The Criterion MOBILE Closet — Promo Spot

For a promotional spot celebrating the Criterion Mobile Closet, I composed an original score designed as a cinematic love letter to film—grand in scale, occasionally quirky, and rooted in a deep affection for movie history.

The Criterion Mobile Closet is a specially designed touring truck from The Criterion Collection, bringing their iconic office closet experience on the road. As it travels to cities and festivals across the U.S., fans are invited to browse hundreds of classic and contemporary films and record their own “Closet Picks” in an immersive, pop-up environment.

Musically, I approached the spot as a seamless sequence of cues that help propel the story forward. The foundation of the score is a traditional European orchestral palette, chosen intentionally to evoke classic cinema and emotional continuity—momentum, wonder, nostalgia, and heart. Across the piece, the music evolves through multiple sections, supporting the sense of travel while maintaining a cohesive tonal identity.

To balance that classical foundation, I incorporated synthesizers and analog arpeggiators for texture, forward motion, and a subtle modern contrast. These elements also allowed me to infuse more of my own musical voice into the score while staying true to the needs of the spot.

The piece features voiceover by Patton Oswalt, whose performance helped crystallize the final emotional shape of the music. While the score supports the narration, it’s also given room to lead, allowing the music to carry much of the emotional arc.

The project was especially meaningful as a close collaboration with a longtime friend who edited the spot, and the response from the Criterion team made it a genuinely rewarding experience to be part of celebrating such a beloved institution.