Creating Something From Nothing

Just spent an exhilirating, exhausting and truly inspiring 2 weeks in the Buddy Baker Film Scoring Workshop co-sponsored by NYU and ASCAP. In it's sixth year and now in memoriam to Buddy as he passed away a few summers ago.
Buddy was one of the long-time Disney composers (something like 28 years!). Those studio golden days seem to be over - especially in terms of music departments. Even Pixar, the closest thing to the studio setup that Walt had, doesn't have composers on staff.

In the old days of Disney, animators and composers would talk and meet periodically and then work parallel paths. Animators had a time sheet and script/storyboard which they would work from and composers would take that information and create their cues. The picture and music would get married up only towards the very end. It really is creating something from nothing. Yes there is a story and that's what holds the two together. Too often in today's pressurized, commercialized productions the picture is given all the attention and the music is literally slapped on at the end. Now I have no doubt that great music supervisors can find music that fits your picture and adds something you never could have imagined. On the other hand, films like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars...I can't imagine them having such long-lasting influence and impact with a licensed score. Yes there are times you NEED a song from the popular culture zeitgeist. Scorsese does it all the time. And now he also uses Howard Shore for scoring those other scenes that need underscore. Or you can hire someone to write songs specific to the film - this seems to be out of fashion nowadays.

I call it the Rise of the Editor culture.
When hiphop started to take the film editors approach to assemblage using "found footage", filmmakers also started to take the same approach towards their music soundtracks. And with anyone who grew up in the age of MTV, fast cuts and cutting to music is the norm.

I'll share more of the workshop in the next few days.

Jazz Renaissance in Brooklyn

An excellent article in the NY Times on the boom of jazz venues right here in our 'hood.

Film Composing: Where is the Love?

For many first time directors, there is a huge underestimation of the amount of work involved on the part of Composers and I suspect Editors. Though editors usually are sitting with the director for perhaps weeks or months at a time, Composers are given a brief conversation and then left to their own devices for the most part. 4 to 6 to 8 weeks later the score is delivered and if there is not massively clear, constant and open communication between the two, disasters can happen. With so much of the subtext being communicated via music score (depending on the film) it's astonishing more thought/training is given this area.

At the recent Sundance at BAM brunch, I was impressed by the amount of support the Institute provides from the ground up and in so many more areas than I knew: film, theater, film music, screenwriter's labs, directors labs. And the cross-communication between the different labs sounds impressive as well. I know I'd like to go - I'll have to wait until next year as the deadline is April 1. It's interesting to note the Sundance Film Festival does NOT have a category for Best Music Score.

On the other hand, IFP, the huge NY-based indie filmmakers network aims to support filmmakers similarly. The results are a bit less impressive, especially as regards film music. At a recent IFP Market panel on film music, the majority of the conversation was on licensing tracks from your favorite band. There was so little advice on where directors can meet composers. It's as if they all were saying you can find a great indie band that has a film composer in it.

And then, there's the Independent Spirit Awards - where's the category for best music score?

Short Film - K7

This is another short that really got my attention at Tribeca. It has that great Kafka-esque quality of not knowing why and how things are happening at the same time being hysterically funny. It's also amazing as you realize how entertaining it can be with little more than an office as a shoot location. Great writing and wonderful performances. Directed by Christopher Leone.
Inspiring.

Here's a clip.

Short Film - Lure

Saw this great short at the Tribeca Film Festival by Writer/Director Mark Mollenkamp. Very cool and current, Lure has a pretty great surprise ending. In speaking to the director at the bar, he mentioned that he got a meeting with the Weinstein Company out of this. Not bad for an 11 minute short.

You can see a preview.

The Groomsmen

Saw the Groomsmen the other day at Tribeca Film Fest. It's the latest film by writer/director/actor Edward Burns. While I always found Edward Burns' characters to be repulsively smug, I must say I enjoyed this film. Very well written and performances from John Leguizamo (viva Colombia!) and Jay Mohr (who almost steals the show). The inciting incident is the upcoming wedding of the Burns character to his pregnant girlfriend and the week hanging out with his groomsmen before the big day. They're all kids at 35 and trying to grow up.

The setting is in Long Island - which is where I grew up. It really hits it on the nose - I was cringing with the puffy hairdos, the "strong island" references, the horrible 80's rock songs and the accent (Ya wanna get sumthin ta eet?). I should have hated this film - but it's a great story and well done.

I'll pass on the soundtrack though. What was it with the 80's?

What would Jesus Direct?

That was the panel I saw the other day at the Tribeca Film Festival. Due to the recent success of Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ, everyone's looking for the next religious hit.

With Cuba Gooding Jr., Jonathan Bock(Grace Hill), Ralph Winter(20th century Fox, Michael Flaherty (co-founder Walden Media and moderated by a woman from PBS, the panel talked about the sudden realization by Hollywood of the Christian market. Flaherty mentioned that a recent survey had 40% of Americans in church on Sunday - duh! What a huge mega market. Walden Media had a huge hit with Chronicles of Narnia which as one audience member said "I'm Jewish and I read that book as a kid and loved it. I didn't think about is this a Christian book or not - it's a great story."

And as the panel went on - the basic overall message is: is it a good story? Will it captivate people no matter what their faith?
Poor Marty Scorsese with his Last Temptation of Christ which brings up many of the same issues that the coming DaVinci Code does. Too early? Well actually most people found the film too boring.

I still love the soundtrack by Peter Gabriel - it's even better than the film.

And in related news...the film I scored last year Mrs. Worthington's Party is now garnering some interest at a certain major studio. As it deals with priests and the Catholic Church and Christmas, we hope to see it on the big screens just as the first snow falls. I may be in Bulgaria in the next few months recording new bits of score. Stay tuned.