Jan Morgenstern · Composer for Media » News

“The Secret Number” Awarded “Best Original Score” at GVIFF; Releases Online on June 15th

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:37 +0000

At this year’s Greenville International Film Festival, which took place between April 25th to 28th, my music for the short film The Secret Number was awarded Best Original Score by the competition jury! I’m very grateful for this recognition.

The film also continues to gain traction at festivals across the US, among others winning the jury award for Best Short at this year’s Charleston International Film Festival and playing in the official selection at Newport Beach Film Festival.

Lastly, with the final touches on VFX post production nearing their completion, a release date for the film has been announced: On June 15th, 2012, you will be able to watch The Secret Number online. DVD pre-orderers will have the film in their hands before that date.

Scoring “The Girl and the Fox”

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:00:21 +0000

Ilona is a nine-year-old girl who lives in the wilderness with her mother and father. The three are forced to survive on their small cluster of livestock and what supplies they can get through a dying fur trade. Things get worse when a fox begins stealing their livestock. With winter setting in and supplies running low, Ilona has no choice but to track the fox into the forest where it lives, in an attempt to preserve what’s left of her family’s resources. The lessons she learns along the way will undoubtedly give her new perspective on the balance of life, justice and friendship.

The Girl and the Fox is an animated short film that explores the different perspectives of life, and how the lines between good and bad become more blurred the closer they are examined. Directed by Tyler J. Kupferer, the short has already attracted a lot of positive attention on the festival circuit, culminating in a nomination to the world’s most prestiguous recognition in animation, the Annie Awards, earlier this year.

Tyler and his production company Base14 hired me to write an orchestral score that embodies the film’s bittersweet reflection on moral perspective while matching the beautiful and delicate hand-drawn animation style. The Girl and the Fox is set for an online release later this year.

Nintendo Releases “Big Buck Bunny” for 3DS

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:16 +0000

In order to promote the 3D capabilities of their 3DS handheld video game system, Nintendo has commissioned the Finnish animation wizards Studio Lumikuu to recreate the 2008 CG short film Big Buck Bunny in full stereoscopic 3D. The gorgeous result will launch on Nintendo Video in three mini-installments starting May 2nd, 2012. As the original composer and sound designer on Big Buck Bunny, I was brought on board to do a number of modifications to the original theatrical mix in order to make it fit the new 3-act structure and the technical requirements of the device. Apart from editing and remastering, this also encompassed extending the original credits music cue by some 40 seconds and remixing it from scratch. Click here to read the original Nintendo press release.

Traveling Ethiopia by Motorcycle

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:58 +0000

One morning, Touratech founder Herbert Schwarz and his wife, photo journalist Ramona Schwarz, ask themselves a rather innocuous question: Were does our daily cup of coffee come from? The answer takes them on a 4300-kilometer motorcycle journey across Ethiopia. Accompanied by a film crew, the trip leads them southwards across lands formerly known as Abyssinia, from the capital of Addis Ababa through an ever-changing yet always environmentally and culturally rich landscape.

Directed by Wolfgang Danner, One Last Cup of Coffee Before the Desert provides fascinating insights into a journey of extremes. For the 90-minute DVD documentary, Touratech hired me to write a score that blends traditional African music with rock and reggae, and provides atmospherical undercurrents for impressive views of majestic mountain ranges, stark deserts, and strange volcanoes.

Gone Fishin’: Music and Sound Design for “The Big Catch”

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:58:26 +0000

All artwork (c) Robot Riot Games, dtp entertainment AG

Developed by Robot Riot Games and published by dtp entertainment AG, The Big Catch is a fresh online 3D fishing game with extensive social features. Players can cast the rod in several beautifully rendered landscapes using a multitude of different fishing poles, lines, baits, and tools. Utilizing the advanced cross-platform Unity 3D game engine, it features state-of-the-art graphics and a slick gameplay inside the browser.

As the project’s audio director, I created a light-hearted, jazz-tinged pop soundtrack for the experience and was responsible for the complete in-game sound design.

The Big Catch is currently in an open beta state, so if you have the Unity 3D player plug-in installed, you can give it a test ride!

Happy Holidays!

admin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:43:12 +0000

I wish all of my clients, visitors and listeners a relaxing holiday season and a healthy, successful and inspiring 2012!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Jan’s Pastafarian Holiday Extravaganza)

Work on “The Secret Number” Score Finished; Short Film Wins 3 Awards at SFF

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:21:49 +0000

I’ve recently completed my work on the original score for Colin Levy‘s new short film The Secret Number. The 15-minute psychodrama, which is based on a short story by Igor Teper, tells the intriguing story of a brilliant mathematician who claims to have discovered a new integer between 3 and 4. Technically, the film is still in its late post production stage – which didn’t keep it from winning three awards in a pre-release screening at Savannah Film Festival 2011, where it was named Best Student Film and has received the City of Savannah Award as well as the Panavision Student Cinematography Award. Congratulations to Colin and everyone involved!

“The Secret Number” is destined for a release later this quarter. I’ll also make sure that visitors of my site will be able to listen to the score, so keep an eye on this spot!

“Sintel” Score Nominated for a Peer Raben Award

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:00:46 +0000

My original score for the 2010 CG short film Sintel has been nominated for a Peer Raben Award! Granted on an annual basis as part of the proceedings at Germany’s largest film music conference Soundtrack Cologne, the Peer Raben Award honors the best music in a national or international short film and is voted upon by a jury comprised of renowned filmmakers and composers.

Post Production on ABAX Mobile Home Security Advertisement

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:19:53 +0000

Norwegian company ABAX, who specializes in mobile solutions for trip logging, fleet control and security, asked the animation wizards at Sandnes Media to create an advertisement for their NX-Buddy technology for securing camper vans and caravans against burglary, gas leaks, and fires. The resulting 2:30 image film, created entirely in the production company’s trademark hand-drawn 2D style, showcases some of the technology’s uses and advantages for mobile home users. I’ve been responsible for the sound design, audio editing and mixing of the advertisement.

Two Jerry Goldsmith Awards for “Sintel” Score!

admin — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 10:33:26 +0000

I’m still at the International Film Music Festival in Úbeda, Spain, so just a quick update for now – my score for the animated short film Sintel has won two Jerry Goldsmith Awards in the categories Best Score for an Animated Short Film and Best Song (for “I Move On”).

I’m incredibly excited about this recognition and have to express my sincere gratitude to the jury, everyone involved in the organization of the festival, and of course the entire “Sintel” team for making this an unforgettable ride.