The Boys of Ghost Town now at Blockbuster & iTunes

The Boys of Ghost  Town DVD and original soundtrack is now available.  To quote cineveliz.com-
“The film has been released nation wide on DVD and Blu-Ray at video retail stores. And today, the film’s IMDB rating is up 14,698%, that is a record.”

The Boys of Ghost Town is a 2009 Pablo Veliz film produced by Laguna Productions. The film was shot in Houston and stars Marian Zapico (The Hitman Chronicles) and Manuel Garcia with support from Luis Caldeira, Santiago Villalobos, Pedro Castaneda (recently nominated for best supporting actor at the Independent Spirit Awards), Jason Cox, Corando Martinez, and Danny Trejo (From Dusk till Dawn, Spy Kids, Desperado).

The film’s soundtrack consists of 23 original tracks including an Acoustic based song.  The score includes Spanish  Guitars with Violin and Viola solos – Classical Percussion – an approximate 30 piece String Orchestra – Electronic Pads and Synth Leads – an Upright Piano – Female Vocals by Sarah Odom – and eerie voice effects such as bending voices, “laughing” breaths, and rhythmic sounds.  The score was written and recorded from December 2008 – January 2009 and consists of 23 tracks with 68 minutes of music.  To read more about the soundtrack (including program notes and recording session photos), click here.

CD BABY – iTUNES

Soundtrack/DVD Releases and NBC’s Chuck

(all links should open a new window)

Hi Everyone,

Somebody I’ve known for several years recently inspired me to start writing more news updates, including this one- so I apologize in advance for the length of this announcement as I’m not the best at keeping up with them.

SHORT FILM SCORES VOL. 1
Now on iTunes

The Short Film Scores Vol.1 was released on CD Baby in late 2008, and now it’s available on iTunes as well.  The album consists of 12 different short film scores I wrote from 2002-2008, including the award-winning title for Best Film Score, “Truth be Told” scored for Andrew Bartel’s film, “Out of the Shadow” (featuring Clarinet performances by Jeanene Johnson) – sample here – and the award-nominated title for Best Film Score, “Flesh and Wire” from David Matheny’s film, “The Scientist” (featuring Vocal performances by Kris Swenson) – sample here.  For more information on the album, click here.

GARRISON DVD
Domestic Release (Czech Republic artwork pictured)

Kerry Valderrama’s feature film, “Garrison”, has already been selling in many different overseas countries.  The film has received many festival awards including an Honorable Mention in the 2008 Accolade Competition, and my humbling award for Best Impact of Music in a Feature Film from the Park City Film Music Festival.  The film will be released in the U.S. at Blockbuster/Netflix on July 7th (pre-sale on June 9th).  I was also one of the crew interviewed for the extra features for the upcoming U.S. release, and got a chance to see some of the other behind the scenes footage that’s being edited by Ronnie and Karen at Lucid Post.  Interviews will also be done by the film’s visual effects supervisor and festival companion Josh Hurst at Liquid Logixx (1000 Ways to Die).  The film stars Kerry Valderrama (won best Indie Auteur Award at the San Antonio Underground Film Festival), Elizabeth Ingalls (Star Trek XI), and James Barnes (winner of best supporting actor at the Hoboken International Film Festival).  For more information, click here.  For a sample of the score, click here.

THE BOYS OF GHOST TOWN
DVD Release and Premiere

Pablo Veliz’s feature film, “The Boys of Ghost Town”, just had it’s sold-out premiere and will be available at Blockbuster and Netflix on April 21st.  I was able to attend the red carpet event this past weekend, and was even interviewed by a local TV station regarding the original music within the film (I was also one of the crew members interviewed for the extra features).  Pablo invited all the cast/crew up onstage with him after the premiere (there was about 30+ of us up there), and singled me out with some of the other crew (including the writer/star of the film: Manuel Garcia) to speak at the event, which I consider to be such an honor.  The film stars Marian Zapico (The Hitman Chronicles) and Manuel Garcia with support from Luis Caldeira, Santiago Villalobos, Pedro Castaneda (recently nominated for best supporting actor at the Independent Spirit Awards), Jason Cox, Corando Martinez, and Danny Trejo (From Dusk till Dawn, Spy Kids, Desperado). For more information on the film, click here.  For a sample of the score, click here.

MY STEP-DAD’S A FREAKIN VAMPIRE!
DVD Release and Premiere

David Matheny’s feature film, “My Step-Dad’s a Freakin Vampire!“, is now in it’s final stages of completion and will be available online on May 23rd.  The film has been a work-in-progress for quite awhile now, and I know the filmmakers will be happy to have this done and ready for release.  The score is finished and the premiere will likely take place in the Kansas City area (where the film was shot).  The filmmakers (David and Jenny) drove down for the score’s recording studio dates which included 10 other musicians (I’ll announce more on that later as the release date approaches).  David shot some footage and interviewed me for the extra features too.  The film stars Lahcen Anajjar, Larry Peterson, Brandon Martin, and John Redmond.  For more information on the film, you can check out the website that I helped put together here.  For a sample of the score, click here.

NIGHT CRAWLERS
DVD Release and Festival Screenings

Benjamin Wilbank’s feature film, “Night Crawlers”, screened at the Lonestar Film Festival (which I did attend), and recently to a nearly sold-out screening at the Oxford Film Festival (I wish I could of gone but was tied up with another score at the time).  Prior to that, I was able to go to the film’s premiere at Four Day Weekend which included Q/A with the cast and crew.  His co-company with Ron and Mike Gonzalez, Deadmen Productions, stays quite busy in the metroplex (and recently in Arizona too) shooting for various productions.  They just moved to Studios 121 in Haltom City, which looks like a great place to work (Will from Studios 121 gave me the full tour).  The film is now available online and stars Joel S. Greco (Cheaters, Mad Bad), Mathew Greer (No Country for Old Men, The Mist), Amanda Harris, Lee Trull, and Gabriel Horn.  You can pick up a copy of the film here. For a sample of the score, click here.

CALHOUN’S SONG ON NBC’S “CHUCK”
The FW Weekly announced that one of Calhoun’s songs will air on NBC’s “Chuck” in April.  The song that’s being used is one that I wrote/performed all the Piano and String parts for (Violins, Viola, Cello).  The song was recorded with Grammy-winning engineer Stuart Sikes at Elmwood Recording Studios.  Check out Calhoun’s site for some great tune-age here. A sample of the song is on my studio musician player, and the specific song is here.

AFI DALLAS
I recently attended some of the events at AFI Dallas, including the Music for Film Panel.  I enjoyed hearing the stories from the panelists, the best ones belonging to a particular composer agent whom I’ve worked with a couple of times before (Linda Kordek).  I was quite surprised when she called me out to respond to a question about composing for film that the other panelists (mostly music supervisors) couldn’t quite answer!  If you ever see a panel with Linda on it, I highly recommend going and listening to some of the most interesting and entertaining stories about the industry you otherwise would never have known.

RECENTLY FINISHED SCORES
I finished up two scores recently, including one short film and one feature that has been a work-in-progress project.  The films are:

Bruce Guido’s experimental film, “Switch”, which was shot in the deserts of California outside of Los Angeles.  You can view the short on Bruce’s page here (I scored the film with just an electric guitar which can be heard here)

Robert Paschall Jr’s thriller/horror feature film, “The Locker”, which was shot entirely in the Dallas area.  The film may be available on DVD soon.  For more information, visit the film’s site here.  For a sample of the score, click here.

LAST SHOWS
I played both Flickerstick’s and Black Tie Dynasty’s last shows these past couple months.  They were some of the most emotional and bittersweet shows I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m so glad to have been lucky enough to share the stage with them.  Definitely keep your eyes open for future projects from those guys.

ADDITIONAL NEWS
I recently saw Bryan Ortiz’s new feature film, “Dr. S Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies“, and Science will never be the same.  The film stars Rick Carrillo who also has a role in “Garrison“.  For more information, visit here: doctorsthemovie.com

E-MAILING LIST
I just started an e-mailing list that I only plan on using when I update this news blog.  If you haven’t signed up already, and would like to subscribe, just type in your email address at the bottom of my contact page here.

That’s it for now, thanks for reading!

take care,
Douglas

Double Dagger Soundtrack Now Available

The Double Dagger Soundtrack is now available through my website via Paypal for $9.99.  The film is a Pablo Veliz picture that stars Sandra Echeverria, Gerardo Valdivia, and supports LaVar Veale, Jason Cox, Manuel Garcia, and Corando Martinez.

The film’s soundtrack consists of Electronic Pads, Leads, Classical Guitar, Electric Guitar, Solo Violin, Solo Viola, Piano, Electronic Rhythms, and a String Orchestra. The score was written and recorded in 2008. If you are interested in reading more about the soundtrack or hearing a demo MP3, click here.

In other news, I finished the score to The Boys of Ghost Town and am now past the halfway point of My Step-Dad’s a Freakin Vampire!

take care,
Douglas

Moondance Award for Best Film Score

Received my 3rd award for Best Film Score from the Moondance International Film Festival for a short film score, “Out of the Shadow” (directed by Andrew Bartels), and my 1st nomination as a Finalist for the same category for “The Scientist” (directed by David Matheny).

Blockbuster, Netflix, Article, and Scores

“Double Dagger“, a feature film by Pablo Veliz and Laguna Productions that I scored in April, is now available at Blockbuster and Netflix.

The film stars Sandra Echeverria, Gerardo Valdivia, Manuel Garcia, and Jason Cox.  Visit Cineveliz.com for more information.

Kiko Martinez took time out of his day to interview me and post a personal review of the score to “Garrison” on the SA Current’s website when the film was part of the San Antonio Film Festival back in June.  Check out the article here.

Kerry Valderrama, the director for “Garrison“, just informed me that Spotlight Pictures recently sold the film in over 10 foreign markets (including Singapore, Russia, Dubai, and Hungary) with more opportunities coming later this year.

I recently finished the scores to Robert J. Castaldo’s film, “The Last Turn” and to Micah Ranum’s film, “First Kill“.  I also wrote a 10-minute horror spot for Robert Paschall Jr’s new film, “Mache“.

I recently performed with the Black Tie Dynasty at Lolas in Fort Worth.  The venue was great and the band had everybody on their toes. If you haven’t heard of the Black Tie Dynasty, check out their myspace page here.

Barebones Award for Best Movie Soundtrack

I finished the action score to the feature film, “Double Dagger” by Pablo Veliz and Laguna Productions. The film is premiering in San Antonio at the Santikos Palladium IMAX on June 21st at 7:00PM. I don’t know how much it will cost to get in, but it should be a fantastic event with most if not all of the cast and crew present. Check out the official invitation online here.

I am now working on a film titled, “The Last Turn” by Robert J. Castaldo whom I have worked with before on a previous film called, “Garrison“.

Speaking of which, “Garrison” (a dramatic feature directed by Kerry Valderrama), won “Best Movie Soundtrack” at the 2008 Bare Bones Film Festival. This is my 2nd award and it was an honor to be given it. The film was recently sold to Spotlight Pictures and screened at the Cannes Film Market last week. “Garrison” has a number of upcoming film festival appearances, including the Hoboken International Film Festival in New Jersey, the ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto, and the long awaited Texas Premiere of the film (where it was shot) at the San Antonio Film Festival on June 20th. The festival will screen films in the heart of downtown in Hemisfair Park. The SAFilm screening should be a great premiere to check out as most if not all of the cast and crew should be there. To check out Garrison’s other screenings, read the blogs here.

The (mostly) piano and strings score I wrote for a Soap Opera called “Southern Comforts” is now available online through iTunes. To preview some tracks or buy the album on iTunes, click here.

I recently performed with the Black Tie Dynasty at the Granada Theater in Dallas. The venue was great and the band was fantastic. If you haven’t heard of the Black Tie Dynasty, check them out soon. Kris Swenson, the most talented photographer I know, came out to the show and took some amazing photographs.

Southern Comforts Soundtrack now available on iTunes

The (mostly) piano and strings score I wrote for a Soap Opera called “Southern Comforts” is now available online at CD Baby and iTunes.

Commercial, Scores, and Screenings

I finished some commercial music directed by Aaron Marquette for Kayla Beverly Hills which should be airing in Los Angeles and on Satellite TV soon. I also finished the scores to the short film, “Harlem Sunset” by Jeff Miller, and the feature film, “Night Crawlers” by Benjamin Wilbanks (produced by Ron Gonzalez).

There are several upcoming projects, including a documentary and another feature film. However, before I work on those I will be starting a new feature from San Antonio and Los Angeles called “Double Dagger” which is directed by Pablo Veliz.

One of the feature films I scored, “Garrison” (directed by Kerry Valderrama) won Honorable Mention for an Accolade Award. “Garrison” just screened this past weekend at the Hollywood Film Festival in Los Angeles and the film will be screening again at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Oklahoma and the ReelHeART International Film Festival in Toronto.

I recently recorded some violin, viola, cello, and piano tracks for the band Calhoun and Black Tie Dynasty. I also finished most if not all of my string parts for ALAN.  I also did some cool photo shoots for Kris Swenson who is a really talented vocalist and artist in the DFW Metroplex. I will post some of the pictures in my Gallery section soon.

Park City Film Music Award

I am really excited to announce that “Garrison”, which is directed by Kerry Valderrama, received a medal of Artistic Excellence for Best Impact of Music in a Feature Film from the Park City Film Music Festival in Park City, Utah. A troop of us drove up for the screening which was happening in the same city that both Sundance and Slamdance hosts their week long film festivals. I took some pictures from the trip and posted them in the gallery section of my site. Thank you to Kerry for letting me be a part of an amazing film and for hosting the trip as well!

I am also excited to announce that “Judas: One of Twelve”, which is directed by Aaron Marquette, screened at several festivals in 2007 including the WYSIWYG Festival in San Francisco. This week the film was awarded the Jury’s Award! Thank you to Aaron for letting me be a part of this amazing film that dives into the head of Judas. Check out a picture of the award on Aaron’s site (click on the Judas blog).

I completed a new score last year to a short film titled, “Out of the Shadow” which is directed by Andrew Bartels. I received the DVD for the film and am excited to see how well it does at festivals this year. The score is comprised of strings, clarinet, and rope noise (not too much though). I just now added the track to my audio player. Thank you to Jeanene Johnson for providing the fantastic clarinet performances and to Andrew Bartels for letting us be a part of an amazing film that deals directly with a boy’s coming of age in standing up to his father’s racist ways.

Currently, I will be completing the score to “Night Crawlers” very soon which is a Texas-sized Horror Comedy and is directed by Benjamin Wilbanks. Thank you to both Benjamin and Ron Gonzalez for letting me be a part of this crazy, wild ride!

More scores to come, thanks for reading.
- Douglas