The rest of the Billboard Film and TV Music Conference and my thoughts!

Worst picture of Death Cab ever. Billboard Cover fail!

Dear LTT-ers and music nerds,

I shared with you last week that I attended the Billboard Film and TV Music Conference and gave you all the dirty details on my brief encounter with my favorite man ever, Chris Weitz, but what else happened? I also sat in on the “Anatomy of a Soundtrack: Twilight, New Moon” panel and though I didn’t get any one-on-one time with soundtrack Music Supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas I did take copious amounts of notes, 15ish pages  in fact, so how about I break it down a bit for you? (My snark in italics for your enjoyment)

Anatomy of a Soundtrack: Twilight, New Moon

• Making the Twilight soundtracks were easier because Stephenie is an author that already had a clear vision and sound for her books from what she provided and talked about on her website. Music is a centerpiece to her stories. They wanted the soundtrack to be a musical manifestation of the movie and Stephenie’s story

• Chris had a clear point of view about the music he wanted in New Moon: somber
  (and appropriate for denim cut-offs and sleep number beds)

• 

  Alexandra hard at work creating the soundtrack aka reading Domward Fanfic

  Chop Shop/Alexandra began working on New Moon last December and were approached by countless bands and managers who wanted to be on the soundtrack. They picked artists who wanted to be part of the team , provide solely exclusive material and weren’t afraid to talk about the movie. It was all about cohesion and the artists they ended up choosing, in their minds, could all play a festival bill together.
  (a festival of wrist slashing music! my favorite! bandaids not included)

• New Moon is the first movie Alex has worked on that was a sequel

• They had what Alex called an “embarrassment of riches” when it came to options and artists to choose from for the NM Soundtrack. So many more than they could include. Almost 20 cd’s worth of material

• Chris invited 6-7 potentials artists into the cutting room to show them cuts of the movie, spend time with the artists talking about tone and feeling from the scenes and what he was looking for musically. He took the time because he wanted the right songs. That is why everything fits so well according to Alexandra, the Atlantic VP and Paul Katz (Summit)

Read more about the Soundtrack panel including info on Remember Me AND stuff about Rob and his Music as well as more tid bits from Chris Weitz and Alexandre Desplat’s panel after the cut!

Oh hai fuzzy head that is Alexandra Patsavas, I may love you (this was before I moved seats)

• The panel mentioned Remember Me and the musical direction it was taking. More independent style artists like this soundtrack
  (dude, WHAT is this movie about?! I asked and they didn’t know either)

• The Lykke Li track was written for a “heart breaking scene.” The trio wouldn’t give any other spoilers away about it
  (my guess? the Buttcrack Santa tribute montage scene)

• Demographic for Twilight started as 17 and under but has now become something much bigger to include, moms and grandmas and they’ve even geared some of this marketing to more of a male oriented audience
  (um HELLO! what about US?! I’m pretty sure the 20-35 range is what you really want!! super lucrative!)

• When asked about why there wasn’t a Rob Pattinson track on this soundtrack Alexandra said that “Rob is proud of his music and as the star of the movie he wanted to be protective of that aspect of his life and opted out this time around.” They called him private and “reserved.” But insisted they would ask him again for “the 3rd and 4th movie” (they said FORTH!!)

• The bottom line on why the chose the songs they chose: “It just worked”

My handy dandy info sheet with Christ Weitz head shot eye candy!

And now some more from the Chris Weitz/Alexandre Desplat panel on the New Moon Score… I mean this is what you were really waiting for, right? More Chris and his man-bag and striped socks glory! Sexy.

Composer and Director

• Chris used his “house on fire” metaphor again to describe him and Alexandre. Hmmm, time for a new idiom Chris? (maybe we’re slicker than dear guts on a door knob?)

• On what drew Chris to NM: He likes to try different films and loved adapting fantasy novels to film. His attempts at the last adaptation (Golden Compass) “were foiled by the process.” Summit wanted to be faithful to the story and he appreciated that. Also he has a mortgage!
  (and more striped socks to buy)

• 

  Hi Frenchman in a scarf who looks a lot like Adrien Brody and fake types on a keyboard in pictures

  The score is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra

• Chris at one point says the story is about “a girl torn between her love for her vampire boyfriend and her friendship with a werewolf”

• When Alexandre played Chris a certain part of the score Chris told him to to go for it that “this is a score that you can be unembarrassed about being romantic because it’s a story told through the eyes of a 19 year old girl.” (oopsies Chris, Bella is 18! Don’t worry Unicorns are allowed some slips)

So this is the rest of the low down from these two awesome panels at the Billboard Film and TV music conference. There was so much to take in from these panels but mostly I took away that there was a lot of time, thought and revrence put into making both the soundtrack and the score and that the story and fans were at the forefront of their though process behind creating these.

And the beat goes on!
Themoonisdown

Did you learn anything interesting about the music from this? Anything you want to see happen especially regarding the integration of music into the movie? Do you love Alexandre and his scarf?

Want to read the first part of my Billboard Film and TV Music Conference coverage? I talked to Chris Weitz himself!! Uh yea! Go now!

A huge thanks and billion hugs to Will and NewMoonMovie.org/Eclipsemovie.org for making this happen! Go read his amazing blogs now!

Pictures: Me and Google images

Go get yo’ music on in The Forum
UC and I break down the new Vanity Fair pics. Oh yea! Get it at LTR