The Echo Falls and Alex Mandel's scoring were featured this morning on San Francisco's NPR - KQED radio!
Host Cy Musiker and San Francisco Chronicle Executive Datebook editor David Wiegand look ahead at the hottest tickets and most spectacular shows this coming week in Northern California.
Three and a half years ago, I met Dan Scanlon. Dan told me about a movie he'd been working on for several years called "Tracy" about a children's TV host named Tracy Knapp.
A week later I met with Dan and Brian Fee, and Dan gave me his lyrics to "Imagination Train Station", a theme song for the imaginary TV show of the same name. The next day I wrote and recorded a demo. Fortunately Dan liked it, and he wound up using that "demo" version in the movie. (Special thanks to my son for having his toy train whistle laying around.) Dan did 60 seconds of brilliant 2-D animation to accompany the song, and has posted it here. After that, Dan invited me to score the rest of the movie.
Since then, on weekends, vacations, and evenings, Dan and I have been working on this movie. And it's finally done.
The first screening was held a couple of weeks ago, and hopefully it will get out there to film festivals so you can see it. Not only did Dan write, direct and act in a movie while holding down another full-time job, but it's a really good movie. I'm proud to be a part of it. Learn more about the movie at the Tracy Movie Website.
Last week, "Trifles" premiered at Pixar. It's a 30 minute live-action drama directed and screenwritten by Pam Walker. Other than Pam, the crew, including the actors, was largely drawn from Pixar staff.
Seeing the final film still gives me chills. It was the second drama I've scored (after Violet) and it felt like a step forward for me.
Scoring and writing the song for this 30-minute film was quite an adventure over the past year. Working with Pam to find the heart of the story was a pleasure . Also, being asked to write and record an original song in a week was a thrilling experience - also the first time someone else (Pam) has sung a song I've written.
I'll also post score excerpts and the song in the downloads section. The film has been submitted to festivals, so hopefully some of you will have a chance to see it.
Update: "Trifles" will be screening at the Reel Women International Film Festival on March 28, 2009 in Hollywood. For more details, click here.
Another Update: I've posted the two songs I wrote for "Trifles" - Share Your Burden is sung by Pam Walker, who also adapted and directed the film. You can find them in the "Mandel Music Downloads" section. -AM
Last Friday, "Your Friend the Rat" won an Annie Award for Best Animated Short Film!
Jim Capobianco (writer/director), Nate Wragg (the amazing production designer) and I attended representing for YFTR, along with lots of folks who worked on Ratatouille. Our bus was late, so we didn't have time for dinner before the ceremony. I was so hungry, I started hallucinating....I thought I heard Sponge Bob Squarepants....but then I realized that actually Sponge Bob Squarepants was hosting the ceremony, and I felt a little better.
This was a great night for Ratatouille, YFTR and for Jim Capobianco, and I was glad I attended.
Me, Jim Capobianco, and Nate Wragg at the afterparty.
Jim Capobianco accepts the award for "Best Animated Short Subject" for Your Friend the Rat.
The Ratatouille DVD releases on November 6, and it will include an original short film called "Your Friend the Rat".
The film was directed by Jim Capobianco, and is Pixar's first 2-D short (there's some 3-D and even stop motion in there, too!).
75% of the score I wrote, performed and recorded myself, but the other 25% I wrote and arranged for a 16 piece ensemble that we recorded at the Skywalker Scoring Stage, engineered by the amazing Leslie Ann Jones. Michael Giacchino and his team handled the orchestration. Michael was a great inspiration and help throughout the session.
On the scoring stage:
Photo (L to R) conductor, Michael Giacchino, Jim Capobianco, Mandel
The next day, Leslie Ann Jones mixed the music, while they finished Ratatouille down the hall.
We returned to Skywalker a couple months later to mix on the Stanley Kubrick stage.
Photo (L to R) Ann Brilz (Producer), Mandel (composer), Tom Myers (Mix), Steve Bloom (editor), Jim Capobianco (writer/director), EJ Holowicki (Sound Design) 
"Violet" is a live-action short drama directed by Mark Andrews (Incredibles, Ratatouille, One Man Band). It's the first film release from Pixar University.
I wrote, performed and recorded the musical score.
"Violet" made its film festival premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival this week, as part of a collection of short films collected under the title, "5@5: Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye".
Links:
description of the show
complete MVFF Program
imdb page
