By Radio plays are a welcome change of pace for film score composer and director Nicole Russin-McFarland. This week, Spotify listeners are off into the world of “The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe,” her newest album release.
Why are you now composing radio plays?
Classical music albums with offerings so you can select the music and acting combo, my music itself, or the acting only, which is all made by a team of mostly British actors? “Why not?” is the proper question. People are staying at home, working from home, living inside with this pandemic that never ends. Let’s give them something to do! Everything old is new again.
How are your radio plays different?
My plays are different than the olden days in that the music is a focal point, a character equally strong to the acting. Our plays appeal to young audiences because they aren’t boring. Can I say that, honestly? Lots of the older works are missing the powerful readings we have. The music from some older radio plays fades in and out, or there is no music at all.
Whose material will we see after Poe?
Edgar Allan Poe works are my first releases, but only the first. We are getting to work on other old tales, and my personal favorite, a gentleman by the name of H.G. Wells. Our first album is “The Tell-Tale Heart” starring Christopher Andrew Norris. Our second album in the series is “The Raven” by Samantha V. Hutton. Then Chris gets more releases, and you’ll be introduced to UK actor James Hare on H.G. Wells’ “The Magic Shop,” plus our American actor, William Nunn. Finding work that fits people’s natural accents and acting styles is always a very exciting job for me.
Did you work with any live musicians for your album?
No, and that is what is cool about these releases. For some albums, I am using a mixture of my old custom virtual instruments with Spitfire Audio virtual samples. Made using people who worked for pizza slices, I’m not joking, it was finally time for me to update my virtual orchestral library. Spitfire Audio has some really great priced items for anyone.
For other albums, like “The Raven,” I am exclusively using UJAM products, which are these fabulously affordable products that work for people who are inexperienced and very experienced. I only used the UJAM Striiiings plugin in making “The Raven” on the album’s two orchestral tracks, and that is amazing. It’s all recorded at the big Hollywood film scoring studios. Amazing stuff! I will be using their products again on some of my other radio play albums, so look out for those.
What are your career goals for 2022?
Getting myself enough music credits with these plays so studios can look at me as more than someone who can make cute music for animated films. And, because people have recently been asking me if I would like to audition for some films, putting “actress” on my CV so people view me as a good name to toss in for any prospective studio film or television castings.
My whole backstory is I fell in love with film scoring and saw being a filmmaker as the total package, having full control over my releases. Ideally, I want to direct Peter Jackson style blockbuster films over my film scores. If people want me in their movies too, who would be dumb enough to say no? My dream career is being an A-list film score composer who between work, directs amazing movies and accepts every offer to star in anything. Being a spokesperson for brands, all of it, bring it on!
Where can we find you online?
Website: http://www.cinematnic.com
Twitter: @nicrussin
Instagram: @nicrussin
Facebook: @nicrussin
