A Leeds musician will be joining A-listers like Hugh Jackman at the Academy Awards in Hollywood this month after composing the music for an Oscar-nominated short film.
Head Over Heels, a stop-frame animation on which Jered Sorkin wrote and performed the score, has already scooped around 20 accolades and is now just a step away from winning the industry’s most prestigious gong.
Such recognition is a world away from anything the Alwoodley 37-year-old could have imagined after dropping out of school at 15 with no qualifications.
He said: “Being nominated for an Oscar is already an incredible achievement for the crew, to win would be a bonus, but I think we’re all so proud already, it hardly matters.”
He added: “I think that where I am now is testament to the wildly different paths your life can take when you face your fears and apply yourself to something wholeheartedly.”
The 10-minute movie was an end-of-year film created by a team of masters students at the renowned NFTS (National Film and Television School).
It tells the moving tale of Walter and Madge, who after many years of marriage have grown so far apart he lives on the floor and she lives on the ceiling.
Jered said: “I think the music I did for Head Over Heels is the most personal score I did at NFTS, it’s all me playing on it and it’s quirky and it’s sad and most importantly, it’s got some good tunes.”
The film cost ÂŁ4,000 to make and is now up against big-hitters like Disney and The Simpsons for the title of Best Animated Short.
Jered, who attended Brodetsky Primary in Leeds, traces his incredible musical journey back to his decision to buy a cello “on a whim” aged 28.
Within 18 months, with help from cello teacher Roger Ladds, sheer determination and talent saw him progress from being unable to read music to passing Grade 8.
He went on to achieve a First Class Honours degree in music from Dartington College of Arts in Devon, during which he spent a “perfect year in California” which inspired him to compose modern classical music. The Musicians’ Union then awarded him a scholarship to study at NFTS.
Go to: http://soundcloud.com/jered-sorkin/sets/head-over-heels-soundtrack
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