“We’re always trying to find the best way to tell the story. Sometimes that’s just silence, other times it’s whatever the ‘gates of hell crashing open’ might sound like.” So says Richard from his studio in Preston, a quirky blend of antiquated instruments, pawn-shop tape machines and the latest samplers, synths and digital tech.
“It’s really important to understand the various moving parts of story, and specifically, film. What’s going on in the environment, what’s going on with the characters both on-screen and in their heads, what size the film is..endless questions are thrown up - and you have to be really careful you don’t answer them before the audience has had a chance to ask them!”
With a 25-year career that has taken in comedy, improv, theatre directing and screenwriting, Richard has a bedrock of experience on many sides of the production. He began his career as a session musician in pits, orchestras and rock bands, moving from a musical director to a theatre director, before a career in songwriting and TV composing took him on a deep dive into the creation of original music and up to this point, scoring US feature films. Along the way, he’s written a screenplay and even done a stint in front of the camera.
“Every creative role has it’s cul-de-sac mindset - you have to be careful you don’t make the music about you and your art. The score is an ingredient to get the audience to stay in the world we’re creating - to excite, terrify, fill with wonderment, even throw them off the scent - in ways that the other dimensions can’t similarly do - it’s a bit of cliché among composers but you really don’t want to ‘notice’ the music.”
And after countless films and TV shows, what is the single biggest lesson he’s learned?
“Embrace the best idea, always. It can come from anyone and anywhere, not just you.”
To have Richard work on your film, contact him
here.
