Canyon.

SYNOPSIS

A reclusive, aging musician reminisces on his past life.

The Experience

At my second year of film school, I was required to make my "Intermediate Production" film, also known as an IP. The assignment was called a "3-2-1" which required the film to be 3 pages of script, 2 characters, 1 location. We were given a small team which included a 1st AD, a sound mixer, and a cinematographer, plus whatever other crew we were able to round up. After two years of film school, most students knew what film sets they wanted to be on and which ones to avoid, and as for IP's, they were the bottom of the barrel. Nonetheless, I found my skeleton crew to be quite charming and honestly easier to work with.

I got my inspiration from listening to the Beach Boys a lot that semester and reading about Brian Wilson's life. Knowing the film had to have an original song, I worked with my composer, Sam Dennis, to develop the backstory for this band. Sam was a songwriter, and we shared similar music tastes. I made a playlist for him, and he made one of my favorite songs of all time.

Creating the backstory

In order to make a believable story, the band "Canyon" needed history. I gathered the film's collaborators, screenwriter Christian Hyatt and songwriter Sam Dennis, to star alongside me as the band members from the one-hit-wonder sixties band. I created album covers, posters, and a band logo to ensure a believable backstory.

An Original Song

The film needed a theme song for the protagonist, and for the backstory. I worked with roommate/musician Sam Dennis to create the perfect tone for the film's story. The end result is a nostalgic mix of beach vibes and sixties rock.