British Kinematography (1950)

May, 1950 irving and mathieson : musical treatment 147 prepared by the editorial department, giving fullest details of the action and all important points of synchronisation. Later on, when the composer has made some sketches they are studied, trimmed and reshaped where necessary, and final or " pink " timing sheets are issued. When the full score arrives, any points where absolute synchronisation is required are marked to a third of a second. An average metronome tempo is specified between these points, which determines the general flow of the music ; between the fixed points the music may flow naturally with rubati — slight fluctuations of tempo where the music or the action calls for them. Parenthetically, it is much better to cut or extend the music to fit the picture rather than to hurry or drag it out. The music thus grows to fit the action like the music fits the words of a song, and avoids rigidity and squareness of outline, both of which can be very disturbing, and which in point of fact in some American pictures I have seen I found very disturbing indeed. To " Disney-ise " action is very good for a Disney, but not at all good for music which has to make its principal appeal to the subconscious.2 At recording sessions a representative of the editorial department with a stop watch is invested with rigorous authority to reject a take where the agreed important synchronisation points are inaccurate. Generally, 10 or 12 minutes of printable track is recorded during a three-hour session. II. SCORING AND RECORDING Muir Mathieson* A FILM MUSIC DIRECTOR must have a wide musical knowledge and general experience to be able to contend with the numerous problems that arise. Films have covered the whole range of music from symphony to swing, music halls to madrigals, brass bands, pipe bands, street bands, drawing-room ditties and barrack-room ballads, hand organs, steam organs, barrel organs, solos, duets, choirs, quartets — in fact, with the resurrection of the zither, I can think of nothing that has been left out. Naturally, there is little likelihood of a music director acquiring a vast practical experience of, say, the bagpipes or the barrel organ, but a working knowledge is essential. That is one side of the requisite musical experience ; another is the purely technical one of fitting music to films. This is the most spectacular part of the conductor's business and always looks the most difficult, but that, I think, is misleading. With preparation, careful planning and a stop-watch, any intelligent person should be able to beat time and fit so many beats into so many seconds. The musician's problem is to do that, and still keep the flow and sense of the music. British Composers At no period during our history have we had such a wealth of fine composers. To-day, they lead the world. I believe that films have helped them into this position of pre-eminence. Wardour Street has become the modern patron of the struggling composer, notwithstanding that the allocation for music composition is only about one-quarter of one per cent, of the total budget. This modern patronage has enabled the composer to earn a living, gain experience and so concentrate a little more comfortably on his operas, symphonies or quartets. In return, he brings to films the benefit of his ever-growing experience and musical culture. The old argument about prostituting his art by writing for films is luckily dead. It is no different, presumably, to write music to order for J. Arthur Rank * J. Arthur Rank Productions, Ltd.