Film (and Score) Your Issue
Blogged by Cal State graduate music student and EXPO attendee, Leni Thio...
[Panel Moderator: Shawn LeMone of ASCAP; Panelists: Shawn Clement, Joel C. High, HeathCliff Rothman, Penelope Spheeris. Film Your Issue is an annual film competition that challenges young filmmakers to submit 30 to 60 second films on topical issues. EXPO registrants were invited to submit their own original score to any of five short films chosen from FYI submissions.]
How does a musical score change the emotion of a film? Well, if you are wondering about how music can be an effective means of enhancing the feeling and mood of the film, the “Film You Issue” discussion at the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO probably would be interesting and challenging for you. Each of five short films was screened with three different original musical scores.
The first short film was “Children’s World.” The score by Ernest Adzentoivich was the best one I think. It has somehow scary and mysterious in the beginning, but then ends with childlike and happy music when the child in the film found his teddy bear. The musical twist at the end of the film is very effective. The other two score approaches were nice too.
The second film “Depression.” This is a difficult one to score. Three scores were written by Brian Wilbun, Robert Safir, and Greg Rogers. Again, they were all great but very different. Panelist Penelope Spheeris liked Robert Safir’s approach. She said she did feel a little “depressed” watching the film!
During the fifteen minutes of discussion with the panelists before the session ended, there was a tense moment between members of the audience as they were debating the different musical approaches to the films. The panelists commented that the audience was so into the music. HAHA - I agree!!!!
As composers, we might often wonder about which music works best to with a picture, whether it is better to use temp track or not, right? “TRUST YOUR HEART” is probably the best solution. That’s the most valuable advice I got from the panelists today. ^^ TRUST YOUR HEART~ TRUST YOUR HEART~ TRUST YOUR HEART ~
