Exhibitionists·Video

Solitude, relationships, and imagination: inside this Montreal musician's first movie score

You may go into a trance watching Jean-Michel Pigeon as he builds the music that will build the mood for upcoming film Crash Test Aglaé.

Montreal's Jean-Michel Pigeon walks us through his process

Jean-Michel Pigeon of Montreal band Monogrenade is shifting gears to score a new film

8 years ago
Duration 2:20
Moving from his piano to his computer, Jean-Michael Pigeon takes CBC Arts through his process in creating a film score.

Montreal-based musician Jean-Michel Pigeon has been immersed in music for a long time, most notably with his band Monogrenade. Now, he's taking on a new challenge — scoring the upcoming film Crash Test Aglaé. For Pigeon, this means collaborating with other musicians, spending a lot of time in the studio, and losing himself in the images he sees on a screen.

"When I watch a great movie or a great show, you forget your life for a little time," he explains.

In this segment directed by Guillaume Alcaraz, we travel to Montreal to watch Pigeon at work, witnessing a glimpse of a score as it's built — note by note.

Follow Pigeon on Twitter here.

And watch Exhibitionists Sundays at 4:30pm (5 NT) on CBC.