Getting the Team Together

I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the process a little bit and, in particular, my thoughts about the importance of having the right team and the right culture in my organization as we go forth and give birth to our first feature film, Red Door and Lemon Tree.

Let's start with the director: I met George Tsioutsioulas when we both worked at OMNI Television, formerly CFMT-TV. We both worked at the Greek variety and news program that aired in front of millions of audience in Toronto. I was a fledgling reporter trying to make my mark in the industry and touch and inform people with my stories. George was the entertainment reporter and celebrity interviewer for that show and others on the network.

I admired George but I was able to get a close picture of his character and personality on a remote shoot in Ottawa. Not only did I see him in action, putting his artistic touch on the piece, but I was also impressed with how loyal, friendly, down-to-earth and professional he was.

When I was looking to bring on board the right artistic, creative, and business team for Ariadne's Red Chair, George was one of the first people I thought of. When I spoke to him about the project it was obvious that we had the same vision. George was able to capture the essence of my screenplay and articulate a creative approach that was homogeneous to mine.

Irini Tzortzoglou was literally the first recruit and I can tell you she is the most dedicated and eager colleague I've ever had. She has the title of Location Manager but she is more than that. Her involvement reaches into many areas of production and I consider her my right hand woman. There are many aspects of Irini's personality that complement my own and that makes us a great team. She is spontaneous and adventurous, and she is also an insomniac.

My husband Peter Diplaros worked with me on this movie from the start, more than 15 years ago. He has always been my support system, and also my most honest and brutal critic. He helped hone my ideas and also all of the technical details, like installing Final Draft software and making PDFs. Recently he helped me modernize the screenplay, taking out some dated references like day-after newspaper references and put in more timely references to Twitter, Instagram and the like. He also helped me design my logo and business cards, built the company website and set up this blog.

There are more individuals who you will meet in the coming days, some who have been involved with the project as volunteers and who will take on important positions.

Our team culture is about creative collaboration, respect and loyalty. Our goal is to make a memorable and inspiring film that showcases our Greek culture and heritage while also being entertaining and making people think about life, belonging and knowing where they want to be.

CHARACTER BLOG: Yianni

YIANNI is our male lead and he has the pleasure of spending most of his scenes with EVE, the beautiful yet difficult Hollywood movie star. YIANNI is good looking, charming, philosophical, easy-going, and has a way with words. He does not own a TV or watch movies, his entertainment is satisfied by the beautiful Cretan nature, the wide Mediterranean sea, his sailboat, and his bouzouki. He meets EVE and agrees to help her in her quest, taking her on the adventure across the sea, and he proves to be a stable companion when he is needed.

Did we mention he's hot?

QUOTE:

YIANNI

You’d better be careful. The sun is very hot.

EVE lifts her brow, looks annoyed.

YIANNI (CONT’D)

You’re going to burn. I’ll have to put yoghurt all over you.

EVE

I think I know how this works, mister. I’m from California, you know. Not Minnesota.

YIANNI

Do they have the Greek sun in California?

EVE

What is this? Another Greek thing? The sun is the sun, period. That sun over there is the same one we have in California. Not his third cousin filling in while he’s on vacation!

YIANNI

Yes, but he smiles differently when he’s here.

Screenplay excerpt © 2016 Maria Dalekos

CHARACTER BLOG: EVE

Hi everyone. This is the first in a series of blogs about the characters in my upcoming film, Red Door and Lemon Tree. In each blog, I will give you a small description of the character, their role in the movie, and a small taste of what they are like.

First up: EVE. Eve is a successful movie actor in Hollywood, and is also a Greek-born and naturalized American. She and her father came over from Crete when Eve was only 4 years old. She has gone on to make a life for herself in her adopted country but she is not completely fulfilled. After the sudden death of her father, and some other circumstances, she decides to embark on a completely crazy adventure  to find her childhood home.

The adventure begins in Crete, with only the help of a faded photograph, a child's drawing and a wacky set of companions that include a modern fortuneteller, a mountain witch, a damn-good-looking sailor, and the beautiful romantic setting of the Mediterranean and the island of Crete.

Quote:

JULIE

This is precisely the type of thing you hire a private investigator for. They are trained for this -- and they have the time, you don’t. You have work coming up.

EVE

This is a bit more personal. And work can wait.

Screenplay excerpt © 2016 Maria Dalekos

Hello everyone

This is my new blog, for keeping everyone updated on what's happening with my company, Adiadne's Red Chair, and my current project, the upcoming film, "Red Door and Lemon Tree".

Please check back every week to see what's going on and to find out more about the film and how the scouting is going. I am currently in Greece this week with my Location Manager Irini and we are uncovering some great spots and meeting interesting locals.

Also, not to be outdone, we have some interest from acclaimed actors and crew who are excited to talk to us. We are excited to have been able to raise so much awareness and gathered so much interest from so many talented and interesting people in so short a time.

Till next week,

Maria