Film Scoring

Looking For The Right Composer To Score Your Film?
Here’s What Clients Have Said About Working With Me…

“…very impressed…” “…can write for any style quickly, beautifully, and with a real knowledge of all the instruments…” “…listened very well…” “brought great ideas…” “…a blast to work with!”

(References available upon request.)

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Dear Filmmaker,

Imagine working with a composer who…

  1. As a collaborator, brings great ideas and suggestions to the table…
  2. Can write in just about any style for any combination of instruments or voices due to years of formal training and experience…
  3. Listens very well to your creative direction, input, and suggestions without ego getting in the way…
  4. Comes up with creative solutions to fit any budget… and…
  5. Understands that in film, the music serves the picture – not the other way around.

If you’re looking for more than just a composer, but a versatile and creative collaborator who can help you realize your vision to its fullest potential, then here’s what you can expect by working with me…

For An Authentic Sound Full Of Energy & Emotion,
I Use Real, Live Musicians If Possible…

Live musicians bring an energy… an authenticity… and most of all, a powerful emotion, that electronic samples just can’t duplicate. Sound libraries have come a long way, but even the best of them can’t compare to real, live musicians.

That can mean the difference between totally selling an emotional moment… or it coming across as cheesy.

Don’t get me wrong. Samples are often necessary to supplement live musicians and flesh out the sound on a low budget production. But even just one live player can lend an authenticity and emotion you wouldn’t get otherwise.

Listen for the energy and emotion in the following demos to get a feel for what I mean…

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  • [0:00] “Heroes & Villains” (Symphony Orchestra) – Action / Superhero
  • [0:47] “Love Theme” (Chamber Orchestra) – Over the top Romance
  • [1:13] “Ozark’s Voices” (Chamber Wind Ensemble) – Western / Americana
  • [1:45] “Prelude To War” (Chamber Wind Ensemble) – Dramatic / Suspenseful
  • [2:22] “Civil War” (Chamber Wind Ensemble) – Drum March / Dramatic
  • [3:29] “War’s Aftermath” (Chamber Wind Ensemble) – Sadness / Depression
  • [4:24] “Heroes & Villains” (Symphony Orchestra) – Action / Superhero / Climax

(More audio demos.)

Why Should You Care About Classical Training?

Specialties:

  • Classical / Orchestral (Chamber to Full Orchestra)
  • Symphonic (Intimate to Epic)
  • Rock / Pop (Blending with Symphonic)
  • Jazz (Solo to Big Band)
  • Musicals (Rock / Pop / Jazz / Symphonic)
  • Working with real, live musicians

Many of today’s film composers have a room full of music gear… but are lacking in musical training. It takes solid training and years of practice to gain the necessary musical skills and compositional craft to produce professional quality work.

Formal training also allows a composer to be flexible, malleable, and able to score for any dramatic situation. A well-trained composer can break down the elements of any style and emulate it without copying it. There are no stylistic barriers for a good composer. The entire world of music is his sound palette!

The following demo sequence illustrates a small fraction of my stylistic range…

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  • [0:00] “Glory Days” (Jazz Quartet) – Nostalgic Swing Jazz
  • [0:20] “Loungin’ Around” (Jazz Sextet) – Jazz Ballad
  • [0:46] “Rise, Shine” (Gospel Choir + Band) – Spiritual / Gospel
  • [1:20] “Boy Scout Band” (Chamber Wind Ensemble) – Band March
  • [1:44] “Fiddle Tune” (2 Violins) – Folk
  • [2:15] “Love Strut” (Band + Violins) – Disco

(More audio demos.)

How To Spot A Bad Composer (And Know When You’ve Found A Good One)

Film scoring is both an ART and a CRAFT. Art is the process of creating. Craft is the process of refining. Art cannot be taught. You either have it or you don’t. But craft can be learned and honed over time.

Craft is what chooses the perfect music (out of infinite possibilities) for the scene… Craft follows each emotional nuance and visual cue… Craft makes the music “fit” – both from a technical and aesthetic point of view… And craft knows how to write for live musicians.

Want to know how to spot good craft? Look at the transitions. Does the music flow smoothly from one scene or “groove” to the next (good craft)… or is it awkward and hesitant (poor craft)? Look at the synchronization. Does the music “fit” what’s happening on screen (good craft)… or does it blithely go about its own business regardless of what’s happening on screen (poor craft)?

Craft is about the details. It’s about being a perfectionist, and working at it until it’s RIGHT.

(See video demos.)

Creating Art as an Act of Service…

“J. Aaron Stanley was a blast to work with!!! He listened very well to my direction for the style, emotion, and tone on the score of LoveStruck. He also brought great ideas to the project that I didn’t even think about. Can’t wait to creatively collaborate with him again and again!”
Jayson Wall, Filmmaker

I approach film scoring—as any project I take on—as both a work of art and an act of service. It is an act of service in two ways…

  1. It is a service to you, the filmmaker, by helping you realize your artistic vision to the fullest extent possible.
  2. It is a service to your film’s audience by creating an emotional musical sound-scape that heightens the dramatic impact of the film.

For me, this is a calling… a way of life… a means of expression—not just a way to “make a living”. (There are much better ways, believe me!) That means that as long we both feel we’re a good fit for each other, I am more than happy to work within your budget—whatever it might be. We’ll figure out a way to make it work.

If you have a project you really believe in, and you’re looking for someone to write a score that will knock it out of the park, please contact me to discuss your vision.

Let’s create a piece of cinematic art!

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