Showreel

  • Drama Showreel 10mins

    Drama Showreel 10mins

“

Dale Cornelius’s original music, inexorably majestic and awesomely tragic, drives the mission

review of 'Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail' The Australian Newspaper
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Amazing music soundtrack....nocturnal and ominous

Paul Harris 'Film Buff's Forecast' on the score for Backtrack (starring Adrien Brody)
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Dale Cornelius' music score contributes greatly

Louise Keller - Urban Cinefile - review of BACKTRACK feature film
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A particular achievement goes to the music in BACKTRACK from Dale Cornelius, providing a thick, robust injection of moody atmosphere to the film that truly sells the darkness. The score grabs the viewer by the ears and forces us to sit up and take notice right from the opening credits. It makes a statement, declaring something bad will happen and you do not want to miss out.

We Are Movie Geeks review of Backtrack feature film
“

Working with Dale has been one of the most creative and satisfying experiences I have had in over 25 years of producing for TV and movies. He has created in Blake some of the finest music I have ever heard and a theme tune that is so emotionally strong and evocative that it has become another character in the show.

George Adams, Executive Producer and Creator of The Doctor Blake Mysteries
“

The very first strains I heard of Dale’s music were enough for me to understand I had come across a truly unique artist

Michael Petroni (Writer, Director, Showrunner; The Book Thief, Messiah, Backtrack)
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Absolutely gorgeous score….Here the music speaks in ways the characters do not

Epinions.com (Till Human Voices Wake Us)
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Stunningly good. An excellent example of my thesis that all of the great current "classical" music is being written for films and TV

C Noble (fan email)
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Julia Lester’s featured composer of the week, On The Verandah, ABC Classic FM, April 2011

ABC Classical FM
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Congratulations (on your ASMA nomination)! A very worthy recognition of a great score

John Moore, Producer of Gallipoli From Above
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Some composers tend to do the same thing again and again. Not Dale Cornelius. His scores…were all distinct and highly inventive

Sally Ingleton (producer & director) 360 Degree Films
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Loved the series, loved the theme music. Dare I say it, but it's as good as (no, better than) the theme music for Midsomer Murders. And shades of Cello Blue. Just brilliant. Can't stop trying to play it on my piano.

scottmac99 (Doctor Blake Mysteries)
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Kangaroo Mob has a theme so catchy I find myself humming it from week to week. I just adore what you have done with this film
I think you have amazing talent and I’m thrilled to know we have such a great composer and collaborator here in Australia for our film industry

Karina Holden, ex-Commissioning Editor, Science & Natural History, ABC Documentaries

MAJOR AWARDS and NOMINATIONS

Age of Rage – The Australian Punk Revolution (Documentary)

AACTA Nomination for Best Original Score in Documentary 2022

The Story of Earth (IMAX) (Documentary)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS nomination for Best Music in a documentary 2018

My Mother’s Lost Children (BBC) (Documentary)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS nomination for Best Music in a documentary 2018

Doctor Blake Mysteries (Television Drama)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS Nominated for Best Music in a Television Series 2018 (season 5)

Mother With A Gun (Netflix USA) (Documentary)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS nomination for Best Music in a documentary 2017

Uranium, Twisting the Dragon’s Tail (Documentary Series)

AACTA nomination for Best Music in a documentary 2015

Doctor Blake Mysteries (Television Drama)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS Nominated for Best Music in a Television Series 2014 (season 2)

The Doctor Blake Mysteries (Television Drama)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARD for Best Television Theme 2013

Dr. Sarmast’s Music School (Documentary)

AACTA AWARD for Best Sound/Music for a Documentary 2012

Gallipoli From Above (Documentary)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS nomination for Best Music in a Documentary 2011

Ved Verdens Ende/At World’s End (Feature Film)

Danish Film Academy Awards nomination for Best Music in a Feature Film 2010

Polo’s Robot

(Short Film)

AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC AWARDS nomination for Best Music in a Short Film 2010

Adam Elliot’s ‘Mary & Max’ (Feature Film)

IF Award nomination for Best Music in a Feature Film 2009

Till Human Voices Wake Us (Feature Film)

The Age Newspaper, Critic’s Choice, Best Australian Feature Film Score 2002

Rip Curl – The Search – Corporate Worldwide

Australian Guild of Screen Composers Award for Best Music in a Corporate Film 2000

Mirvac ‘Melburnian’ String Quartet

Australian Guild of Screen Composers Award for Best Music in a Corporate Film 1999

As Seen On

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SCREEN MUSIC & OTHER MAJOR WORKS

  • Music Director-Composer QIDDIYA CITY Gaming & Esports District (2022 – )
  • BREAKAWAY FEMMES (2024) Feature Documentary
  • THE WAY HOME (2024) Short Documentary
  • SENSES OF CINEMA (2022) MIFF Premier Fund Feature Documentary
  • AGE OF RAGE – THE AUSTRALIAN PUNK REVOLUTION (2021) Feature Documentary Sheffield DocFest, MIFF, DOCnROLL (UK), Antenna, Adelaide & Brisbane Films Festivals
  • CRACKING COVID (2021) ABC feature length documentary
  • PHIL LIGGETT – THE VOICE OF CYCLING (2020) Adelaide Film Festival & national release through HOYTS cinemas (2021)
  • NIGHT SHIFT (2020) Short Film (drama)
  • THE GREAT BARRIER REEF (2019) IMAX Giant Screen 3D Documentary
  • WAR MOTHERS – UNBREAKABLE (2019) Short Film – Tribeca Film Festival (NYC) Sydney Film Festival (AUS) & AACTA Best Short Doco Nomination (2019)
  • EARTH STORY (2018) IMAX Giant Screen 3D Documentary. Nominated for Best Music in a Documentary Australian Screen Music Awards 2018
  • THE BLAKE MYSTERIES (2018) Starring Nadine Garner, Channel 7 Feature Length Telemovie
  • THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES (2013-2017) 44 x 52min & 1 x 106min Drama, Seasons 1-5, on ABC & BBC One. Winner of Best Television Theme (2013) & twice nominated for Best Music in a Television Series (2014 & 2018) at the Australian Screen Music Awards
  • MY MOTHER’S LOST CHILDREN (2017) Feature Length Documentary BBC/ABC. Nominated for Best Music in a Documentary Australian Screen Music Awards 2018
  • FAIR GAME (2017) 52min Documentary for SBS
  • THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE (2016) IMAX Giant Screen 3D Documentary
  • MOTHER WITH A GUN (2016) Feature Length Documentary, Netflix U.S. Nominated for Best Music in a Documentary Australian Screen Music Awards 2017
  • BLINKY BILL (2015) (children’s animation) feature film with the voices of Robin McLeavy, Toni Collette, Ryan Kwanten, Barry Humphries and Deborah Mailman
  • URANIUM – TWISTING THE DRAGON’S TAIL (2015) 3 x 52min Documentary Series, PBS America, SBS, ZDF, ARTE,  AACTA nomination Best Original Music Score in a Documentary 2015
  • REMEMBERING THE MAN (2015) feature-length documentary, AACTA nomination Best Feature Documentary 2016
  • BACKTRACK (2014) (psychological thriller) feature film written & directed by Michael Petroni. Starring Adrien Brody and Sam Neil. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival NYC 2015
  • HIDDEN UNIVERSE (2013), IMAX Giant Screen 3D documentary
  • JFK – THE SMOKING GUN (2013) 92min Dramatised Documentary, ReelZ Channel U.S.A. & SBS Aust.
  • DEVIL ISLAND (2013) Natural History Series (6 x 1/2hr) ABC, ITV, FranceTV
  • AIM HIGH IN CREATION (2013) Feature Length Documentary, official selection Melbourne International Film Festival 2013
  • ACID OCEAN/LETHAL SEAS (PBS America) (2013) Natural History Documentary
  • POSSUM WARS (2013) ABC Australia Natural History Documentary
  • CLIFFY – The Cliff Young Story (feature length drama) (2012) ABC tele-movie
  • DIRTY BUSINESS (2012) 3 x 52min documentary series for SBS
  • DR. SARMAST’S MUSIC SCHOOL (2012) feature length documentary, Sydney Int. Film Festival & AACTA Award for Best Sound/Music in a documentary
  • QUEEN OF THE DESERT (2012) documentary for ABC
  • ANATOMY: BRAIN (2012) documentary for ABC
  • GALLIPOLI FROM ABOVE (2012) documentary for History Channel, nominated for Best Music in a Documentary at The Australian Screen Music Awards 2012
  • AUSTRALIA ON TRIAL (2011) documentary drama series (3 x 1hr) ABC
  • THE TRIANGLE WARS (2011) feature length documentary, official selection Melbourne International Film Festival
  • AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST FLOOD (2011) documentary for National Geographic U.S.A.
  • CASSOWARIES (2010) Narrated by David Attenborough – BBC Natural World S27 E13
  • Composer for Australia’s pavilion at the WORLD EXPO in Shanghai, China (2010)
  • OUT OF THE ASHES (2010) ABC & WNET New York
  • PENGUIN ISLAND (2010) 6 x 50mins documentary series BBC1, ABC, ARTE France & National Geographic. Nominated for Best Music @ Wild Talk Africa International, along with BBC’s The Great Tide & Disney Nature’s A Love Story That Feeds the Earth
  • CHARLES BEAN’S GREAT WAR (2010) documentary for The History Channel
  • MARY & MAX (2009) (claymation) feature film written & directed by Adam Elliot. Featuring the voices of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana and Barry Humphries. Opening Night Selection Sundance Film Festival 2009. Nominated Best Music in a Feature Film at the 2009 Australian IF Awards
  • AT WORLD’S END (2009) (action/adventure/comedy) feature film starring Nikolaj Kie Kaas & Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones). Nominated for Best Music in a Feature Film Danish Film Academy Awards 2009
  • CHARLIE & BOOTS (2009) (drama/comedy) feature film starring Shane Jacobson & Paul Hogan
  • 10 CONDITIONS OF LOVE (2009) documentary, Melb International Film Festival
  • TRIPLE ZERO HEROES (2009) Observational TV documentary series, 7 episodes, Channel 7 Australia
  • ONCE BITTEN (2009) documentary series SBS – AFI/AACTA nomination
  • FAMILY FOOTSTEPS (2007-2008) reality/documentary series 1 & 2, ABC
  • MURDER IN THE SNOW (2008) documentary BBC & SBS
  • Composer for Australia’s pavilion at the WORLD EXPO inNagoya, Japan (2006)
  • STRANGE BEDFELLOWS (2004) (comedy) feature film starring Paul Hogan, Pete Postlethwaite & Michael Caton
  • TILL HUMAN VOICES WAKE US (2002) (drama/mystic/romance) feature film written & directed by Michael Petroni. Starring Guy Pearce and Helena Bonham Carter. The Age Newspaper Critic’s Choice for Best Music in an Australian Feature Film 2002
  • THE SADDLE CLUB (2001) 26 episodes

Dale Cornelius wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the unceded lands and waters of the Boon Wurrung people, within the Kulin Nation, on which his work is produced and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.