Greetings! ScoreKeeper here kicking off a month chock full of giveaways with a very cool and unique item which may be of particular interest to fans of composer Clint Mansell. I'm giving away ten copies of a rare limited edition DVD of the short film entitled IN THE WALL (2010) directed by Mike Williamson. The short also includes a CD featuring the complete score composed by Clint Mansell. To sweeten the deal, each DVD/CD combo set is autographed by Mansell. The film itself runs approximately 26 minutes long and features some gory and grisly practical effects. The film has played at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Screamfest in Los Angeles, the San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Festival in Spain, the Staten Island Film Festival in New York, and several more. The highlight for me is the tension-laden 14-track score by Clint Mansell. It's not often you find a composer of Clint's caliber composing scores for short films. I think it's pretty damn cool that he does.

I asked Mike Williamson (the director) a few questions regarding the film and Mansell's involvement. ScoreKeeper: How did you get Clint involved with this project? Did you have a prior relationship with him? You don't see too many composers of Clint's stature and demand scoring short films. Mike Williamson: I did have a prior relationship with Clint.  We met on THE FOUNTAIN, where I was working in the production office.  We shared a taste for bands like THE STOOGES and other 60s and 70s punk stuff, so we became buddies.  He came to see my band play a show and it was there I asked him to score IN THE WALL.  He had read the script, liked it, and I think was intrigued about the possibility of doing a straight up horror picture, which he hadn't done before (plus, he's a big fan of John Carpenter's scores).  He mentioned that Aronofsky took a chance on him for PI, and he felt compelled to take a chance on someone else Also, I fed him a lot of whiskey that night and he may have been unclear as to what exactly he was agreeing to do. 
SK: Can you talk about what Clint brought to this project. What did he do to fulfill your expectations as the director and what did he surprise you with?  MW: Clint is great with "themes", and he definitely brought that to IN THE WALL.  The best horror pictures all have instantly recognizable scores, and Clint understands that.  It adds personality to the film, rather than just supporting the imagery.  He also has a knack for being emotive very economically, in that, with a few notes he can convey the tone of the scene vividly, without being overbearing or long winded.  That's a true gift. What was surprising, and relieving, was that Clint did not really follow the temp score we had laid in.  For every cue, he visited the scene without preconceived notions of what it should sound like and delivered based on his gut instinct, rather than imitating the tone of whatever placeholder track we had in there.  This led to a more interesting collaboration between us which helped the movie, I think Even though this was only a 30 minute film, I appreciated the respect Clint showed it.  He devoted himself to the project and we're all proud of the outcome.  When I first heard the score at Clint's place, with his assistant sitting behind me, I was thrilled with what I heard...But had some notes on changes here and there.  As I was leaving, Clint's assistant told me he had wondered how the meeting would go down...whether I would accept the score as it was presented to me, or if I would ask Clint for changes.  After all, this was not a gig Clint was getting rich off of and he was fitting it into his busy schedule.  The comment kind of threw me off guard, never considering for a moment Clint would expect me to hear his score and just take it as it was, even if something rubbed me the wrong way.  And I know Clint didn't think that way either.  We were making a movie, budget and running time be damned.



You say you want a copy? Here's what you have to do... Email me at scorekeeper@aintitcool.com using the subject: WHAT'S IN THE WALL? and include your name, mailing address, a valid email address, and your favorite Clint Mansell score. I'll randomly select ten winners who will receive the DVD/CD combo edition of IN THE WALL autographed by composer Clint Mansell. The deadline for submission is Sunday, October 10th, at 11:59PM EST. Only one entry per person please. International entries will be accepted. Duplicates will be discarded. Good luck! For more information including audio samples and order placement please visit Blacklight Pictures.

ScoreKeeper!!!