14 May 2017

Music can make or break a film

From Standing Room Only, 1:30 pm on 14 May 2017
The Phoenix Foundation.

The Phoenix Foundation. Photo: Supplied: Will Moore

One of the most important decisions a filmmaker has to make is "How much music to put in"? Music can make or break a film - imagine Jaws without the rumbling bass, or Footloose without the song "Footloose".   

It's the last thing to be put into the film, normally, so often there's a lot of pressure on the composers to save a film that isn't performing.

So how's it done? 

In New Zealand, the go-to composers these days are the prolific Wellington group the Phoenix Foundation. Their track record speaks for itself - films like Eagle versus Shark, Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople for Taika Waititi; TV series like Step Dave and the upcoming Skylander Academy; and two current New Zealand features Beyond the Known World and Meat.