February 2021
2 weeks ago
0
About Brett
Brett's mother Anne (Shephard) Halliday was a bookkeeper whose father was Irish and mother was of German descent. His father Laurence (laurie) Halliday, parents came from Formby, near Liverpool and were jazz musicians who ended in in South Africa. Laurie was a writer, karate instructor, and magician, activities he squeezed in between being a loving father and Financial director in a blanket manufacturing company in South Africa. Tragically Laurie died from a fall at 45yrs, when Brett was 13 years of age.
As a child in KZN South Africa Brett was an enthusiastic artist who at an early age was writing and drawing his own "comic books" that later progressed to taking photographs of family and friends and compiling these into stories. Like his father Brett was involved in performing as a magician and an illusionist, he also dabbled in acting, was featured in RP magazines and featured on SA TV for the same. He worked as a model at Terry Scott's Model Management agency in Durban KZN and, as an exercise instructor, he was featured on SA TV's Bodybeat with Phil Joffe.
Brett studies cinema voraciously, and has read the works of Robert McKee, Largos Egri, Syd Fields and many others as well as attending Jack Walzer's method acting workshops, and Dov Sieman's Filmmaking course in London. He has recently studies BBC's Maestro writing for television by Jed Mercurio. He attended the New York Film Academy's intensive hands on filmmakers course in LA writing, shooting, and editing four short films during this period. Since then, and while living in Ireland, the UK, and South Africa he has created a network in the industry. Brett has written several feature film spec scripts, and episodes for two exciting television series.
Brett is also a highly qualified 6th degree second generation karate instructor and a former SA champion and international competitor and champion who captained a winning English shotokan karate team and was the coach of and competed for the Irish team that won silver at the Gichin Funokoshi world championship in Bath.
With his partner Gillian O'Donoghue, he co penned their feature film, RARE BL0OD set in the beautiful KZN midlands. With a dynamic creative team and A list South African cast they shot and delivered Rare Blood. The film was delivered March 2020, premiered in the KZN Midlands South Africa, and was launched on Amazon.
Brett and Gillian's production company, Dreamlands Film and Media has offices in South Africa and UK. Dreamlands has several feature film projects in various stages of development. They are also developing a high concept television series. Brett and Gillian are working with Austrian Producer David Wurawa on the exciting South African film The Man in the Mirror which, covid dependent, will commence principal photography mid 2021, a psychological drama The Wake set in 1970's Ireland, a Dark Portal a high end horror feature.
Brett is the proud father of young adults who mean the world to him, but tragically he lost his talented up and coming composer musician son Cheyne Halliday in 2017. Cheyne's bitter sweet original, here it goes again features in Rare Blood.
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Loglines
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The Wake Budget: $5M - $10M | Romance ⋄ Drama When a deeply religious man's wife of thirty years dies in 1970's Ireland he refuses to allow anyone to enter their apartment, including the local Priest and his nemesis the Garda Superintendent. A love story with a twist.
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CASEBOOK# Budget: $10M - $30M | Mystery ⋄ Crime While a burned-out once brilliant detective struggles to solve the case that has haunted him for a decade, and destroyed his career, an insecure teenage girl battles to retain her sanity as her mind starts to hallucinate chaotically. With her parents at loggerheads on how to help her, our detective gets a long overdue chance at redemption when he stumbles on a lead, and both stories race towards a head-on collision. CaseBook# is a detective series with a paranormal element that will explore the themes of Fear, Obsession, Morality, and Redemption.
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The Man in the Mirror Budget: $1M - $5M | Drama Set in Zululand South Africa three Zulu men must re-awaken sleeping demons when Mpiyakhe, now a successful Johannesburg businessman, returns home. Under adversity they are compelled to make life changing choices.
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Dark Portal Thriller ⋄ Horror Seven young people are invited to a murder Mystery weekend at a remote castle on the coast, where the winner walks away with a bundle of cash. They are obliged to hand in their cell phones, tablets and lap tops as, in the interest of fairness, help from the outside is forbidden. Then things start to go horribly wrong when their hostess change the game plan without warning, and macabre incident after macabre incident occurs.
Credits
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Rare Blood
Film by Dreamlands Film & Media Ltd Writer Director A gripping psychological thriller where a paranoid husband, Panos and his cunning sister plot against his unsuspecting wife. A dream of a life in the country turns into a dystopian nightmare.
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