One: a series of multimedia scoring projects
One is a series of multimedia films produced for Oasis Church and tag-team scored by myself and a tremendously talented composer named Jermaine Stegall. One as a whole was conceived to be a multimedia experience, with the film forming a backdrop over which actors and dancers performed in front of the film, and therefore, what is presented here is only part of the overall experience. The film is split into six component parts, each with a central theme. Jermaine scored three, and I scored three; the latter are presented here.
Part 1 is the introduction to One, and sets up the major themes of the film both in story and in music. As I scored the beginning, I wanted to include some orchestral elements but also felt like it needed a good dose of modern motion to it. Some sound effects from a Tokyo subway were overlaid, adding the spice of urbanity. I strove to convey a sense of journey in it, and that’s echoed in both the subway visuals as well as the moving targets on the map.
Part 4, entitled “The Church,” is an interesting reflection on the place of church in modern life. It mixes medieval imagery with the modern urbanity introduced in Part 1. As such, I chose the irresistable hybrid blend of hip hop beat with a classical female choir to create the feel of something simultaneously modern and classical.
The conclusion to One ties together themes introduced earlier. Because Jermaine composed primarily orchestrally, I also strove to tie in the orchestra, yet also offer some more modern, contrasting moments. The low dark apocalyptic theme at 0:27 is one of my favorites in the entire One score, and it embellishes the onscreen visuals of war, tragedy, and suffering. I played several layers of distorted guitar to get the flavor just right. By 2:40 we are back to both a musical and a visual recapitulation of themes introduced much earlier in the One film, yet with a new ingredient of resolution and hope that didn’t appear the first time we heard the same theme or saw the same visuals.
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