THE BROKEN, the second film from young British filmmaker Sean Ellis, was released last November. Guy Farley took the time to respond generously and now, THE BROKEN has left little room French who had a copy but the film is released with great fanfare in the United Kingdom and the first music collaboration Sean Ellis / Guy Farley has just been published on CD: CASHBACK (2007) from Silva Screen. The opportunity to return to a nascent but promising collaboration.
Cinezik : Talk to your news first, the second feature film by Sean Ellis: THE
BROKEN. The music has an important role in the film, right from the
opening seconds. The volume is very strong: why?
Guy Farley : Just because the director wanted the strong! In the final mix of
film, when all the sound elements are mixed with the image, the
filmmaker still control how he wants things. Sean has always wanted the
music "lead" the public. I attended a screening of THE BROKEN at the
Empire Leicester Square, and I was also shocked by the volume of music,
but also very happy because the music is often under-mixed (sometimes
rightly so! ) and so this was a surprise to hear my music sound so
through 7.1 surround speakers for this film!
2 tracks from THE BROKEN listening:
Your music inspired many codes of horror film. How have you built?
It's interesting what you think. In fact, I had no other films in
mind, music or films. Except perhaps the Goldsmith score for ALIEN, I
listened to her visceral pure energy. The style of ALIEN, however, was
not good for the Broken, the two films are quite different. We also
listened to the RAN score by Toru Takemitsu, a dramatic exceptional
Sean has always loved and which he often refers. Sean wanted me to
create a particular sound, using the orchestra and electronics. It was
his starting point. He wanted the music sounds different. He gave me no
reference film during the shooting. I attended a few screenings of
dailies to get an idea of the look of the film, and feel what left me
feeling very visual images of Sean.
Before starting this score I have listened to many works of modern
composers, composers of avant-garde of the 20th century such as Ligeti,
Varèse, Penderecki, Boulez, Xenakis, Pärt. I found so many things in
this music, dissonance, form, atmosphere, the colors of the orchestra,
etc.. This was really my inspiration for this partition.
Are you interested in contemporary music, writing atonal before writing THE BROKEN?
No, I never wrote atonal music before. I know but this was
generally not the kind of music I listened to myself, this does not
really interest me. In fact, I started finding all of this music of
great beauty is something that I learned to appreciate through my
passage through this musical development. Yes, my appetite for
contemporary music is bigger than ever. I read all the scores I could
find and I loved looking at them, study them, then listen to the
recordings to understand the effects, how ringing the ideas of these
composers.
What were the intentions of Sean Ellis music for this movie?
As I mentioned, Sean wanted a "sound" for this score. He did not
know what to say, but he knew instinctively when music was walking to
the image. It took about six weeks before finding the sound he loved.
After writing the opening scene about eight times, I came across an
idea that finally opens the film. It's the sound of 26 violins playing
their highest audible note, not written, even acute, but played as
quietly as possible, pianissimo. The sound swells and a string section
revealed the high note and then returned to the starting point. After
recording this in 5.1, I mixed in stereo, I put in my sampler and
started to play the sound two octaves lower, notes stacked on three
selected. The resulting sound was extraordinary because, although it
was a sample, its origin was sound: a sound that was in him (with my
help) the atmosphere of the room and every sound recording and which
has become slow, very slow, and worse. This was the starting point of
the partition.
The film includes a scene of murder in a shower that looks like a
tribute to Hitchcock's Psycho: How did you build the music scene?
You're right, but I do not know if it was for Sean. When we looked
on this scene, I asked him what he wanted for the music and I remember
he replied: "Just think about PSYCHO under the influence of drugs"!
That's all I can say!
I guess my piece for this scene (without direct reference to
Herrmann), was written by the instinctive memories that remain of the
famous scene from Hitchcock. This scene was very amusing to put in
music and still hear the band play what I wrote.
The last scene of the film is illustrated with a magnificent
soaring strings, which contrasted with the oppressive aspect of the
score remains: why this choice?
If you talk about the scene where Gina's body found herself in her
apartment, then here are my reviews: Sean has always regarded this
scene as the moment of acceptance by Gina what she was late his fight.
There is a resignation, almost soothing, and we see this evolution take
over the stage. Sean wanted the music is beautiful, very different from
the rest of the score, almost religious, but with what it takes to move
forward in his new life. Again, this was the way the director wanted
the scene, and how he wanted to be music.
Did you also composed the electronic part is heard at the beginning of the end credits?
The music of the end credits is a song called "Klettar" by the
composer Arnar Gudjonsson. Sean was discovered and loved this song for
his energy, and I reworked for the end credits. Interestingly, I
recorded an orchestral version of the music I mixed the electronic
percussion and sound effects, but Sean chose the hardness of the
original piece that is in the film.
Can you tell us about your meeting with Sean Ellis? How you got on CASHBACK?
I knew Lene Bauseger, producer, because I worked with her partner
Rick Astley (who had composed the music for the short film "Cashback"
that inspired the film). She organized a screening of the film when he
was at the stage of assembly, and I loved it immediately. I remember
feeling that I have found an interesting new film, clearly had ideas
and a great sense of image. So Sean came to my studio, I played music,
and we talked about the film and how we might work together. I received
a phone call an hour later telling me he wanted me on board.
What was your work and your intentions on CASHBACK? What inspired you?
Simply put, the movie. I'm pretty old fashioned in a sense because
I played and wrote music on stages as a pianist in a silent movie. I
reacted very emotionally that way. What I see and feel is what I write,
and what I used to play the piano. The rest I hear in my head or I band
to make music final.
The score is varied but overall, the main theme was written for
piano and strings, inspired by the image. I arranged "Norma" from the
"Casta Diva" from Bellini for scenes in slow motion, and made my own
version of the famous theme of Jupiter "planets" of the sequence for
Holst soccer game where players are losing 23 to zero, but the English
determined to score a goal. I also arranged some music source including
orchestral parts which seemed to work well in the film "Inside" Bang
Gang and "She" Grand Avenue, is meant to end the film, but with the
'addition of 40 strings at the beginning of the song to give the
impression that it is part of the score.
Call you after editing the film and sometimes upstream from the script?
In the case of CASHBACK, I had not read the script and the film
was finished when I saw him. All I had to do was to write the score.
For the Broken, I had time to read the script and I saw the
rushes at the end of filming. It is a luxury in the process of
developing the film, as I often do not see the movie until the
installation is finished, or I'm on another project and I have no time
for search for ideas and write before being hired on the film. I spent
a month preparing the Broken, listen, write, write down ideas. There
was a delay in the start of writing music after assembly and, in fact,
once I had the movie in my studio, I went in a direction very different
from my initial approach, because the film was very different from what
I expected. Ultimately, I returned to more abstract ideas that were
part of my research ideas of origin.
Can you tell us about your collaboration with your orchestrator, Andy Pearce? How you divide up the tasks?
I write, and I j'orchestre preparing my demos for the director to
listen to them first. This allows the director to hear a good version
of the musical image. It may well be a number of comments, ranging from
"it's perfect" to "have you any other ideas? Or may request a change of
atmosphere, color, rhythm, movement from here to there, but ultimately,
it must approve the piece before I send it to Andy.
Andy then retrieves my demo, a midi file containing all the
parts of my writing and, in some cases (usually when I can not compose
on the computer), I'll write music by hand on a manuscript, the scanner
and send e-mail him to work on it. Andy put everything on paper so that
it can be read, so I have one overall score to lead the orchestral
score which can be extracted from the parts of musicians.
His work after this preparation may be writing a song that I
just sketched out the skeleton with notes and orchestration, or the
addition of orchestral ideas that I can try at recording sessions, but
above all he is in an excellent position to have the time (sometimes
not much!) to focus on what I did and see if it can be improved. Often
he is listening to my demo while watching the score on paper. You can
see much more on paper. I would like as much as possible work on paper
because you think differently and write differently on paper, but we
live in an era of computers and is also amazing how modern technology
can make you creative.
What is your musical training?
My background is classical music. I studied piano for twelve years
and have been trained in choral music and organ. I studied conducting
at Morley for two years.
In recent months, the Swedish label MovieScore Media has produced
more of your music for British films (LAND OF THE BLIND, THE CHRISTMAS
MIRACLE OF JONATHAN TOOMEY and THE FLOCK), unreleased films in France.
Can you tell us about your relationship with this label?
I contacted Media MovieScore when my British agent sent some of my
music to listen to the label. The reviews by Mikael Carlsson, Director
of Media MovieScore were very positive and he wanted to edit some of my
scores. It is a passionate, enthusiastic, and I admire the work of his
label, which is the publishing of film music who otherwise would never
have been published. He chooses what he wants, as long as there is
quality and interest.
I usually send my music to Media MovieScore having mastered the
CD from the 5.1 mix of the film. It's a long process, but for many
reasons, I would make a decent and enjoyable CD to listen when my work
is done on a project. Nevertheless, I appreciate the feedback I get
from Mikael, because it is outside the production process and provides
an unbiased perspective and intelligent. I appreciate this relationship
is positive and rewarding.
From which of your music are you most proud of? Which you most at heart?
Usually, I need a good break after completing a job because you
were too immersed in it and it affects you subconsciously. My opinions
change from time to time because the process of creation is so intense
and every journey full of new experiences in the writing process. I was
proud of my score MADRE THERESA, especially for the integration of
Indian musical instruments and Western orchestra. I like the score of
LAND OF THE BLIND because there is so pompous and bombastic as it was
an enormous pleasure to write and record. I really like a few pieces of
each of my film music. My favorite? I have not yet written.
Why did you have the most difficulty?
THE BROKEN has been a difficult film to make music. We tried many
ideas before the music does to the image and go by itself, but it was
worth it. I've realized after a few months when I saw the film at the
Empire Leicester Square in London, and I was very pleased with how it
works. I think I worked on this movie for three months while I was
supposed to write everything in six weeks!
You feel rather cinematic, or rather music lover?
I love cinema and music. Everyone for what he is. I have trouble
listening to music in the background. The music is overwhelming for me,
I listen at full volume without any other distractions. I like to be
fully affected by music, sound, depth and melody. I always loved the
theater experience. A great movie is just a great experience. We are
fortunate to be at this point in history when we can tell stories. We
have told stories for generations, and now we can add any size to tell
the stories we want. What a feeling of happiness than leaving a cinema
after a very good film!
What are the filmmakers that you immediately respond "yes" if you called?
Of course I reply to any director who plans to work with me
because a creative collaboration is always an exciting journey. But who
would not want a call from Steven Spielberg?! I think that anyway, what
I love is the dramatic framework offered to me. The visual history,
impact players, all this is that just my ideas. I'm just a musical
dramatist and I love the creative process of film music.
What are your favorite composers (the film but not only)?
Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Mozart, Ravel, Rachmaninoff,
Pärt, Gorecki, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Holst, Vaughan Williams, etc. ...
But as Piazzolla, Gershwin, Jobim, Miles Davis, Herrmann, Legrand,
Francis Lai, etc. ... Among the film composers John Williams, Jerry
Goldsmith and John Barry. But I also like the style and work of Henry
Mancini and Lalo Schifrin. It would be hard to pick just one. All these
and many others have inspired me and touched me.
What are your plans?
Last year, I put music in The Flock with Richard Gere, together
with Richard for the U.S. version. Then I KNOW YOU KNOW with Robert
Carlyle (Editor's note: film shown at the Berlin Film Festival) for a
talented young British director, Justin Kerrigan (Human Traffic), Books
of Blood by John Harrison (from a story by Clive Barker) and a English
thriller, KNIFE EDGE.
What would you do now that you have not yet had the opportunity to do?
I would write ENGLISH PATIENT, an OUT OF AFRICA MISSION or - a
great story with a budget to go with! I wish I had more time, time to
write, explore, and have time with any orchestra when I need it!
Interview B.O : Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache, le sens de la musique
Interview B.O : Eloi Ragot, du thriller au burlesque en pleine forêt (JOUR DE MERDE de Kevin T. Landry)
