How can Filmmakers use music stems to strengthen narrative in short films?

Music plays such a key part in the emotion and the storytelling of a film.

In a short film like Alien Echo, we have to have the right type of music to take us on the emotional arc that our key protagonist, Lola, goes on.

Most of the film is sad. It is a reflective drama where Lola thinks back on her relationship with her father and how that relationship shapes her life now. Because of that, the music needs to be tonal and it needs to support the visual storytelling.

My little tip is to get music that works for copyright but also comes from a musician who can supply stems and beats and different parts of the track. That way you can shape and restructure the music to match the film’s emotional flow.

I was very blessed with Mother's Tongue because the musician who supplied the score gave me all of those elements, which allowed me to break the track down and rebuild it to fit the story. It made a huge difference.

And now it is the same process for Alien Echo. My goal is to make sure the overall music arc follows Lola’s narrative arc and supports every emotional shift she experiences.

If you’d like to follow my filmmaker journey, from behind‑the‑scenes moments through to festival screenings, subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I’ll be sharing updates, insights, and the creative process as the documentary comes to life.