MUSIC+SOUND AWARDS 2023 WINNER SPOTLIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL COMPOSITION IN A FEATURE FILM

Raging Grace

Composer: Jon Clarke at SIREN

Music Producer: Siân Rogers

Director: Paris Zarcilla

Producer: Chi Thai

Best Original Composition in a Feature Film was won this year by Jon Clarke at SIREN for his score on Paris Zarcilla’s thriller, ‘Raging Grace’, the first British Filipino Feature film in British cinema history. Portraying the immigrant journey of Joy, an undocumented worker, and her daughter Grace, as they hide and work in homes across the UK, it received the prestigious Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW 2023.

SIREN provides us with a glimpse into Jon's far-reaching contributions to the project...

“Jon Clarke played a vital role in conveying the emotional states of the main characters through his score. Being the Head of Department for both music and sound, scoring and sound designing the film, Clarke had a unique opportunity to ensure cohesion and enhance the story. Producer, Chi Thai, praised Clarke's work, stating that it elevated the film by informing the entire movie and immersing the viewer in Joy's panic, fear, despair, and pride. The music created by Clarke felt both new and old, truly transforming the film.

Zarcilla emphasized the importance of the music is more than just sounds and notes—it needed to be the rhythm and heartbeat of the film. Clarke's music achieved this, evoking haunting and plaintive feelings at times and joyful emotions at others, ultimately becoming the soul of the movie.

Collaborating closely with the Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company, Jon sampled traditional Filipino instruments that play a significant role in the score. He wanted the music to represent the people on screen and their experiences, so he brought together individuals from the Filipino community in London to create something truly unique.

The final scene of the film features traditional Filipino Folk Dancing with Tiniking Bamboo Sticks, and Clarke and Zarcilla aimed to make this dance the rhythmic foundation of Joy's character. Bamboo samples and rhythmical ideas were utilized throughout the film, manipulated and resampled to become the emotional anchor in many scenes. Other instruments like the Kulintang added a traditional sound, while dissonant strings and diegetic sounds from the environments gave the score its distinctive tone.

Clarke's approach to the score focused on establishing the rhythm first, whether through diegetic sounds in the scene or the internalized percussion of the Tiniking. He improvised across various instruments in response to the action and emotional states depicted on screen. Afterward, he meticulously edited the audio to create a coherent and thoughtful soundtrack that aligned with the on-screen emotions.

Sound design played a crucial role in creating a sense of unease and oppression throughout the film. Often what the audience hear, is an amplified version of reality. Joy lived in a constant state of alert, the score and sound effects communicated this tension, never allowing the audience to relax. Subtle everyday sounds are constantly being tweaked to communicate Joy's unease, for example, a dishwasher will have sub-frequencies enhanced to indicate something isn’t right, and electric light hums slowly ring as Joy feels more pressure. The sound effects of the clocks in the film are employed to convey a feeling of urgency and an unstoppable passage of time, they subtly allude to the idea of a systematic trap in which Joy finds herself entangled.

The sound effects and mixing were also carefully crafted to complement the camerawork. Zarcilla and Director of Photography Joel Honeywell deliberately framed scenes to create a power struggle, and the soundtrack needed to add another layer to this narrative. For example, atmospheres would grow during long zoom-ins to heighten tension, and diegetic sounds would be pulled into abstract spaces. It was crucial for sound design and music to feel like a cohesive unit, almost inseparable from each other.”

Visit SIREN’s site here

TRAILER: