Composer/Sound Designer

Since completing his Graduate Diploma in Sound Design at VCA in 2004, Gus Macmillan has created a large body of work for theatre and dance  in Australia and overseas. His deep knowledge and understanding of the expressive power of sound and music add structure and function to the work, as well as resonating emotionally, creating additional layers of meaning to productions.

PROCESS

His formative experiences of co-writing and performing live filmscores to silent movies of Buster Keaton has contributed to Gus developing a unique process for composing for performace that involves collaboration with the director and performers, developing musical ideas throughout rehearsals so that the final score both contributes to and is informed by the performer’s journey of discovery. By observing and participating in the exploration of text at the script analysis stage, movement improvisations “on the floor”, and the final blocking of the work, his scores evolve in tandem to the other devised elements. His hands-on presence throughout development means the sound and music is embedded in the delivery of the finished performance.

His compositions harness latest sound design technology as a means to facilitate a flexibility of operation, allowing for the compositions to respond to the nuances of timing and dynamics on stage, resulting in the music for each performance capturing a spontaneous and organic “live” element.