Have you ever heard a song that gives off such a visual vibe that you can actually smell the environment? Some songs have this power. I listen to music constantly, hoping to find the killer neurons. They can be the catalyst for an outburst of creativity. For our filmmaking ventures, I use music to create something I call emotional circumstances. In order to produce them, you have to dig deep into the mental visuals that accompany the music and ask what the visuals feel like. Here’s a few examples:

Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio
It feels like I don’t know what’s better – the thrill of the hunt or the fear of being hunted.

God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash
It feels like the wheels are about to come off the hinges and I’m too tired to rationalize it.

Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose (Remix) – James Brown
It feels like I’m starting to shiver from the excitement, or vice versa. I got to move.

Hoppípolla – Sigur Ros
It feels like a military ceremony where sorrow is official surrendering to hope.

White Chalk – PJ Harvey
It feels like I’m breathing down the back of my own neck.

After documenting several emotional circumstances, I think about the locations we have available to shoot a film. Then I place one of them in this specific location. An idea may not present itself immediately but an atmosphere will be there. This is fertile soil for great story ideas.

Joan Jett’s “Do You Wanna Touch Me?” produced the emotional circumstance that led to “Sweet Damnation.” Oh yeah!

So what music inspires you in your creative endeavors? Hit it with some comments…

Vanish 101, DIY blues, Blind Willie and a jerk named Shawn