Jessica Lowndes stars within the new GAC Household movie ‘Concord From The Coronary heart.’ HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with the actress about creating her ardour undertaking from the bottom up, writing authentic music for the film, and extra.
Concord From The Coronary heart got here straight from Jessica Lowndes’ coronary heart. It was the primary script she ever wrote, and now it’s premiering on GAC Household on February 12. The movie follows musical therapist Violet who crosses paths with a physician named Blake, performed by Jesse Metcalfe. Violet and Blake don’t see eye-to-eye initially about Blake’s grandfather, however they quickly kind a deep and lasting connection.
HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Jessica about this “labor of affection” and the inspiration behind it. She additionally opened up about writing authentic music for the movie that may play all yr spherical. Learn our Q&A under:
What impressed you to write down Concord From The Coronary heart?
Jessica Lowndes: I used to be actually impressed a pair years again as a result of I had a bizarre pilot yr with appearing the place I stored auditioning and auditioning and getting callbacks and getting all the way down to the ultimate two and I wasn’t reserving. I didn’t know what was occurring. I knew that I’ve at all times cherished to write down. I’ve been writing music my complete life. I’ve been writing poetry. I’ve been writing brief tales. So I pressured myself to go house each evening and write for an hour simply to remind myself why I received into this enterprise within the first place. I've gone on to promote different scripts and make different films truly earlier than this one, however this one was the very first script I ever wrote. It was a labor of affection. I wrote it 4 years in the past, and it was remedy for me. On the time, I didn’t write it to promote it or make it into a movie. I simply wrote it to inform myself I may do it and I completely fell in love with the whole course of. After I was fascinated with what I wished to write down, I figured why not write about my two likes to play. I really like love, and I really like music. I come from a really musical household, so a variety of this film hits actually near house. So I devoted this film to my grandmother. There’s a complete story level all through the movie about my character’s grandmother. That's undoubtedly one thing that I resonate with, and I truly named my character after my great-grandmother. After which, once I was speaking to my mother, who’s a piano trainer, one other musical affect in my life, she stated if she didn’t educate piano she was actually fascinated with music remedy. I did extra analysis, and I went down the rabbit gap. There’s one web site the place I simply stored studying individuals’s private tales, and I used to be completely blown away. I’d by no means seen a movie about it, and I’ve carried out fairly just a few in this kind of style. Often, it’s a lady that’s saving a city or saving a competition, however I wished to write down about saving a human being in a means and provides it this depth and this backstory. I believe it’s one thing that folks aren’t anticipating, however I wished to nonetheless make it gentle and optimistic. I wished it to be a narrative about hope, so I actually hope individuals can take that away from this.
Is the character of Violet impressed by the ladies in your life?
Jessica Lowndes: She was impressed by all of the sturdy girls in my life. I additionally suppose at the moment, I knew what it was prefer to have a dream and didn't know if it was truly going to occur. It sort of mirrored what was occurring with my appearing profession on the time. Like, what is occurring? I’m not reserving these roles, so I believe I wished to write down a narrative a couple of lady that was pursuing her desires and there have been obstacles in a means however she by no means gave up. That's the theme of this complete script as a result of even the truth that I wrote it 4 years in the past and it took 4 years to get made, there have been so many moments alongside this journey once I did determine to pitch it to completely different networks and studios and every little thing. There have been lots of people saying no. It may have been really easy for me simply to surrender and suppose, okay, this isn't what I meant to do, however I actually believed in it. I completely love to write down, and it’s such an enormous ardour of mine. After which having the ability to write all the unique music was additionally a dream come true. It was a extremely cool factor for me to shoot in Vancouver the place I’m from. That was superior and actually particular. It’s the primary time that I’ve been so hands-on and worn so many hats. I used to be the chief producer. I used to be clearly in it as nicely. There have been a variety of shifting elements and a variety of accountability and challenges at occasions, however that’s what makes it so rewarding. I wasn’t even certain watching the ultimate product… I used to be like, oh my gosh, it’s going to be actually onerous as a result of I’m sporting so many hats. Am I going to select it aside? I didn’t know. The primary time I noticed the primary edit, this has by no means even occurred on different films that I don’t write, however I used to be in a position to sit again and revel in it and watch it like a traditional movie. I’m actually happy with it. I actually wished to create a stupendous movie, and I didn’t need it to look tacky. I wished each regarded as horny and delightful. I couldn’t have requested for a greater director. Michael Robison killed it. Randall Platt is the very best EP ever that I’ve ever labored with. He makes every little thing look simply so lovely. I’m actually, actually happy with this.
The place did writing the music are available in the course of the improvement technique of this?
Jessica Lowndes: After I first wrote this script, I wrote it as a Christmas idea. I assumed it might be Christmas carols and an authentic Christmas music. After which a few years into it, I used to be like I haven’t seen many films of this kind of style within the Valentine’s Day house. That makes it actually enjoyable as a result of you may write authentic love songs within the film that may play all yr lengthy, so I did a rewrite. After I was brainstorming the primary music “11:11” I knew that I had that a story level all through the movie. It was actually particular. I see 11:11 on a regular basis and I at all times make a want. I assumed it might be cool to tie that into her relationship together with her grandmother as an indication that her grandmother’s together with her. I wished to play into the entire 11:11 make a want, and that’s why the refrain is all of the stuff you want you would say to somebody, however you’re too scared to say it.
Is that this the primary time you’ve labored with Jesse?
Jessica Lowndes: That is our first time. I used to be so excited to have him on board. I’ve been an enormous fan of his work, however I’m additionally an enormous fan of his music. He’s such a gifted singer and guitar participant. I had written Dr. Blake William, a backstory the place he was once in a band, and I appreciated that arc the place he begins out as skeptic and chilly. After which because the story develops, and as he opens his coronary heart, you be taught extra about him and what he’s gone by in his life and the grief that each these characters share and what they’ve been by and what they've in frequent. I like how on the finish he begins singing. It’s such a pleasant ending to the movie. It was so enjoyable to carry out “It Had To Be You” with him. We received to enter the studio the primary weekend we have been capturing in Vancouver and sing that duet. It was a fantastic bonding expertise. I cherished how a lot he cared about this character. He wished this to be a fantastic movie, and I couldn’t have requested for something higher as a author to have somebody care as a lot as he did. He didn’t simply come to set and say the traces. He wished to make every little thing nice, and I'm so grateful for his dedication. I’m additionally grateful for Invoice Abbott as a result of for thus a few years once I was at Hallmark he gave me my first shot as a author. I bought Over The Moon In Love to him and received to make that film and write music for that. That was truly actually cool as a result of the songs of that film went primary on iTunes on the singer-songwriter charts. That was a mind-blowing expertise. I owe that to Invoice for actually believing in me, so when he moved over to GAC they introduced me on board as a author, producer, actress, and soon-to-be director. I’m going to be directing for them as nicely, and that’s one other large dream of mine.
Have you considered writing a musical romance movie?
Jessica Lowndes: Oh, sure. That’s undoubtedly on the bucket listing. I've additionally been engaged on so many various genres. I’m at the moment writing a horror film as nicely and a pilot. There are a variety of scripts within the works as a result of after writing Concord I fell in love with the method, so I made it my job. Even earlier than I used to be getting paid as a author, I might sit down every single day from 9 to 5, and I might write. I might break for lunch, and I might simply consider tales that I used to be obsessed with, roles that I might like to play, so I can’t cease. I’m at the moment in Costa Rica proper now. I did two weeks of trip after this movie as a result of the movie was a variety of work. I’m right here for one more two weeks, and I’m simply going to write down one other movie. I’ve been very impressed whereas being right here.