Joel McNeely

I internalize the emotions of the films that I am scoring. At the end of a 10-hour day of writing my two minutes of music (yup, it takes that long if you do it right) I am left with a lingering hangover of whatever emotions were contained in that two minutes. Lately, I've been composing the score to a horror film, which contains graphic and jarring violence. The director has been really thoughtful and careful about his use of image and subtle clues and has inspired me to strive for the same. I'm really enjoying writing twisted f...ed up music, as out there as I can manage, that is as dark and hopeless as I can manage, but I have not been Little Mary Sunshine lately. Not that I'm a method composer. I'm not running around slicing off the limbs of my neighbors as they sleep, so that I can really get in touch with that emotion, but after a full month of being as musically diabolical as I can, I think I'm starting to become a bit unrecognizable to those that know me.

And this, the film, which largely takes place at night is visually very dark. (at least the work print I have) So in order to really absorb what the frame holds, which always gives up nice clues about how to musically treat it, I have had to close all my drapes and blinds and work in the dark.

The other day I went to a meeting for my ongoing project at Disney, The Tinkerbell Movie. Being suddenly thrust into the visually spectacular, colorful world of fairies and children's imaginations, after being submerged in the depths of human torture was quite a contrast. A wonderful contrast. If I did nothing but fairy movies or nothing but horror movies, heck nothing but aerobics videos, that would be difficult. But I love having a dark and twisted story to sink into and go deeply to 'the dark side', knowing that when I come out, something entirely different is waiting. That's why writing music for film is constantly challenging, never boring and fun as hell.