A metro-Detroit native has made his big break with his up-and-coming film production company, Film Menagerie.
Film Menagerie is a production company based out of Los Angeles that features a team of professional artists committed to creating distinct visual and auditory content for a variety of formats and audiences. They offer integrated in-house services such as screenwriting, directing, video and audio production and editing, music composition, and curation of social media accounts, working closely with artists every step of the way to realize their vision.
Noel Herbert, composer and producer for Film Menagerie, got his start in the area after growing up in Farmington. He later studied at Berklee College of Music with intentions of being a pop rock artist. After some consideration, Herbert moved back home to study at the Detroit Institute of Music. “I had been working as a songwriter in Detroit for a few years, so I started making my way back through school and eventually decided that composing was my calling,” Herbert said.
Herbert moved to LA and quickly realized that post production was the path he wanted to follow. “I loved being in the studio. Seeing pictures, feeling the emotions of them, working with writers and directors and feeling their emotions, too. It’s a very internalized collaborative project and it’s exhilarating.” After some time in LA, Herbert met writer and director Zane J.S. Johnson and cinematographer Josh Pennington before joining the Film Menagerie team.
“It’s been incredibly fun. It’s such a collaborative effort and when there’s music to be made I get to do what I love.” Says Herbert on being a part of the team.
Johnson had been directing a short film called Queen of the Angels. The surrealist neo-noir film follows an exotic dancer as she returns home in East Hollywood to have a late dinner and watch a noir film from the forties. As the night progresses, however, the lines between the world of the film and the world outside of it become increasingly blurred.
The film took nearly six years to produce and Herbert wrote an original score for the film during the last two years. The film debuted at the Pasadena International Film Festival on June 20, 2022, winning an honorable mention award.
Film Menagerie has also produced music videos, social media campaigns, feature films, and other shorts. They have future projects in the works including more media projects and a television pilot. All of their previous projects are available to view here.
Queen of the Angels is available to view here. For more information on Film Menagerie and their upcoming projects, visit the Film Menagerie website.