The Leclerc Brothers recently asked whether I would score the music for a new commercial they are working on. Knowing the quality productions they produce I was delighted and honored to receive the request. Philip and Chris Leclerc and their team consistently turn out film projects with extremely high production values. So, being able to add the musical dimension to their creations is not only a privilege, but extreme fun.

Here is a commercial they created for the Wisconsin 4-H, which has just been released. It is targeted for web distribution, but would work equally well for TV broadcasting.

Below is the score only.

The challenge was to get close to a temp score they had chosen (without copying, of course). My personal goal was to surpass the quality of the temp score and create something unique that would be tailored to the scenes in the commercial. This in fact is what distinguishes the use of stock music from individually composed music.

For example, two points stuck out that we tried to hit. One is when the light bulb appears, which we start introducing a sort of magical feeling in the music that carries on and builds when the starry sky images show up.

Unless you find stock music that already contains these elements at the desired spots, an editor may have a tough time making everything seem smooth and seamless. Good editors can cut to just about any music. Add to that what originally composed music can bring to the table and your editor will love you.

One of my next feature film scoring projects is “Standing Firm” by Praise Pictures, a story about Dave, a widower who is a workaholic and blames himself for the death of his wife. He ultimately ends his relationship with the church. His son, Steven, the only remaining Christian in the family, is watching his father’s destructive lifestyle and tries to reach his father any way he can.

This is a great redemptive story, but more significantly “Standing Firm” is a story about suffering, God’s purpose in it, and being joyful despite of it.

I am honored to be attached to this project and am looking forward to scoring this film and working together with director Kyle Prohaska, who has done an outstanding job on the film.

Below is the a trailer for the film, which is currently in post-production. For more information about the film, please have a look at the official movie site for “Standing Firm”, along with its production blog. You may also follow “Standing Firm” on Facebook.

 

“Entrusted With Arrows” is one of my latest scoring projects. It is a one-hour documentary about homeschool dads who all have made career choices to build home-based businesses in order to be around their children. The general perception of the father’s role in modern-day families is ever changing and in many cases not for the better. This documentary focuses on how those families work together and how they benefit from the changes they have implemented.

I am delighted to have a chance to score the music for this film and I am looking forward to working with the director and producer, who themselves happen to be a father-son team.

For more information about the documentary, please check the film’s production blog and their Facebook page.

Scoring for ‘The Penny’ has been going well and is actually nearing the end. It has been an incredible experience working with Nathan Webster and the crew at Filmweavers adding a musical signature to the feature film. Crafting the soundscape of the score was an absolute delight as I love this type of score. It combines progressive elements of a modern score together with a definite orchestral touch.

Filmweavers is currently readying the release of the official website for the movie, which will include a new trailer containing themes from the film score.

While working through the scoring project, it became apparent early on that relying on a traditional orchestral sound was not enough to give the film a unique musical signature. This meant that a number of sound libraries had to be utilized to push the score beyond the limits of a ‘standard’ score. I am pleased with the outcome and can’t wait watching the film in its completed form.

Here is a screenshot of a typical setup for one of the cues in the film:

It is official: As of last weekend I have started scoring for a new feature film, called ‘The Penny‘, which is currently in post production.

It is truly an honor to be attached to this project, as the producers, crew, and cast of ‘The Penny’ have done a fine job bringing a great script to life. I am continually impressed with the production quality and am looking forward to adding musical life to the film.

Check in for updates here or on the Filmweaver’s production blog.

Here is a short but sweet visual taste of what’s to come in the new feature film from Filmweavers. Note that I have not composed the music for the teaser.

The Penny Teaser from Filmweavers LLC on Vimeo.