Landlord

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

Alright, my new project for Directing the Narrative will be challenging to do. I've given the concept before, but a story hasn't exactly developed until a recent stream of ideas.

The intimate nature of one’s home being violated begs a question of how far security measures should go, and if you can really trust people. The story takes place from the perspective of the landlord Ward Foster. Ward is in no way a hero, or a villain; he simply looks out for his investments. After doing his homework on a possible candidate, Daniel Barbier, who’d be better off looking for a halfway house, Ward gives him a chance with one month: no lease. His secret from Daniel as well as all of his tenants in the neighborhood is his camera surveillance system he’s set up in the ventilation of his properties. Not long after looking in on the young man's progress, Daniel's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor stops by with a few bottles of liquor as a house warming, while Ward watches the true nature of people, as he would any of his other tenants, unfold. Daniel goes unconscious from too much alcohol in his system that night and Ward is faced with the responsibility of doing something. This is not a political question as much as a social question.

Anyway, I played around with conventions of writing character and story. The protagonist is seen as a good guy and a bad guy at the same time. The antagonist isn't introduced until his very short lived screen time. The actors have extremely complexed characters to work with in such a short length and dialog. Both protagonist and antagonist employ themselves in wrongfully watching after the same person, neither cares for the young man.
Actors have a lot of subtle work to do.

Matt, if you can make a motif song, a sort of theme to the landlord, that could play during a scene where he watches his monitors, that would be awesome! Pacing is whatever works for the tune that you manage. This will be due at the end of the quarter in March, but think of ideas.

[Righteous]

Alright, cool. I needed more of the story to put together the puzzle. It seems like, the more I know about the mood and "color" of the film, the better chance I have for writing something relevant. I'll see what I can come up with (I'll post the demos here).

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

YouTube- Erik Satie - Pièces froides

At about 40 seconds in there is this really brilliant melody. Would it be possible to do a variation on that melody? Are Erik Satie's compositions public domain if he died in the 20s and wrote most of this in the late 19th century early 20th?

[Righteous]

At about 40 seconds in there is this really brilliant melody. Would it be possible to do a variation on that melody?
Sure; Actually, this will greatly help me out in finding a style to compose in. I could definitely take this and build on it (or take it apart and write something similar or parallel to this).

Are Erik Satie's compositions public domain if he died in the 20s and wrote most of this in the late 19th century early 20th?
:confused: I could find that out. I'll have to look around and see...

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

Screenplay complete! My professor in Screenwriting approved of it's final draft so it's ready to be produced now. My Directing the Narrative professor gives his approval as well so it has direction potential in his opinion.

Give it a once over, or twice, and let me know what you think. Basically it's become about the trust between the landlord and tenant and I found the right note to end it on I think.

[Righteous]

Wow! I literally feel like I've seen the short already. I read very visually, otherwise (if I can't visualize anything), it's boring. But this is an excellent screenplay!

In terms of writing a "variation" on Pieces Froides, do you want a true variation or something that just sounds similar (A lot of Erik Satie's music is little known, so you won't get too many people lunging out, saying "you took that from..."). And plus, if it's a variation, it is like a creative cover of his work which is legal to use without permission, as it would be titled "Variation on Erik Satie's Pieces Froides II, by Matthew Morris".

By the way, I found the sheet music (http://www.wabuf.com/MISCMEDIA/sheetmusic/Erik%20Satie/Satie%20-%20Pie%60ces%20Froides%202.PDF).

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

Variation definitely works for me. I'll be in preproduction for the next few weeks then shooting a few weeks following that.

Post will all be done by sound/editor/vis effects (transitions involving the monitors) and then music. I'll have a nice break besides overseeing which will be nice for once. I already know the edits I want, shots, movement, blocking, performance while allowing some collaboration of course. This can be a pretty cool project.

[Righteous]

Alright, I have come up with a variation of the main theme that is basically the same thing with arpeggiated left hand.

Here's the first Demo 01 (http://www.wabuf.com/MISCMEDIA/MUSIC/Composition/LandLordProject_Demo01.mp3).

I still need to do phrase editing with tempo and volume, etc. Because when I do digital recordings, I'll record a measure or two at a time and then quantize everything to the exact beat. Then I'll do tempo and volume--phrase and emotion--editing. So just a disclaimer; It will sound pretty lifeless for now.

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

I like it. I expect something like that in the demo. I'd rather hear where it's going at this stage than wait for the polished version. However, I really want to hear how you do the part right before the end of the first page (they don't separate bars for some reason on that sheet music). The last little phrase that jumps onto the next page I mean. Also I was thinking more in the 3/4 time. A waltz has a bizarre mood, but I'll show this during the surveillance room and in the credits.
I appreciate you helping me with music, no one I'd better trust than you for it.

[Righteous]

Well, I could write a separate theme for the surveillance room. That cool little theme, but in 3/4. Haha, I didn't notice until now that there are no meter markings.

EDIT: I tried to write it in 3/4 and it didn't quite work out. Especially that theme at the end of the first page; It just sounds broken apart and very unnatural (It would involve breaking apart the melody to fit the meter). Satie wrote this in "normal time" which is 4/4. One thing I know about pieces without meter markings... "assume they are in normal time".

So here's the next Demo 02 (http://www.wabuf.com/MISCMEDIA/MUSIC/Composition/LandLordProject_Demo02.mp3) with a bit more volume editing and so forth (no tempo editing yet).

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

Oh wait, it's a 1-2-1-2 beat I was thinking. It has a nice step to it that way. My bad. Not sure why I thought of it in waltz. But good so far. Just give the pacing a nice variation where you feel like the emphasis should be attributed and that will be excellent. Also, if you can have a separate recording of the left hand as a reminder of the right hand notes, the audience will recognize it and attribute the same feeling for the bass. Don't worry about recording that until later though (not that it should cause much trouble).

EDIT: Most of my notes you probably already know and were going to improve. I don't mean to undermine your expertise. Don't listen to my notes.

Anyway I realized you're my secret weapon as a film major. Most other film majors know bands or friends who play music, but I've never met someone who understood music on your level and that's a crucial part of motion picture.

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

Alright, so I did a producer move I never thought I'd do, but I went onto a website of local Savannah actors who work for free or cheap to see what I could work with for Ward and the Sponsor. I found a lot of older actors so instead of posting an audition bulletin I emailed every single individual actor of the right age for a private audition. I've been emailing all of them back and fourth with their questions and now I have about 4-5 people in the possibility of acting. No more college-aged actors for me, thanks. I've never been able to hold auditions. Exciting!!

[Righteous]

I'll have some time to work on the song again, tonight. But I have another question: How log would you like this to be, exactly? Because I learned the rest of the second and third movements and was thinking I could cut out the rest of the first movement--which is a little dry--and start part of the second or third; This all depends on how long you want the piece to be.

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

I was discussing this with my Director of Photography. I know he's visual, but as far as the pacing of how this will be shot and edited, he got me realizing how the Satie song is all over the place. But the individual parts in the movements are intriguing. So what I'm asking is, "Is it possible to take certain phrases or "thoughts" of music if you will and elaborate them into their own individual short pieces of mood?" Like take for instance that phrase at the end of the first page. Can you find a way to take that tune and continue it for more than it normally goes? The very beginning of the song works as well. These are all short thoughts I'd like to place in scenes, never a long set of music. 30 seconds at the very longest.

[Dead-Beat-Nick]

And if at anytime you're inspired to make a tune that deviates completely from the piece that fits a mood you see in the screenplay, definitely try it out. Mostly this tune from Satie is just an idea I have because Im personally unable to think of a tune suitable, but you'd be the one with the ear for something that works better.

EDIT: If you can, read through the screenplay and make points where you could see musical moods filling in silence.