Here are a few demos I did in December to be considered for a feature. They all were enthusiastically received by the producers... and my son likes them, too! Especially the electric guitar parts.

I was originally supposed to only do two demos, which are the first two here.

The first (Virtuoso Goth Rock) was to show my ability to write in a Goth style but with a bit more thought and musicianship to it. (I played the guitars on that.)

The second (March to the Scaffold) was to show my orchestral style in an operatic format. Both of these short pieces were based on the script.

The pieces were so well received that I was asked to contribute a piece for the pitch. So the third piece contains elements from many parts of the script, with themes for the main characters and events.

Anna's Goth Anthem

March to the Scaffold

Water!

Manuscript Scan

 

Animated Short
Jojo Lam, dir.

When listening to instrumental music, most people will associations things with the music: moods, feelings, images and even stories.

It is while writing "Our Dance" that I realized that telling a story through music is a great way give musical form a sense of purpose, even if the listener doesn't know the story.

But the story has to be one that speaks to the human experience, and not some random series of events.

With "Our Dance", I had to write the music before the animation was done and I only had a very rough story line to guide me.

This resulted in a piece with many changes of mood that yet, to my ear, has an organic flow, because there is a real human story behind it.

Violin: Drie Ignas.
Flute: Sandi Chih

 

Feature Length Drama
Wandering Gecko Entertainment
Josh Whittal, dir.

This was a feature length score but I was called in at the last minute. I had three weeks to write and record the whole thing.

I managed to deliver on time a score that I am still proud of to this day.

The score has at the core only one main theme that acts as a glue to hold the fragmented-story lines together while capturing the complex mood of darkness, sadness, depression and drug-induced stupor.

The melody follows the basic story arc from the darkness of addiction, through violence, and finally ends with redemption.

Mommy's Bad Day

Saving Jane Does

Taken In

A Mad World

Dramatic Short
Talelight Films
Jeff Richards, dir.

This score was nominated for a Leo award, so that was nice. It recorded by the Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra. That was nicer.

The film itself was actually based on piece I had written called "Echoes of an Epic." I recorded it with the UBC orchestra to put on my demo CD when I came out of school.

Jeff Richards, now co-founder of Talelight Films, received that CD, heard the piece, called me up and started writing story ideas to it.

The film finally got made, and all I had to do was write some underscore for the other scenes where my original piece was not present.

Intrada

Echoes of an Epic

Finale

Comedic Short
Yellow Doors Productions
Kevin Bottomley, dir.

The only score so far where I got to flex my electric guitar muscles. I used to play a lot, so it was fun.

The opening track , which you can listen to on the right,accomplishes something I always strive for: it stands great on its own and yet matches the picture like a glove.

Just listening to it on its own you don't get all very subtle hitting of the action and how it follows the dramatic arc of the scene, but it truly does. You can trust me on that.

What makes this even more fun is that it actually functions as source music as well as score!

Burnt Toast

Romantic Comedy Short
Hybrid Productions
Neil Every, dir.

This was a treat to write. I was a great little film and I got to do all sorts of fun things.

I got to write this over the top comedic micky-mousing music, which even has some aspects of tango to it. ("Teddy's Head.")

I got to write a poignant, dramatic adagio. ("Prelude to a Dream.")

I got to write a song in a big band style. That's not my thing, but it was kind of fun to make use of what I learned those years playing jazz.

And I got to write an homage to Morricone for a dream sequence where I got to play a little bit of harmonica.

The whole score was recorded in my studio, the majority of instruments were live.

Teddy's Head

Prelude to a Dream

Comedic Short
Lyran Productions
Sarah McIntyre, dir.

Crazy 8s award winner

Writing the score for this was an adventure. I can laugh about it now...

This short was a winning entry in the Crazy 8s contest where the filmmakers have 8 days to get the film shot and edited and ready for projection.

The 3-day window I had to get the score done also coincided with a violent bout of food poisoning.

I won't go into details here, I'm sure you get the picture, but the show must go on, damn it! and I managed to compose, write and perform the whole score on guitars through it all.

No one can say I'm not tough.

(It's amazing to me that it still came out sounding so good.)

Acting Dad
 

Action Comedy Short
Goldstar Prod.
Nick Bicanic, dir.

Art History is a heist movie and few things are more fun to score than that.

Most of the film is the protagonists setting up the heist and that was mostly drum n' bass music. I tried to make it a bit more cinematic rather than just hip-hop.

The fun part for the score was the payoff for the movie: the heist itself. Like many heists there was some sneaking around with one small bit of intense action at the end.

That bit of action offered a lot of nice opportunities for hitting some action to make the scene more intense. I was very pleased how that came out and I wasn't the only one.

After Nick (director) and Les (post production supervisor) first heard that cue with the image they burst out in applause at the end.

Timing Sheet Sample

Dramatic Short
Robo Neo Prod.
Victor Khong, dir.

This short film was a realistic telling of a street-worker's last few days and her desire for a new life.

Because of the length and subject matter the film had no score, but only a reflective piece for the ending credits.

Originally I was asked to write a piece for choir, and I built up this concept of a prayer that serves as an elegy.

I found this 18th Century Latin prayer which was the basis for the piece: Aufer A Me Cor lapideum.

"O LORD, take away my heart of stone, my hardened heart, my uncircumcised heart and grant to me a new heart, a heart of flesh, a clean heart!"

I wrote some English lyrics based on that translation, but put some of the Latin as a counterpoint.

The piece was completed but the producers were unable to secure funds for the choir.

So even though I arranged the piece for flute and cello, I kept the Latin title.

Aufer A Me Cor Lapideum

Action Shorts
Vast Media
Patrick Redding, dir.

If I had to pick just one score out of all of my scores, this would have to be the one.

That's because this score has a potent mix of intense, ball-to-the-wall action and dark dramatic elements, all performed a by a real-live orchestra (which I conducted.)

There was so much in the story that is presented in the music that I could fill a book with. Oh, I am tempted now, but all I will say is this...

The Citizen is the story a Russian vigilante hired by an underground group, going on his first mission. His doubts about the role he has to play results in the loss of an innocent life.

The Citizen Main Title

Confrontation

Face to Face

 

Dramatic Short
Reckless Rogue Productions Inc.
Jeff Richards, dir.

There was an interesting process for this score.

Jeff (the director) had done this short of a guy who shuts himself from the world, locks himself into a vault and watches old movies.

So the score should sound like an old movie, right? Sure, so I tried and wrote some Chaplin-like stuff and a variety of other things but nothing clicked.

I was running out of ideas and I saw my guitar just sitting there and I had a little flash of inspiration and starting playing this fingerstyle, wistful tune in a major key.

It sounded nothing like Chaplin but somehow that one clicked for both of us!

It is because of the country feel that I called it "Home in the Vault."

Home in the Vault

Dramatic Feature
Yellow Door Productions
Kevin Bottomley, dir.

This was a really good film with a very surprising warmth to it, something I had not expected from reading the script.

Writing the score for this film was a true growing experience for me, partly because it was my first feature score but also because of the depth of the script and the quality of the directing.

Because the film had such a clear tone and quality to it, capturing it in music was a true pleasure.

The only thing I would change about this score is to have it performed by a live orchestra and not the sample-playback machines I had at the time.

Tango for Antonio (End Credits)

Spotting Note Scan

Dramatic Short
Victor Film Group
Victor Khong, dir.

" Alain is a filmmaker's dream composer. For my movie Goodbye he succintly interpreted the emotionl beats of the story structure and composed accordingly.

"Central to the story is a piano instrumental which needed to be composed prior to principal photography so that it could be played by the performer for the camera.

"This composition had to express the emotional Gestalt fo the actor and richly layer the moment with subtext.

"Having discussed the scene with Alain, he was able to compose "For Michelle" which expressed every creative nuance I was seeking.

"His music for Goodbye has moved viewers to tears."

Victorh Khong
writer/director

Romantic Comedy Short
Reckless Rogue Productions Inc.
Jeff Richards, dir.

Action Comedy Short
Reckless Rogue Productions Inc.
Jeff Richards, dir.

This was only my second film, but it remains a favourite of mine.

I didn't really know much about writing music for film and on top of that this was a little film noir send-off and I didn't know anything about film noir either.

So I studied the genre, rented some equipment I needed for this particular project and I came up with this little noir-rock score that has a great tune, lots of fun and really followed the film perfectly.

Saxes: Mark Follett

The Captive Main Title

Getting the Chair

Waste 'Im