48 Hours and not enough time in the day

Last weekend was the 48 hour film competition, of which I directed a team, of Rampion Productions. Our genre was 'juvenile delinquent' - which if you ask me isn't really a genre. However we proceeded to make a cool little film about a bad-ass chiuhuaua, a rat, and an oversized smurf, sent to jail with a deluded OCD postman. Ah-hem...

Our screening is next week, on tuesday.
I really enjoyed the weekend, much less stress than last time, having a real DOP and editor and sound recorder really really helped! I ended up doing some of the composing, but in collaboration with some wonderful talented people.

now this week I have been still trying to find my bearings, getting back to working on the greenland film. I have most of the main cues sorted, although they're far from finished products yet. Hoping still to do a little collaboration with Teacups the band for the end credits song and somewhere in the middle.

Well you may have noticed I have a new featured website - it has clips, it has music, it has categories, it has an ABOUT movie, and it has an HTML option! This is great now, for those people who can't figure out the flash. (i'm sure there are lots out there who are too impatient to try!)
Website restructuring thanks to my brother Evan..chur!

I had an interview today on bFM for 'the wire' - with my friend Kim Choe from old AYO days. I basically talked about a miniscule slice of things I have done in the past, and we played a litttle bit of music. The podcast for that interview should be available soon.

At the end of may, (10days!) I will find out about Creative NZ applications for my piano trio comission and the Auckland youth orchestra commission. This is very exciting, but kinda scary, especially if we don't get the money. I will probably be expected to find it some other way.. either way, I have a lot of music to write in a short time.

I have some good ideas for both pieces, but it's finding the time during the week to devote solely to the task of uninterrupted composition is pretty hard. However, I'm now based in Waterview, much closer to town, house sitting for a while so hopefully will get mucho work done, in between walking the very energetic doggies!

 The delinquents knitting.

Jared with no sleep holding a kebab but not having time to eat it. My lunch on my keyboard, eat and work!

 Lani stays up all night editing.

Matt plays some blues for sniff dawg.

Elaborate escape sequence.

the escape plan rap..

Signing off now..

C

When I lose the faith

There's certainly something very different about writing music for a living and writing music for fun. I used to worry that if I write music too much I would get sick of it - and not just sick of the writing but sick of the listening.
Well, thankfully this hasn't happened yet. But I do definately have moments when I don't want to hear or write another note. But I have developed strategies to get myself re-enthused about music in general.

Here are some songs I like to listen to when I really feel sick of music, and there's no magic anymore. These restore my faith in music, and in composing. They give me something to aim for in terms of integrity, simplicity and truthfulness in music.. good things to aim for.

And this list changes quite a lot, but some that are on it at the moment:

"I've seen it all'' from Dancer in the dark, sung by Bjork and Thom York. This is made even better by remembering the movie while I listen. (It's dark but it's great.) There's an orchestral backing interspersed with factory noises (where thelma works) and delicate bits of string quartet and electronic beats overlaid.

"Unravel" by Bjork.. simplicity and complexity intertwined beautifully. Such a great pace, so incredibly slow and careful, it's like she's singing and moving through water..

"If you want me" from the movie 'Once'. This is pretty simple, but such integrity.. this is very admirable about the actors/singers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova... the music itself is pretty basic, boring almost, but it's totally alive with the lyrics and tone of voice.

"A case of you" - Joni Mitchell. Living legend of song writing. Her voice makes a wordy song lyrical and luscious.

"Borderline'' by Sufjan Stevens. I'm sure there's a line in this taken directly from Madonna's song by the same name. I love the intimacy that's often present in Sufjan's songs, like he's singing about you, and it would be rude not to listen.

"The dress looks nice on you.'' by Sufjan Stevens. this has been my favourite song of his for a while.

"These days'' by Nico. This is a real cute song from The Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack. Such a strange infliction and articulation of lyrics, is very refreshing. Slightly out of tune. Makes me think I could one day be a singer too..

"Fade Away'' by Che Fu. Great NZ song.. always listen to this in the car and can't help 'car dancing.'

"Hymning Slews" by John Adams from Shaker loops... this is the perfect contemplative music to mix paints to.

Well, now I notice it, I've not included much classical stuff. Which is true, although the majority of music I end up writing is classical, I don't listen to a lot of it. I suspect it's probably the same for great chefs.. when they go home from work, they just want to have peanut butter on toast for dinner.

I have the 48hour film comp starting tomrrow, so i better go and make sure my puppets have all their limbs attached.

I bought 5 pairs of black gloves from the $3 shop today. they are perfect for puppeteering.

I am going to try and blog more regularly.

I have to finish this film soundtrack before the next blog though.. (the greenland film.)

Let me know if this gets boring and i'll try not to ramble so much.

~Claire

The best chair in the world

So, I bought this chair. It's kind of like my dream composers chair. It's red, leather, and has gas-lift and springy back, so i can loll back or sit up straight..
this is the first step to getting a proper recording studio.
i also bought two mic stands, but they don't really deserve a mention.
So here is the studio as is.

My keyboard is a little too high so I think I need a lower desk, or a slide out keyboard thing. That's one of the things on the list.

I have a lot of composing to do in the next month. I have to finish this Piano trio, which I've not started, before the end of May, then a piece for the Auckland Youth orchestra's USA tour - oh and whilst working on a film score also due end of May. I am hoping to work with local talent teacups
to write a song for the credits and perhaps a few little bits in the film. It is a film made by dunedin film maker Jinty McTavish, about 3 dunedin girls who travel to greenland to witness the effects of global warming. So, pop songs about global warming.. who knows if the two will mix. Here's hoping.

I am also meeting with the manager of The Black seeds tomorrow about arranging some music for the St Peters college brass band to play with them in their next concert.

I booked my flights to Melbourne for june 20th, which i am 'yayying' about cos it means I will get to hang out with my brother and my sister together, and melbourne is an awesome place. And my sister is an awesome cook.

not much time now but more exciting news soon.

C