Music is done!

I now present to you... (drum roll please)... THE FINISHED SCORE TO OUR FILM OPENING!

Similar to the foley sounds mentioned earlier today, I will listen to the score tomorrow with fresh ears to ensure every detail is exactly how I want it to be. I had a blast creating this musical score and look forward to sharing it with you!

For this score, I wanted to incorporate aspects of minimalism into a piece driven by Japanese scales and modes. I also wanted to use instruments that are typically played throughout Japan. I recorded the following instruments: Japanese Koto, Harp, Japanese Flute, Tuba, Violin, Cello and Double Bass.

The repeated triplet figures in the second half of the score were inspired by Steve Reich and his series of Phase pieces. Reich has been instrumental in my development as a composer and I felt as though his minimalist style would complement the visuals nicely. This section played by the harp and interjecting Japanese Koto also has a flowing nature and provides a solid transition to the wind foley sounds that follow.

In addition, the scarcity and drone-like motives were inspired by the opening of the 2012 film Argo. While the film follows the same general structure as ours, the historical fiction genre of the piece helped drive the score for our film. The opening of our film closes in silence, with just the foley sounds encompassing the empty space. This immediate absence of music is powerful and shows a change of mood and tone, as the voice-over changes from history-based dialogue, to personal, reflective dialogue. Originally, I had composed a few measures to be repeated at the ending section, like in the harp passage, but I decided the silence really gave the piece the dramatic edge that we are going for. The silence also presents a sense of mystery and will hopefully prompt the audience to want to watch the rest of the film, as this is just the first two minutes. Stay tuned!