I will use the Reel Change Grant fund for “Stay” to fund the cost of the room for the recording session, my intent is to go with Evergreen studios, or another affordable space here in LA. I also intend on hiring soloists, specifically a drummer who is familiar with voodoo drumming, because voodoo culture is an overarching theme in the film and very important to the overall aesthetic, it’s important that we have a professional who’s familiar with the style to record the part properly. I will also be putting together a Jazz ensemble of handpicked musicians that will be the core ensemble that plays throughout the film, this will include a drummer, pianist, tenor saxophone player, A bass player and several other horns.I will also be using the funds to hire a Mixer so that the sound is top quality. The Reel Change grant fund will also go toward having a proper engineer so that we can record in the most time efficient manner possible, to cut down on cost and record all that we need in a timely fashion. I will conduct a small group of orchestral musicians as well, around 21 string players plus the needed percussion and winds. I will conduct the score myself because I am able to do so, and it will save money. I’ll use this smaller ensemble size because the aesthetic of the film doesn’t call for a large orchestra but a more intimate one.

I’m extremely excited to have not only the opportunity, but also the necessary resources to score “Stay”. The score for “Stay” and the team behind the film have offered so much creative freedom and liberty for me to help tell this story and show my artistry. The score for “Stay” walks a tightrope between Horror, Jazz, Voodoo, Scifi and various modern music throughout the black diaspora today such as R&B and Soul. There are scenes where objects may be floating in the air and the scene may require a mix of voodoo drumming and some tense horror-esque suspenseful underscore. There are scenes where the main characters are holding each other and having an intimate dialogue that requires me to write a ballad. There are scenes where a record may be scratching and I have to write the record that’s playing in the film, and create a scratching effect that parlays into an orchestral cue. This record scratching into an orchestral cue is also how the main theme is introduced in the film, and also one of the cues I’m most excited about. I’m excited about this cue specifically because originally we were going to license a John Coltrane track, but the director and producer decided it would be best if I wrote the track instead, and also use my name as a character in the film who wrote the track! My name will be referenced as an artist throughout the film.

What I love most about the score for “Stay” is that it requires me to pull from many different wells of inspiration. For the Jazz aspect I’ve listened to/analyzed a lot of music from composers/arrangers such as Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Billy Strayhorn and also my personal favorites Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. I’ve also listened to a lot of Billie Holiday for her Ballads. For the horror aspect I’ve listened to a lot of Bernard Herrmann’s scores, especially Vertigo and Psycho. It’s also been important for me to understand what scores sound like in today’s time. I’ve watched new shows/films like Insecure, They Cloned Tyrone and Get out. I’ve taken note of how they infuse current tracks or aesthetics that feel very familiar with a younger demographic. The biggest inspiration in this process is being able to assist Kris Bowers. The film was delayed due to the strike but is back in production. I look at this delay as a blessing. Because of it I’ve had the opportunity to work an entire year plus with one of the top composers in Hollywood. My sensibilities and artistic taste have matured working with Kris, i’ve also developed a process of scoring by watching and being apart of his, I’ve also developed an entire network of professionals that I can call to help with this project, and also the confidence to approach this score without any doubt in my mind that it will be a project I’m proud of.
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Jared Smith is an up and coming, LA based Composer. In 2016 Jared went on to receive the Presidential scholarship from Georgia State university, he majored in Jazz Studies. During  Summer 2019 Jared studied at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe, in Varna, Bulgaria. In Fall 2020 he Studied at the Berklee College of Music campus in Valencia Spain where he received his Masters in Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games. Since then he has won the Reel Change Grant for his first Feature Film “Stay” (To be released in 2025), the VCCA Anne Spencer Arts Residency, The Society of Composers and Lyricist mentee award as well as the Guild of Music Supervisors Menteeship. Jared Is currently working as a composer and assistant. He has worked as an assistant on shows such as Bob’s Burgers and Central Park. Currently Jared is working as an assistant to Composer Kris Bowers.