The official blog of Denise M. Baran-Unland, author. Discover her books for all ages at bryonyseries.com.
Showing posts with label composer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label composer. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Making the Bryony Videos, Step Two: Finding a Mansion
While I was writing Bryony's initial drafts, I wrote a series of stories for the Herald News in Joliet(http://heraldnews.suntimes.com)/ about the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History.
Since its owner, Seth Magosky, died in 2007, his parents have struggled to fulfill Seth's dream of renovating the museum, so they were eager to show it off to me. I declined for two reasons: lack of time and an unwillingness to wander around Victorian mansions until my story was finished. I wanted Bryony's ideas to come from my imagination, not from an actual house.
Once I began querying agents and small presses, I was ready to see the mansion. Amazingly, the layout was exactly as I pictured it, a much smaller and somewhat adapted version of Simons Mansion. It's an interesting place to visit, as it is full of period clothing, furnishings and accessories. One room is devoted to antique dolls; the third floor ballroom has a pipe organ; and the main parlor has a full concert grand piano.
In January, I approached the Magoskys about using the mansion for filming the Bryony videos. They not only enthusiastically agreed, but offered to stage any room with any props we wanted and open up the museum anytime we wanted to film.
Their only request was for me to tune the piano, if James Onohan, Bryony's composer and pianist, felt it warranted it. Stephen Tuplin, our filmmaker, didn't think it was necessary because he wouldn't be using the audio, unless an out-of-tune piano would mess up James' playing. I didn't want to take any chances, so the day before shooting, the piano was tuned.
So, in February, Stephen shot some "B" footage, and in March, when Sarah Stegall was in town for the Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for Kids' Sake (proceeds from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters), Stephen filmed her interview inside the mansion.
Then came a flurry of emails to coordinate filming of the trailer and music video. But before we could do that, we needed pajamas and a makeover for my seventeen year old daughter Rebekah, who would be playing Melissa, and Victorian suits for both our John Simons.
You'd think with four theatres in the Joliet area and one Victorian mansion, period clothing would abound, but we couldn't locate a single one. Blond wigs were even harder to scrounge up and frustration and panic were mounting. Actually, it was Dulcinea Hawksworth, my publicist, who saved the day.
In the eleventh hour, we contrived what we could not find. Our tools? Headbands, human hair, and earrings, along with creative shoppings and pairings. More tomorrow.
Since its owner, Seth Magosky, died in 2007, his parents have struggled to fulfill Seth's dream of renovating the museum, so they were eager to show it off to me. I declined for two reasons: lack of time and an unwillingness to wander around Victorian mansions until my story was finished. I wanted Bryony's ideas to come from my imagination, not from an actual house.
Once I began querying agents and small presses, I was ready to see the mansion. Amazingly, the layout was exactly as I pictured it, a much smaller and somewhat adapted version of Simons Mansion. It's an interesting place to visit, as it is full of period clothing, furnishings and accessories. One room is devoted to antique dolls; the third floor ballroom has a pipe organ; and the main parlor has a full concert grand piano.
In January, I approached the Magoskys about using the mansion for filming the Bryony videos. They not only enthusiastically agreed, but offered to stage any room with any props we wanted and open up the museum anytime we wanted to film.
Their only request was for me to tune the piano, if James Onohan, Bryony's composer and pianist, felt it warranted it. Stephen Tuplin, our filmmaker, didn't think it was necessary because he wouldn't be using the audio, unless an out-of-tune piano would mess up James' playing. I didn't want to take any chances, so the day before shooting, the piano was tuned.
So, in February, Stephen shot some "B" footage, and in March, when Sarah Stegall was in town for the Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for Kids' Sake (proceeds from the Bryony cookbook will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters), Stephen filmed her interview inside the mansion.
Then came a flurry of emails to coordinate filming of the trailer and music video. But before we could do that, we needed pajamas and a makeover for my seventeen year old daughter Rebekah, who would be playing Melissa, and Victorian suits for both our John Simons.
You'd think with four theatres in the Joliet area and one Victorian mansion, period clothing would abound, but we couldn't locate a single one. Blond wigs were even harder to scrounge up and frustration and panic were mounting. Actually, it was Dulcinea Hawksworth, my publicist, who saved the day.
In the eleventh hour, we contrived what we could not find. Our tools? Headbands, human hair, and earrings, along with creative shoppings and pairings. More tomorrow.
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