The Recruit - Thriller

Received early draft of scenes for The Recruit by writer/director Archie Allison of Digital Stramash and completed the initial spotting track for the score.

It is an thriller: When weak men are in positions of strength...we see the sordid side of big business.

I have had several useful discussions with Archie and I think I understand what is required. He has some work to do on the editing and sound, then I'll have a crack at the first draft of the score.

"The Wall" script arrives

The script for "The Wall" by writer/director Tim Parsons arrived today. This is a challenging work. After the first read I had a bucket load of questions, there can be so many interpretations for this piece.

Tim has written an engaging work with huge swings in emotional content from scene to scene. The Wall goes into production early in December and the whole thing should be finished very early in the New Year. Sadly I won't be able to be present on set - I am conducting.

This is a dramatic and thought provoking script with some disturbing scenes. Over the next few days I hope to have thrashed out with the director the precise emotional context and message he requires, I can then start putting a theme plan together.

Not an easy work this one, but a definite challenge I am looking forward to enormously.

"Trailer b" to The Journey complete

I have now completed the music for the second of four trailers (a, b, c and d). It is quite a challenge compose like this. Each trailer in the series is the same as the previous but with extra scenes and cuts but I don't get to see the new scenes/cuts in the later trailers whilst composing for the earlier trailers. Each trailer needs to make sense in isolation as well as part of the series.

Anyway, here is a link to the music and here is a link to a lo-res version of the video, together with the music and sound effects for the sword fight.

New Trailer for The Journey

I received a short trailer for The Journey some time ago and scored it up, which seemed to get quite a strong response. The music was quite epic - great fun to write, but it was very short.

I have now been sent a longer version of the same trailer, this one the same as the earlier trailer, except real sword-fighting has been inserted into the middle.

Tonight I started re-doing the music for the longer trailer. It is always difficult when you have to rip open a carefully sync'd up work only to sync it up to the new version of the video.

Anyway, it is an opportunity to extend a piece that I think had so much potential. One complication though is that I used EWQL Silver for the original, since then I have upgraded to Gold. It was stated that they were upwardly compatible, which strictly speaking is probably true - but it is turning out to be quite a fiddle.

Fiddling done though, so tomorrow I am ready to compose - having done all the techie stuff tonight.

"The Audit" script arrives

Appointed score composer for The Audit by the fantastic writer/director George Elder (of Mosskirk Harvest). The script is so well crafted. Just as with his feature film (Mosskirk Harvest), this short is funny, fast paced, intriguing and disturbing.

George manages a fantastic reveal and seemlessly blends fact with plot so you are drawn into a credible and thought-provoking story. This is going to be so much fun to work on. Way to go George.

You follow a lovely young couple as the happy day of their engagement turns into the worst of their lives, in a way that is so believable you really think that this might actually be happening - fortunately it is just a story ...or is it?

On Set with The Last Chapter

Spent the day on set with Multistory Films who were filming the brilliantly written The Last Chapter. They completed all the filming for the entire short in one day - which with the large amount of dialog concerned was quite a feat.

The film was set on a park bench. Sadly, it being Rembrance Sunday, they had to cope with church bells and marching bands as well as hundreds of kids playing rugby and a tiny Scotty dog that made his way up with the set in the middle of a take at let out the most resonant fart you have ever heard.

It was biting cold but the crew and cast were fantastic. I think this is going to be such a funny film. Really looking forward to getting the locked picture and teasing out the right sort of scoring. Just enough to bring out the flavour without distracting from the dialog.

Wrote "A Crushing Loss"

I felt very down. As a therapy I wrote A Crushing Loss. I needed to write a desperately gnawingly sad theme for Mosskirk Harvest which has the hero have his wife murdered. I've had some trouble writing this for a few weeks, primarily I think because, with the new born baby and all, I have felt too happy.

Tonight though I felt quite wreched. Having written this piece, when I was exporting the mix I noticed the date - it was the anniversary 24 years ago that I lost my father. He was my best mate. Still think of him every day.

First Day on Set with the Briefest of Encounters

I spent the day with Multistory Films on set with their first day of production on their romantic comedy The Briefest of Encounters. It is a delightfully tender film and by the end of the day I really felt for the two characters. The way the production staff crafted their creation was a joy to see.

I was only there to get an insight of the treatment of the story, which my goodness I certainly did. The last scene of the day though, saw me being called on as an extra in the cafe scene. Quite a scary moment for a composer who enjoys being BEHIND the camera.

Director Fraser Coull out of Hospital

Young director Fraser Coull is out of hospital after having been hitting by a speeding car whilst on a shoot in Glasgow. He is back home now but still on pain killers. He is not supposed to return to work for some weeks yet, but it is great to see him back on his computer and arranging new porjects. You just can't keep this boy down - he's a dynamo.

Must have made a good impression

Executive producers of "Faces of Change", up and coming film company Rare Entertainments, have asked me to produce music for their up-coming productions on the basis of hearing my first draft of the opening scene of "Faces of Change" and my website.

Really looking forward to working with these guys.

My band enters the Top 200 World Rankings

The band for which I have been Musical Director for two years, has just entered the Top 200 World Rankings for the first time ever. Granted it is only standing at 198, but nevertheless these are historic times for the band.

"Faces of Change" agreed

The director of "Faces of Change" liked my proposed music for his opening scene. After implementing some minor changes, the music for the film has now been accepted and will be incorporated into the production.