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Standing Waves

The sound of waves at Lake Ontario are digitally transformed and manipulated into a musical soundscape accompanied by visuals of waves at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, CA. This music-film flips the usual script: instead of a narrative with background incidental music, the primary focus in Standing Waves is the music, and the visuals are secondary and merely an accompaniment.

  • Nolan Stolz
    Director
  • Nolan Stolz
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Music Video
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 38 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Mysuru International Film Festival
    Bangalore
    India
    June 9, 2024
    World Premiere
    Winner: Best Musical Video
  • The Very Short Films Festival
    Cairo
    Egypt
    November 7, 2024
  • Coliseum International Film Festival
    Rome (and online)
    Italy
    December 5, 2024
    Awards TBD
  • Newark International Film Festival
    Newark, NJ
    United States
    Awards TBD in 2025
Director Biography - Nolan Stolz

Dr. Nolan Stolz is Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina Upstate. As a composer, he is best known for his 2013 orchestral work, the Lincoln Highway Suite, and for his forthcoming Route 66 Suite for symphony orchestra. Dr. Stolz had experience filming and editing performances of his compositions, but in March 2020, he had to refocus his efforts to filming and editing his lectures, as Covid-19 forced his courses online. He has since created hundreds of educational videos for his students and for the general public, primarily on Black Sabbath and Route 66.

As a scholar, Stolz is best known for his research on Black Sabbath's music, particularly his book Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener’s Companion but also “Progressive Rock Elements in Black Sabbath’s Music from 1972 to 1980” in Prog Rock in Europe: Overview of a Persistent Musical Style; “A Rumination on Black Sabbath’s Birmingham and the Value of Music Tourism” in Riffs Journal; essays on Black Sabbath, Genesis, Rush, and Frank Zappa in The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time; and other writings. In addition to his work as a composer and scholar, Stolz is also a prog and jazz drummer. For information about his publications, compositions, and discography, visit www.nolanstolz.com

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Director Statement

My compositions are firmly rooted in the contemporary classical tradition, yet clearly influenced by my performance background in jazz fusion and progressive rock. I use video as a medium when live performance is impractical or impossible or when audio alone does not adequately capture the intended artistic expression.