For this film in particular, I consider myself mostly a composer: the choreography, story and acting are all built on the music. I spend most of my time composing as well, but I’m always down to try out different roles should the opportunity arise.
This film is a standalone project, a story of unrequited love. I would like to convey that it’s okay to have your heart broken by someone who doesn’t love you back: you will find the strength to move on eventually.
Did you have a story like that in your life, I mean being in love story like this one?
Yes, I do. Not exactly the same, of course, everything looks prettier when it’s set to choreography. The film is largely based on my personal experience falling in love with a boy who didn’t want me the same way.
My primary instrument is the piano, yes, but I made a conscious decision to only use a piano for this film because I think it conveys the story best. Outside this project, I have written synth and saxophone-based pieces for student films, orchestral pieces for concert music, and more. It’s the nature of film composing: we work with any sound/instrument imaginable and sometimes create our own.
These days? Probably just the piano: it’s the only instrument I still practice on a daily basis. I used to take lessons in voice and the bamboo flute, but I have not had the time to practice either, sadly. It does give me more insight into writing for them, though.
I’m currently enrolled in the International Film Scoring Certificate Program at UCLA Extension. It’s a great program that introduces you to lots of different composers and teaches you all the basic skills needed for film composing: MIDI programming, composition, orchestration, mixing, mastering, etc.
I’ve been dancing for 5 years now: I do voguing, jazz funk, contemporary, a bit of everything, really. I haven’t had the opportunity to teach, but I would love to should the opportunity arise. I think what’s tricky about telling a love story through dance is that audiences may not understand what my choreography is trying to convey: it’s not spoken or written. But I think that’s also the beauty of it: audiences can often get more out of it based on their own interpretation as well.
I do hope to stay in Los Angeles for film scoring(at least for some time), but you never know what happens next. It’s the nature of our business: nothing is guaranteed but everything is possible.
My favorite film composers are Alexandre Desplat(The Shape of Water) and Hans Zimmer(Dune). I don’t have a preferred style I prefer to see in films per se: when I watch films I always like to be pleasantly surprised. I do tend to compose romantic music myself, though. It’s like breathing: it comes naturally to me.
I’m currently writing an orchestral piece for the JMH Score Production Workshop to be recorded live at Eastwest Studios, and I’m also planning on making a dance film similar to this one. I’m not sure if “A Red Rose for My Love” is a music video; but yes, I do write screenplays for my dance films. It helps communication between crew members a lot.
