A female song and dance duo overcomes a Kings Cross cyber cult, to win the Australasian song competition.
Moana and Eva are a song and dance duo which is up for the Australasian Song Awards; however Eva has become involved in a cult, the Dreamguides, which is into virtual-dreaming and astrology. In her struggle to rescue Eva and keep Butterfly Crush in the Awards, Moana is lured into the cult by a young member, Matt. However as this relationship develops, Moana instead attracts him to leave, and also secures Eva’s participation in the Awards, which they then go on to win.
Cast
We were very lucky to discover Butterfly Crush, a young Sydney duo comprising Moana Fitzgerald (pictured left) and Eva Myer, who star in the movie.
The other main roles in the film were cast following extensive auditions in Australia and New Zealand. The part of Matt is played by Richard Adams (pictured below) and Angel by Sally Kelleher (pictured right holding the award), both of Sydney, and the cult leader Star by Amelia Shankley (pictured below right) from Brisbane.
The film was shot over 28 days, which was broken into 2 interior shoots in Wanganui, New Zealand and one exterior shoot in Sydney, Australia. There was a wonderful cooperative spirit amongst the cast and crew, which resulted in a creative and enjoyable working environment on set and some awesome performances.
Cutting Edge Images
Butterfly Crush was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II, a revolutionary HD camera with a 35mm sensor plate. This is the largest of any HD camera on the market and so gives wonderfully clear images, similar to 35mm film.
The Director of Photography on the interior scenes was New Zealander Ben Ruffell. For the past 7 years Ben has worked as DOP on a range of music videos, commercials, documentaries and TV programmes, such as Border Patrol, Mitre 10 DIY, Rescue, The Amazing Race and Mai Time.
The Director of Photography on the exterior shoot in Sydney was Garfield Darlington. Garfield has accrued credits at short film festivals, both in Australia and internationally, and a High Distinction for his film studies. He has worked as a DOP on numerous short films and music videos since starting in 2003, in addition to lighting assistant work on films such as Mao’s Last Dancer, Australia, Mask 2, Superman and TV series such as Master Chef, All Saints, and Rescue.
Butterfly Crush Online
Butterfly Crush, is currently building an online fan base for their music. You can check out the podcasts and music videos which already have over 4000 fans, friends and subscribers, where they are getting comments like, “aww yall are hella cute!!!” , “I love it”, “great job girls! PRO!”, “excellent well done 5 star”, “great work”.
Post Production and Release
Butterfly Crush is completed and will be previewed in the Market at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2010. We expect it to be released in Australia and New Zealand towards the end of this year.
Adapted from the novel, Dance Sisters
The script for Butterfly Crush is an adaptation of Alan Clay's second novel, Dance Sisters.
"What a refreshing read! Dance Sisters, by New Zealander Alan Clay, had me hooked from the first explosive page. A female song and dance trio threatens to self-destruct on the brink of fame when its lead performer becomes involved with a manipulative cult, touting sex, astrology and virtual dreaming. The Sydney based author, actor and drama tutor has crafted a provocative gem, portraying the relationship between the characters with consummate skill. It is a real treat." Otago Daily Times (NZ)
On this site you can check out the production credits and photos, read an outline of Butterfly Crush, watch the podcasts or the trailer for the film and read reviews of the novel on which the film is based.
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last updated 15 June 2010
