Can you write music for my short film/feature?

You bet your shit I can. I love to compose original music for any project, be it for a debut short film, documentary or full-length feature. Hit that contact button and we'll get talking. 

What is your preferred style

I LOVE making ambient, textural scores with subtle movements and builds. That isn’t to say I do tuneless drone-type scores. I love melody and structure, and building strong, recurrent themes. Despite being a generally upbeat person, I’m most comfortable on the dark side of music making - creating and augmenting mood.

Can you work for Free?

I absolutely love what I do, but I have to pay my bills. My scoring and photography rates are reasonable, though - especially for first time directors and producers. Let's see if we can work something out to suit the scale and budget of your project... 

Where can you work?

I’ve completed every scoring job in my home studio in Belfast but I'm happy to work with filmmakers and commercial clients all over the world. I'm always only a Skype/Facetime call away - often, directors have preferred video calls even when in the same city. I think this is to do with convenience rather than because they think I smell. At least, I’m fairly sure that’s the case.

Can I use your music? How much does it cost?

My music is free for personal use - this includes personal, non-commercial Youtube videos as long as credit and a link is given.  Commercial licenses are available and are priced in accordance to the scale and budget of the project. If in doubt whether you qualify for personal or commercial licences, please get in touch to clarify.

Can I use your music in my student film?

Yes, please do! But please let me know before you do, and give credit. If the film is given a commercial release and makes money however, you may need to buy a commercial licence.  

Is your music Royalty Free?

Nope. Although my music is free to use in the instances mentioned above, it is not royalty free music and cannot be distributed or repackaged as that. 

What if I cannot credit you?

All personal and educational uses must be credited if broadcast within the public domain.  In the case of TV or radio, where credit may not be possible, please get in touch regarding sans-attribution licensing. 

Can you produce music for my TV advert?

Yes. I've produced advert music for a number of large and small companies. 

Can you produce soundalike tracks?

I can... but I won’t. It's not fair on the artist being plagiarised and it's kind of insulting to me. I am happy to listen to temp-tracks as a way for you to communicate your ideas of the mood of a film, but I won't plagiarise someone else's work. 

I really enjoy input from directors and creatives so I can produce something that will satisfy our collective vision. 

Have you ever worked with an Orchestra?

No. Not once. Like, I’d absolutely love to have that experience, but I’m an indie music composer and orchestras (quite rightly) cost an absolute fortune. If you can afford a full orchestra for your score, then let’s be honest, you’ll want a bigger name scoring it. I’m totally at peace and comfortable with the kind of composer I am and the music I make.

Does my film/advert need to be picture locked?

No, but it does help for me to see a rough edit or rushes. I do like to work with creatives at as early a production stage as possible to get a feel for what you're looking for. In the past I’ve written cues based on the script that have ended up in the final picture and influenced the edit.

What equipment do you use to make Music?

I use a mix of real and software based instruments. I'm particularly fond of my small but fearsome collection of guitar pedals. My DAW is Logic X and I'm having a tempestuous love affair with apple products that flits between affection and murderous rage.

My main keyboard controller is a Native Instruments Kontrol S88 mk2l. I also love incorporating my iPad into my Logic workflow. I have various old bits of brick-a-brack lying around my studio which look like crap but are essentially my secret sauce.

My guitar of choice is a Fender Telecaster but I’m open to other guit… actually, no. Who am I trying to kid - I’ve been playing telecasters since I was twelve and it’s all I know.

I produce a lot of my own sample libraries and play them using Native Instruments’ Kontakt. Software companies I love include Spectrasonics, Native Instruments, Output Audio, Arturia, TAL, and Spitfire Audio. My favourite synth is my Yamaha VSS-200 which has been producing weirdly wonderful sounds since the 1980s… just like me.

I primarily run on tea.

So which are you - a musician or photographer?

I once spoke to the composer Alan Silvestre and he told me all about his passion for… winemaking. So it seems fair that I can have a love for Music and Photography. They both appeal to my artistry and technical geekery and I could never choose one over the other. I’ve also found in the past that taking stills for a production I’m scoring can help me get a better feel for it.

Do you travel for unit still work?

My photography work has seen me travel to Iceland, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Sweden, France, Belgium and Portugal. I live pretty close to an airport and love to travel.  Shoots outside NI will require travel and accommodation costs.

Can you you match my grade?

Yes. I can match my promotional stills to the grade of your film if you like. I can also add typography and credits where needed.  If you prefer, I can deliver stills as RAW or flat JPEGs allowing you to add your own grade.

Can you create photo props for Film?

Yes, yes, yes! I like doing this. I'm skilled in photoshop and can make composite images, do head-swaps, create convincing aged photos, forensics, family shots etc.

Depending on workload, these can be delivered within a matter of hours if needs be. I can also work with directors to take images that can be used for sfx mattes.