Alex and Blake, former creative partners and co-founders, meet to discuss selling their sustainable tech startup to a major corporation. The conversation appears to be about valuation and terms. Underneath what happens when shared dreams harden into separate ambitions, and intimacy becomes something you have to manage rather than simply feel.
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coffee shop
Surface layer
Business negotiation, merger details, practical concerns
Temporality
Past: Late-night conversations about changing everything Future: The weight of what success actually costs
Existential layer
The gap between intention and outcome. Can intimacy survive achievement? The loneliness of getting what you wanted
Subtext layer
Love disguised as disappointment. Recognition without reconciliation. The vulnerability of knowing someone too well
1. Orchestration approach
Describe your instrumentation choices and why they serve this particular emotional landscape. These are prompts to help you think through the possibilities.
chamber strings
solo piano (prepared)
processed vocals
analog synthesis
solo cello
ambient textures
field recordings
bespoke lead instrument
2. Choose your scoring pathway
Select at least one approach that will guide your musical decisions throughout the scene.
suspended time
memory fragments
rhythmic uncertainty
nostalgic echoes
progressing the narrative
elastic phrasing
stagnant pulses
rhythmic cells
3. Spotting
Break down the scene into musical segments and describe your approach for each. Consider duration and musical content.
Examples:
Opening 1 (0:00-0:30): Sparse piano, establishing distance Business talk (0:30-2:00): Subtle strings, professional facade Recognition moment (2:00-2:15): Music drops out completely
4. Upload your cue
Upload your musical composition for this scene (audio file, MIDI, or demo recording).
Accepted formats: MP3, WAV, AIFF, MIDI
5. Philosophical approach
What is your overall philosophy for scoring this scene? How does music serve the deeper themes of intimacy, achievement, and the passage of time?