"Faces of Change" first draft completed

A local and talented film company, Multistory Films, has asked me to underscore for two of their upcoming films - both of which are comedies.

Added to that, they had a rethink regarding a film they had recently finished called "Faces of Change." They were unhappy with their opening scene music and have asked me to create them another.

This I have now completed, Faces of Change.

This dark short drama starts with a young couple striding happily along a sunlit road until they arrive at his flat. They kiss. As she goes to leave he pulls her back for another kiss. He stands watching her walk away: his vitality, his happiness drain away - an aching void now where delight was only moments before.

Director Fraser Coull in Hospital

Young talented writer/director Fraser Coull has been hit by a car whilst filming a trailer to The Journey. Fraser and two of his crew were hit by a car which was witnessed by two off duty policmen.

Fraser is recovering in hospital with a broken arm and a broken leg. I have grown very close to Fraser and am concerned for him. His exciting feature film The Journey will almost certainly be put back now - a real shame because this looks to be great fun.

I so hope he gets well soon and that he is not in too much pain. He will be in hospital for a few more days yet. Hope everything goes well for him.

Ingenious new twists to "Mosskirk Harvest" script

The "Mosskirk Harvest" script has always been a tour-de-force. It is funny, engaging, mysterious, sinister, well paced - it is a gem. But I received a new draft today and it blew my mind away. The twists are awesome - you go to hell and back, and that's before you even get to the titles.

The script was so powerful that earlier in the year I wrote the lead character's theme straight from a script read through. Since then I have received unedited footage and I think the theme still stands up.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but the new draft of the script is so strong that I'm inclined to write a standalone composition, depicting what happens. I know I'll probably end up throwing away much of it once the locked picture arrives, but this script is so strong I so want to start experimenting with the very vivid emotional line.

I sketched out the theme plan of the piece from the script last night - this standalone piece will likely be a single movement and have around fifteen contrasting sections. I reckon it could run to 12 to 18 minutes. Quite an undertaking, but I can't wait to get started.

Hooking up with a LOCAL film company

Fantastic news! It looks as though I shall be scoring for some films being made by a film company local to me. The opportunity to work with new people is always exciting but this will be the first film company I will have worked with within easy travelling distance. I am really looking forward to actually meeting cast and crew in person. Something hitherto I've never been able to do because of the huge distances involved.

Looking at their company's website, they look a very exciting bunch to be associated with, so I hope it works out. One of the films is a romantic comedy, with very little dialog - a fantastic opportunity for underscoring. Really looking forward to it.

A Bad Day At Work - or just exhaustion?

After I wrote unbridled joy section of "Becky's Birthday" to mark the birth of our beautiful baby girl, I did joke that within a week I would be writing a horror-scape to mark the torture of sleepless nights.

Yesterday I had a dreadful day at the office, unbelievably frustrating. I am still trying to fathom whether it was genuinly a frustrating situation or just acute sleep-deprivation. Whatever it was, it was excellent material for me to use in writing a really bad-tempered piece - "A Bad Day At Work."

Looking forward to our first outing with baby

Last night my wife built the pram - between seemingly insatiable demands for her "nourishment."

It is a new and posh machine. For our first baby we had a budget buggy, but this time we went for the "business." She has been itching to get it out and build it. We have been advised that it is best not to take baby our until she is a week old. The anticipation is almost unbearable.

Now we've built the pram, it stands resplendant in the house, just waiting for its first test-drive. We can so picture ourselves pushing it along totally maxed out on parental pride.

So I wrote a piece for my wife last night - "First Day Out With The Baby." It depicts a proud mum pushing her new pram under the Autumn sunshine through crisp fallen leaves as she takes her beautiful baby outdoors for the first time.

She loved the piece - but to be honest, I think she was more grateful to me for stopping the baby crying than writing her another piece of music.

Home-coming

My wife and new daughter are back at home now - somewhat unexpectedly! We expected them to be in the hospital till the end of the week. But the doctors gave them both the all clear and gave them the choice of spending the rest of the week in a local nursing home or going home.

Naturally I thought she would pick the nursing home, less to do and more people to help her. Apparently though she really wanted to be home.

Baby is guzzling for Britain and Mummy is looking exhausted. Last night we got nearly a full night's rest - if you count 3am till 8am as a full night!

A piece to mark the birth of our daughter

This time last week my wife was "great with child" - and I mean really great! This was our second. Our first was such a difficult labour (4 days!) that we both promised we would never have another. Funny how things turn out.

Last week our silent and private trepidation for the imminent labour grew. Would it be as bad as her last one? How would we cope?

This was coupled with an almost uncontrollable excitement at the prospect of our little addition. I was so scared for probably the first three years of our first born that I didn't really start to enjoy him until he was almost a boy - I really missed out on the baby joy and toddler joy of our first. We were being blessed with a second chance, and I'm really up for it this time.

I chose to write a piece to depict this state of affairs. It is 3 minute 49 second work for full orchestra. It starts quietly with building uncertainty, trepidation and forboding. Then it gushes into a movement of unbridled joy and finally melts into the blissful peace of a beautiful sleeping baby.

I called the piece "Becky's Birthday" and is available for streaming and downloading at my Soundclick home page, or for downloading from my own home page.