Award-winning composer Hélène Muddiman scores the coming of age adventure, Bliss! which premiers on Father’s Day, Sunday June 19th as part of the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival. The independent feature, set in UK and Norway, is a rite-of-passage adventure told through the eyes of 16-year-old tom-boy Tasha Robson (played by Freya Parks). She sets off on an epic journey to find her father, the man she only knows as ‘The Viking’. Leaving her troubled family and friends in England behind, she boards a ferry and heads to Scandinavia on a journey that will see her eventually make her way to Norway. Bliss! was written by Writer’s Guild award winner Alex Ferguson, with screenplay by Jenny Wilkes (Making Waves) and BAFTA “Breakthrough Brit” Rita Osei (The Curry Club) and directed by Osei, who is making her feature film debut.
Musically defining the journey of the young girl, they tried to bring magic to the score with themes that are light, ethereal, and emotionally powerful. Muddiman recorded the score with a full orchestra in Hollywood at Fox studio’s Newman scoring stage, and is excited to bring another original and distinct sound to Bliss! Composer Hélène Muddiman said, “Bliss is a film that is my idea of a dream job – working with passionate people telling an important story. Having the opportunity to record with one of the best orchestras, and in one of the world’s most iconic studios, is always a thrill that puts icing on the cake!”
Muddiman is classically trained and plays guitar, piano and sings. He music career began at the age of 18 when she was signed to EMI with the British pop group Hoorah Boys Hoorah! She then turned to full-time songwriting, including writing two hit singles and scores for television. In 2003 her song “Free Me”, recorded by former Spice Girl Emma Bunton, reached number five in the pop charts. Bunton recorded several other tracks by Muddiman and named her bestselling album after the song.
Muddiman wrote numerous scores for British television, but it was her film work that attracted international notice. She became the first woman in a decade to be nominated for Britain’s prestigious “Ivor Novello” for her score in the film, Skin. Previous Novello winners include Paul McCartney, David Bowie, and Amy Winehouse. The acclaimed film, Skin stars Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neill, about the hardships facing a black woman born to white parents in South Africa 50 years ago.
Muddiman’s other film credits include The Cramp Twins, and additional music for John Powell (Happy Feet 2) and Danny Elfman (Ice Age: Continental Drift and Frankenweenie). Muddiman is also the founder of the non-profit Hollywood Elite Composers, which is a music library service and online community benefitting composers and protecting their copyrights. The organization, by For Artists By Artists, is a hub consisting of music creatives and executives including composers, musicians, songwriters, producers, editors, music supervisors, managers, publicists and attorneys.
