Adriatic Ace - A Short, Hand Drawn Animation

WHAT I'M DOING:
One of my favorite films growing up is an animation called Porco Rosso, and I find myself at a point in life where I'm now working on a passion project of my own. A heavily inspired hand drawn, animation short that I'm temporarily calling, Adriatic Ace, with a runtime of about 5 minutes.

PLOT SUMMARY:
During a time of war around the Adriatic Sea, hostile forces manage to break through allied air defenses. Out of desperation, the allied forces send an SOS to a retired pilot, who's living on a small island between the civilian target and the hostile bombers. After giving his family a brief farewell he readies his plane for one last flight.

WHAT I WANT:
Much like in Porco Rosso, when Gina sings "Le Temps Des Cerises" I'm looking for a slow song with female vocals and a single instrument to be played during the dogfight that can hit a bittersweet note at the end. This can either be a song that's in the public domain that I source, which can be modified and performed by you, or your own original creation. Preferably, I'm looking for a piano or violin, but this isn't set in stone, if you think you can achieve an appropriate feeling using another instrument we can discuss it.

WHAT YOU GET:
This is a paid Casting Call. However, I have no idea what goes into making a song, or how long it takes, I'm an animator & writer, not a musician. That being said, I'd like to keep the price in the realm of $500 USD, but I'm open to negotiation for the right people. Payments will be made via PayPal, advance payments will require an established presence and full monetary details will be discussed with the successful candidates.

WHAT ABOUT AI:
Personally, I haven't been able to produce what I want using AI to a standard that I'll accept. Although, I'd much prefer human hands, If you think you can achieve near professional audio quality using AI, then you're free to apply. But, you MUST DISCLOSE that you're using AI upon application. Failure to do so may result in non-payment if suspected, or legal action if damages are incurred, as AI regulation and usage rights are in constant motion.

HOW TO APPLY:
If you're interested please apply here on CCC, either publicly or via DM. Please link to your portfolio and provide an estimated price for a single song as described above, with a runtime of at least 1:30 (one minute & thirty seconds.) Note: Your quoted estimate is just that, an estimate, so I have some idea of a ballpark figure. All final negotiations with successful candidates will be laid-out and accepted in writing.

DISCLOSURE:
The images used on this casting call are edited stock images for the purpose of sourcing talent. Due to this being a very small and personal project, I'm keeping as much of the visuals on a need to know basis as possible, until it's done. The successful candidates may be granted access to the early animation, but only if absolutely necessary, for example if a specific musical cue is needed to match a specific key or event.