot, so I can only offer food and a lively and friendly set; but you will also have one hell of a piece for your showreel. I will be entering the short into several festivals and will keep everyone updated through this site and elsewhere on the films progress. Here is the poem:

The Red Dress

The way she wore the Red Dress
The girl struggled but lost control
Hair thrashed, sweat rained, desire restless
It possessed her body, her heart, her soul

The way she worked the Red Dress
Her Voo-Doo had cast its spell
I had to take this Crimson Temptress
Though I knew it would take me to Hell

Intoxicated by the Red Dress
I took her arm, I heard her gasp
The Victim meets the Huntress
Our dance was slow, our hearts beat fast

Her flesh was hot beneath the Red Dress
She wore it like a shimmering, sweating skin
My black heart would know no forgiveness
The hot red night was filled with sin

The fever rose beneath the Red Dress
As she shed that shimmering skin
The fucking drove us both to madness
A dangerous liaison; a fatal happening

On the bed her crumpled Red Dress
A black tear marks her cold blue face
As I look on her in sadness
Death has taken its one embrace

I feel the dark power of the Red Dress
The broken mirror begs me not to go
Black night and a Scarlett Seductress
The Red Dress leads and I follow

In the club I work the Red Dress
I catch my breath, her scent, her glance
I gasp in the grip of my huntress
And we slowly start to dance...

Concept sketch in progress by Joe O'Byrne

Now, I am still considering whether I will be shooting a small section of the film (guess which part) that may involve some partial nudity. There will be NO SALACIOUS FULLY NAKED SHOTS, I imagine there may be the side of a breast shown, or someone's bum, nothing more than that. Obviously the action in the poem will show some kind of tryst, and this will be between two girls, again only fleetingly shown, I will be story boarding over the weekend so at auditions I can show actress's the kind of shot it would be. THIS WILL BE A FULLY RESPECTFUL SET WITH MALE AND FEMALE CREW ON SET, actress's will get to see final cut of the edit before the film is released. Personally I think the poem leans in that direction, so I'm swaying more to get those shots.

Auditions will happen soon (stay tuned to the website - or leave a response to this blog if you are interested), in terms of tone of the video think Neo Noir, meets True Blood, meets The Prodigy. It will have a very 'arty' feel and will be a piece everyone will be proud of.

I already have a lot of interest in the film, and several fantastic actress's are coming forward - thanks so much for your interest it's really flattering. Crew wise thus far I have myself directing and the the supremely talented Colin Warhurst as DOP, dynamo young gun Anthony R Smith is Producing. Several other names are now throwing themselves in the hat to help me 'crew up'. Anyone interested in any crew role please leave a response on here to the blog or email me at joe.obyrne@ntlworld.com

Thanks so much for all the interest thus far and for the compliments on the poem.
---------------------------------------------------------------

DIANE'S DELI Update:
DENISE MORGAN joins Team Diane's Deli

Logo design by DARREN McGINN

I have written an Irish lament for the play Diane's Deli (song is below) and I am absolutely DELIGHTED to announce that DENISE MORGAN, is providing her fabulous voice for the song to be recorded over the next couple of weeks. Many of you will know Denise from her gigs around Salford and Manchester but of course Denise is famous nationwide as a finalist on Tom Jones' team in last years series of THE VOICE on BBC1.

Denise Morgan - Pic by Andrew K Moss

Here is a link to Denise's facebook page, where you can stay up to date with he gigs, recordings, interviews and find links to her recordings. I'm delighted to have the hugely talented Denise Morgan on board - and with a name like Morgan, well - I'm sure Frank's proud too.

https://www.facebook.com/DeniseMorganMusic

More of her work can be heard here:
http://soundcloud.com/denise-morgan
and
www.myspace.com/denisemorgan

Here's the song, I'll be releasing it in the run up to the play:

THE MAIDEN AND THE BANSHEE

My love is warm when night grows colder
So raise your head, young soldier
Let your heart beat a fine pace
Please just shun her cold embrace

Dig deep, my love, dig deep
Soon I will sing, time to sleep
You’re coming home, coming home
No more battle fields to roam

Though the black birds grow bolder
Keep your head up, young soldier
Though many young Red Robins die
There’ll be no tear in her eye

Dig deep, my love, dig deep,
Soon I will sing, time to sleep
You’re coming home, coming home
No more battle fields to roam

Rest your head on my shoulder
Rest your head now, dear soldier
You’re at the top of the hill now
And all behind you is still now

Dig deep, my love, dig deep
Now I will sing, time to sleep
You’re nearly home, nearly home
No more battle fields to roam

And as I watched the last leaf fall
I lost you love, to country’s call
I’ll wear the black, cry the tears
But you’ll be with me down the years

Now sleep, my love, just sleep
In my cold arms you will lie deep
You’ve come home, you’ve come home
No more battle fields to roam

You’ve come home, you’ve come home
No more battle fields to roam…

Repeat and fade…

Lyrics: Joe O’Byrne

DIANE'S DELI: A Tale from Paradise Heights written by Joe O'Byrne will be Directed by Neil Bell and will premiere on the 26th August at Studio Salford, The Kings Arms, Bloom Street, Salford. More details to follow.

Joe xx

0 Comments

DIANE'S DELI: Cast Update and Teaser Trailer

DIANE'S DELI rolls into pre-production: THEME SONG RELEASED

THE RED DRESS and DIANE'S DELI Update

DIANE'S DELI Update:
DENISE MORGAN joins Team Diane's Deli

Author

Archives

Categories

DIANE'S DELI: Cast Update and Teaser Trailer

DIANE'S DELI rolls into pre-production: THEME SONG RELEASED

THE RED DRESS and DIANE'S DELI Update

DIANE'S DELI Update: DENISE MORGAN joins Team Diane's Deli

Author

Archives

Categories

DIANE'S DELI Update:
DENISE MORGAN joins Team Diane's Deli