Music
12/21/2019
07/01/2019
New "Thunder" Film Score Takes Shape
The first draft of composer William Campbell's film score for Sons & Daughters of Thunder is completed and we are very pleased. Take a listen to the main title theme in this short opening of the film.
For more information about William Campbell's work visit www.williamcampbellmusic.com.
Based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter, Sons & Daughters of Thunder tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates. The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (played by actor Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America. The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body. This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College.
A young Harriet Beecher’s (played by actress Jessica Taylor) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder was partially funded by a grant from the Quad City Arts, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, with support from Friends of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, and the Bix Biederbecke Inn. The Moline Foundation and the Shell Rock Community Historical Society served as the fiscal sponsors on the film project. The film is co-produced by Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films and Kent Hawley. Kimberly Kurtenbach is the Executive Producer of the film.
Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films are the producers of multiple award-winning historical documentaries and the Mid-America Emmy® nominated documentaries Good Earth: Awakening the Silent City, Country School: One Room – One Nation and Letters Home to Hero Street.
05/10/2019
Crafting the Lane Rebels' Melody
Part 2
By Jessica Karolczak
After excitedly joining Fourth Wall Films' Sons and Daughters of Thunder production team, accomplished composer William Campbell of St. Ambrose University has begun crafting the film’s melody.
Ever since he was young, Campbell has been able to “hear the music.”
He frequently could copy styles of music, which has greatly aided him during his composing career. The first part of Campbell’s composing process is watching at least part of the film to get a feel for the “world” his music is in. For some films, he then researches the time period and listens to the popular songs of the time.
“At this time, Cincinnati, which is where this film is set, was a bit of a pioneer town,” Campbell said of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 19th century. “But, the group of people that we’re following were used to refined culture. There wouldn’t have been large orchestras. But, there would have definitely been professional-level piano players and string players.”
Because of this research, Campbell is choosing to create the music using mostly piano with the occasional accompaniment of solo woodwinds and a string quartet. This is to match the film’s “sound palette.” He also focused his research on hymns because director Kelly Rundle and producer Tammy Rundle asked for hymn-like music.
The next step in Campbell’s process is improvising music on the piano using the styles and songs he researched. Sometimes, this involves starting with familiar tunes and then branching off while other times he starts from scratch.
“Sometimes I can just write down that improvisation, and it’s pretty much done,” Campbell said. “Usually, that’s just the beginning of the process. Whether I whittle away what I just wrote or chip away. Think about it like a sculptor with a block of marble. I’ve got more than enough material, and I have to take some away.”
“Or, if I have to change it, it would be like if I was a visual artist,” Campbell continued. “Right now, it would be all greens and browns that I just improvised and really what I need is blue and yellow. The figure or the image is correct, but now the colors need to change.”
This “chipping away” includes changing notes, adjusting chords and potentially revising the tone with different key signatures. This process can take weeks, but Campbell said the amount of time spent on it depends on the deadline. For Thunder, the goal is to have the music finished by the end of May.
Once the songs are completed, Campbell has two ways of recording them: a live studio or a control room. The live studio is his living room, which features a grand piano. In the control room, he creates the songs using digital software.
Directly afterward, he uses a double monitor featuring the scripted music on one screen and the film on the other. He then lines up dramatic moments with specific parts of the music.
Yet, the biggest challenges for Campbell are in the final steps of the process. One obstacle is balancing the music with the film’s dialogue and background sounds. This is to ensure the music is supportive and not dominating.
“This is a challenge I’ve come to really like,” Campbell said. “I treat it as if I’m a duet partner and accompanying them [the actors].”
The other challenge is possible rejection. Occasionally, the music doesn’t fit the directors’ vision or intention for a scene. So, Campbell must adapt to cope with the rejection. This includes using the rejected piece for a different scene, incorporating aspects of the song into a more fitting melody and/or utilizing the song in a future project.
Once the music is done, he shares it with the director/editor, who inserts it into the film.
"Walnut Hills" - Excerpt from Kelly Rundle on Vimeo.
Reviewing the completed project is rewarding, Campbell said. However, his human nature and perfectionism occasionally send his mind wandering to what he could have done better. Still, he said he usually happy with a lot of his work.
“I do look back and think about how that film project changed me as a person and how the music I contributed was such a big part of my life for that moment,” Campbell said.
For more about Campbell, see part one of this blog called “Accomplished Composer Brings Musical Life to ‘Sons and Daughters of Thunder,'” or visit www.williamcampbellmusic.com.
03/09/2019
Accomplished Composer Brings 'Musical Life' to "Sons and Daughters of Thunder"
"Lifeboat" composer Bill Campbell on the red carpet at the 2019 Academy Awards. Campbell is composing the soundtrack for "Sons & Daughters of Thunder".
Part 1
By Jessica Karolczak
As Sons and Daughters of Thunder comes to fruition, Fourth Wall Films has enlisted help to bring 'musical life' to the film. William “Bill” Campbell has joined the team to compose the film’s soundtrack.
Most recently, Campbell’s composing earned him a trip to the Oscars. He created the soundtrack for the Oscar-nominated documentary Lifeboat. The documentary was directed by Skye Fitzgerald and examines the mass immigration crisis of refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from the northern coast of Africa. Campbell has worked with Fitzgerald since college.
“If you are part of the Oscar nominations list, you’ve basically won,” Campbell said. “I have to stress how important it is that it was all Skye. I’m not diminishing my work, but he really is an amazing man, and I’m very proud to be associated with what he does.”
Music has always been a part of Campbell’s life. He began playing piano when he was six and started writing simple music pieces around age 11. In high school, he music directed for musicals and wrote music for his church. One of his original songs was even sung at his high school graduation.
“Some people are drawn to draw. They are captured by light and the way it lands on things, and they turn that fascination into something they discipline themselves about and keep going with,” Campbell said. “I was given time, and my parents bought a piano and provided me with lessons. I was one of the kids that actually practiced and wanted to explore more at the piano. I always wondered why composers made certain choices rather than others.”
After high school, he studied music and wrote for some student-produced films at the University of Arizona. He pursued his master’s degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music before getting his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. Throughout his education he took advantage of any opportunities to hone his skills. He wrote music for theatre and dance, including a play soundtrack that he created using film techniques. He would watch and time the play while making notes about the actors’ movements. Then, he put together a small ensemble to pre-record the music. Now, he is Chair of the Music Department and a music professor at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He continues to compose professionally on the side.
Campbell was drawn to Sons and Daughters of Thunder after hearing about the film’s topic. He jumped at the idea of creating piano-based music with some hymn-like elements. He is even exploring the idea of directly incorporating hymns into the soundtrack.
“This is right up my wheelhouse, so it makes sense for me to do it,” Campbell said. “I want to be associated with something that is trying to show people a period in history that we need to not forget about, and I think that the Rundles are going to do a good job with the film.”
"We are very excited to work with Bill on the Sons & Daughters of Thunder soundtrack," said producer Tammy Rundle. "Thunder is a labor of love for us and Bill is extremely talented and such perfect fit with us and the project. "Even though we are premiering the film this month, Bill's work on the soundtrack will continue until we release the film later in May/early June."
Visit WilliamCampbellMusic.com for more information about the composer's music.
Sons and Daughters of Thunder premieres on the Putnam Giant Screen on March 16 and 17th. Advanced tickets are recommended at Putnam.org/calendar. Stay tuned for more information on Campbell’s composing process.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder is based on the critically-acclaimed play by Earlene Hawley and Curtis Heeter.
It tells the true story of the 1834 Cincinnati, Ohio Lane Theological Seminary anti-slavery debates. The controversial meetings, led by abolitionist and firebrand Theodore Weld (played by acclaimed stage actor Thomas Alan Taylor), were the first to publicly discuss the end of slavery in America. The meetings angered Cincinnati residents and Lane Seminary officials, who promptly slapped a gag order on the entire student body. This action was followed by a freedom of speech protest and mass exodus of Lane students to Oberlin College. A young Harriet Beecher’s (played by acclaimed stage actress Jess Denney) exposure to the debates and Weld's continuing work to free the slaves sparked a flame that led her to write her magnum opus Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Sons & Daughters of Thunder is co-produced by Kent Hawley, and by Fourth Wall Films, owned by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle, a film and video production company specializing in historical documentaries for public television broadcast and DVD home video.
The fiscal sponsors for the film project are The Shell Rock Historical Society, and The Moline Foundation. If you are interested in contributing to the film project and receiving screen credit, please click here: SUPPORT THUNDER!