Film Scores
Miles & Karina have been commissioned to compose original scores to play with silent films since 2008.
To get an idea of what it’s like to experience one of our scores with film, here is a link to a 2 minute documentary from a performance:
Here is info on all of the films:
Our first score, commissioned by The Northwest Film Forum (NWFF) in 2008, is for the film “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” by film maker Lotte Reiniger from 1926. It is the oldest existing feature-length, animated film and is done in the silhouette technique using paper and scissors. Each frame is a work of art. 66 mins.
We use accordion, guitar, banjo, viola, glockenspiel and percussion in this score. We toured with this film 2009 - 2012 and still perform it yearly.
Our second score, commissioned by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) in 2013 for its ‘Hitchcock 9’ series, is “The Pleasure Garden” by Alfred Hitchcock from 1925.
It is the first of 10 silent films made by Hitchcock in the silent era - lost to time and restored by The British Film Institute in 2013. 75 mins. We use ukulele, accordion, violin, toy piano and kazoo in this score.
Our third score, commissioned by SIFF in 2013 for its ‘Hitchcock 9’ series, is “Easy Virtue” by Alfred Hitchcock from 1928. It is the 8th of 10 silent films made by Hitchcock in the silent era - lost to time and restored by The British Film Institute in 2013. 70 mins. We use ukulele, accordion, guitar, violin, and kazoo in this score.
Fairy Tale Series
From the mighty scissors of Lotte Reiniger come these 5 short, animated films in the silhouette style of film she invented.
Originally commissioned by the Northwest Film Forum and composed in 2013.
In 2018 we added a score for “The Ant and the Grasshopper” to this collection.
Our fourth score, commissioned by NWFF in 2013 for its 2014 Children’s Film Festival, is Lotte Reiniger’s “Doctor Dolittle” from 1928. 20 mins. (2, 10-minute reels) We use accordion, guitar, violin, bells and glockenspiel in this score.
Our fifth score, commissioned by NWFF in 2013 for its 2014 Children’s Film Festival, is Lotte Reiniger’s “Sleeping Beauty” from 1928. 10 mins. We use accordion, guitar, violin and glockenspiel in this score.
Our sixth and seventh scores, commissioned by NWFF in 2013 for its 2014 Children’s Film Festival, are Lotte Reiniger’s 5- minute commercials “Postal Savings Bank” and “The Marquise’s Secret”.
We use accordion, guitar, violin and glockenspiel in these scores.
Rounding out the Fairy Tale Series is our ninth score for Lotte Reiniger’s “The Ant and the Grasshopper”. 10 mins. Accordion, toy piano, bells, glockenspiel, violin, viola, guitar and ukelele. 2018
Our eighth score, commissioned by NWFF in 2014 for its 2015 Children’s Film Festival, is the hilarious Buster Keaton’s “Steamboat Bill Jr.” from 1928. 69 mins. We use accordion, guitar, banjo, viola, ukulele, kazoos and glockenspiel in this score.
“Steamboat Songs” - We wrote lyrics to the melodies from this score to illustrate in words what the images convey. Telling the stories from the characters’ perspectives adds a whole other dimension to this film. We offer this version as a screening option.
Our tenth score, commissioned by the Frank Buxton Silent Film Festival in 2019, is Buster Keaton’s “The Cameraman” also from 1928 after he signed on with MGM. 72 mins. We use lap steel, accordion, guitar, ukulele, toy piano, hi-hat, glockenspiel and chop sticks in this score.
Our 11th score, commissioned by the Frank Buxton Silent Film Festival in 2023 is “The Shakedown” directed by William Wylder about a grifter who sees the light. We use guitar, accordion, toy piano, hi-hat, banjo, glockenspiel and viola in this original score.