Brian recently completed scoring the teen bank heist movie GRADUATION. The movie is directed by Mike Mayer and produced by Jane Sindell (Seabiscuit). This is the first film collaboration between Brian and Mike Mayer. GRADUATION will be coming to theatres soon. The talented ensemble cast stars Adam Arkin, Chris Marquette, Shannon Lucio, Chris Lowell and Riley Smith.

In GRADUATION, four best friends, about to graduate from high school, must find a way to raise money to help a family member in need. When one of them discovers her banker father having an affair, the foursome plots to rob his bank during graduation ceremonies. When things don’t go according to plan, they end up learning more about themselves in one day than they ever did in school.

Brian created a young, hip score for the film with a lot of electric guitar elements layered with percussion and orchestral flavors as the story evolves. Check back here soon for updates on the film’s release, distribution and pictures from the mix sessions, etc..

Brian has won a PLATINUM - BEST OF SHOW AURORA AWARD for his original score to the short film THE RECE!PT. The Aurora Awards are a film and video entertainment industry award, judged by a jury of one’s peers. The “Platinum Best Of Show” award is the highest honor the Aurora Awards can give. The Aurora statues are cast in the same foundry that creates the Oscar, Emmy and Clio statues.

THE RECE!PT short film won two Platinum Aurora Awards this year, one for Best Original Score and one for Sound Design.

The gripping independant feature 9/TENTHS will world premiere at the Sedona International Film Festival in Sedona, AZ, Feb. 23-26, 2006.

Brian will be attending the festival premiere screenings.

From the Sedona Film Festival Website: “Lovers of independent films will celebrate the best in cinematic art, amid unparalleled scenic beauty, Feb. 23-26 in Sedona, Arizona. The occasion is the 12th annual Sedona International Film Festival & Workshop, named the “Fest to Impress” by MovieMaker Magazine and a top 100 destination for the American Bus Association. This year’s extravaganza promises to be bigger and better than ever…
Already recognized by filmmakers and audiences as one of the top festivals in the nation, the 2006 edition will continue a tradition of honoring those whose love for making timely, moving films drives them. The festival honors filmmakers motivated by passion for their art, not box office revenues.”

9/TENTHS will screen twice at the festival in Sedona’s largest 275 seat theatre. The prime screening times are as follows:

1. Friday Feb 24th, 9:45PM - Harkins Sedona 6 Theatres - Theatre 2
2. Saturday Feb 25th, 8:30PM - Harkins Sedona 6 Theatres - Theatre 2

9/TENTHS Film synposis…
“Sometime in the not too distant future. Terrorist attacks continue to escalate. Cities are the primary targets.

The film takes a brutal, unflinching look at mankind stripped bare of the thin veneer of social convention. It is a daring, bold, often painful journey into the darkness of our primal, carnal selves. “

9/Tenths is directed by Bob Degus (Pleasantville) and stars Gabrielle Anwar (Scent Of A Woman, The Three Muskateers), Henry Ian Cusick (“Lost”, “24″, Half Light) and Dave Ortiz (The Crow-Wicked Prayer).

THE RECE!PT has been selected to screen at the respected Santa Barbara Int’l Film Festival, Feb. 2-12, 2006.
The comedy short will screen twice in 35mm at the festival.

1. Monday, Feb. 6th at 9:00PM at the Lobero Theatres
2. Wednesday, Feb. 8th at 4:00 PM at the Metro 4 Theatres.

Tickets and other festival information can be found at the SBIFF festival website.

THE RECE!PT, has been selected as an official selection of the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO, March 8-12, 2006.

The film will screen multiple times in 35mm during the industry focused comedy festival. The screening location will be the Isis Theatre, 406 E. Hopkins Ave., Aspen, CO. The screening times and schedule are still to be announced. Keep checking the film festival
website or thereceipt.com for updated information and screening times.

From the festival website…

“In 1998, responding to the need of the independent film community to have a top-tier industry showcase of comedy, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival added the Film Discovery Program to it’s event.

Now in it’s ninth year, the Film Discovery Program has been recognized internationally as a showcase for the best in new comedic independent film, and prides itself on not only being a place where new works can be seen, but where the industry can meet with filmmakers to discuss potential new projects.”

THE RECE!PT, has been selected to screen at the 2006 park City Film Music Festival, January 19-29, 2006. The festival focus is the musical score in the films that screen and Brian’s score for THE RECE!PT is considered a finalist in the festival competition.

The film will screen multiple times during the festival. The screening dates and times will be announced on the festival’s website soon: Keep checking the Park City Film Music Festival website for schedule information and ticket purchasing options.
From the festival website…
“The Park City Film Music Festival is a new independent film festival, presenting film music competition for both INDIE and studio-sponsored films, a performance showcase for composers with seminars for composers, musicians, songwriters and groups…The third annual PARK CITY FILM MUSIC FESTIVAL (pcFMF) will be held in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, January 19-29, 2006. This is the first film festival in the world singularly recognizing the contribution of composers and their music to film, and the first of such festivals in the Americas. Awards are given in the categories of Best Use of Music in Full-Length Feature Film, Best Use of Music in Documentary Film, and Best Use of Music in Short Film…Film music, whose broad appeal continues to gain prominence in the music marketplace, has stood for a long time recognized only at the very highest levels: the Academy awards, the Emmys, the Grammys, and a few others. The growing stature of film music is exemplified in the announcement earlier this year of the Pulitzer prizes qualifying film music for the first time in 61 years.

Ms. Harlow is driven to propel the PARK CITY FILM MUSIC FESTIVAL to international prominence, and has received encouragement from the Utah Film Commission, original founder of the Utah/United States Film Festival (now called Sundance Film Festival). Leslie has already spoken with esteemed film composer, John Williams, who is very excited at the prospect of this new festival. As this festival grows in scope, we will be inviting John Williams and other prominent film composers to celebrate the art of film music through performance and master classes.”

Brian has a couple upcoming projects to announce. Continuing his collaboration with writer/director Tim Garrick, two more short films are about to be shot. The first, currently in pre-production, is another comedy short, again starring Kristen Bell called THE MOTEL SISTERS. The script is incredibly funny and has a lot of “white trash humor” which Tim, Brian and Kristen Bell are use to from their work on the musical SnEauX!

The second short, also in pre-production right now, is called OPEN HOUSE and is a horror film based off of the first 15 minute opening of a feature horror script that Tim Garrick wrote. The story is set in the 1950s and is described as being “pretty messed up.”

Both films should finish shooting by the end of the year and the composing of the music will begin after the film editing is completed, most likely in the January-February time period.

A trailer for the award winning short film THE RECE!PT has been posted at the film’s website www.thereceipt.com. While the film itself is an homage to RUN LOLA RUN, the trailer is an homage/spoof of typical Hollywood “blockbuster” style movie trailers. Brian even composed new music specifically for the trailer to further help with the…”homage.”

In other news for THE RECE!PT, the film has been specifically invited by HBO to screen at the first ever THE COMEDY FESTIVAL at Caesars’ Palace Las Vegas, November 17-19th, 2005. This is an invitation only festival and HBO has invited what they believe to be the best comedy films from the year to screen.

Also…THE RECE!PT will screen at the St. Louis International Film Festival that same week in St. Louis, MO. November 10-20th. The specific screening time in St. Louis is Saturday, November 19th, 11PM. Shorts Program #6 - Tivoli Theatre #3.

So…at lot of traveling is in the works.

THE RECE!PT was selected as the winner of “BEST COMEDY AWARD” in the 2005 Los Angeles International Short Film Festival.

Also, the film has been invited to screen in competition at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November.

BORNE’s new self titled album is finished, mastered and at the CD duplication house being prep’d for release in early September. The album was recorded at Avatar Studio “A” in New York city and James Lugo’s Vocal Asylum in Hollywood, CA. The wonderful Andy Ellis mixed the album. The album was mastered by Louie Teran of Marcussen Mastering. Louie has mastered many notable rock/pop CDs including the Dave Mathews Band (The Gorge) and soundtrack releases including the soundtracks for Shrek 2 (score), Cold Mountain (score), Mean Girls, Spiderman 2, and the oscar award winning score for Finding Neverland. Needless to say, the post production of the album was in very good hands. Some tracks from the album have been posted on the music page of brianralston.com under the Pop & Rock section. Feel free to check them out. Brian did all of the horn arrangements for 4 songs on the album (Chelsea, Forgive Me, Useless and Body Talk) and the string orchestrations and arrangements for the song Crazy World. He also performed all of the trumpet and flugelhorn parts on the album. Since Brian spends most of his time composing and not performing, this is a unique opportunity to hear him play his trumpet as well. The quickest way to purchase the album at first will be either through the band’s website at www.borne-music.com, or it will be on iTunes and at CDBaby soon, probably later in September. If you are in the Southern California area, you can also purchase the album at one of BORNE’s up-coming shows as well. Enjoy!

THE RECE!PT, has been selected to screen at the 2005 San Diego Film Festival, September 21-25.

The film will screen twice at the festival. The screening dates and times are as follows:

Friday, September 23rd @ 2PM. Pacific Theaters in the Historic Gaslamp District. Theatre 6.

Saturday, September 24th @ 2PM. Pacific Theaters in the Historic Gaslamp District. Theatre 6.

THE RECE!PT has been selected to screen at the prestigious Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. The festival is September 6-14th, 2005 and will be held at the state of the art Arclight Cinemas on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA. The screening time of the film will be Tuesday, September 13th, 2005 at 3:30PM. Check out the official website of the film www.thereceipt.com as well as the festival website www.lashortsfest.com, both of which are being updated regularly, for more information. Brian’s unique score for the film is electronica based. Think…homage too the RUN LOLA RUN score.

We have just received word that the 35mm comedy short film THE RECE!PT, on which Brian composed the score and also produced, has been invited to screen at the 25th Annual Breckenridge Film Festival in Breckenridge, CO, September 8-11th, 2005.

THE RECE!PT is written and directed by Tim Garrick and stars Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars), Dina Meyer (Dragonheart, Starship Troopers), Matthew D. McCallum, Elizabeth Keener and Gil McKinney (Elvis Has Left the Building). Check out the Breckenridge Film Festival Web Site for more information, including screening times and locations.

Brian is currently working with the Los Angeles based rock band BORNE. For their new, as of yet untitled album, Brian is arranging orchestral string parts and may even play a little trumpet here and there. Crashing onto the nightclub scene in 2004 and capturing a hip, young audience in Southern California, BORNE is quickly becoming a hit band throughout the west coast. Their pop rock sensibilities are an homage to the popular groups of the last few decades from STING and THE POLICE to JASON MRAZ and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND. BORNE’s website and tour dates can be found at www.borne-music.com. Brian is excited to work with BORNE and be a part of their new album. For more information or booking info on BORNE, please contact Alicia Yaffe at (818) 269-7198 or at ayaffe@hotmail.com.

Brian was recently on the dub stage at Todd-AO for 9/Tenths overseeing the sound mix with director Bob Degus. An exciting time for the composer when the film’s sound is finalized!

Excerpts from the musical score to the feature film 9/Tenths have been posted on the music page of brianralston.com. Feel free to check them out. Featured solo musicians on this rich orchestral score were Chris Burton Jácome on Flamenco Guitar, Karen Hogle - solo soprano, Harry Shirinian - solo viola, and M.B. Gordy - hand percussion. Brian composed almost 50 minutes of music for 9/Tenths.

“Sometime in the not too distant future. Terrorist attacks continue to escalate. Cities are the primary targets.

William and his wife Jessica, flee the city seeking safety. Upon reaching their newly purchased ranch, in the middle of nowhere, they discover, Elias a Mexican ranch hand already living there. Just as the property dispute escalates to a dangerous level, a massive terrorist attack causes widespread, catastrophic destruction - the world, as they know it, no longer exists.

The film takes a brutal, unflinching look at mankind stripped bare of the thin veneer of social convention. It is a daring, bold, often painful journey into the darkness of our primal, carnal selves. ”

9/Tenths is directed by Bob Degus (Pleasantville) and stars Gabrielle Anwar (Scent Of A Woman, The Three Muskateers), Henry Ian Cusick (Half Light) and Dave Ortiz (The Crow-Wicked Prayer). Coming soon!

Welcome to the news and Update Blog for Film/TV composer Brian Ralston. Updates on current events and Brian’s projects will be posted here in the future.