Amigos! I have entered my first scoring competition and I couldn’t be more excited to share the result with you. Thanks to Spitfire Audio, entrants were given the opportunity to score a 4-minute sequence from HBO’s #Westworld3. 3 weeks and 64 instrument tracks later, I present my submission. Let me know how I did! 🎻🎺🙏

Check out the press release from Spitfire Audio below:

We’ve teamed up with HBO’s Westworld to bring you an exclusive competition, judged by the show’s creators. Download and score a scene from Westworld Season 3 for your chance to win some amazing prizes – as well as the opportunity to showcase your work to the best in the business.

Entries will be judged by an elite panel comprising the show’s composer, Ramin Djawadi, as well as the creators: Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Executive Producer J.J. Abrams and the team at Spitfire Audio.

The winner receives $20,000 worth of production software, a coveted prop from the set, a signed Westworld vinyl and a donation on their behalf to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

This was a very unique opportunity for me. I started writing more complex orchestral music around 18 months ago but this was my first chance to score to actual visuals/film footage. Daunting and a little intimidating – particularly because my studio monitors are out of action and I was forced to arrange/mix/master using nothing but studio headphones – I dove in, head first, and took the challenge “like a champ.”

Okay, that’s just me pretending to possess some kind-of Muhammad Ali-like aplomb. The reality is, I was freaking shitting myself. Literally. Like a parasite triggering severe diarrhea. I didn’t want to screw it up. Like most creatives, I have a dramatic fear of failure and embarassment.

I gave it my best shot, and I think I did okay, given the circumstances. What do you think?