Since shooting ended and post began, one of my favorite elements of creating this film has been collaborating with Samuel Farrell and Kevin Oldfield on creating an original score. I had always imagined giving Allegany County a voice through music instead of a using a traditional narrator. Combining the visual landscapes of western New York with their music and the oh-so-familiar banter from local radio stations, we’ve created a soundscape that brings the subtle emotional narratives to the forefront of the film.
Here is a little sample from the Main Theme:
I’ve asked Samuel to guest post on this one and fill you in on whats been happening in the recording studio. Here is what he has to say…
Spending so much time with our subjects, as well as living in Allegany County during the shoot, I already had some ideas about the feelings that I wanted to express through the music for Twelve Ways to Sunday. Kevin Oldfield (co-composer) watched the rough cut a few times and immediately we both connected on a similar style and organic composition process. We had previously played music together, but not for such an intimate project. We wanted the score to sound folky but not traditional, so we used traditional instruments, tuned them a little differently and processed them electronically. We wanted each song to convey a mood that the viewer could relate to a certain character, or event and would bring a specific emotion to their mind. So, with an individual or a feeling in mind, we hit the record button and started writing. This isn’t your standard film composition. We didn’t sit down with the film on a screen in front of us and write to the picture, we wrote these songs blindly and from the heart. Keeping with the homemade, DIY tone that the film carries, the initial recordings were created in our home studio (as Anna was editing in the room next door!) Kevin and I would take turns layering new melodies and sounds on top of that original recording until we were satisfied. We needed just the right amount of energy to effectively draw in the viewer and help weave together the final product, but not so much as to take away from the dialogue and visuals of the film.
Last week, I jumped into the front seat of a mini van and headed downtown for a late night mixing session with Cory Gray at Scenic Burrows Studios in Portland, Oregon. We spent the night re-amping the individual tracks that were recorded with one microphone in my old bedroom on the south side of town through some nice quality and vintage outboard gear. UREI-1176LN, UREI-1178, Manley Elop, Distressor and some classic Neve EQ’s, to name a few. Our main goal was to mix all of the sound elements into what we call “stems” which are production ready individual tracks that are ready to drop into the final cut of the film. These are used to ease the viewer into the music cues and add a little more atmosphere and ambiance to the film. Cory is a great engineer, musician and collaborator. While in the studio I asked if he would record some trumpet to make our “theme” song a little more triumphant. We are incredibly grateful to Cory and Scenic Burrows for coming on board to help us finalize the score!
