Maverick Actor Nick Moran visits BIMM Dublin
British maverick actor and producer, Nick Moran was a welcome guest at BIMM, Dublin.
Perhaps best known as star of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Nick’s personal passion for music is apparent too. He was director and co-producer of the critically acclaimed biopic of the innovative 60s music producer, Joe Meek – the backroom genius behind massive hits like ‘Telstar’ and ‘Johnny Remember Me’.
Mr Moran was in town for the Dublin International Film Festival where Telstar – The Story Of Joe Meek was being shown at the Lighthouse Cinema.
He found time in his schedule to visit BIMM Dublin and talk to students about music score, and licensing in movies. BIMM lecturers, Ann Marie Shields, Dublin Head of Events and Guests and Jon Stewart, BIMM Brighton Music Business & Event Management Course Leader, had both worked on the film as music supervisors. Plenty to talk about!
Ann Marie commented,
“Nick is an extraordinary visionary, who is passionate about every aspect of film making, including music. Whilst making the movie we found several artists who’d never before been paid for their songs. We helped them and the Meek family to establish rights to songs. We also established a Joe Meek Trust for the family, which I now manage.”
Jon was equally enthusiastic about Nick’s passion for music and film.
“Telstar is a genuine auteur piece and testimony to Nick’s creative genius. The best part was meeting the people who had known and worked with Joe. Their goodwill made it feel almost like Joe’s spirit was present with us on set.”
Joe’s dark, tragic and unexpectedly comic story made the headlines. His ear for a hit and his weird, wild and decidedly innovative recording techniques have latterly seen him reframed as a British innovator up there with producers like Martin Hannett and George Martin.
Nick puts Joe Meek’s story in an irresistible nutshell. “Joe Meek? He lived and worked above a handbag shop, wrote the biggest-selling record of all time, turned down The Beatles, took lots of drugs, worshipped the Devil, got arrested for importuning, then shot his landlady and killed himself!”
