If there is one industry more grueling that the movie industry it is the music industry. I have a great respect for musicians as they have a talent and skill I will never master. I took guitar lessons when I 13 and after a year and half and I could acomplish was “Old McDonald Had a Farm”—besides, I have terrible stage fright so when it came to playing the children’s song in front of a group of people it was a disaster.
Music is an important aspect of movie making. Not many people notice when they watch a movie, but music is used through roughly 75% of the film. And that’s one of the true joys of working as a filmmaker, you get to work with so many different artistic mediums and meld them into one larger project. In my experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to use both a composer to do an original score for me as well as use licesed songs from bands and musicians. With Ashita we’re using some brilliant music from some brilliant bands. We have some great rock songs from The Zoobombs and Super Girl Juice and some wonderful mood music from Dr. Draw.
I have enormous respect for all three bands. My first rule when looking for music for a project is respect. I must respect the band or the musician. I have to feel like a connection with their work, which is normal, because a connection with their work means that their music will also connect with my work. They way I know that they connect is simple. I usually go for a walk and listen to their music on my iPod and if while I’m walking I picture scenes from my movie to the music, it means we’ve connected. I am a filmmaker that likes to use music as part of the scene, I believe that music can help tell your story.
So good, now I’ve connected to the music. It works for my movie, what next? The what next is the complex legal part. You need permission and liceneses and lots of wonderful signatures in order to use a 3 minute masterpiece in your movie. If you new to filmmaking, get used to this fast. Because I respect musicians, I know that their life is difficult sometimes and they starve for their art more than any filmmaker or actor that I’ve ever met.
To be honest, whith you, when you’re a chubby Canadian-Italian making a movie in Japanese you attract more than one skeptic stare. With Ashita I’ve been blessed with musicians who understand what I am trying to do. Actually the two Japanese bands, Super Girl Juice and The Zoobombs did not skoff or laugh at my idea of making a film in Japanese, infact both bands embraced the idea and particpated whole heartedly. Dr. Draw a Canadian band whose comptemporary violin sounds give the movie the added mood the movie needs, is growing in popularity with a number of TV appearances from Breakfast Television to Canada AM—they were fabulous with the idea of Ashita as well.
I have also had the good fortune to get to know all of these bands on a personal level. DON Matsuo, the front man for The Zoobombs, and I share a great interest in books an literature and we’ve had long conversations about life as an artist, we are both excited to work together again soon. Sayaka, the lead singer from Super Girl Juice is a touching woman. She is humbled by the idea of her music being used in a movie to the point that she cried when I showed her some test scenes with her music in it. Eugene Draw, the front man (and vert a talented violinst) from Dr. Draw digs Japanese movies and was super enthusiastic about participating in this movie, I’ve been talking a lot to their manager Murray who, even though busy with booking Dr. Draw in shows all over the world, shows me respect and has put a lot of faith into project.
In fact all the bands have put a lot of faith in Ashita. I won’t disappoint them.
Music is an important aspect of movie making. Not many people notice when they watch a movie, but music is used through roughly 75% of the film. And that’s one of the true joys of working as a filmmaker, you get to work with so many different artistic mediums and meld them into one larger project. In my experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to use both a composer to do an original score for me as well as use licesed songs from bands and musicians. With Ashita we’re using some brilliant music from some brilliant bands. We have some great rock songs from The Zoobombs and Super Girl Juice and some wonderful mood music from Dr. Draw.
I have enormous respect for all three bands. My first rule when looking for music for a project is respect. I must respect the band or the musician. I have to feel like a connection with their work, which is normal, because a connection with their work means that their music will also connect with my work. They way I know that they connect is simple. I usually go for a walk and listen to their music on my iPod and if while I’m walking I picture scenes from my movie to the music, it means we’ve connected. I am a filmmaker that likes to use music as part of the scene, I believe that music can help tell your story.
So good, now I’ve connected to the music. It works for my movie, what next? The what next is the complex legal part. You need permission and liceneses and lots of wonderful signatures in order to use a 3 minute masterpiece in your movie. If you new to filmmaking, get used to this fast. Because I respect musicians, I know that their life is difficult sometimes and they starve for their art more than any filmmaker or actor that I’ve ever met.
To be honest, whith you, when you’re a chubby Canadian-Italian making a movie in Japanese you attract more than one skeptic stare. With Ashita I’ve been blessed with musicians who understand what I am trying to do. Actually the two Japanese bands, Super Girl Juice and The Zoobombs did not skoff or laugh at my idea of making a film in Japanese, infact both bands embraced the idea and particpated whole heartedly. Dr. Draw a Canadian band whose comptemporary violin sounds give the movie the added mood the movie needs, is growing in popularity with a number of TV appearances from Breakfast Television to Canada AM—they were fabulous with the idea of Ashita as well.
I have also had the good fortune to get to know all of these bands on a personal level. DON Matsuo, the front man for The Zoobombs, and I share a great interest in books an literature and we’ve had long conversations about life as an artist, we are both excited to work together again soon. Sayaka, the lead singer from Super Girl Juice is a touching woman. She is humbled by the idea of her music being used in a movie to the point that she cried when I showed her some test scenes with her music in it. Eugene Draw, the front man (and vert a talented violinst) from Dr. Draw digs Japanese movies and was super enthusiastic about participating in this movie, I’ve been talking a lot to their manager Murray who, even though busy with booking Dr. Draw in shows all over the world, shows me respect and has put a lot of faith into project.
In fact all the bands have put a lot of faith in Ashita. I won’t disappoint them.
-MJ
