Stephen Trask on creating scores for movies:
“I work like 70 hours a week, and I don’t have much time left, but you know.”
“It’s sort of hard to have an idea in my head and explain it in words. Sometimes, the only way to do it is just to show it. A lot of times with first-time directors — and I’ve worked with a lot of first-time directors — they are afraid of what music is going to do to their work.
The directors spend a lot of time trying to make the acting real, the set real, a real feel, and then music comes in and gives it an artificial feel.
People’s lives aren’t scored. So it’s a hard thing for director to accept. What often happens is that a first-time director wants it to be less and less, then just to hold one note, then just a note. The music becomes more of a distraction than having an impact on the movie.”
“I try and work with a director to get it to work in a way that will make him feel comfortable. When you think about it, there should be some distinguishing sound, like in ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ — there is that whistle sound they make with their hands. I try and bring elements like that in.
You have to string them along in that process.
You watch a movie over and over again and look for things, do research, come up with themes and present the director with your ideas.
I encourage a director who is afraid of music not to be afraid to have music make a strong statement.
If I can succeed in that, then the next step is to come up with some basic theme with the sounds I need — I always come up with a palette of instruments.
I once did something where I brought in a violin player, a steel drummer, synthesizers, complex sound effects, a Latin percussionist, a jazz player, a vibraphone player and a trumpet.
Then you work with a sound designer to bring it all in the landscape of your score.
You also find that if you time things well, like with movement, when you grab a cup of coffee or someone buries their head in their hands, it comes off stronger on-screen later.”
“With ‘The Station Agent,’ I’ve been at screenings where people have just talked about how much they love the music. In movies, oftentimes reviewers don’t mention the music, but I’ve been mentioned in reviews for both ‘Camp’ and ‘Hedwig.’ Directors have even called me to say that, ‘Dude, we were just in Spain at the San Bastion Film Festival, and everyone was talking about your music.’ I don’t feel underappreciated.” Stephen Trask.
