Best New Song: 10 Years Later

 
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

 

Around 10 years ago I was holed up in a room on Broadway busy writing a new musical. It wasn’t THE Broadway, but rather a practice room at NYU - alums get some privileges for forking out the exorbitant tuition fees after all.

The new tunes were to be part of an 80s inspired musical ‘Spandex’. It found it’s way to an Off-Broadway theatre a few months later. Actually, the theatre was already booked at this point, and I had to get the songs written, and the score complete in time for rehearsals to begin in March

After the run closed the musical sat around for a few years, did some workshopping and resurfaced for a short run in Minneapolis. When the pandemic hit in 2020 it got turned into an audio-musical to be savored from the comfort of your favorite chair.

Which brings us to today… Director Liz Piccoli and the show’s originator Daniel F. Levin decided to create a tongue-in-cheek music video for one of the songs from the show, and the resulting cinematic frolic is doing the rounds at festivals.

The World Premiere of the full video is showing at the New York Indie Theater Film Festival later this month, but in the meantime the song has just won Best Original Song at the Paris Film Awards. Hence my tooting of horn.

I’ll let you get back to your regularly scheduled programming of dog videos now.

 
 

The Shallow End: Original Soundtrack

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of working with the wonderful director Cynthia Silver on her short film ‘The Shallow End’.

Set in the 80s, the film reflects ‘the sunny glow of Reagan’s America’, and the soundtrack was the result of much guilty-pleasure research listening, and a hefty dose of misplaced childhood.

The film premiered at the 2019 Adirondack Film Festival, and went on to play many other festivals and garner a slew of awards.

And as of September 15th 2022, you can stream the soundtrack for your own guilty-pleasure listening. It’s short but fun; kind of like a garden gnome.

Listen wherever you devour your music.

Directed by Cynthia Silver

Written by Wendy MacLeod, based on her one-act play of the same title

Produced by Julia Kennelly

with Zoe Wilson, Zoe Manarel, Parker Winston, Sanai James and Trevor Brooks

Executive Producers: Paul Marcarelli & Cynthia Silver

Associate Producer: Aaron Dean Eisenberg

Co-Producers: Alisa Lessing & Marianna Murphy

Director of Photography: Jenelle Pearring

Editor & Post Supervisor: Will Mayo

Production Designer: Caryn Novak

Art Director: Valeria Brenes

Composer: Julian Blackmore

Wardrobe Stylist: Wlaa Elashkar

Hair & Makeup: Heidi Bowles

Casting Director: Erica A. Hart

The Shallow End premiered at the 2019 Adirondack Film Festival.

And The Winner Is...

Remember summer? Back when days were warm, nights were long, and the grill never stopped churning out hot dogs?

During that time I was lucky enough to partner with British director Lee Morgan on his short ‘The Piano’. Adding on to my ‘normal’ duties as composer, I also did sound design and editing, plus mixing, for the film.

A cut was put together in time for the Portabello Film Festival in August, and the film went on to win Best Comedy in the festival. Toot toot!

On a technical note, I made the brave (for me) move of editing and assembling the audio in Pro Tools - a program that until relatively recently I shied away from. Now I’m all about moving those clips around the page!

Stay tuned for updates on the film, and opportunities to view it!

The Shallow End Part Deux: More Screenings

There’s more screenings of ‘The Shallow End’ to kick off 2020! Go back in time and forward in seasons with this charmingly dark coming of age short, set in a languid mid-80s summer. Details below.


NewFilmmakers NY

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8 - 6PM

at Anthology Film Archives

32 Second Ave (at East 2nd Street) NYC 10003

No advanced reservations - $7 tickets at the door 

(Box office opens at 5:30pm)

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/592923681250927/


NY Indie Theatre Film Festival

FRIDAY, FEB 7TH at 7PM (Screening Block #1)

at New Ohio Theatre

154 Christopher Street (between Greenwich & Washington Sts)

NYC 10014

$10 single screening; $15 Friday pass; $20 Saturday pass; $30 all-festival pass

Festival website: newohiotheatre.org/nyitff

Screening calendar: http://newohiotheatre.org/screenings2020.htm#fc

Direct link to ticketing calendar: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1004347


The Shallow End

Back in February (when we still were excited about Game Of Thrones) I was asked to write some music for a short film. Set in the 80s the director wanted music that reflected ‘the sunny glow of Reagan’s America’, which resulted in much guilty-pleasure research listening.

Fast forward to this month and the film is a selection in the Adirondack Film Festival later this month, and the Indie Memphis Film Festival early next month.

It’s a beautifully shot film, directed by Cynthia Silver and written by Wendy MacLeod. Check out the trailer here.