Merry Christmas Eve

Sadly, it's not ACTUALLY Christmas Eve. If it was, I wouldn't be able to type because every part of my body would be stuffed with delicious, delicious food and cookies. No, Merry Christmas Eve is actually the title of a brand new movie I was tasked to score.

Written and directed by SUNY Purchase film major Alyssa Codamon, Merry Christmas Eve tells the story of three young post-college adults, living together in the same house and doing what recent college graduates do best: dicking around. Though I haven't gotten a rough cut of the film yet, Alyssa was kind enough to show me a couple of scenes to get a feel for what I'd be scoring, and it's definitely something that's worth watching. It's a rather poignant piece, but not without its fair share of laughter. It's very... human, shall we say.

As for scoring approach? I hate to bring it up again, but Reznor/Ross and The Social Network are the main influences I'm drawing from throughout this process. It's the atmosphere, man. Alyssa wanted something that undercut the dialogue and boosted the emotions of the scenes while moving them along, and that score is one of the best examples of recent scoring that does such a thing. I'm also thinking I finally get to use a guitar in a score that's NOT for a Caleb Foss film. By which I mean, some sort of actual enhancement value as opposed to awful heavy metal while actors vomit on each other.



Hopefully I'll have a cut of Alyssa's film post spring break, upon which I'll lock myself in my room and not see the sun for a good month or so. Film majors have a habit of giving me everything all at once, at the same time, with only a maximum of 2 weeks to do everything. Stressful to the max, yes, but I've found I work much better under pressure. Forcing scores out, oddly enough, makes them better.

For now, watch the trailer. It's PRETTY. And bright. Good for me and my colorblindness.


"Merry Christmas, Eve" Trailer from Alyssa Codamon on Vimeo.

As for my spring break? Work, work, work. I'm currently playing guitar for a middle school production of Bye Bye Birdie. Let me tell you, watching a hundred middle schoolers put on a production of ANY musical is a terrifying experience. It pays well, though, and the changes they have to make in order for it to be appropriate for a middle school are really funny. I'm bringing my camera tonight for the first performance, so I'll have pictures of that tomorrow.

That's done on Sunday, upon which I have to continue orchestrating Alice Unraveled, since I won't have time after break because of the sheer volume of movies that will be thrust upon me.

I'll sleep when I'm dead, I suppose.