So this is what happens when you watch Castaway and Life of Pi with in one week. Besides the fact that you never want to go on a plane or a boat again, you think about what it would feel like to be in a tiny raft during a sea storm. In this scene our character has been lost for days and wakes up one morning to see a storm approaching. The small rain drops (high piano part) hit his face, waking him in time to brace for impact. Its a scary storm, but more in an awe inspiring way then the, “I’m gonna die and be eaten by sharks” kinda way. The key to the storm feel was the tempo and the waves. I found the tempo of the piece by imagining myself in a storm and swaying back and forth making “buuash” sounds with my mouth. Awkward I know. This storm is 85 bpm if you were wondering. For the waves I used a bunch of cymbal swells with different textures to represent the crashing. After the storm subsides, our hero has a deeper appreciation for the storm, the life boat, and God.
I had a friend who always thought about life as being adrift in a vast ocean. I think these two movies communicate this idea. There were two things I appreciated about both characters. One, they had to relate to survive, whether ball or a bengal. And two, they couldn’t stay on the island, they had to try and reconnect with the world even if that meant risking there lives. It was faith that held them up and hope that drew them forward.
Enjoy!!