Damian Collier

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Damian Collier is a producer, entrepreneur and business consultant for film, TV, music and stage^[1]

Contents 1 Career and success 2 The War of the Worlds 3 Live on Stage! 4 Universal Pictures 5 Tour of Australia & New Zealand 2007 6 Tour of the UK 2007 7 Rustboy 8 Past Television 8.1 Fox Sports - The Book of Tennis Chronicles 9 TV Pilots 10 Past Film 10.1 Disappearing in America (Drama) 10.2 Evilution (Horror) 10.3 Downloading Nancy (Drama) 10.4 The Car (Supernatural Thriller) 11 JWM Group 12 References

[edit] Career and success

Collier has produced both independently (through Damian Collier Entertainment) and has collaborated with major film and TV studios such as Paramount Pictures, Fox, and Universal Pictures, and major record labels including Sony BMG, EMI, Universal Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

He has extensive experience in the entertainment industry, having worked in film, television, music recording, music publishing, merchandising, novels and comics. He also holds the position of Managing Director of the Jeff Wayne Music Group. ^[2]

He is currently represented by Ari Emanuel at Endeavor Agency in Los Angeles.

Collier previously worked as an international finance and entertainment lawyer for both Linklaters and Latham & Watkins LLP, at their London, Frankfurt, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Los Angeles offices. Damian Collier also worked at Goldman Sachs in London.

As a lawyer, he represented clients such as Credit Suisse First Boston, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and many other leading investment banks and major corporations globally.

Collier graduated in the UK with a First-Class Honours Degree in Law and European Legal Studies, having also studied at the University of Salamanca (Spain) and the University of Trier (Germany).

He is British. He and his family reside in Los Angeles, California.

[edit] The War of the Worlds

Collier has been involved with The War of the Worlds since 1998 including brokering a deal with Paramount Pictures to license the rights to allow the studio to create merchandise and other ancillary products for their 2005 blockbuster War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg.

He also agreed a deal with Dark Horse Comics for the graphic novel of The War of the Worlds for worldwide distribution.

[edit] Live on Stage!

Along with award-winning composer Jeff Wayne, Damian produces a multi-million Dollar sell-out large-scale arena tour of The War of the Worlds - Alive on Stage!^[3][4] which played to a quarter of a million people in 2006 and 2007, for which the pair brought the late actor Richard Burton back to life "in sight and sound".^[5]

The production stayed true to Wayne's highly successful multi-platinum selling album, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, set in Victorian England ^[6] and the production garnered critical acclaim with The Times giving the show Four Stars and describing it as "fabulous", The Evening Standard: "Who could ask for more", The Sun: "Simply Epic!", BBC News: "truly impressive" and The Daily Telegraph: "dazzling ... I felt a shiver of excitement".

Promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment, the 2006 tour featured the Moody Blues' Justin Hayward, Russell Watson, Anna-Marie Wayne, Chris Thompson, Alexis James and Tara Blaise, and was such as success that it was later booked worldwide, including a further successful and critically acclaimed tour of Australia, New Zealand and an even larger UK arena tour, in 2007.

The production is also now booked into 2009.

[edit] Universal Pictures

For the inaugural Tour, Damian agreed a worldwide deal with Universal Pictures to film and distribute the show which took place at London's famous Wembley Arena.^[7]

The production was directed by Emmy award-winning director David Mallett [1].

The DVD immediately went Platinum and spent 7 weeks at number one in the UK DVD charts ^[8]

[edit] Tour of Australia & New Zealand 2007

In September 2007, Collier and Wayne took the production on a major Arena Tour of Australia and New Zealand taking in large Arenas in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, to rave reviews including:

Sydney Morning Herald, 9 September 2007

• “…miraculous…eye-popping show”
• “…takes you on a wild ride”
• “...out of this world”
• “...a global entertainment phenomenon…”
• “...even novices to Wayne's catchy pop-rock were tapping their toes throughout the show”^[9]

Perth Now, 9 September 2007

• “When you add one of the best live sound mixes ever heard, including the best surround sound component bar none, you get a mind-melting, multi-media extravaganza and something that is guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Fantastic!”
• “Breath-taking ... truly thrilling ... amazing production and special effects”
• “Boasting eye-widening special effects and a more than proficient cast of players, not to mention the cavalcade of superb songs the original album possesses, The War of The Worlds Live is a banquet for the senses.”

The West Australia, 9 September 2007

• “The colours were mesmerising with lasers, advanced lighting, pyrotechnics and digital effects which I cannot recall seeing in a musical in recent memory.”
• “The War of the Worlds the Musical has to be seen to be believed as the past meets the future in this dynamic musical.”

The pair cast Shannon Noll, MTV's Best Male Artist 2007 (and 2005 and 2006) in the role played by Phil Lynott on the album, and by Russell Watson in 2006, Parson Nathaniel, ^[10] and in the role of Beth, the Parson's wife, they cast Rachael Beck, and for the Artilleryman, originally played by David Essex, they cast Michael Falzon, star of the hit stage show We Will Rock You.

[edit] Tour of the UK 2007

In December 2007, they brought the arena tour back to the UK, again selling out, ^[11] this time playing to around 50% more people, and ending at the 20,000-seat Millennium Dome on 22 December 2007.

The December 07 tour saw the return of Justin Hayward, Chris Thompson, Alexis James and Anna-Marie Wayne, as well as of course Richard Burton. The UK tour also featured up-and-coming female vocalist Sinead Quinn and former Asia (band) lead singer John Payne.

[edit] Rustboy

Damian has also been developing another major brand - Rustboy ^[12], which he plans to produce as a feature film, in conjunction with one of the major Studios, and develop into all forms of media. Rustboy has already attracted substantial attention throughout the Internet.

[edit] Past Television

[edit] Fox Sports - The Book of Tennis Chronicles

Collier also executive produced, The Book Of Tennis Chronicles (distributed by Fox Sports) which parallels the lives and tribulations of the greatest tennis players, and events, set against the most dramatic and quirky moments in world history, starting in 1877 and up to present time. The series comprised 8 half-hour episodes.

[edit] TV Pilots

Damian Collier Entertainment is currently developing several Pilot TV Shows including "BrIT Girls" and "SPA".

[edit] Past Film

[edit] Disappearing in America (Drama)

Collier has also produced for Film, including the Irish/US mob feature, Disappearing in America^[13], starring Mark Pellegrino and Anna-Marie Wayne and due for release in 2009.

[edit] Evilution (Horror)

He also co-produced a new Horror feature from Island Gateway Films, ^[14] called "Evilution".

[edit] Downloading Nancy (Drama)

Collier also executive produced the feature film Downloading Nancy, starring Maria Bello and Jason Patric^[15] which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

[edit] The Car (Supernatural Thriller)

He is also rumoured to be developing a psychological supernatural thriller feature film called The Car.^[16]

[edit] JWM Group

Collier also holds the position of Managing Director of the JWM Group of Companies, which since being founded in 1968 has provided over 9,000 soundtracks to the film, TV, radio, advertising and interactive media. [2]

[edit] References