Sam Mendes was writing the screenplay for what would become Empire of Light and he’d hit a wall.
He knew he was writing it for Olivia Colman even though they’d never met.
Observing her husband’s frustrations with his script, Alison Balsom, an eminent trumpet soloist, suggested he somehow get in touch with Colman in the hope that the actress could excavate him from the rubble of that darned wall.
Eventually, Mendes reached Colman (The Favourite) via her agent. They met on Zoom. “Look, I’m writing something for you,” he recalled telling her.
They had a gossip, then chatted briefly about the project. “I told her it’s a love story of sorts and I talked about how personal it is, and how much it’s drawn from my own life. The upshot of it is that I got a very powerful sense of her.”
Mendes told...
He knew he was writing it for Olivia Colman even though they’d never met.
Observing her husband’s frustrations with his script, Alison Balsom, an eminent trumpet soloist, suggested he somehow get in touch with Colman in the hope that the actress could excavate him from the rubble of that darned wall.
Eventually, Mendes reached Colman (The Favourite) via her agent. They met on Zoom. “Look, I’m writing something for you,” he recalled telling her.
They had a gossip, then chatted briefly about the project. “I told her it’s a love story of sorts and I talked about how personal it is, and how much it’s drawn from my own life. The upshot of it is that I got a very powerful sense of her.”
Mendes told...
- 9/14/2022
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.K. has finally announced an economic relief package for freelancers not in employment after much of the country’s creative industries shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced a new self-employed income support scheme on Thursday. Self-employed individuals can claim 80% of their average income over the last three years up to £2,500 a month.
To be eligible, individuals must earn more than 50% of their income from being self-employed, have trading profits of less than £50,000, and have a self assessment tax return for 2019. The taxable scheme will begin from June and payments will be backdated to March 1 with applicants being paid for three months in one go. The scheme will last for at least three months, with an option of extension.
Those with an immediate need for finances can access Universal Credit or a business interruption loan. A self-employed person with a non-working partner...
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced a new self-employed income support scheme on Thursday. Self-employed individuals can claim 80% of their average income over the last three years up to £2,500 a month.
To be eligible, individuals must earn more than 50% of their income from being self-employed, have trading profits of less than £50,000, and have a self assessment tax return for 2019. The taxable scheme will begin from June and payments will be backdated to March 1 with applicants being paid for three months in one go. The scheme will last for at least three months, with an option of extension.
Those with an immediate need for finances can access Universal Credit or a business interruption loan. A self-employed person with a non-working partner...
- 3/26/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It was a big and surprising win for Sam Mendes at the 77th Golden Globe Awards ceremony with the director picking Golden Globe for best director, and his war drama "1917" emerging as the Best Motion Picture - Drama.
Mendes' "1917" trumped big Netflix projects -- "The Irishman", "Marriage Story" and "The Two Popes", and Warner Bros. blockbuster "Joker".
Also Read:?Why Christian Bale was absent at the Golden Globes Awards?
"This is a huge, huge thing for this movie," said Mendes as he accepted the honour of Best Motion Picture - Drama.
"It opens in a week, wide. It's difficult to make movies without big movie stars in the leads and get people to come and see it in a cinema, and I really hope this means people will turn up and see it on the big screen, for which it was intended,a he added.
The DreamWorks Pictures war...
Mendes' "1917" trumped big Netflix projects -- "The Irishman", "Marriage Story" and "The Two Popes", and Warner Bros. blockbuster "Joker".
Also Read:?Why Christian Bale was absent at the Golden Globes Awards?
"This is a huge, huge thing for this movie," said Mendes as he accepted the honour of Best Motion Picture - Drama.
"It opens in a week, wide. It's difficult to make movies without big movie stars in the leads and get people to come and see it in a cinema, and I really hope this means people will turn up and see it on the big screen, for which it was intended,a he added.
The DreamWorks Pictures war...
- 1/6/2020
- GlamSham
Sam Mendes has won best director at the 2020 Golden Globes, and he used the win for a special remembrance.
Mendes, 54, accepted the prize on Sunday night from actors Antonio Banderas and Helen Mirren for his World War I drama 1917.
During his speech, Mendes spoke about his grandfather Alfred Hubert Mendes — a WWI veteran — and how Alfred inspired the film.
“I’d like to dedicate this to my grandfather,” Mendes said. “He signed up for the first world war, he was age 17. And I hope he’s looking down on us. And I fervently hope it never, ever happens again. Thank you very much.
Mendes, 54, accepted the prize on Sunday night from actors Antonio Banderas and Helen Mirren for his World War I drama 1917.
During his speech, Mendes spoke about his grandfather Alfred Hubert Mendes — a WWI veteran — and how Alfred inspired the film.
“I’d like to dedicate this to my grandfather,” Mendes said. “He signed up for the first world war, he was age 17. And I hope he’s looking down on us. And I fervently hope it never, ever happens again. Thank you very much.
- 1/6/2020
- by Julie Mazziotta, Georgia Slater
- PEOPLE.com
Sam Mendes, who directed the last two James Bond movies and won an Oscar for American Beauty, has wed again.
The former husband of actress Kate Winslet married classical trumpeter Alison Balsom, 38, quietly over the weekend, a rep for Mendes tells People.
They reportedly had a civil ceremony at a register office and then had a formal blessing in front of friends in an English country church, St. Michael and All Angels, in Great Tew, Oxfordshire.
Mendes, 51, who helmed the movies Spectre and Skyfall starring Daniel Craig, was married to Winslet for seven years before they split in 2010. They have a son,...
The former husband of actress Kate Winslet married classical trumpeter Alison Balsom, 38, quietly over the weekend, a rep for Mendes tells People.
They reportedly had a civil ceremony at a register office and then had a formal blessing in front of friends in an English country church, St. Michael and All Angels, in Great Tew, Oxfordshire.
Mendes, 51, who helmed the movies Spectre and Skyfall starring Daniel Craig, was married to Winslet for seven years before they split in 2010. They have a son,...
- 1/24/2017
- by simonperrytimeinc
- PEOPLE.com
Pixie Lott, James May and Christopher Eccleston have been announced as presenters.
BBC Music has launched Ten Pieces Secondary, an hour-long film composed of ten segments designed to introduce students to classical music, following the launch of Ten Pieces Primary last year.
The film will play at cinemas around the UK in October, with schools invited to book free tickets for the screenings.
Ten Pieces Secondary features the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Alpesh Chauhan playing alongside the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the Hallé Choir, as well as soloists Nicola Benedetti, Alison Balsom, and DJ Mr Switch. All the performances were shot at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.
Each segment will be introduced by a celebrity presenter. The line-up of presenters is: TV presenter James May; musician Pixie Lott; actor Bobby Lockwood; comedian Doc Brown; ex-footballer Dion Dublin; Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo and composer Gabriel Prokofiev; poet Lemn Sissay; TV presenter Molly Rainford; comedian Vikki Stone; actor...
BBC Music has launched Ten Pieces Secondary, an hour-long film composed of ten segments designed to introduce students to classical music, following the launch of Ten Pieces Primary last year.
The film will play at cinemas around the UK in October, with schools invited to book free tickets for the screenings.
Ten Pieces Secondary features the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Alpesh Chauhan playing alongside the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the Hallé Choir, as well as soloists Nicola Benedetti, Alison Balsom, and DJ Mr Switch. All the performances were shot at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester.
Each segment will be introduced by a celebrity presenter. The line-up of presenters is: TV presenter James May; musician Pixie Lott; actor Bobby Lockwood; comedian Doc Brown; ex-footballer Dion Dublin; Radio 1 presenter Clara Amfo and composer Gabriel Prokofiev; poet Lemn Sissay; TV presenter Molly Rainford; comedian Vikki Stone; actor...
- 9/3/2015
- ScreenDaily
Talk about a killer kickoff! To celebrate the launch of BBC Music (and to raise money for charity), many musicians from around the globe banded together to cover The Beach Boys' 1966 hit "God Only Knows." Backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, performers included Alison Balsom, Martin James Bartlett, Nicola Benedetti, Jake Bugg, Eliza Carthy, Coldplay, Jamie Cullum, Danielle de Niese, Jaz Dhami, Paloma Faith, Florence + the Machine, Dave Grohl, Jools Holland, Chrissie Hynde, Elton John, Lauren Laverne, Lorde, Zane Lowe, Baaba Maal, Gareth Malone, Brian May, Kylie Minogue, One Direction, Emeli Sandé, Sam Smith, Tees Valley Youth Choir, Pharrell Williams, Brian Wilson and Stevie Wonder. "All of the...
- 10/8/2014
- E! Online
"God Only Knows" is a perfect song. That's just science, people. The BBC commissioned a star-studded version of the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson classic. Watch the video, we'll talk about it after. Here are all the music superstars that appeared in this clip: Wilson, Elton John, One Direction, Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, Jake Bugg, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith, Florence Welch, Chrissie Hynde, Brian May, Dave Grohl, Alison Balsom, Martin James Bartlett, Danielle de Niese, Nicola Benedetti, Eliza Carthy, Baaba Maal, Jamie Cullum, Jaz Dhami, plus BBC's Zane Lowe, Lauren Laverne, Katie Derham, Gareth Malone and Jools Holland, joined by the Tees Valley Youth Choir and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Here's what Wilson said about its creation: "All of the artists did such a beautiful job I can’t thank them enough,” he said. “I’m just honoured that God Only Knows was chosen.
- 10/8/2014
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
Sir Elton John, One Direction and Pharrell Williams are among the 27 artists who have united to perform a reworking of the Beach Boys' 1966 classic 'God Only Knows'.
Launching BBC Music, the ensemble - dubbed The Impossible Orchestra - were revealed in a unique broadcasting moment at 8pm when all of the BBC's television, radio and online networks premiered the track.
BBC Music: 6 things we learned about the Beeb's new strategy
Beach Boys star Brian Wilson, who composed and produced the track, heads the group, and is joined by: popular music stars Sir Elton John, One Direction, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Jake Bugg, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith and Florence Welch; rock musicians Chrissie Hynde, Brian May and Dave Grohl; classical musicians Alison Balsom, Martin James Bartlett, Danielle de Niese and Nicola Benedetti; folk performer Eliza Carthy; Senegalese singer Baaba Maal; jazz...
Launching BBC Music, the ensemble - dubbed The Impossible Orchestra - were revealed in a unique broadcasting moment at 8pm when all of the BBC's television, radio and online networks premiered the track.
BBC Music: 6 things we learned about the Beeb's new strategy
Beach Boys star Brian Wilson, who composed and produced the track, heads the group, and is joined by: popular music stars Sir Elton John, One Direction, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Jake Bugg, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, Chris Martin, Kylie Minogue, Paloma Faith, Sam Smith and Florence Welch; rock musicians Chrissie Hynde, Brian May and Dave Grohl; classical musicians Alison Balsom, Martin James Bartlett, Danielle de Niese and Nicola Benedetti; folk performer Eliza Carthy; Senegalese singer Baaba Maal; jazz...
- 10/7/2014
- Digital Spy
The Sunday Prom: BBC Four, 7pm
Presented by Katie Derham, the China Philharmonic Orchestra make their debut at the Proms as they perform music by Elgar and Tchaikovsky.
Haochen Zhang will perform Liszt's 'Piano Concerto No 1', and Alison Balsom will play a new trumpet concerto by Qigang Chen. Closing the show is Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'.
The Mill: Channel 4, 8pm
The period drama continues. With her head still spinning from the encounter with Will (Mark Strepan), Esther (Kerrie Hayes) comes of age and leaves the apprentice house for a small cellar in Styal village.
Meanwhile, Daniel (Matthew McNulty) is spending more time away from home at political meetings, and Susannah (Holly Lucas) tries to adjust to life away from her friends.
The Only Way Is Essex: ITV2, 10pm
The reality show which follows the lifestyles of wealthy Essex residents.
In the penultimate instalment of the series,...
Presented by Katie Derham, the China Philharmonic Orchestra make their debut at the Proms as they perform music by Elgar and Tchaikovsky.
Haochen Zhang will perform Liszt's 'Piano Concerto No 1', and Alison Balsom will play a new trumpet concerto by Qigang Chen. Closing the show is Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'.
The Mill: Channel 4, 8pm
The period drama continues. With her head still spinning from the encounter with Will (Mark Strepan), Esther (Kerrie Hayes) comes of age and leaves the apprentice house for a small cellar in Styal village.
Meanwhile, Daniel (Matthew McNulty) is spending more time away from home at political meetings, and Susannah (Holly Lucas) tries to adjust to life away from her friends.
The Only Way Is Essex: ITV2, 10pm
The reality show which follows the lifestyles of wealthy Essex residents.
In the penultimate instalment of the series,...
- 7/27/2014
- Digital Spy
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