Indebted Department – Behind the Score

I recently shared the sheet music of my score to the silent film “Indebted Department” by Daniel Guillaro.

I wanted ”A young woman risks everything in an underground chess match in this super 8mm”A young woman risks everything in an underground chess match in this super 8mm short.”
Director Daniel Guillaro

Back in the spring of 2021 I was invited to take part in the Sound of Silent Film Festival with Access Contemporary Music. When I saw this short film and fell in love immediately and was thrilled to compose for it. There’s so little said about the story, so there is a lot left for the audience to decide on. And of course I also loved the look of this film shot on super 8.

The great thing about writing for this festival is that it’s for live performance by the Palomar Ensemble. I had flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion to work with, and I knew from previous experiences that I didn’t want to write something that felt like winds & strings + piano. I wanted them all to be an equal part of the score. Of course, I broke that rule a little bit at the end with the piano closing tag.

I was excited to use a lot of extended techniques throughout the ensemble to create a unique sound world. I still wanted, however, for the viewer to feel a curiosity and emotional investment in our leading lady and her journey. There’s no dialogue, nothing to help you with the story, but we get so much from the small glances by the actors. It really is the little things that say the most.

The first part I actually finished composing was the end. I wrote the parts to be separate with a lot of dovetailing, nothing really together. This way you really felt the big piano chord even more when the screen goes dark. A bit of emotional payoff aurally.