'The trailer on Kickstarter is most easily the most inspiring thing I have seen in my adult life.'
What is the Queen's Suite? The Queen's Suite is about Peter Edwards, one of Britain's most promising jazz arrangers and his dream is to perform Duke Ellington's Queen's Suite (which was written in 1959 for the current British Monarch) to the Queen at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The film follows Peter as he puts together his band, rehearses them and negotiates with Buckingham Palace. The film provides a unique and intimate insight into the background and career of an exceptional musician. It has a live soundtrack by The Tomorrow's Warriors jazz orchestra.
Who am I? I'm the director, producer, principal camera, editor, runner and the woman who was inspired to make the film and who has been pushing it forward. I saw the orchestra perform at an open rehearsal in 2008. In a world that is saturated with negative images of young people, I saw the young people I know, talented, sensitive, committed and full of passion and joy and with that I saw an opportunity to make a positive documentary which can be shown in schools nationally and worldwide.
Why did I make it with no funding? It wasn't my first choice! I did pitch the idea to the BBC, Channel 4, C5, and Britdoc but no-one was interested. Then I had a meeting with Christopher Hird a leading executive producer at Dartmouth Films and he believed in me and the film so he gave me access to equipment and that was it. With his support and others like him in 18 months without funding I have come this far. Now we also have the support of TY, the music producer who is facebooking and twittering, and Dune Music who is also twittering and a group of people who I know and don't know who are pledging and sharing the link to the trailer on Kickstarter.
Why did I make it? In a world saturated with negative images of young people I wanted to do something positive to show just how brilliant young people are. And I loved the music and the story of Duke Ellington and the Queen. I was inspired.
Why then do I need funds? I've done what I can without funds and it's at the stage where it now has to be handed over to the professionals for a online edit and dub to make it broadcast quality.
How long do I have? 46 days and counting. Kickstarter suggests 45 days, as their successful projects are backed in this period.
How can you help? Please look at the Kickstarter page and if you like it please make a pledge and share it with you friends. Facebook it and twitter it. Be part of a community which is celebrating jazz.
Pledges for the finishing funds start at $3 and in return for a pledge I have organised acknowledgments, online downloads, photographs, DVDs plus much, much more.
There is great excitement about the documentary, and as the director, producer, principal camera and runner I know that everyone who was involved with the documentary felt privileged to film Peter and the orchestra.
It's great that we have the opportunity to raise the funds on Kickstarter. We want to share the story of Peter and Duke Ellington and the Queen with young people and adults world-wide.
Thanks for reading,
Corine
What is the Queen's Suite? The Queen's Suite is about Peter Edwards, one of Britain's most promising jazz arrangers and his dream is to perform Duke Ellington's Queen's Suite (which was written in 1959 for the current British Monarch) to the Queen at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The film follows Peter as he puts together his band, rehearses them and negotiates with Buckingham Palace. The film provides a unique and intimate insight into the background and career of an exceptional musician. It has a live soundtrack by The Tomorrow's Warriors jazz orchestra.
Who am I? I'm the director, producer, principal camera, editor, runner and the woman who was inspired to make the film and who has been pushing it forward. I saw the orchestra perform at an open rehearsal in 2008. In a world that is saturated with negative images of young people, I saw the young people I know, talented, sensitive, committed and full of passion and joy and with that I saw an opportunity to make a positive documentary which can be shown in schools nationally and worldwide.
Why did I make it with no funding? It wasn't my first choice! I did pitch the idea to the BBC, Channel 4, C5, and Britdoc but no-one was interested. Then I had a meeting with Christopher Hird a leading executive producer at Dartmouth Films and he believed in me and the film so he gave me access to equipment and that was it. With his support and others like him in 18 months without funding I have come this far. Now we also have the support of TY, the music producer who is facebooking and twittering, and Dune Music who is also twittering and a group of people who I know and don't know who are pledging and sharing the link to the trailer on Kickstarter.
Why did I make it? In a world saturated with negative images of young people I wanted to do something positive to show just how brilliant young people are. And I loved the music and the story of Duke Ellington and the Queen. I was inspired.
Why then do I need funds? I've done what I can without funds and it's at the stage where it now has to be handed over to the professionals for a online edit and dub to make it broadcast quality.
How long do I have? 46 days and counting. Kickstarter suggests 45 days, as their successful projects are backed in this period.
How can you help? Please look at the Kickstarter page and if you like it please make a pledge and share it with you friends. Facebook it and twitter it. Be part of a community which is celebrating jazz.
Pledges for the finishing funds start at $3 and in return for a pledge I have organised acknowledgments, online downloads, photographs, DVDs plus much, much more.
There is great excitement about the documentary, and as the director, producer, principal camera and runner I know that everyone who was involved with the documentary felt privileged to film Peter and the orchestra.
It's great that we have the opportunity to raise the funds on Kickstarter. We want to share the story of Peter and Duke Ellington and the Queen with young people and adults world-wide.
Thanks for reading,
Corine
