Composer, sound designer, and creator Rafe Axne, has produced a handful of short-form films in recent years, as well as contributed to score and sound on multiple short films. He has hands-on experience with both music and sound for media, as well as how to adapt his compositions to the cinematography and development of a film. Rafe is always eager to collaborate with more artists and storytellers! 

On top of this, Rafe has extensive knowledge of the post- production film realm after working with various film production companies, houses, and festivals. He enjoys assisting directors on how to effectively communicate and collaborate with composers and sound designers, and loves to see a finished product come to life.

From a young age, Rafe has been surrounded by music. He began studying piano at the age of five, and attended concerts at the Des Moines Symphony, which contributed to his love of symphonic music. Film soundtracks blasted through his bedroom wall from his dad’s office while he was growing up, and after listening to Alexandre Desplat‘s scores to Wes Anderson‘s films, Rafe discovered he wanted to write music for media. He then became a cinephile, falling in love with all creative aspects of film and animation. Composers like Emile Mosseri, Danny Elfman, and Michael Giacchino are also important inspirations to him. 

Raised in rural Iowa, Rafe spent his time exploring cornfields, forests, and lakes with his dog Addie. He likes to record the sounds of life and nature, and use them in his personal work to compliment his compositions, as he feels art and the natural world go hand in hand, and enjoys creating a sense of comfort that reminds him of his past memories.

Rafe is currently interning at SFFILM in the Artist Development department, and has completed an internship with documentary production company, Interloper Films. He is currently earning a Bachelor of Music Degree for Technology and Applied Composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.