Philip Sheppard

Tag: movie

  • 1971 on PBS Streaming now!

    1971 on PBS Streaming now!

    1971 scored by Philip Sheppard is streaming on PBS here.

    In 1971, long before Edward Snowden’s revelations of NSA surveillance, a group of citizens broke into a small FBI office in Pennsylvania, took every file, and shared them with the public. Their actions exposed the FBI’s illegal surveillance program of law-abiding Americans. Now for the first time, these anonymous Americans who risked everything share their story publicly.

    In the past several decades, whistleblowers have helped shape the nation’s history, from Deep Throat exposing President Nixon’s Watergate scandal to Edward Snowden’s revelations about the NSA’s surveillance. But long before the dawning of the digital age, one group of citizens risked everything when they uncovered illegal government spying programs.

    The FBI, established in 1908, was for 60 years held unaccountable and untouchable until March 8, 1971, when The Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI, as they called themselves, broke into a small FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, took every file, and shared them with the American public.

    After the break-in, the group sent the files to journalists at the Washington Post, which published them and shed light on the FBI’s widespread abuse of power. These actions exposed COINTELPRO, the FBI’s illegal surveillance program that involved the intimidation of law-abiding Americans, and helped lead to the country’s first congressional investigation of U.S. intelligence agencies.

    The activist-burglars then disappeared into anonymity for forty years. Until now. Never caught, these previously anonymous Americans — parents, teachers and citizens — publicly reveal themselves for the first time and share their story in the documentary 1971. Using a mix of dramatic re-enactments and candid interviews with all involved, the film vividly brings to life one of the more important, yet relatively unexplored, chapters in modern American history.

    Soundtrack/ score by Philip Sheppard.

    Stream 1971 on PBS Independent Lens.

     

    Film Credits

    A Film by
    Johanna Hamilton

    Directed and Produced by
    Johanna Hamilton

    Edited by
    Gabriel Rhodes

    Produced by
    Marilyn Ness
    Katy Chevigny

    Executive Producers
    Julie Goldman
    Abigail E. Disney
    Gini Reticker
    Laura Poitras

    Cinematographer (Interviews)
    Kirsten Johnson

    Cinematographer (Recreations)
    Andreas Burgess

    Original Music
    Philip Sheppard

    Written by
    Johanna Hamilton
    Gabriel Rhodes

    Associate Producer
    Danielle Varga

    Animation and Motion Graphics
    Dave Tecson

    Additional Photography
    Neil Barrett
    Nicholas Blair

    Sound
    Judy Karp
    Mark Maloof
    John Zecca
    Nejc Poberaj

    Recreations Unit

    Recreations Producer
    Maureen A. Ryan

    Production Designer
    Markus Kirschner

    First Assistant Director
    Sara Neuffer

    Production Manager 
    Brian Birch

    Art Director
    Shawn Anabel

    Casting Director
    Adine Duron

    CAST
    Peter Gregus: Bill
    Lauren A. Kennedy: Bonnie
    Jonathan Joel Brennan: Bob
    Rich Graff: John
    Daniel S. Taylor: Keith
    Dennis Brito: FBI Agent
    John Isgro: Custodian
    Kerry Malloy: FBI Agent
    Brian P. McCarthy: #9
    Matthew Smith: Citizens’ Commission
    Marilyn Ness: Citizens’ Commission
    Danielle Varga: Citizens’ Commission
    Paul Darren: Security Guard

    The filmmakers do not know the three unidentified burglars or the ninth person who withdrew from the break-in team.
    Any similarities that may exist between any of them and the actors in the reenactments are purely coincidental.

    Costume Designer
    Eniola Dawodu

    Key Hair/Makeup Artist
    Vera Stromsted

    Gaffer 
    Nicola Guarneri

    First Assistant Camera
    Alex Peterson George Alvarez

    Production Coordinator
    Jacey Heldrich

    Assistant Editors
    Eric Rockey
    Nora Ballard
    Michael Peterson

    Archival Clearances 
    Nan Wakefield

    Legal Services
    Karen Shatzkin

    Post Production Services
    Final Frame

    Digital Intermediate Online Editor 
    Owen Rucker

    Digital Intermediate Colorist
    Will Cox

    Digital Intermediate Producer
    Caitlin Tartaro

    Audio Post Provided by 
    Gigantic Post, NYC

    Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer
    Tom Paul

    Dialogue Editor
    Sam Edelstein

    Sound Effects Editor
    Andrea Bella

    Foley Artist
    Les Bloom

    Foley Mixer
    Carl Shillito

    Bookkeepers 
    Phil Lane
    Kelley A. Trotter

    Archival Materials
    All in the Family ©1972 Tandem Productions, Inc.
    Episode “Archie and the FBI.”
    Fight of the Champions © 1971
    Director: Art Fisher Producers: Neal Marshall & Art Fischer
    Interview with former FBI agent Terry Neist by Sam Green
    © The Free History Project
    ABCNEWS VideoSource and WPVI
    Critical Past
    FBI ©1965 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
    Historic Films
    KPIX-TV
    KRON-TV
    KYW-TV
    Pat McGrath
    National Archives and Records Administration
    NBC Universal Archives
    Nixon Library
    Oddball Film & Video
    San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive
    T3Media
    Temple Urban Archives
    UCLA Film & Television Archive
    WHAM-TV
    WPA Film Library
    Anne Flitcraft
    Associated Press
    Baltimore Sun Media Group
    Chicago Tribune
    Courier Post, Cherry Hill
    Carl Stern
    Delaware County Times
    Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY
    The Raines Family
    Keith Forsyth
    Sarah Davidon
    Corbis
    David Kairys
    Delaware County History
    Getty Images
    Greg Moore
    Haverford College
    Life Magazine
    Los Angeles Times
    Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
    LSUS Archives and Special Collections
    New York Times
    Newsday
    Philadelphia Inquirer
    Saint Joseph’s University Archives
    Theodore Hetzel Photograph Collection
    Swarthmore College Peace Collection
    Anthony Giacchino Camden 28 [Motion Picture] Collection
    Swarthmore College Peace Collection
    Temple Urban Archives
    University of Arkansas Libraries Special Collections
    Washington Post
    Washington Star

    Music
    “I Spy (For the F.B.I.) / Foxy Devil”
    Luther Ingram & The G-Men‎
    Smash Records Re-released in 1971 following the revelations of the Media Burglary

    “A Whole New You”
    Written by Enion Pelta-Tiller
    Arranged and Recorded by David Tiller and Enion Pelta-Tiller
    Taarka, 2012

    Special Thanks
    The Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI
    Sarah Davidon
    James Kirkpatrick Davis
    Paco de Onis
    Kate Doyle
    Henry Dunn
    Mike German
    David Kairys
    Betty Medsger
    Laura Poitras
    Thom Powers, Ian Olds, and Rachel Rakes
    Max, Theo and Layla van Zyl
    Paul van Zyl
    Ben Wizner
    Pam Yates

    Fiscal Sponsor
    Women Make Movies, Inc.

    Executive Producer for ITVS
    Sally Jo Fifer

    Funding provided by
    The Ford Foundation JustFilms
    Candescent Films
    Fork Films
    Open Society Foundations
    Sundance Documentary Film Program
    New York State Council on the Arts
    The Fledgling Fund
    San Francisco Film Society
    Richard and Marianne Hamilton
    The Fund For Constitutional Government
    Vital Projects Fund
    Steward R. Mott Foundation
    Michael Hirschhorn and Jimena Martinez
    AMJ Foundation
    Susan Parker and Alan Belzer
    Keating Hawkins Gift Fund
    Puffin Foundation
    David Rudovsky
    Dr. Edward Herman
    Rick Cummings
    Josh Markel and Eva Gold

    1971 is a co-production of Maximum Pictures LLC and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with Big Mouth Productions, Motto Pictures, and Fork Films, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

    This film was produced by Maximum Pictures, LLC, which is solely responsible for its content.

  • The Final Year at Toronto International Film Festival

    The Final Year at Toronto International Film Festival

    This weekend saw the premiere of Greg Barker’s new documentary ‘The Final year’ at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

    The movie charts the astoundingly exhaustive efforts by Barak Obama’s diplomatic team to manage complex international problems. The unfettered access to Obama, John Kerry, Samantha Powers, Ben Rhodes and Susan Rice has created an incredible witness document to the often unseen and unappreciated efforts that operate below the surface of a successful administration.

    Control Room at Abbey Road during our session. Photo by Nathan Azopardi

    We recorded the string score in Abbey Road Studio One with an orchestra after not many weeks of writing. The soundtrack for this movie was one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced as a composer. Putting music under political figures is fraught with ethical and artistic problems. In documentary, the role of the composer is to frame the action, NOT tell the audience what to feel. I wrote entire soundtrack three times until I found a way in, that didn’t feel biased or dramatic.

    The reviews from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety are here and I feel reflect the importance and peculiarity of this movie.

    Here’s Ben Rhodes – Obama’s speechwriter – speaking after the premiere.

    Here’s a track from the movie:

  • Steal away

    Steal away

    The traditional spiritual ‘Steal Away’ played by an orchestra of cellos, followed by a postlude – solo viola James Boyd. Hope you like it..! This is to be broadcast on the soundtrack to ‘God in America’ – October 10th, 11th, 12th 2010.

    [soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/radiomovies/steal-away-postlude” params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=be8735″ width=”100%” height=”81″ ]

  • Steampunk strings

    Steampunk strings


    Here’s a sketch I’m working inspired by the incident at the Gare de l’Ouest. A touch of Victorian melodrama with a steampunk symphony orchestra…
    [soundcloud url=”http://soundcloud.com/radiomovies/murder-on-the-great-western” params=”show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=a38036″ width=”100%” height=”81″ ]

  • radiomovies roundup

    sergio1

    Latest show news. As you can see there’s a beautiful poster for the forthcoming Sergio directed by Greg Barker – due to be shown on HBO in June. This recently won Karen Schmeer the editing award at Sundance.I hope to put a number of the tracks online soon as a free stream.

    Looking at the above I realise I’m lucky to work on projects where the PR material seems to be thought through…

    In-I, my project with Juliette Binoche, Anish Kapoor and Akram Khan is in Beijing this week, having transferred from Shanghai. You can hear the score here.

    It’s going to have a break before opening at BAM (Harvey Theatre), New York, for the latter part of September.

  • Another unlikely foray into fashion

    Lily Donaldson video by Nick Knight & Ruth Hogben for ShowStudio using Mechanical Waltz by Philip Sheppard

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAIZ6gXczw0]

    I’ve been involved with a few projects with Nick Knight and his team at ShowStudio – despite my being to the fashion world what Boris Johnson is to speed skating…

    The most insanely enjoyable of these was a project where we made 24 films in 24 hours – where the great John Gosling (Mekon) and I provided the live music. I ended up being styled by the head of YSL – Stefano Pilati (I was probably the chubbiest person he’s ever dealt with) and the whole photoshoot & film shoot was turned into a catalogue for Yves Saint Laurent.

    He’s a real gent.

    Just found a scene from that session… Jessica Miller looks at me as if she’s used to being written on while a random cellist plays at her…ysl2

  • One day in Beijing… a very short film

    An extract from my video diary from the day of the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony.[wpvideo Xm981dzk]

    The Chinese rehearsal was extraordinary. I was able to talk to many of the performers, and filmed them from up close as they hurtled towards the stadium roof. This was shot on a very small HD camera – I’d drunk a lot of coffee so excuse the odd shake. (Also I’m a better musician than film maker – so please excuse any bad edits etc).

    The most striking image was the silken volcano – really simple but very classy.

    The music is a piece I wrote for string orchestra – as yet untitled…

    Meanwhile our handover cast were getting ready in the compound for the very brief bus rehearsal.

    More about the handover here.

  • How to be a composer for new media

    Tips for breaking into the covert world of composition for new media, such as film soundtracks, TV, adverts, arranging and games.
    [digg=http://digg.com/music/How_to_be_a_composer_for_new_media_tips]
    How get on the path to becoming a film, television, web or games composer

    Music technology tips by Philip Sheppard February 2009cimg05732

    (These are key points from lectures I’ve given recently, and a recent article for Classroom Music Magazine)

    1. WORK really hard. Work harder than anyone else you’ve ever met.
    2. If you don’t love working really hard you won’t enjoy being a composer (and believe me, it’s a great job)
    3. Ask people to show you how they do what they do. No composer minds being asked how they put a track together
    4. Learn how sound works – if you study the physics of sound, you’ll be more likely to be able to shape it into agreeable forms
    5. Make a portfolio of what you do. A showreel can be virtual – myspace is a start but can look fairly horrible. WordPress is excellent as a shop window
    6. Specialize in something unique. A small business advisor will call this your USP – Unique Selling Point. (I got into the business by doing leftfield things with string instruments)
    7. Always work with people who are better than you. I do, and I hope they can’t tell. this keeps me on my toes, and I learn from every job
    8. Network network network… but in a cool way. If a player writes to you asking for work, it’s less appealing than if they write to invite you to a gig isn’t it? A mailing list/website with news and forthcoming events is a surefire way for people to see how busy you are. Once you’re seen to be terribly busy, this will attract more work. this sounds like a catch 22 – but it isn’t. You are likely to be self-employed, so employ yourself now!
    9. Listen emotionally, analytically and critically to everything. If you love a piece you hear, try to work out why you love it. Dissect it into its elements. Equally if music doesn’t move you or grab you, try to work out exactly why.
    10. Always carry a bit of manuscript paper with you (or a dictaphone if you don’t read music). Moleskine do really nice pocket manuscript books. Your best tunes will always hit you when you’re not looking for them
    11. see point number one…
    12. Coffee is your friend and enemy. Keep it close, but use it wisely.

    How I got into it all…

    I trained as a cellist at the Royal Academy of Music where I have been a cello Professor since about ’94. I had several composition lessons there as a second study, studying with Melanie Daiken, before second studies were abolished! However, by that point I was heavily ensconced in the Contemporary Music scene.

    Luckily the RAM had a policy of drawing in great living composers, so I was able to play under Berio, Tippett, Messaien and many other truly inspiring musicians. At the same time I felt compelled to start improvising, and joined a quintet with Keith Tippett which specialised in ‘spontaneous composition’. At this point I learnt the value of knowing when not to play…

    I’m motivated to write music that I’d like to hear – which sounds obvious and a bit selfish, but, it’s a pretty good filter.

    My ‘break’ into composition came when I tried to multitrack some pieces on the cello, was encouraged to put them on a CD, that sold well and found its way onto the desk of an ad agency who threw me in at the deep end to devise the ident music for a major broadcaster… which was a learning curve, and a great break.

    Pros and Cons:
    Pros – I love my job. Every day is different. I can be based at home and still write and record (very different from my former touring existence). I meet really exciting people – last year it was 5 moonwalkers in one day.
    I’m my own boss. I can be creative and still be working.
    Cons not many.. Very late nights – but, I love working late. Oh yes – developing a studio tan (that’s very very pale) and having a habit of buying a new Mac every year and convincing myself I really need it.

    Good luck…

    ©Philip Sheppard 2009

  • 'Sergio' at Sundance

    sergio

    I’ve recently completed work on the score for a new documentary by Greg Barker called ‘Sergio’. It’s based on the extraordinary biography of Sergio Vieira de Mello by Samantha Power called Chasing the Flame.

    It has just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The soundtrack features an orchestral score with the beautiful solo playing of Brazilian guitarist Ife Tolentino who made the score come alive for me.

    Chasing the flame website here

    The Gstaad Project here

    another review

    Extract from The Observer, Sunday 25 January 2009

    I’m glad to find a buzz around a film brought here by the BBC and HBO. This is Sergio, and it recounts the life and death of Sergio Vieira de Mello, heroic womaniser and daredevil James Bond/RFK of humanitarian politics, who was buried under the rubble caused by a car bomb, dying in Baghdad. I wanted for a change to see a film about someone admirable, and I can see people crying through the film. A Variety critic tells me that Sergio does catch something of a new mood, mournful but in quest of something to admire.