Biography
Olivia graduated in music from Exeter University in 1995 and, after completing a PGCE, began teaching music while studying for an MA in composition for television and film. An increasing fascination with music technology led her to specialise in teaching music production for multimedia, and in 2002 she began writing screen music professionally for various agencies and publishers including Extreme Music, Finger Music and Boost Music. Her music is now used extensively around the world in documentaries, adverts and films.
In 2007 she founded the Screened Music Network in an attempt to form a vibrant community for professional screen composers, and a useful resource for music commissioners. The network has since grown to include over 90 professional composers, many of whom are among the most talented and successful working in the UK today. Olivia is also managing director of Big Screen Music, a boutique production music label specialising in cinematic music.
Beautiful. I love the way the strings are gradually introduced and so subtly scored.
3 years 1 months 29 days
Nice fat sound and a very catchy hook. Chilled out middle section is a nice touch. Would have been great if this section was a little longer - more useable perhaps?
3 years 1 months 29 days
Another strong melody from Anthony and I can see this working really well as a police drama. The pace, instrumentation and harmony seem spot on.
3 years 1 months 25 days
Really lovely sensitive writing for strings and beautifully produced guitar
3 years 1 months 21 days
Lovely instrumentation - I can see this working very well in a travel or wildlife doc
3 years 1 months 18 days
A lovely piece - well orchestrated and produced. Just the right amount of percussion to lift the harmony. Quite moving in places..
3 years 1 months 13 days
Beautiful. Intelligently scored and with real sensitivity. What a difference a live string orchestra makes.
3 years 1 months 11 days
Great textures and sounds. I think it could be improved with a more recognisable theme, but the sounds seem spot on for the context described.
3 years 27 days
Really enjoyed these. Particularly the first two - inventive and unusal.
3 years 26 days
Beautifully expressive. Would love to hear more of this.
3 years 26 days
Love the instrumentation and rhythms in this
3 years 26 days
Really hard to to do this kind of thing without it sounding clichéd. This is great - really inventive.
3 years 23 days
Fantastic epic stuff! There's real energy to it. Vocal really lifts it at the start.
3 years 23 days
Love it
3 years 18 days
Sounds very Thomas Newman - a good thing in my book
3 years 18 days
Overwhelms with the joy of nature at its most beautiful. I can hear it coming alive. Wonderful music.
3 years 28 days
Fantastic! I'm a sucker for aggressive strings and driving percussion and the voices really lift it. Great cinematic stuff.
2 years 11 months 23 days
Wonderful haunting textures. This has hints of Danny Elfman but with more subtlety and imagination.
2 years 11 months 22 days
A thoroughly professional job! Great imagination.
2 years 11 months 21 days
Really dynamic music I love the use of harpsichord. Fantastic climax.
2 years 11 months 20 days
Hard to believe this wasn't scored to picture - great imagination!
2 years 10 months 29 days
A beautiful performance and production of a very moving piece
2 years 10 months 25 days
Wonderfully uplifting and inspirational. The combination of instruments really works with the subject matter and the build up is fantastic with a climax at 3 mins that is worth the wait. Really powerful - turn the volume up!
2 years 10 months 22 days
Very stylish little track. Great string bass line.
2 years 10 months 11 days
Powerful opening. Great energy to this piece.
2 years 10 months 11 days
I love this track. The subtle combination of instruments in the build up works beautifully and the vocal is great - I didn't know you could sing Tony!
2 years 10 months 10 days
This is my favourite of all your scores, although less spectacular than some, it has a natural beauty to it which is effortless, perfectly encapsulating the subject matter.
2 years 10 months 8 days
Fantastic!
2 years 9 months 21 days
Very moving and beautifully subtle - not too intrusive. I imagine it heighted the emotion of the film really well.
2 years 8 months 30 days
As Rodney says, the orchestration is excellent here. However to an extent I think that the so-called 'predictable' nature of the material was probably necessary so as not to overpower the user experience. I am sure this delivered on brief and beyond. Very enjoyable.
2 years 6 months 17 days
I like the unusual textures and subtlety of this. Very effective.
2 years 6 months 17 days
Perfectly captures a sense of loneliness and disconnection. Great use of sound.
2 years 5 months 3 days
Yes this shows such an instinctive gift for orchestration. Such a light and airy feel it doesn't overpower and has space to breath - much like a lot of your other stuff.
2 years 4 months 15 days
Wonderful! So many lovely ideas and textures in here and it continues to grow and develop without ever disappointing. Exceptional music.
2 years 2 months 16 days
What a beautiful performance and the mood is so evocative of this time of year. Mince pie anyone?
1 years 7 months 13 days
Powerful track - nice build. I imagine it really added to the emotional impact of the documentary.
1 years 5 months 12 days
Fantastic heroic theme. Great brass. You think you know where it's going then a lovely understated mid-section comes along.
1 years 5 months 12 days
A powerful piece and quite mesmerising. Without knowing more about the context I cannot comment on the suitability to picture, but as a stand alone piece this is a very skillful example of creative sound design.
7 months 14 days
Lovely expressive fiddle writing and no doubt this was a powerful opening, although it would be nice to know what the film was about. Very interesting use of harmony and although it doesn't develop musically, it manages to keep the interest throughout.
7 months 14 days
Skillfully orchestrated - strings and woodwind are charming and it develops really well without ever getting too overbearing. I can see it getting good usage as a library piece. My only critisism would be the brass samples at the start are a little offensive on the ear. Other than that this is delightful.
7 months 14 days
Lovely rich sound and unusual textures and I like the irregular time sigs. Really nicely produced and effective use of piano. Nice job!
5 months 26 days
Great eerie track - I can definitely see zombies. Hints of Danny Elfman but without the cliched bass lines. Choir isn't over used and love the strings that build from 50''. Fantastic!
5 months 26 days
Great laid back style and the sound elements blend in nicely. Really nice bass. As a theme for The Wire I think it would work well - catchy, cool and classy. I like the subtle string interjections - not too overstated. Very enjoyable.
5 months 14 days
Lovely subtle use of texture throughout and sensitively scored. Very successful in conveying a sense of hope and strength. Really nice subtle vocal interjections. Very nice work which displays a truly original style.
5 months 14 days
Sensitively scored with effective use of instrumental colour. And the climax is terrifying! An accomplished piece of underscore.
5 months 14 days
Lively and effective instrumentation. It has a jovial character that seems very apt given the context. Some of the samples lack authenticity particularly towards the end but I don't think this detracts too much from the overall effect. Very attractive.
4 months
Very successful in creating the sought-after quirky dark sound that is so popular these days with tv execs. A little bit similar to some well known themes but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lovely atmospheric writing and creatively produced. I like the changes of pace. Very effective.
4 months
A very appealing and enjoyable piece. Simple but very effective in portraying the lonely world you describe in the context. I can see why you chose not to develop the melodic material and the performance is excellent.
4 months
This works very well and was no doubt popular with the producers. Creative use of melody and instrumentation and it manages to keep the interest without being too cliched. A polished sound which is helped by high quality samples and a good ear for production. Very effective.
4 months
Effective laying of sound and really nicely produced. The simplicity of it is appealing and the cello line is a nice surprise. I look forward to hearing more of your work.
1 months 21 days
Lovely string scoring. Just the right level of emotion without being over sentimental. I can see it working in a multitude of scenarios. It would really be lifted with a live cello melody in the opening if you ever get the opportunity.
1 months 21 days
I can see this working well for the scene - lovely soaring strings with simple harmonies and a wistful quality. Very effective. I think the piano could go a little higher without intruding on the strings.
1 months 21 days
Intelligently scored and with great sensitivity and depth. I enjoyed this immensely. Although the effect is bleak it is also strangely uplifting. Very powerful music.
1 months 5 days