Lorsqu’Elia CMIRAL s’investit
dans un projet, il n’est pas du genre à faire
les choses à moitié. Au contraire, il en fait
plusieurs en même temps (pas moins de quatre
compositions en 2007). Il nous explique
aujourd’hui comme il aborde différemment
chacune de ses compositions en illustrant ses
propos avec deux de ces dernières œuvres pour
les films : Tooth & Nail et The
Deaths Of Ian Stone.
The
Deaths of Ian Stone: Ian meurt
dans un accident violent. Pourtant il se
réveille le lendemain comme si de rien
n'était... avant de mourir à nouveau dans un
autre accident tragique. Jour après jour, quoi
qu'il fasse, il meurt dans des conditions de
plus en plus étranges. Il est prêt à tout pour
découvrir qui le manipule et pourquoi...
The Deaths of Ian
Stone tells the story of an
all-American guy who is murdered each day by
horrifying pursuers, only to wake up in
slightly different lives to experience the
terror of being murdered again. On an otherwise
ordinary night, the young Ian Stone encounters
a mysterious creature and is forced into the
path of an oncoming train. Rather than facing
certain death, Ian finds himself reborn into a
new life that feels strangely familiar. After
his second death, it becomes apparent that Ian
is being hunted by an evil presence, and will
be forced to die every day until he can solve
the mystery of his own life.
Tooth
& Nail Un groupe de jeunes, les
Foragers, vont devoir se battre contre des
cannibales vicieux pour survivre dans un monde
post-apocalyptique.
"A group of young people, called Foragers,
fight to survive against a band of vicious
cannibals, known as Rovers, in a
post-apocalyptic world which has been depleted
of fossil fuels." It is 2020, and the world has
run out of gas. Civilized countries have
spiraled into looting and anarchy, and much of
the world population has starved to death or
killed each other. A small group of misfits
known as Foragers take refuge in an empty
Philadelphia hospital with plans on re-building
society. On a daily foray into the city, they
discover a young girl who is the victim of a
brutal attack. They bring her back to the
hospital, but soon discover that they were
followed by a savage band of cannibals known as
Rovers. The Rovers begin to kill the Foragers
one by one, and the trapped survivors must find
a way to outwit their stalkers.. This film
explores how without the restraints of
civilization, people will regress to their
savage beginnings.
Please
Elia Cmiral, for the readers of
inter-activities, how would you personally
introduce yourself?
I am very emotional, organized in my work but
less in my life. I am passionate, a
perfectionist, and love every detail in my
music and my music production. I love reading
books at nights, love drama and epic films.
Especially, I love to spend time with my wife
and my family.
May you tell me about your
training and about your background?
I
started with guitars, drums and rock & roll. I
later received classical training in
composition at the Prague Music Conservatory
and electronic music and music concrete at EMS
in Stockholm, finishing with film music at USC
in Los Angeles.
When and how did you come to work on
film music?
While very young, I began to write for the
theatre for my stepfather. Writing for film
came later.
What are your sources of
inspiration when you compose some music: styles
of music, composers…?
I
usually find inspiration in the film I am
writing for. It tells me what it needs. In term
of writing style, it is again dictated by the
movie but also by the taste of the director and
the producers.
Do you have any mentor?
I
have three mentors. The first one was my
stepfather, a stage director for whom I wrote a
number of theatre music. My second was
professor Benda, who taught me everything about
the passion of music. And I must mention John
Frankenheimer. To work with him and have the
relationship we had was a blessing. I miss all
of them every day.
How would you
describe or characterize your own musical
style?
I
am always looking for how to best serve the
film. This determines my musical approach to
each individual project.
How, when and why did you come on the "The
Deaths of Ian Stone" and "Tooth & Nail"projects?
These projects were not connected whatsoever. “The
Deaths of Ian Stone” was made by producers
with whom I had worked previously. I knew the
script and loved it. “Tooth & Nail”
was introduced to me by my agent. I love that
story a lot.
How would you
describe your scores for "The Deaths of Ian
Stone" and "Tooth & Nail."?
The scores are very different. "The Deaths
of Ian Stone" has a more traditional
score, orchestral with some electronic sound
design. My score to "Tooth & Nail” is
more electronic, ambient and experimental, with
some orchestra elements.
With whom and how did you worked with
the creators of the movie?
I
have a team of people with whom I work all the
time. The communication and understanding gets
easier with every project we do together. They
are all very professional and reliable. And,
for example, I need an additional orchestrator
or editor, they always come with a good
suggestion. In terms of film creators most of
the time I work with directors.
For “The Deaths of Ian Stone,” I
worked very closely with Italian director Dario
Piana and producer Brian Gilbert.
For “Tooth & Nail,” I only worked with
director Mark Young. In both productions, they
were very supportive and creative. It was a
great pleasure to work with them.
What were the requests you got from the
crew ?
Come up with an interesting, original score
which supports the film and gives it an
additional dimension.
What did you see/read/heard about the
subject of the film before scoring it in order
to inspire you? What is the role of music? How
did you treat the horrific aspect of each film?
I
read the script for DOI. For T&N,
I saw just the directors cut. Again,
inspiration comes from each film. In case of
T&N, Mark had written the score
structure with a very detailed description of
every thematic group. I used that as my
starting point. The starting point for DOI
was the temp track and my conversation with
Dario. He is actually a good musician with
makes our creative relation very easy.
Did you use a temp track and what kind?
T&N
didn’t have any. DOI had temp through
most of it but not through all the scenes I
later scored. Most of the time, I consider temp
as a suggestion, it opens the dialogue between
the director and myself.
Did you use electronic sounds along
with the orchestra? How and why? How did you
mixed electronics and acoustic sounds?
T&N
had an interesting approach with electronica.
Since in the plot we are in a world without
TVs, car, radios or cell phones – a completely
silent world -- I wanted to preserve that feel.
I created very quiet, ambient score for this
world, sometimes using ¼ tone clusters and very
low sub sine waves. This world is brutally
invaded by cannibals with very rhythmic music
using all possible metal sounds, real and
synthetic. So on one side you have this
organized metal, rhythmic music and on the
other very cool, static electronic clusters,
hopeless and lifeless. Dakota brings a warm,
human, cello solo theme.
The DOI score was written more
traditionally and electronica is not a prime
color. I used it as just an another color of
orchestra. The only important part is the
“death theme” three notes motif we hear every
time Ian is killed.
What kind of an orchestra and what size
did you choose? Can you tell me about the
recording?
DOI’s
orchestra is about 70 with large string
section, a couple of very low and very high
woodwinds and low brass. The orchestra was
recorded in Prague. Piano and percussion I
played myself and electronic programming I did
with my assistants.
T&N
has only a cello section with cello solo and
large electronic programming was done by my
programming team and myself.
How would you describe your score?
Each score is different serving the needs of
the movie, but because they were created by one
person there must be some similar melodic
turns, harmonic changes and choices, similar
cues structures etc. I think it will apply to
any music I write regardless of style.
Can you explain your stylistic and
thematic choices?
All stylistic and thematic choices I do
intuitively. I never put labels on them or
rationalize the process. You come from the
prestigious Prague Conservatory of Music, which
means that you master all style of music.
Is it a deliberate choice to
specialize in Horror film music? And why?
I
don’t think I specialize in horror films. I’ve
also written scores for other genres including
comedy and adventure. I have also written
ballets.
What do you think
classical music or training can bring to horror
film music?
It might help any writing, not only horror
music.
Do you think your East-European origins
may bring a new color to American horror cinema
music? In what way? Do you have examples?
Many great film composers in the early era of
scoring had roots in European music like
Tiomkin and Korngold. They were respectful
musicians and they set a high standard. We
should try to keep it.
At a time when horror film music tend
to be all electronic, what do you think the
combination of electronics and live orchestra
can bring to the genre? Did you use other
specific instruments, what kind, and what for?
Electronica is just a color extension of
orchestra. But it has also own power and energy
and it is very suitable to use, especially when
building suspense and musical atmosphere. If it
is done by someone who understands the movie
and how to score it, it can be very interesting
and evocative.
For a new project, if you could choose
you a genre, a kind of story and a filmmaker,
what would they be?
Drama, epic, black comedy, ballet, John
Frankeheimer.
What do you want to add as a
conclusion, any message for your fans?
I
am fortunate to do what I love. I was preparing
for this my whole life. I would tell everyone
to work hard and pursue their dream, regardless
how impossible it seems in the beginning. Thank
you to everyone who listen to my music.
Thanks and all my congratulations.
Thank you, too.
BIO : Elia Cmiral's first
break came when his father let him score
"Cyrano de Bergerac" at his theater when he was
just eighteen years old. But before he could
build a career in Czechoslovakia, he escaped to
Sweden and, to his surprise, was soon asked to
score a full-length battle for the National
Theater entitled "Nemesis". Deciding to study
film scoring in the United States, he moved to
Los Angeles in 1987 and enrolled at USC.
Through some friends, he had the opportunity to
score the cult film "Apartment Zero". In 1989,
he was offered a grant from Sweden to produce
his own record, and he moved back. Four years
later, in the winter of 1993, Elia moved back
to Los Angeles and resumed his scoring career.
In 1996, Don Johnson hired him to score the
first season episodes and theme for his new
series, "Nash Bridges " ? on CBS. Elia also
scored "Somebody Is Waiting ", with the same
director from "Apartment Zero ," but it didn't
get any US distribution. His big break came
when Michael Sandovall, of MGM/United Artists,
gave Elia the opportunity to audition for John
Frankenheimer's "Ronin". The score was released
on Varese Sarabande to rave reviews, and Elia
signed to be represented by "The
Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, " the largest film
scoring agency in the world.
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