Unheard Films

For the third time already, Unheard Film commissioned musicians to make a new soundtrack for an existing film of their choice. The assignment is not exactly simple. Give your own musical interpretation of an existing film, without shortchanging the story. Well, to make it your own, you might have to change it a little bit, but as long as it’s a conscious choice and the artistic value increases. Dive into the skin of the filmmaker and find out which choices and why he or she made them. Experiment with musical themes and sound effects to find out how you can bend the story.

 

It is exactly this focus that make the Unheard Films stand out, compared to similar initiatives, but it also forms a great challenge even for a serious artist.

What do you do, after a long search and finally finding the right movie, when you notice the first scene works fantastically well with the music you wrote for it? Do you keep it at that, reinforcing the mood the image gives and in a way playing it safe? Or do you take a risk, by choosing when your music, your silence and even your sound design influences the image to a point where a scene could actually receive a new face? In other words, are you capable of composing in a narrative way, using your own music to possibly recreate the story in a very subtle way?

 

A second challenge lies in the fact that live music is a very direct discipline whereas film is an indirect medium. The question remains how to combine these two together and you will more often be asking yourself what to ‘leave out’ instead of ‘what to add’. The same thing goes for the content. You don’t often just start writing a song from beginning to end, but tend to work with musical themes. But this also goes for the form. The selected musicians may be open-minded towards experiment, but their style and stage presence will also play a large role in the whole experience. This is where one must pay attention. The artists must not go unnoticed, but then again they must not overrule the film. The moment the audience becomes too aware of a live band, the magic is broken.

 

Unheard Film again presents a wide selection of talented artists and impressive movies, which can be admired in an intimate setting.

 

Oi Va Voi’s Morvern Callar - Click here for tickets

Arts the Beatdoctor’s Gattaca - Click here for tickets

Dez Mona’s Funny Games (US) - Click here for tickets

Good Dog Happy Man’s Cloverfield - Click here for tickets

(Correction: the films Cloverfield en Gattaca have been switched on the flyer and programme. The correct titles are here above.)

 

Miss any shows? Don’t worry, all the soundtracks will be played two evenings in a row in Kriterion and Studio K in Amsterdam.