The Creators
TT: Team tinsel
IT TOOK A VILLAGE TO BUILD THIS TOWN AND PUT IT ON THE MAP, SO CLICK BELOW TO MEET THE AWESOMELY CREATIVE CREATORS OF TINSEL’S TOWN.
As a director, Michael wears a variety of directing hats and his work uniquely spans from TV to Broadway to film – and now, with Tinsel’s Town, to digital media as well.
THE “FATHER OF THE MUSIC VIDEO”:
For the pivotal role he played in establishing the visual language the genre, Michael has become known as “The Father of the Music Video”, for helming the first videos for The Beatles (including REVOLUTION), The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and The Who.
He also directed the Beatles documentary LET IT BE (recently remade by Peter Jackson as “Get Back), Whitney Houston’s first music video “You Give Good Love”, and was the award-winning director of GRACELAND with Paul Simon. With this intense interest in music, it’s not surprising that Michael has also signed on to direct Tinsel’s Town’s very musical sequel, THE LULLABY LEAGUE.
To watch Peter Jackson talk with Anderson Cooper about video for “Get Back” shot by Michael, click here:
A UNIQUE DIRECTOR:
Michael’s work is not confined to music or to video. He’s one of just a handful of directors who’ve successfully managed to move skillfully amongst various media, often nominated and awarded for his groundbreaking efforts in television, stage and feature films. And now, with “Tinsel’s Town”, digital media as well.
STAGE:
At a time when HIV and AIDS were stigmatized everywhere, including on the New York stage, Michael stepped forward to direct the original groundbreaking production of Larry Kramer's THE NORMAL HEART at Joe Papp's Public Theatre. The play was later remade by Ryan Murphy.
On Broadway Michael earned a Tony nomination as Best Director for WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY the same year his mother, Geraldine Fitzgerald (one of only a few women directors in theater) was nominated for the same award for her play, MASS APPEAL. Michael’s Broadway production of AGNES OF GOD with Geraldine Page won a Tony Award for Amanda Plummer and won critical praise for Michael as well as incredible reviews.
FILM:
The New York Film Festival premiered his film THE ROLLING STONES ROCK AND ROLL CIRCUS as a (sold out) Special Event. The film, long thought lost, has recently been rediscovered and will soon be getting a theatrical release, according to an LA Times article.
Michael’s other credits include SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE screenwriter Tom Stoppard's only original television play, PROFESSIONAL FOUL and Graham Greene's DR FISHER OF GENEVA. He also directed RUNNING MATES with Diane Keaton and ED Harris for HBO, and wrote/directed THE OBJECT OF BEAUTY, starring John Malkovich and Andie Mc Dowell, which won Best Director and Best Film at the Cairo International Film Festival. His film FRANKIE STARLIGHT with Anne Parillaud, Gabriel Byrne and Matt Dillon was voted by Jeffrey Lyons and Siskel and Ebert as one of their Top 10 pictures of the year while his film GUY with Vincent D'Onofrio was named one of the year’s Ten Best by LA WEEKLY.
TV:
Michael got his start and forged a name for himself directing the groundbreaking musical TV series “Ready, Steady, Go!”. Named by the British Film Institute as one of the best British television programs of all time, it also wound up being a showcase for Michael’s groundbreaking experimentation with new camera angles and techniques.Most notably (and perhaps most famously), Michael directed BRIDESHEAD REVISITED (3 of his 5 BAFTA nominations or wins), a worldwide phenomenon that is widely considered the cultural precursor to DOWNTON ABBEY.
His film of WAITING FOR GODOT was part of the Beckett series, which won the award for Best TV Drama on the prestigious British arts program THE SOUTH BANK SHOW.
VISUAL ARTIST:
Michael is also an accomplished visual artist. His oil paintings and drawings have had solo shows in New York, London, Austin and Los Angeles. His artwork, can be viewed on his website here. He has written a best-selling memoire: “Luck and Circumstance”, described by its New York Times Review as “a practically Shakespearean drama … Epic love, mistaken identities, letters revealing secrets — they’re all here.“. He is also a contributing editor at “Vanity Fair”.
To see Michael’s work from “Cassanova’s Dream”, a recent art show in Paris, click here.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Michael has also signed up and signed on to direct the “Tinsel’s Town” sequel, “The Lullaby League”, as comedy/drama about a group of veteran Hollywood actresses whose already sidelined lives are further upended when a petulant reality star is sentenced to perform community service in their retirement home. That reality TV star is, of course, Tinsel.
For more on “The Lullaby League”, click here.
“Aimee-Lynn Chadwick is one of the most talented actresses I’ve worked with and would again, in a heartbeat.”
—Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Director“Aimee is a writer's dream-come-true, and this writer considers himself extraordinarily lucky to have met her. Without Aimee there would be no Tinsel. It's that simple.”
—David C Barry, Creator“There is a real arc to Tinsel’s story and to the character, and my only concern was casting: I didn't know if we'd find the actress who could show all sides of the character, a daffy, funny, neurotic, unawarely unaware sort of person. Then Aimee-Lynn Chadwick came into our lives and showed she could do all that and more...on a very tight schedule with loads of lines to learn – she did it all with responsiveness and constant good humor.
– Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Director
WHO IS ALC?
Aimee-Lynn Chadwick comes from the small Cape Cod town of Sandwich, MA. She attended the prestigious Capachione School of Performing Arts as well as The Boston Conservatory. She has since performed a variety of leading roles in stage plays including Reno Sweeney in ANYTHING GOES, Martha in THE SECRET GARDEN, Adelaide in GUYS AND DOLLS and, most recently, Audrey in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Park City's Egyptian Theatre.
BIG BREAKS:
In 2003 Aimee moved to LA and landed her first film role in the Warner Bros. feature A CINDERELLA STORY as the quirky/punky, "Shock Jock" DJ Astrid. This role quickly opened doors to other DISNEY opportunities: starring as Alice in the Special Edition Disney DVD of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, as well as Disney’s teen comedy PROM.
THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING!
In the time she has been in LA, Aimee has appeared in both independent and major motion pictures, as well as many network TV shows, such as THE MENTALIST, THE CLOSER, RIZOLLI AND ISLES alongside some of the industry’s top talent.
CFF: CRAZY FUN FACT:
Over 700 actors applied for the role of Tinsel and though the field was eventually narrowed to 4 wonderful actors, there was only one Tinsel and everyone knew it from the minute she walked in wearing 800 jelly bracelets. Which is why she’ll be reprising her role in the sequel to “Tinsel’s Town”, a one-hour comedy/drama called THE LULLABY LEAGUE, currently in development for commercial television.
BUT SHE HAS A FAVORITE ROLE:
To date, though, the role she is most proud of is playing Tinsel Townsend, the fame-obsessed, self-obsessed, acronym-obsessed, theme song-obsessed, know-nothing know-it-all in the comedy web series TINSEL’S TOWN. Duh.
AIMEE CAN SING! (LIKE, REALLY, SING):
It should be no surprise that Aimee-Lynn can belt out a song given her musical theater creds. Still, when Tinsel’s Town creator heard her sing, he immediately gave the character the same (albeit unappreciated) ability. By lending Tinsel Aimee’s voice Barry gave Tinsel a voice of her own, which spun both the story and the character in new, unexpected directions. The show’s popular Theme Song Thursday Podcasts on Soundcloud bring a fun focus to Tinsel’s obsession with TV theme songs and commercial jingles.
When not singing classic TV theme songs and/or jingles as Tinsel, Aimee is writing her own music, and is an accomplished songwriter as well as performer: She’s opened for both Mandy Moore, Vitamin C and has fronted many of LA’s top bands. She is currently working on her latest solo record, a follow up her album "Generation Next", which she created with producer London Thompson (it is available on iTunes by clicking here).
HOW DOES AIMEE DESCRIBE HERSELF?
Above all, Aimee Lynn is a true artist at heart, and loves nothing more than to bring her life experiences and her soul to whatever platform is available to her, be it stage or screen or headphones.
“Tracy was an invaluable help from the very first steps of our Tinsel journey – from moral support to helping cast series lead Aimee-Lynn Chadwick, to AD duties, to discovering the jewel that wound up being Kiva Lawrence-Hoy. She’s a founding member of “Tinsel’s Town”, and I couldn’t imagine a better partner in crime.” Creator, David C. Barry
Who’s Kiva?
Before co-starring in Tinsel’s Town as everyone’s favorite Showgirl/Grandmother, Kiva Lawrence-Hoy was already a veteran of stage and television, well-known for appearances on such TV classics as Lou Grant, Knots Landing, Dynasty, JAG and Magnum P.I. Kiva also co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor in There Must Be A Pony. She was married to Bobby Hoy, a stuntman turned-actor, who was best known for his role as Joe Butler in the TV Western classic, The High Chaparall.
“Jenny helped design Tinsel from the ground up, and much of the character’s personality is owed to Jenny’s spot-on decisions with hair, makeup and wardrobe. Without Jenny, Tinsel wouldn’t sparkle or even be Tinsel. It’s that simple. ”
— David Barry, Series Creator
WHO’S JENNY KARL?
Nominated for her work on “Tinsel’s Town” by the IAWTV, Jenny was always where Tinsel was ready to materialize – armed with ideas and an array of brushes, she’s been bringing Tinsel to life since the very first Tinsel’s Town rehearsal. She’s an avid animal rights activist and wants you to know that she ONLY uses verified cruelty-free products in all of her work.
JENNY’S EXPERIENCE
Jenny has brought her extensive experience to various publications, not just on their cover photography, but also inside the pubs as well, writing articles for the Health and Beauty sections of both magazines and blogs. For those who want to experience Jenny’s know-how and learn a bit how she does what she does, Jenny has her very own makeup How-To series for Ehow.com.
For more info, please visit her site here .
For more info on the show, its origins and where it’s heading, click the link below:
TINSEL’S TOWN CREDITS
WRITER AND CO-DIRECTOR
David C Barry
DIRECTOR
Michael Lindsay-Hogg
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
David C Barry
PRODUCER
Tracy Winters
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Jennifer Karl
CASTING
David C Barry, Tracy Winters
CREW
LEAD EDITOR
Maureen Murphy
EDITOR
Nathan Noyes
ADDITIONAL EDITING
Justin Sloggatt, Patrick Muniz
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Phillip Radke
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
David Starks
SOUND ENGINEER
Thomas Corkran
SOUND MIXERS
David Swope, Kevin McElligot
KEY GRIPS
Johnny Silvis, Clint Armstrong
COLORIST
Robert Crosby, Neptune Post
SCRIPT SUPERVISOR
Lindsay Taylor
OPENING ANIMATION
Ryan Wolff
CLOSING ANIMATION
Jeffrey Davis
ADDITIONAL GRAPHICS/ANIMATION
Stevie Hannigan
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Kremer/Johnson Photography
ADDITIONAL (and fabulous) WARDROBE
Nordstrom Rack, Stella & Jamie, Brigid Rumpf Designs
ABOUT DAVID
David C Barry is a writer and producer of scripted material and live events as well as the author of several short stories and sketch comedy for The Razzie Awards. David has written for Academy and Emmy Award winner Ellen Burstyn (on a Sarah Bernhard biopic) as well as with BAFTA winner and Tony/Emmy award nominee Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
David also wrote and produced a live panel discussion, AGEISM IN HOLLYWOOD, which was held at The London Hotel in West Hollywood. The sold-out event featured Emmy-winner Kathy Griffin, Academy Award nominee Lynn Whitfield, Academy and Emmy Award nominee Lesley Ann Warren, Academy Award nominee JoBeth Williams and best-selling author/activist Ashton Applewhite; it was moderated by Emmy-winner Sharon Lawrence.
David is currently working The Lullaby League, a commercial TV pilot and the sequel to Tinsel’s Town.
For his Tinsel’s Town interview with web series magazine “Snobby Robot”, click here.