Kevin recalls that the first stirrings of a Mozart-inspired film came when his daughter was travelling to Prague with her senior strings class, which was performing parts of The Magic Flute. He then became interested in creating an authentic 18th century Baroque version of Mozart’s opera, but at the same time, wanted to do a film that used green screen technology with the same kind of graphics used in epic films like 300 and Sin City.
So he travelled to Europe and shot all of the background and second unit photography in locations throughout Salzburg, Munich, Bavaria and Vienna. In the Magic Flute Diaries Official Movie Companion, Kevin writes, “As I wandered the streets of Salzburg (Mozart’s birthplace) I was overwhelmed by the music that floated from every window in the city as tribute to its most famous composer. One can’t help but remain in awe of Mozart’s artistry and the fact that his flame burned bright yet was extinguished so quickly makes an ordinary person wonder about the price of such genius.”
Kevin developed a story concept that celebrated the imagery of these cities and the beauty of Mozart’s score. The film centers on Tom, a young classical singer cast in a 2006 production of The Magic Flute in Salzburg. Tom becomes so entranced by Mozart’s score and a desire to picture the world that the composer tried to create, that his vision of reality soon becomes blurred with fantasy. His world actually begins to mirror the plot of Mozart’s original opera.
Kevin wanted his characters to explore every part of Mozart’s world. He writes, “My characters would play out their story traveling throughout Salzburg—from baroque theatres to bustling train stations and underground sewers to vast Austrian palaces and monasteries – and into Mozart’s operatic fantasyland complete with angels, a queen descending on northern lights and Gothic castles looming in clouds.”
He hoped the result would reflect his love of art and music and, “their ability to allow the viewer to transcend the ordinary.”
Stay tuned for upcoming blogs about the amazing historic locations used in the film, as well as information on casting!
Source: Mozart’s Magic Flute Diaries: Official Movie Companion
