I was listening to a new album (Honest Words) and one of the songs "Pick Up The Phone" struck me as having a very nighttime-meets-The Doors-meets-Lost Highway sort of vibe. Something that I could see the Director David Lynch really liking as do I.
The guitar has a The Door's "End of the Night" sort of thing going on but it's the lyrics that really drew me in. Honest Words is the debut album of the singer/songwriter/guitar-playing Megan McCormick. Unlike a lot of debut albums Honest Words doesn't depend on a couple tracks, but is a strong album throughout. It also contains a different mix of songs showing McCormick's versatility from alternative rock to things a bit toward country.
Ultimately - "Pick Up The Phone" lyrics made me think of Mulholland Dr. which led me to do this:
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, January 12, 2009
A Night At The Opera to Quantum Of Solace
Virtually all major filmmakers use temp music to edit their films to. Many editors have stated that the ‘right’ music can help them with creating the right pace and timing for scenes. The official score is then sequenced over the film with adjustments made as deemed necessary. Some filmmakers take it another step or two further and use temp music to pre-visualize scenes or even to inspire elements of the scenes in the film. The end result is that the film’s composer creates the official score with the temp music - the underscore.
A great and recurring example of that is the use of the song “Someone To Watch Over Me” in the Bond films. This can be easily shown in the patterns of the Bond films with repetitive uses of two things:
1. A key involving a woman
2. Bond using his watch for something.
The key business started in the very first Bond film, Dr. No with Bond getting a key from a rental car from an admiring hotel lobby clerk.
This same idea is also used in Thunderball.
This thematic element is used right up to present day as Bond presents a room key to a hotel clerk in Quantum Of Solace. And yes, the QOS segment involves the song “Someone To Watch Over Me” producer Michael Wilson gets into the act as he observes Bond from the hotel lobby.
Variations on this is used in other Bond films such as Bond grabbing the master key from a passing maid in Goldfinger.
This moves to a shot of Jill Masterson "watching" over Goldfinger's card game opponent through high powered binoculars.
The Spy Who Love Me with Bond handing the keys to a van over to the Barbara Bach character. The watch as a prop device to “Someone To Watch Over Me” used in the pre-credit scene in From Russia With Love with Red Grant using his tricked-out choking wire coming out of his wristwatch. This is also used in Live and Let Die with Bond using his super-magnetic watch to pull down the zipper on the Italian Babe’s dress.
In Quantum Of Solace, scenes in the film sync to the album “A Night At The Opera” by the British rock band Queen. A great clue to this is provided by the filmmakers by naming the music track to the Opera scene “Night At The Opera.”
Some of the placement of the music is easy to figure out such as the car chase opening to the song “I’m In Love With My Car.” Naturally, the opera scene to Bohemian Rhapsody is another given. I did a complete and seamless sync of the music from the opening of the film to Bond’s bedding of Strawberry Fields. Just because I’ve sequence things together doesn’t make it correct. Deleted scenes or cuts can mean I’m after something that no longer exists or my ideas of what the filmmaker was after doesn’t match their ideas. Sometimes it’s pretty easy to match things up with a certain level of confidence. On music that is a bit complicated or abstract (such as Queen’s music) it becomes harder.
A couple notes:
Some “syncers” make the rather poor assumption that a filmmaker will just use an album from beginning to end. First and foremost, they are making a film. The music needs to work for the scene not the other way around. Also, there are repeated themes that require a revisit of the same music (just like the film composer does for the official score). Need for use of repetitive syncs particularly the short songs. An example of that is the repeated use of “God Save The Queen for appearances of the terse authoritative M. Btw, Dame Judi Dench has played both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in film roles.
Additionally, shorter songs often get more use as the filmmaker can use them for transitions scenes or segments where the music is not the foremost element. So, while filmmakers do like to use all the music in an album some songs need to wait until there is an appropriate element of inspiration.
I have created a “highlights” video of the music syncs to the album. Sorry if some of the transitions are abrupt but I wanted to include as much as possible while still staying under YouTube’s 10 minute limit. As all songs are listed and shown in the order used, anyone could recreate the full sync for himself or herself.
Link to YouTube Video (including higher def image):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLB47EANB1w
A great and recurring example of that is the use of the song “Someone To Watch Over Me” in the Bond films. This can be easily shown in the patterns of the Bond films with repetitive uses of two things:
1. A key involving a woman
2. Bond using his watch for something.
The key business started in the very first Bond film, Dr. No with Bond getting a key from a rental car from an admiring hotel lobby clerk.
This same idea is also used in Thunderball.
This thematic element is used right up to present day as Bond presents a room key to a hotel clerk in Quantum Of Solace. And yes, the QOS segment involves the song “Someone To Watch Over Me” producer Michael Wilson gets into the act as he observes Bond from the hotel lobby.
Variations on this is used in other Bond films such as Bond grabbing the master key from a passing maid in Goldfinger.
This moves to a shot of Jill Masterson "watching" over Goldfinger's card game opponent through high powered binoculars.
The Spy Who Love Me with Bond handing the keys to a van over to the Barbara Bach character. The watch as a prop device to “Someone To Watch Over Me” used in the pre-credit scene in From Russia With Love with Red Grant using his tricked-out choking wire coming out of his wristwatch. This is also used in Live and Let Die with Bond using his super-magnetic watch to pull down the zipper on the Italian Babe’s dress.
In Quantum Of Solace, scenes in the film sync to the album “A Night At The Opera” by the British rock band Queen. A great clue to this is provided by the filmmakers by naming the music track to the Opera scene “Night At The Opera.”
Some of the placement of the music is easy to figure out such as the car chase opening to the song “I’m In Love With My Car.” Naturally, the opera scene to Bohemian Rhapsody is another given. I did a complete and seamless sync of the music from the opening of the film to Bond’s bedding of Strawberry Fields. Just because I’ve sequence things together doesn’t make it correct. Deleted scenes or cuts can mean I’m after something that no longer exists or my ideas of what the filmmaker was after doesn’t match their ideas. Sometimes it’s pretty easy to match things up with a certain level of confidence. On music that is a bit complicated or abstract (such as Queen’s music) it becomes harder.
A couple notes:
Some “syncers” make the rather poor assumption that a filmmaker will just use an album from beginning to end. First and foremost, they are making a film. The music needs to work for the scene not the other way around. Also, there are repeated themes that require a revisit of the same music (just like the film composer does for the official score). Need for use of repetitive syncs particularly the short songs. An example of that is the repeated use of “God Save The Queen for appearances of the terse authoritative M. Btw, Dame Judi Dench has played both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria in film roles.
Additionally, shorter songs often get more use as the filmmaker can use them for transitions scenes or segments where the music is not the foremost element. So, while filmmakers do like to use all the music in an album some songs need to wait until there is an appropriate element of inspiration.
I have created a “highlights” video of the music syncs to the album. Sorry if some of the transitions are abrupt but I wanted to include as much as possible while still staying under YouTube’s 10 minute limit. As all songs are listed and shown in the order used, anyone could recreate the full sync for himself or herself.
Link to YouTube Video (including higher def image):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLB47EANB1w
Friday, January 9, 2009
Happy New Year!
I'll be up with new posts next week as well as redoing some links that went down when a video site declined my syncs as copyrighted material.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Friday, June 6, 2008
More Bond Film Syncs to the song "Someone To Watch Over Me"
I'd thought I'd tackle some of the Roger Moore films having provided "Someone To Watch Over Me" syncs to the Connery films, Dr. No, Goldfinger and Thunderball.
Here are two syncs to the film, Live and Let Die and one to the film, The Spy Who Loved Me. While The Spy Who Love Me sync features a key the Live and Let Die don't but both syncs feature Bond's tricked out Rolex watch, thus 'watching' over things.
Enjoy!
Live And Let Die
The Spy Who Loved Me
Here are two syncs to the film, Live and Let Die and one to the film, The Spy Who Loved Me. While The Spy Who Love Me sync features a key the Live and Let Die don't but both syncs feature Bond's tricked out Rolex watch, thus 'watching' over things.
Enjoy!
Live And Let Die
The Spy Who Loved Me
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Dr. No - Deliberate Continuity Errors - Miss Taro's Bungalow
One area of filmmaking that hasn't gotten its proper share of attention is the deliberate continuity error. Some directors love to fool their audience by putting these things in. Current filmmakers do this as well, but with DVDs, it becomes a lot harder to get away with things without getting caught. Naturally, it was somewhat a different mindset years ago when films were generally seen only in theatres and without the benefit of rewind or slow motion.
One extended scene that has a lot of deliberate goofs is when Bond visits Miss Taro's bungalow in the film Dr. No.
Admittedly, it's not always easy to decide what is deliberate versus just a mistake (goof). The best way I know how to spot them is when the director tips his hand. One of these techniques that give the director's intent away is what I like to refer as the three step mambo.
The first step is to establish something. Here we have Bond with short socks and the ashtray hidden behind the lamp.
The second step is to hide what was established either by blocking it from the audience's view or moving away to another shot so the audience forgets things.
The third step is to give us the first shot with things changed. Here, two of the bigger changes are the ashtray is now visible (before it was hidden by the lamp). And Bond is now wearing long socks.
I put together an audio commentary of the bungalow scenes as well as video/slideshow hybrid that show off some of these continuity errors.
http://www.omnisio.com/filmsyncs/dr-no-deliberate-continuity-errors
A list of the continuity errors that occur to me, follows:
1. A vent in the left side of the front door is open
2. Vents on right side of door (from the outside) are closed
3. Shadow on back window blind is now present
4. Bird Cage in angled position from before
5. Lampshade by Miss Taro’s bed is now huge
6. Fan shadow on back wall toward moves to cast shadow over the bedroom door
7. Fan shadow on bedroom door moves to cast shadow over table
8. Bottom picture tucked in vanity mirror appears more slanted than when first scene but this is not certain
9. Bright, pink light shine on framed pictures as Miss Taro comes over to the bed with Bond on the phone
10. Miss Taro agrees that her street address is 2171 Magenta Drive when before she had said it was 2391
11. The large slant in the lampshades by the bed has been lost
12. Sound of Bond descending the steps has him taking six steps where there were eight before
13. Pot on second step is now smaller and now on top step
14. Frond Door Vent is now closed
15. Turntable is now on the bar
16. Interior shot of moonlight in the bedroom has shadow that wasn’t present as Bond walks into the room
17. Ashtray that was on the table next to the bed is now by the table near the door
18. Bond’s tie is missing as he puts the silencer on his gun
19. The gun is a FN Browning with the scripted FN visible on the gun in a close-up, when the gun is suppose to be a Walther PPK
20. Bond’s watch had not been very visible (under his sleeve cuff) now is much more visible
21. Shadow of fan over Bond’s solitaire game with the fan moving much slower than prior shots
22. Golden rings on porcelain base of lamp point in a different direction than at first. The position of this lamp changes so often, I’m not going to mention the other changes
23. As Professor Dent opens the door, the strap on Miss Taro’s purse now leans forward into the room
24. The hammer of Dent’s gun stays in the cocked position as shots are fired. I think this was done with a special prop. Notice that the hammer doesn’t appear to be centered on the gun, more a bit behind it. This way the gun fires normally and the prop is just a tacked add-on allowing for a bit of silliness.
25. There is already a hole in the pillow before Dent fires his first shot
26. The shadow of the light next to the bed has shifted and no longer captures the shape of the light
27. The light changes making it brighter in the room so Professor Dent’s bright shadow is not longer seen through the door
28. The position of the box on the coffee table changes
29. The stack of cards that were in Bond’s hand have now moved closer to the edge of the table
30. The chain by the (closed deck) has now shifted position and the clothing hung over its back have shifted too
31. The bedspread is much more clumped on the floor
32. The table lamp by Bond is not tilted the same way
33. The fan is now going faster again and casting a different shadow
34. With the lights now on, the fan shadow stays present but in the cut to Bond’s face, the shadow is now missing
35. The light switch cord moves a bit on the chair arm
36. Red tassel (or the like) is on or in the mirror when it wasn’t present before or will again
37. In a reverse shot, the light switch cord which was on one side of the table is now over two edges
38. Professor Dent’s tie gets much neater than it was before
39. The ashtray that was hiding behind the lamp is now in sight
40. Bond is now sporting longer socks
41. Professor Dent’s left hand is further back on the table
42. The red women’s shoe behind Professor Dent have shifted position
43. Professor Dent’s right hand is now clenched
44. Professor Dent’s right hand is now open
45. Professor Dent’s left hand moves back to the edge of the table as he tries to move the bedspread with his foot
46. Ashtray is now between cord of light switch
47. The cord is just near ashtray
48. Bond now has long socks on
49. Gun is now further away from Dent than it was a minute ago
50. Ashtray now moves to the very corner of the table as Dent tries to kill Bond but hasn’t any bullets left
51. Bond gun changes from dark metal to brighter steel as he shoots Dent and then back to a darker metal
52. Silk belt on bench behind Dent changes positions slightly as Dent falls to the ground
53. Clothing is visible in the open drawer of the desk when it wasn’t visible in other shots
54. Cigarette magically gets into the ashtray as Bond takes the silencer off his gun
One extended scene that has a lot of deliberate goofs is when Bond visits Miss Taro's bungalow in the film Dr. No.
Admittedly, it's not always easy to decide what is deliberate versus just a mistake (goof). The best way I know how to spot them is when the director tips his hand. One of these techniques that give the director's intent away is what I like to refer as the three step mambo.
The first step is to establish something. Here we have Bond with short socks and the ashtray hidden behind the lamp.
The second step is to hide what was established either by blocking it from the audience's view or moving away to another shot so the audience forgets things.
The third step is to give us the first shot with things changed. Here, two of the bigger changes are the ashtray is now visible (before it was hidden by the lamp). And Bond is now wearing long socks.
I put together an audio commentary of the bungalow scenes as well as video/slideshow hybrid that show off some of these continuity errors.
http://www.omnisio.com/filmsyncs/dr-no-deliberate-continuity-errors
A list of the continuity errors that occur to me, follows:
1. A vent in the left side of the front door is open
2. Vents on right side of door (from the outside) are closed
3. Shadow on back window blind is now present
4. Bird Cage in angled position from before
5. Lampshade by Miss Taro’s bed is now huge
6. Fan shadow on back wall toward moves to cast shadow over the bedroom door
7. Fan shadow on bedroom door moves to cast shadow over table
8. Bottom picture tucked in vanity mirror appears more slanted than when first scene but this is not certain
9. Bright, pink light shine on framed pictures as Miss Taro comes over to the bed with Bond on the phone
10. Miss Taro agrees that her street address is 2171 Magenta Drive when before she had said it was 2391
11. The large slant in the lampshades by the bed has been lost
12. Sound of Bond descending the steps has him taking six steps where there were eight before
13. Pot on second step is now smaller and now on top step
14. Frond Door Vent is now closed
15. Turntable is now on the bar
16. Interior shot of moonlight in the bedroom has shadow that wasn’t present as Bond walks into the room
17. Ashtray that was on the table next to the bed is now by the table near the door
18. Bond’s tie is missing as he puts the silencer on his gun
19. The gun is a FN Browning with the scripted FN visible on the gun in a close-up, when the gun is suppose to be a Walther PPK
20. Bond’s watch had not been very visible (under his sleeve cuff) now is much more visible
21. Shadow of fan over Bond’s solitaire game with the fan moving much slower than prior shots
22. Golden rings on porcelain base of lamp point in a different direction than at first. The position of this lamp changes so often, I’m not going to mention the other changes
23. As Professor Dent opens the door, the strap on Miss Taro’s purse now leans forward into the room
24. The hammer of Dent’s gun stays in the cocked position as shots are fired. I think this was done with a special prop. Notice that the hammer doesn’t appear to be centered on the gun, more a bit behind it. This way the gun fires normally and the prop is just a tacked add-on allowing for a bit of silliness.
25. There is already a hole in the pillow before Dent fires his first shot
26. The shadow of the light next to the bed has shifted and no longer captures the shape of the light
27. The light changes making it brighter in the room so Professor Dent’s bright shadow is not longer seen through the door
28. The position of the box on the coffee table changes
29. The stack of cards that were in Bond’s hand have now moved closer to the edge of the table
30. The chain by the (closed deck) has now shifted position and the clothing hung over its back have shifted too
31. The bedspread is much more clumped on the floor
32. The table lamp by Bond is not tilted the same way
33. The fan is now going faster again and casting a different shadow
34. With the lights now on, the fan shadow stays present but in the cut to Bond’s face, the shadow is now missing
35. The light switch cord moves a bit on the chair arm
36. Red tassel (or the like) is on or in the mirror when it wasn’t present before or will again
37. In a reverse shot, the light switch cord which was on one side of the table is now over two edges
38. Professor Dent’s tie gets much neater than it was before
39. The ashtray that was hiding behind the lamp is now in sight
40. Bond is now sporting longer socks
41. Professor Dent’s left hand is further back on the table
42. The red women’s shoe behind Professor Dent have shifted position
43. Professor Dent’s right hand is now clenched
44. Professor Dent’s right hand is now open
45. Professor Dent’s left hand moves back to the edge of the table as he tries to move the bedspread with his foot
46. Ashtray is now between cord of light switch
47. The cord is just near ashtray
48. Bond now has long socks on
49. Gun is now further away from Dent than it was a minute ago
50. Ashtray now moves to the very corner of the table as Dent tries to kill Bond but hasn’t any bullets left
51. Bond gun changes from dark metal to brighter steel as he shoots Dent and then back to a darker metal
52. Silk belt on bench behind Dent changes positions slightly as Dent falls to the ground
53. Clothing is visible in the open drawer of the desk when it wasn’t visible in other shots
54. Cigarette magically gets into the ashtray as Bond takes the silencer off his gun
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Bond, Back in Action - Film Montage to the song, "I'm Your Man"
Strictly for fun and a change of pace, a video montage of the song "I'm Your Man" by Michael Buble to scenes from the Bond films. Although, having said that, it is interesting how many new ideas come to mind by during these sort of things. Enjoy!
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