But what should it SOUND like?

When Jeff sent me the script for Measure of the Sin on the heels of our finishing and then traveling to support Gracie, I was intrigued and maybe a little worried - it pointed towards an evolution of sorts for us. We'd previously collaborated on two short (under 30 minute) films, but now we were looking at an hour+ long feature film. Having already written 45 minutes of music for Gracie & Perry's Wait, it wasn't a question of can I write that much; rather, how can I keep it cohesive?

The most difficult, and ultimately most rewarding thing about composing music to picture is serving the dramatic needs of the story & visual while still creating music that for the most part can stand on its own. That's a difficult litmus test, but it's important to meet because there are many reasons why a film succeeds or fails, and music is one of the biggest. I try to keep in mind that the late Jerry Goldsmith (composer of Chinatown, Alien, The Sand Pebbles, Planet of the Apes; etc) once said: "Great music can't save a bad movie, but bad music can kill a great movie." No pressure!

The script has given me some great, inspiring 'mental' visuals - and some musical clues/cues. With my engineer/collaborator John Billings, some great musicians, and Kristy and Jeff's thoughts and direction, I look forward to the challenge of helping bring Meredith's story to life...

(and no Jeff, I haven't started writing the music yet.)