-Life as an Awarded Screen Composer-
Introducing
Janal Bechthold is a Canadian Screen Music Award-winning composer for film, TV, games, and interactive media, known for weaving playful and dark moods with intelligence and emotional maturity.
Her jam involves working on scores where music is integral to the storytelling experience, whether it embodies an invisible character, supports a heartfelt dramatic moment, creates a horror jump scare, or something quirky and fun.
Award & Accolade
Janal’s professional achievements and award are wide and varied. Here’s but a sampling:
- Co-composing on the Emmy Award-winning Apple TV+ show: Ghostwriter
- Canadian Screen Music Awards 2022 Best Original Score for Interactive Media (No Reason to Apologize: The Resilient Legacy of Viola Desmond)
- Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2022 Music for New Media (nominee), (No Reason to Apologize: The Resilient Legacy of Viola Desmond
Those are the most recent, but let me assure you, Janal and her work have been part of plenty more as far as awards and accolades go.
Professional Background
That truism of, ‘You are, who you your friends are’ might be an apt metaphor to really demonstrate the quality of her work.
Janal’s contributions to productions involving the likes of Apple TV+, Sesame Workshop, PBS, Discovery+, National Geographic, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), should give an idea of the crowds her music hangs within.
Further, many of these productions she’s been part of have appeared all over the world ranging from the Cannes Film Festival, United Nations Film Festival, Canadian Film Festival and the LA Short Film Festival. All of this has amounted to her being a Canadian composer to watch.
Industry Contributions
As if all of that wasn’t enough, she is an industry leader having founded Toronto Women Composers, is former 2nd Vice President and Chair of the Women Composer Advisory Council to the Screen Composers Guild of Canada, served on the Board of Directors of the SOCAN Foundation, and spearheaded the 2018 research report “Gender in the Canadian Screen Composing Industry.”
Reasons to Listen
This talk represents a fascinating gateway into a professional career and life which be may be unknown to many.
This will be a talk worth listening to for:
- those interested in exploring a defined career opportunity for those with a musical background
- those intrigued about what it takes to not only carve out a successful career as a screen composer but also what practical demands there are on such professionals
- those who are curious minded and desire a break from reality by way of immersing themselves into the life of another
Listeners will come away with insights on:
- what a composer for screen truly is tasked with
- how screen composers and directors work together
- what a ‘spotting session’ is and why it is a critical component in the composing for screen music process
- some less obvious but absolutely critical soft skills a screen composer must have
- a day in the life of a screen composer
- some of the challenges and rewards of the work
- how the actual composing takes place
- the use of tech within screen composing
- the challenges of starting out in this career
- what external factors can affect a screen composer’s workflow
- the role of inspiration and how it is continually needed and sourced within her line of work
- the future of screen composing from a technological point of view
- how AI is currently utilized within the profession and how it may further impact the work in the not so distant future
- Much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
“We’re not just adding music. We’re integral. We’re solving issues. We’re adding emotion that maybe, just wasn’t there. ”
-Janal Bechthold
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view the full video conversation of this discussion, you can do so via Youtube.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Janal and her work, be sure to check out her out on the following platforms:
