Film Composer | Producer

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I have been privately producing for the past 3-4 years, and have worked for various clients over the past year. I am currently enrolled in University near completion of a degree in Commercial Music, this has opened up many opportunities to collaborate with acclaimed music producers and film composers.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I generally work on emotional, intense, poignant music. This ranges from dark, synthy sci fi, to lush folk music. I also frequently record jazz instrumental tracks.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ear with reference to hearing how I want a song to develop. Above this, I approach compositions with a very open mind letting the sonic landscape dictate its progression. With this I enlist creativity to incorporate unique samples and patches developing a new, unheard sound.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Once I have listened to the reference track, or watched film in full, I will begin sketching out ideas. Typically I will develop a main melodic interest and build upon the idea. I try to think of what the listen will grab hold of and remember and bring that to the forefront of the track. I always try to incorporate interesting sounds that create recognition for the track through synthesis. I place a huge focus on overall arrangement and structure, as it is very important to spread out interest over the frequency spectrum, as well as over the track overalll. I generally send early drafts to the artist for feedback, before finalizing a more completed draft.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I complete the majority of my production on my MacBook with my Alesis midi controller. I generally rely on Omnisphere, East-West Composer cloud libraries, and slate and ash plugins to produce my tracks. I frequently use Neumann TLM-103's to record guitar, piano, and vocals and shure sm mics to record electric guitar. I use the full izotope and native instruments suites for mixing and mastering procedures.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I am inspired by Jack Antonoff's production style and general outlook on the free nature of music. In the film scoring world (and soul/hip hop world) I take great inspiration from Ludwig Goranson.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Generally I produce intense, emotional music for sci-fi and drama films. I also specialize in ambient/synth pop as well as folk production.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I worked on a dramatic short film about addiction and its awful affects. I was very proud of how I communicated the broad range of emotional experience throughout the film. I was the lead composer for the film's music

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on various pop charts that I have written myself, as well as some film score commissions from peers and clients.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I would recommend Kyle Kirkpatrick, a film composer and producer. From all the times I've worked with him, I've admired his ability to achieve the specific emotion of the film he is working on. He has been an inspiration in the film scoring area, as well as with pop production.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: It is impossible for a cut and dry answer to this question, but I find myself using more digital synthesis for the manipulative properties. You can't really beat the analog sound, so when I find a sound that is perfect for what I need, analog is great. In my workflow when sketching out ideas, it is easier for me to use digital synthesis, to be able to adapt the sounds and project later if need be.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I promise to make your work shine, adding a layer of interest that is unique, yet impactful and digestible. I promise to create music that will please my clients, as well as exhibit the best qualities of their work.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the collaborative nature of the job. It is so great to work with other passionate people and learn different perspectives all to communicate great art. I love that I never stop learning new techniques and strategies, and that there is virtually no ceiling to what can be achieved.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Often customers ask about prior experience and my specialties. They also inquire about timeline, revisions, and payment. I tell them about projects I've worked on in the past, as well as my past music experience that has culminated in my present ability. In terms of timeline and revisions, I am flexible to an extent, but like to determine a fairly clear timeframe and amount of revisions with the deal for payment.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: The biggest misconception is that more is better. I've gone through phases of a more maximalist production style, and while that can be awesome and inspiring, In my experience, it is more important to carefully select sounds that will be memorable and impactful. The view that more tracks is better is missing the point. If an idea can be communicated effectively with one or two tracks, then so be it. If more is needed to convey the vibe, then so be it. Though there are standards that we producers go by, ultimately it is about what sounds good, and that can be achieved in infinitely many ways.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask for a clear timeframe for when they expect drafts and final copies. I ask for a reference track if possible, as well as film that is to potentially be scored. I love to ask clients about what emotions are to be communicated because I believe that is one of if not the most important aspects of music. I negotiate potential rates and illustrate my timeline.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: I would advise to choose a producer/composer who they believe will best accomplish the goals of their song. While experience and reputation is important, ultimately music is about communicating a message. Being the person who decides how that message is communicated and carried out, it is important to not only look solely for experience and reputation, but to look into how you think the hire will communicate your message, with their creativity.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My Fender Nashville deluxe electric guitar, my interface, my MacBook(assuming software is included), Alesis midi keyboard, Neumann TLM 103 Mic. While synthesizers are very cool, to strip down to the necessities, I feel as if I would not feel limited with just these 5 things.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I would love to work with Ludwig Goranson. It is very inspiring to me his ability to communicate a distinct message through his music regardless of genre. With a foot in the film scoring world, and a foot in the song production world I'd love to work with him and discuss motivations and artistic direction. I feel as if we would have great ideas together and would work off of eachother greatly.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I would recommend leaving ones mind open to the fluidity of music. While it is good to have an idea of how a song is supposed to sound, I find it very important to be open to how new sounds interact with the message of the song, and adapt accordingly.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a specific poignance and emotion to the music I produce. I aim to capture the listener in thought with satisfying melodic ideas. In terms of sound selection I love to find ways to validate interesting sounds through synthesis and plugins.