Category: Drama

Drama, Film, TV, and other visual media scores, Live recordings, Percussion, Science Fiction

Lost: The Constant – Live (rescore)

Steven Kent Sanford

Scored for: percussion ensemble (marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, drums, cymbals, etc.)

The film clip is a condensed version of an episode of the TV series Lost from the fourth season, entitled “The Constant”. I’ve reduced the entire 45-minute show (without commercials) down to about 10 minutes with rough cuts that eliminated subplots, repetitive exposition, and some characters entirely.

The story involves Desmond, who has been stranded in 2004 on a remote island by a plane crash, travelling by helicopter to a rescue ship. Along the way, he begins to experience physical flash-backs to 1996 when he was a soldier in the UK. He becomes unable to distinguish between his current time period and the past, as well as risking imminent brain damage, so he seeks the assistance of a physics professor who tells him the only solution is to identify a “constant” in both time periods, something or someone that he cares about deeply. His estranged girlfriend from 1996 is that constant, but he must phone her from the rescue ship in 2004, and hope she will answer before it is too late.

This rescore is for percussion instruments only, featuring marimba, vibraphone, and glockenspiel. It was recorded live with the Talujon Percussion Ensemble on 2 August 2016 at Vermont College of Fine Arts, in Montpelier, Vermont.

Note that the video and dialog are the property of ABC Studios, and are used for purposes of illustrating my film scoring. No copyright infringement is intended. The music is Copyright © 2016 Steven K. Sanford.

Please do not republish this film clip elsewhere on the internet or use without permission.

(updated 10 December 2017)

 

Action and Adventure, Brass, Drama, Film, TV, and other visual media scores, Live recordings

Opening Scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark – Live (rescore)

Steven Kent Sanford

Scored for: brass quintet (trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba)

The prologue for Steven Spielberg’s 1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark introduces Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as a tomb-raiding, whip-cracking adventurer, deep in the South American jungle searching for a lost golden idol. Jones manages to evade several life-threatening dangers, as well as duplicitous comrades, only to find himself confronted, in his ultimate escape, but his worst fear (snakes!).

For this rescore, I followed John William’s original soundtrack as a model for the “feel” of each scene, since I didn’t have the luxury of discussing the scoring with Steven Spielberg, but I still came up with an original, rather than derivative, score. This new soundtrack is written for a brass quintet (two trumpets, a french horn, a trombone, and a tuba).

There are two stand-out moments for me in the score. First, when the spiders prey on Jones and his assistant (Alfred Molina), the brass players key their instruments without blowing into them, creating clicking sounds to mimic the spiders. Second, I wrote my own “Indiana Jones theme”, which the brass play over the final escape to the seaplane. In John Williams’ score, this is the most memorable theme. I hope you find my “theme” just as exciting and memorable.

The score is performed by The Brooklyn Brass, recorded live in concert on 3 August 2017 at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT.

Note that the video portion of the film is the property of Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilm, et al, and is used for purposes of illustrating my film scoring. No copyright infringement is intended. The dialog and sound effects were recreated by “Phil D” and “Jake” on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/46951183). The music is Copyright © 2017 Steven K. Sanford.

Please do not republish this film clip elsewhere on the internet or use without permission.

(updated 11 December 2017)

Drama, Film, TV, and other visual media scores

100 Centre Street (rescore)

Steven Kent Sanford

Scored for: studio orchestra (with additional sound design)

I rescored the titles for Sidney Lumet’s 2001 TV Series 100 Centre Street. This was a courtroom drama based in metropolitan New York City, so for a background, I started with city-scape sound effects like police sirens and traffic, then added courtroom sounds, including “Order in the court!”.

Over this audible landscape, I added synthesizer plunges and throbbing rhythm in woodwinds, brass, and finally strings, with a trumpet motif rising above these sounds. I tried to capture the feel of the typical police/court drama of the era.

Note that the video is the property of A&E Productions, and is used for purposes of illustrating my film scoring. No copyright infringement is intended. The music is Copyright © 2016 Steven K. Sanford.

Please do not republish this film clip elsewhere on the internet or use without permission.

Drama, Film, TV, and other visual media scores, Piano, Romance, Strings

Vertigo Restaurant Scene (rescore)

Steven Kent Sanford

Scored for: piano and string ensemble

This is a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo (1958) that I’ve rescored for piano and strings. Jimmy Stewart’s character (at the bar) is getting his first glimpse of Kim Novak’s character (at the table) while she is dining with her husband. Jimmy’s character is a private investigator who has been hired by the husband to surreptitiously follow Kim’s character, because she has been behaving suicidally.

The location reminded me of a restaurant in Brooklyn, NY, where my wife and I dined several times, complete with a pianist playing in a corner, and plush surroundings. So I staged the score with a pianist improvising a jazz piece as background music, then introduced the strings for Kim’s character.

I was able to capture some of the background sound effects during quiet moments in the scene, which I’ve included behind my rescore.

Note that the video and sound effects are the property of Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions, and are used for purposes of illustrating my film scoring. No copyright infringement is intended. The music is Copyright © 2017 Steven K. Sanford.

Please do not republish this film clip elsewhere on the internet or use without permission.

Action and Adventure, Animation, Drama, Film, TV, and other visual media scores, Orchestral, Science Fiction

The Oceanmaker (rescore)

Steven Kent Sanford

Scored for: studio orchestra (and additional sound design)

Mighty Coconut has created an amazing, epic animated short entitled The Oceanmaker. I’ve taken their film, stripped out all of the sound, and composed my own film score and supplied new sound effects.

Note that the video is the property of Mighty Coconut, and is used for purposes of illustrating my film scoring. No copyright infringement is intended. The music is Copyright © 2016 Steven K. Sanford.

Please do not republish this film clip elsewhere on the internet or use without permission.

(If you want to compare the film’s original soundtrack, scored by Chris Reyman, check it out here.)