Snowfall encapsulates bringing light and warmth to the dark world that we live in. Even when we are surrounded by a blizzard with no real end in sight, there’s always a light that shines in the darkness and guides us through the storm; I hope this piece has that same effect on the world around me.

Check out what Dizzy O’Brian had to say about Snowfall:

Michael Moore’s latest composition, Snowfall, is a brilliant new short work for piano. It is masterfully performed and well produced. Snowfall uses broken chord patterns to effectively paint a musical picture of falling snow, blanketing the landscape. At the same time, the work stays true to its pure musical idea and the result is a very lovely, listenable work of music. This work is comparable to the piano works of Richard Clayderman in its accessibility and high quality. It’s easy to see that, with this gift for descriptive, melodic composing, that this composer will someday soon make a name for himself in the film scoring industry.

Stay tuned for its official release on February 9th at 10 AM PST. Its accompanied music video will be premiering that same date/time. Make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss it! Purchase it here.

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I had the privilege of interviewing an up-and-coming director who was able to share her unique and personal life experiences. Music and film directing are two very different disciplines, yet they do share a lot of similarities. Some of those similarities rely on the necessity of telling a story. This is something that I strive to accomplish in every note that I write. I know for a fact that Jocelyn has the same goal when writing the script for and directing her creations. When both fields combine; that’s where the magic happens. Collaboration commences, and the film and music both are married together into a perfect harmony (pun intended).

Question #1

The first question that I asked Jocelyn was, “How did you come to be a director?” 

She exclaimed, “I came to be a director by initially knowing I wanted to be a part of the filmmaking process as a teenager. Directing piqued my interest because of their creative control over the story and the collaboration that takes place throughout departments. I have never been one for math or science but always thrived in any art class I took. I noticed that I found success when I wasn’t limited by rules but suggested guidelines. I’ve also always had a fascination for behavior and psychology behind humans, which was influenced by my older sister who is a behavior therapist and have had countless conversations about humans, society, etc., that I now see has influenced my desire to direct as I now apply that knowledge to characters.”

Question #2

The next question that I asked was, “What qualities do you look for when hiring a composer for your project? Is there one quality or thing that will get you to consider someone more than others?” She replied, “When hiring a composer, I am looking for someone who is passionate about what they do. Talent and knowledge are important but most importantly I look for someone who is genuinely kind, respectful, and willing to set ego aside for what is best for the project.”

Question #3

My next question I asked her was, “In your opinion, is it more important for a composer to have a unique musical voice consistent in all of their work? Or is it important for the composer to have a broad range of compositional ability to draw from so they will likely be able to adapt to what the project needs stylistically in any given scene / scenario?” 

She answered, “In my opinion, I do not think one is more important than the other because both types of composers exist and there is a need and want for both. I believe it is up to the composer to find where their passion and natural skills shine and form it into a craft. Anything can be learned with enough grit, but I believe we all have a unique set of skills and talents that are innate.”

Question #4

A question that is on most composers’ minds is, “What do you want to see / hear in a demo cue from a composer? Something custom made for your project? Something from other projects in a composer’s past that might be similar? Live recordings? Are MIDI sampled recordings ok? What format do you want any demo material in? (Audio CD, flash drive with audio files, video files so you can see how well the composer scores to picture, etc…)” 

She answered, “Typically I like to see work from past projects similar to what I’m looking for and not, but I wouldn’t oppose live recordings, or custom made. MIDI recordings are fine, and I would accept audio files, video files on a flash drive or through a shared link or drive. However, the composer is responsible for sending their work rather than expecting the director to look for it or nag you for material.” I found this last part of the answer very relatable, as I conversed with a composer in the industry who urged me to display my music in a reel- like format on the front page of my website; which I now know after making the changes; it makes a huge difference.

Question #5

The next question I asked Jocelyn was, “How do you budget for the music in a film? Do you determine score costs ahead of time based on the kind of score you want or is it based on a flat percentage of the film’s budget? How do you determine what a composer’s involvement is worth on your project?” 

She replied, “I budget music for my films during pre-production and I try to budget for production and the postproduction as well. I always determine the pay with a composer when hiring. I think it can vary based on the work that is needed by the composer.”

Question #6

This next question is important, because it is something we ask ourselves on the daily as composers, “What is your opinion on a composer working for little to no monetary compensation (i.e., for free)? Many entertainment industry departments have union representation that sets a minimum pay “standard” for what those jobs cost from week-to-week or day-to-day. But composers do not have and cannot unionize by a National Labor Relations Board decision from the early 1980s. Does this affect at all your hiring or budgeting process for music? What is the lowest budget amount you have ever had for a music score? What is the highest amount?” 

She exclaimed, “I believe everyone should be compensated fairly for their work, especially if there is enough in the budget to do so. However, I do understand sometimes there is simply no money and I will always be fully transparent with my cast/crew. As a filmmaker I have worked for free countless times and am willing to do so for new passionate filmmakers and a story I believe in.” This is very genuine reply, because there are times where value can come from different forms, rather than being compensated monetarily.

Question #7

My next question for Jocelyn, which is essential in any personal or professional relationship, “How do you communicate with your composer regarding the creative process? What can the composer do to make that easier for you as a producer / director?” 

She replied, “I like to have a very open communication with composers, while editing I will tend to add temp music that emulates the sound I am looking for as well as make a music playlist with songs that inspires the story. After that I like to give the composer as much creative freedom to interpret it. So later, I can give notes based on what’s working and what’s not; and together we can creatively collaborate on what could work.”

Question #8

The next question that I had for Jocelyn was, “Is it a more important perception for a young composer to have credits assisting other “big name” composers on “big name” films even if their jobs and responsibilities on those films were more technical and nondescript like “scoring assistant” or “midi programmer”? Or is it a more important perception for a composer to have a list of feature films where they were the department head “composer” in charge and 100% responsible for music, even if those films were smaller, indie, “festival bound” projects that may not have had mass public appeal?” 

She replied, “I don’t believe one path is more important than the other or will grant success sooner. It is up to the composer to follow what path best suits or calls to them, what is most important is the consistency of networking, showing up, and putting in the work no matter what job you are doing. The best perception to a new composer is to make a plan that works for you and be open to it not going as planned or changing course. Do not limit yourself to believing there is a fool proof path to achieve success, there never is.”

Question #9

The next question, which could get a bit touchy for some directors out there is, “Have you ever had a bad experience with a composer? Did you learn anything from that? Has it affected how you work with a composer since?” 

She exclaimed, “I have a composer I regularly work with, so we have an open communication and haven’t had a bad experience.”

Question #10

Lastly, “From your perspective as a producer / director, what is the one piece of advice you would give a young composer working to build their career in this industry?” 

She replied, “My advice would be to follow your intuition and learn how to better listen for it whether with music, professional relationships, projects, etc. Don’t hesitate to reach out and make connections: email, direct message on social media, go to networking events. And most importantly be consistent, continue to create and put your work out there.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jocelyn gave me a much clearer picture into the mind of the director, as well as a different outlook in the film-making process and gave me practical ways to improve my practice in composing and communication. It was a pleasure having this discussion with her, and gleaning this wisdom she has learned during her time in film school; and beyond. Jocelyn is currently working on completing her newest short, “Monday”, which she will be pitching when completed, to several film-fests to be considered for awards.

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I had the opportunity to interview an old colleague of mine back in my undergrad. I scored his 20+ minute short film “Existence: Age of Discovery” back in 2017. He is someone whom I would equate to the likes of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. This is due to his deep love of the Star Wars universe and storytelling. I thought he would be the perfect person to interview keeping those things in mind. He’s a dreamer, visionary, and is someone I can see making it big in the industry soon.

Question #1

My first question that I asked him was, “How did you come to be a director?”

He replied, “Filmmaking, filmmaking has always been part of my DNA since the beginning. When I was about 8ish, I always grabbed my parents video camcorders (before iPhone/Red cameras) and filmed anything that I could get my hands on (it was usually hot wheels, model airplanes, and LEGO/ wood building blocks). I tended to focus mostly on action shorts based on Mission Impossible storylines. It was so much fun to tell stories using the camera.

I then drifted more and more into sports, but I secretly continued to use the camcorder on the weekends and after practices. I drifted towards creating stories and storyboards. And it wasn’t until H.S. that one of my teachers took me under her wing and helped me on school papers/projects; until an assignment that reshaped my drive to go to film school and follow my passion (that I didn’t know about, which was filmmaking). The biggest as in the most important thing growing up was Star Wars! I was obsessed with Star Wars and everything Star Wars, which remains a HUGE influence, a DNA in all my work. Star Wars is my Bible to storytelling. I could talk about this forever lol.”

Question #2

My next question that I asked was, “What qualities do you look for when hiring a composer for your project? Is there one quality or thing that will get you to consider someone more than others?”

He exclaimed, “Someone who is passionate and the right person for the “feeling” to that specific story. It all depends on what film I am working on. I usually have a good relationship to the composer that I have history with. Like when you see in movies and films you tend to notice directors and composers are almost always linked with each other. It shows that they understand one another and have the right feeling for the films they work with. Spielberg/Williams, Nolan/Zimmer, Burton/Elfman, Kurzel/Kurzel, Hitchcock/Herrmann, etc.

Question #3

The next question I asked Jordan was, “In your opinion, is it more important for a composer to have a unique musical voice consistent in all their work? Or is it important for the composer to have a broad range of compositional ability to draw from so they will likely be able to adapt to what the project needs stylistically in any given scene / scenario?”

He replied, “Broad motion of styles, because it shows how to reach the composer and push each other in new direction without even knowing about it. In a way it’s a deep subconscious trick, always pushing each other in new ways by achieving the unknown. As actors get type casted so quickly for roles, it happens to director and composer as well. That is why it’s key to have a variety package of your work to showcase the many avenues to go down.

Question #4

Something that I’ve pondered over while taking this course, is how do I represent myself well when pitching to a director or project that I am excited about? To answer this question, I asked this: What do you want to see / hear in a demo cue from a composer? Something custom made for your project? Something from other projects in a composer’s past that might be similar? Live recordings? Are MIDI sampled recordings ok? What format do you want any demo material in? (Audio CD, flash drive with audio files, video files so you can see how well the composer scores to picture, etc…)”

He replied, “Whenever I write a script, I will always listen to soundtracks. It is then it takes form within my thoughts about the feel and texture to the final film project. As a filmmaker, I am constantly working in my mind and figuring the best avenue for the project to become original and bold for the audience to see. I will tend to showcase some examples from past projects and other composers work for my composer to listen to and feel the texture of the film I am envisioning with. As a leader and filmmaker, I tend to push the cast and crew to be the best they can be and always be better than the start of the project. There is always room for growth and the opportunity to expand all our talent that we have.

The examples I show the composer, I allow them to listen and to begin crafting the music. I will always like anything they give back to me. Often some works might belong in another future script etc. So, when I hear their first music track, I hear their passion for scoring. It is the most beautiful part of filmmaking when everyone is ONE team and striding to finish the film as the best it can be. Working with a few composers in film school, they tend to see rough cuts of all the shots, scenes, dialogue, etc. and build upon the scenes.”

Question #5

Here are my next two questions, “How do you budget for the music in a film? What is your opinion on a composer working for little to no monetary compensation (i.e. for free)? 

He exclaimed, “Visuals is key to filmmaking, acting must be spot on, but the most underrated aspect to movies is the way we feel about scenes throughout the time we spend in theaters, that is the beauty of scores. Music moves and flows through all of us in the dark theater, when a beloved character dies, we witness what happens, but we feel with music too. When the audience sees a motived person trying to accomplish something, we hear the heart beating tone of music in our blood flow making us root for that character. This is why music budget needs a committed composer to spend more time on accomplishing those treasured moments in the film. Visuals/CGI/models, to costumes to locations to music, are all important and crucial for the producers and studios to know what film product they are getting.

My dream project that I continue to write, is to have a massive choir like what Lucas/Williams did in episode 1 of Star Wars for some scenes that I am writing. We all are one team; money is not important, but it is the people behind me on a project who are willing to take chances and risks for pushing cinema in new ways that have never done before. Stride towards the impossible for it to become possible.”

Question #6

A question that I think is so important for establishing a good report is, “How do you communicate with your composer regarding the creative process? What can the composer do to make that easier for you as a director?” 

He exclaimed, “Examples are always a good start to see the direction of each creative crew member is going upon. Everyone on my crew will always have a voice to sight their concerns or experiences or insight as well to make everyone better at their craftsmanship (See #4).”

Question #7

My next question was a long one… “Is it a more important perception for a young composer to have credits assisting other “big name” composers on “big name” films even if their jobs and responsibilities on those films were more technical and nondescript like “scoring assistant” or “midi programmer”? 

He replied enthusiastically, “No! Be passionate about your work. It doesn’t matter if you’re shadowing a major composer or doing student films while working at “In n Out.” All it comes down to is that you know what you’re doing and able to learn along the way. No one in life knows what that exact moment of every single day of life will bring to oneself, so always be willing to adapt to the unknown paths. Experience will always be in motion and everyone in life will reach the finish line and pass it. Passion is the credits that everyone needs to have to accomplish the goals. ‘Music are sounds, films are visuals, and movies are artwork’ -JLR (a deep metaphor).”

Question #8

The next question that I asked him was, “Have you ever had a bad experience with a composer? Did you learn anything from that? Has it affected how you work with a composer since?” 

He said, “It is always a learning experience for everyone, especially when it’s your first time working together. A relationship with crew members is basically a dance. You are partners going around the floor hand in hand figuring what avenue you want to go down to make the film project the best you can. And that even goes to everything in life as well.”

Question #9

The last question that I asked him was, “From your perspective as a director, what is the one piece of advice you would give a young composer working to build their career in this industry?” 

He replied, “Just do it! Never give up; even if you feel like a failure, through failure is success. Everyone started out on the lowest steppingstone and some stones along the way were missing and broken but stones are for stepping upon, it is only in your mind that you’re able to achieve the journey you’re stepping on.

In film school I had a few different composers and later adapted them to the tone and feeling to whichever story we were telling. I am a visual and hands on director from giving some references on the pacing and tone to the story and I allow the composer to write and/or conduct it. Music is a HUGE part to my films, since the visuals, sound, and music all must be perfectly in sync with each other. I truly rely on the relationship between composer and director since they both are extremely hands on with the story they are telling the audiences. They need to understand one another’s mindset on the tempo/pacing to the arc of character building, locations, twists, and turns that is yet to come.”

Conclusion

It was such a privilege being able to interview Jordan about these very important topics. Composers can learn from his personal experiences in the industry and apply it their careers. Which in turn, further influencing the ways in which we approach filmmaking. I look forward to many more films from him, and hopefully the opportunity to score another film for him!

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Memories: Behind The Scenes – One can fail to realize how much actually goes into every detail of a piece. “Memories” is a compilation of my entire life; wrapped up in a silver bow for the holidays. It all started back in 2018, when I found out my grandmother passed away. It was sudden to say the least. I did not have the chance to travel to my hometown to say goodbye. This being because I was in school.

This music was born from a sense of deep frustration and anger, towards a God that I love. Everyone thinks grief is all sunshine and daisies when it comes to losing someone. Well let me tell you, it isn’t. Though the emotions might look different, they still reign true till this day. I took it upon myself to dedicate this piece to my grandma. She had such a massive influence in my life, and always helped me look at the positives. When I was struggling in school, she was always a phone call away; every step of the way.

In 2019, I had the privilege to showcase my work through my senior recital. There were grueling months of preparation. All in all, I had finally done it! I released “The Unknown” near the end of 2018, and have been sitting on “Memories” ever since. Due to jumping straight into work, much of my music sat dormant, and un-recorded. It wasn’t until the latter part of 2020 that I decided to record it and release it to the world.

Recording Memories

It was probably the first time I had ever done a personal project that was all virtual. I would have preferred to meet in person, but I knew with the pandemic that would not be a possibility. I asked my accompanist, Cameron Evans, if he would be willing to record his part. He got back to me with his recording and I believe I literally said “THAT’S IT!” There was no hesitation, no rerecords, it was perfect. It brought me to tears the first time I listened to it, as well as my family.

The next step was on me, to rerecord the piano part. It normally would be already quantized, but I had to re-record it to match Cameron’s magnificent performance. With a little bit of tweaking and moving things around, I got the desired flow that I was looking for. This included REAL rubato, not the fake tempo changes you can input in manually.

Mixing Memories

The next step was to mix it. I don’t think I had ever asked so many people for critique on my mix at once, but I did… Having multitudes of opinions, and finding the middle ground, was probably the hardest part of the process. Thankfully, I was able to get the mix to a standard that met everyone’s expectations.

Mastering Memories

The next step was mastering. I found a guy on instagram a few years back, and have always kept the relationship with him open. Thinking about doing the master on my own, but I soon realized how difficult his job is is.

Lucas or “Luke” Pimentel, is an amazing Riverside-based mixing and mastering engineer. He actually took me under his wing in the process; helping me get the best product possible. He graciously listened to my mixes so there wasn’t a translation issue to distribution. My goal was to make his job as easy as possible.

Surprisingly enough, I got the finished master from him when I was getting my Covid test (haha). My mom and I were sitting in the car, and we both said, “This is it…”

Promoting Memories

Next step was to try and build hype around the idea of “Memories”. My first question was: “When you think about memories, what comes to your mind?” I got several responses that really resonated with me. They were very closely themed to what this song was really about: Family. When I found out that my dad had Covid it was difficult to stay focused. I kept trudging through it, and continued releasing videos, and content for people to enjoy amidst all the turmoil.

It finally came time to begin creating a collage. This as well as giving some insight to the song. The words were: Mom, Everything, More, Onward, Remember, Inspiration, Education, and Solitude. Each had a special place in the years before, as well as up to this point in time.

Pitching Memories

On top of promotion and trying to build some hype around this original piece, I also had to start pitching to playlists. This process bore some fruit, but unfortunately not much from the bigger names (i.e. Spotify). Hopefully in the future they will find the value that my listeners find in this piece! We shall see… It’s been over a year since its original release, getting better and better results every day.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my story with the world, and hopefully to be able to change people’s lives for the better. That’s my story. What’s yours?

If you’d like to take a listen to “Memories”, click here.

Thank you for reading, “Memories: Behind The Scenes”!

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