A collection of all works by Stephen O'Connell.

Stephen O'Connell | Portfolio of Complete Works

Original film score and sound design for Andrew Huang's Spacetime trailer. Available from his website or through The Cue Tube.

Spacetime Title Sequence for Andrew Huang's Mission (2021)

A mystical and celtic-inspired atmospheric piece, blending the lines between traditional folk music, classical orchestration and modern synthesised sounds. Using the new Albion Solstice library as inspiration, the piece creates the sound of the Carpathian Mountains, building an emotional journey through the mist, to match the amazing drone footage captured by Archie from The Cue Tube.

Carpathians (2021)

You can hear the dry grass, the scrapping metal and the wind through the rafters in every strike of the performer's bow. 

An intensely detailed and intimate library, Spitfire Alternative Solo Strings provide an amazing experience, creating the expressive uniqueness found in the most unconventional stories of independent cinema. It is a pleasure to hear the scratchy rawness of the samples shining through and the many articulations on offer provide a well rounded tool for many different styles.

Weathered Past (2021)

A classic superhero theme meets an atmospheric hybrid orchestration. My entry to the Spitfire Audio DC Stargirl Scoring Competition 2021. Thanks to the wonderful people at Spitfire Audio, as well as the DC Comic group and Pinar Toprak, for making this competition possible.

Check out the film score video here: https://youtu.be/ozE4efVy1QU

DC Stargirl - Spitfire Audio Scoring Competition (2021)

An adventurous and quirky animation, Fetch: A Very Short Film has a wonderfully crafted, heart-warming, simple story. While the overall feel was one of simplicity and wonder, adventure and danger lurked nearby, so scoring this short was challenge in balancing the small, sweet theme with the bigger, epic sounds of the middle chase scenes. It was a pleasure to take part in the Composer’s Choice Contest, good luck to everyone who has entered!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/C7kNGzEFXSw

Fetch (2021) - Composer's Choice Contest

Director: Shannon Brimelow
DOP: Travis Hodgkinson
Sound/Score: Stephen O'Connell

An original short film, Out of Sight is a classic story with a twist. Opening on a chase, it seems that two children are hurriedly trying to escape the formidable guards, but is all as it seems?

This is the first cue, a dramatic and epic soundtrack to a tense chase scene of cat and mouse.

Out Of Sight (2021) - Short Film

Utilising the  Metallurgic Alchemy, a Pianobook Community Sample Library, the picture of an arid landscape, a lost city and a desolate and alone planet. High above, however, the silent eyes survey the land below for any hint of survival. 

Image Credit: Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

Drones - Featuring "Metallurgic Alchemy" Sample Library(2021)

My entry to the #HeavyocitySDRescore. Thank you so much to everyone at Heavyocity who has contributed to the competition and to the genius minds behind the Symphonic Destruction sample library. A truely awesome library. 

Composer's Notes: 

An awesome excuse to demonstrate my love of Heavyocity instruments! The majority of what is heard is supplied by Heavyocity sample libraries. The amazing orchestral librarys, Novo, Forzo and Vento, provide the base of the whole composition, with Symphonic Destruction adding the gritty textures and Braams, and Damage offering the massive hits! There is even a little feature from Mosaic Keys in there (the Mosaic range is awesome too!). With a little bit of my guitar playing and a couple of other layers from other libraries, it produced a huge sound! I hope you enjoy.

Annihilation (2021)

Demoing my latest library for Pianobook, MelloSaw, this piece took me in quite a different direction than I intended, but I'm pleasantly surprised. While it isn't the retro 80s synth cinematic piece I wanted to demo for this library, it is a great example of how you can use it within your own musical style. It has a lot of flexibility built in. 

DOWNLOAD MELLOSAW FOR FREE: <Link coming soon, awaiting upload to Pianobook>

The MelloSaw Patches used in this demo track include: 

- Distorted pitch bending lead that enters halfway through. 
- Main arpeggiated line throughout the piece. 
- A string synth patch faded in and out in the first half of the piece. 
- A tape brass synth patch in the final stages of the piece. 
- A heavily distorted pitch bending riser and drop at the start and middle of the piece (layered with other elements). 
- A sparkly tape warped and delayed background texture in the first half of the piece, with automation on the tape delay's time and feedback controls. 

Other library uses include: 

- Evolution Sounds: Bowed Cello and Violin
- Strezov Samples: Freya Choir
- Heavyocity: Symphonic Destruction Braams
- Native Instruments: Rise and Hit, Battery, Action Strikes
- Waldorf Synth STVC (Hardware)

Photo Credit: Michael Olsen @mganeolsen via Unsplash

Enigmatic Waves (2022)

My entry to the Berlin International Film Score Competition, a piece inspired by the changes in the story, from arid desert planet to a beautiful oasis. The changes can be felt in the music and it reflects both the wonder and the sadness in the story.

Genesis - Berlin International Film Score Competition (2022)

Apricity... Feeling the warmth of the sun in winter. How fitting for the feeling and mood of this track. 

The idea of this track was generated using Kaleidoskye, a new sample library I've developed, free on Pianobook. It is a sparkling, swarm library of delayed guitar textures, a great pad and atmospheric tool for media scoring. Check out the link below. 

KALEIDOSKYE: Link pending availability on Pianobook. Will be updated soon. 

Photo: Alain via Unsplash.

Apricity (2022)

The Legend of Vox Machina lives on in a new Amazon Prime series! This is my take on how I would approach writing a main theme to an animated action series like this.

Legends (2022)

A beautifully tragic sound evolution, like a slowly crashing wave washing away the last moments of a life.

Sombre Embrace (2022)

Fractured Time (2022)

Twilight Sunset (2022)

This is my submission to the Vocalise 3 Rescore Competition by Heavyocity. You can check out the video here: https://youtu.be/m72BlFCKtU4

Breath of Life (2022)

Entered as part of the 2022 Spitfire Audio Scoring Competition. Check out the full submission here: https://youtu.be/46c_osKKzaY

Bridgerton - Spitfire Audio Scoring Competition (2022)

A short demo track for the Spitfire Audio library, Albion Colossus.

Colossus (2023)

An alluring piece created entirely from Toska, the Kontakt sample library by Noon Instruments.

Barren Light (2023)

Score Relief 2021, hosted by The Cue Tube, provided me with an open slate when scoring to the short animation from Blender Foundation, titled Spring. With such a focus on the dramatic journey this young woman has to go through to drag her land out of winter and into spring, it gave me a chance to explore a more textural score, with a slightly dark and mysterious edge. With all creative decisions entirely down to me, I chose to embody the wonder and mystical nature of the ritual and go down a different path than others may have travelled with their scores.

Stephen O'Connell | Portfolio of Complete Works

Stephen O'Connell | Composer