Los Angeles, CA (Top40 Charts/ CineMedia Promotions) Lakeshore Records will release No Impact Man: The Documentary - Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack digitally on August 21, 2012. The soundtrack features original music composed and performed by
Bobby Johnston (Crazy Eyes, Wristcutters: A Love Story).
Composer and multi-instrumentalist
Bobby Johnston's music has been featured extensively on the radio program "This American Life". Johnston was called 'a new voice in film' by Film Score Monthly, his soundtrack for King of the Ants earned him critical praise in film music circles. His credits also include Crazy Eyes, Wristcutters: A Love Story, Edmond, Mother's Day, and Spooner.
"Scoring documentaries can be tricky because of the amount of dialogue," said Johnston of No Impact Man: The Documentary. "The music has to maintain momentum without interfering with the speaking rhythms. Finding the right tone is important in supporting the stories of real people. I tried to add an emotional layer without being manipulative."
Author Colin Beavan, in research for his next book, began the No Impact Project in November 2006. A newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who could no long avoid pointing the finger at himself, Colin leaves behind his liberal complacency for a vow to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption...no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two year-old daughter are dragged into the fray.
What began as one man's environmental experiment quickly becomes an experiment in how much one woman is willing to sacrifice for her husband's dreams.
Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's film provides both a front row seat into the experiment that became a national fascination and media sensation, and a behind the scenes look at the marital challenges that result from Colin's and Michelle's radical lifestyle change.
Johnston's approach to composing utilizes organic and acoustic instruments, which he often plays himself. This concept matched perfectly with the Beavan's journey as documented in this film Johnston described, "When [directors]
Laura [Gabbert] and Justin [Schein] were in my studio we began to notice that many of the instruments seemed to match the low impact spirit of the film. There are bottles, metal scrap pieces, found and repaired items. Very few of my instruments were bought new. Many are beat-up, cheapies; some were donated by friends who never used them."
No Impact Man: The Documentary, produced by
Laura Gabbert and Eden Wurmfeld, premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. The film was released in over 30 cities and aired nationally on Discovery's Planet Green. Oscilloscope Laboratories presents No Impact Man: The Documentary, currently available on DVD. The No Impact Man: The Documentary -- Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack on Lakeshore Records will be available digitally on August 21, 2012.
