Having already worked for 'the Oath" a short film of Tjebbo Penning, we knew to expect an experimental film this time, especially as the story was not chronologically linear. Instead present and past were interwoven. At first we wanted to write an electronic, abstract score, so I started to make large amounts of abstract sound material early on in the script phase. I was particularly looking for a knawing, frantic sound that could be used as a red line throughout the film.
'onrust' ('Reslessness')
click to play
'party'
click to play
The
music was played particularly loud to get the public to
dance to the right rythm and put them in the right mood.
Wiebe eventually created one continuous track from this
music in the mixing phase.
Music
Wiebe
(de Boer) and me, were given the opportunity to write dance
music for the partyscene in the film. This music was to
be played at the set. Finally in October we were
on the set, amongst a large number of partying extras.
After
several meetings with Tjebbo it became clear that our original
abstract music idea needed some adjustment. We had expected a small
amount of orchestral music, but realised that this was going to
play a major role in the film. We decided to plan a lot of time in Prague to record the orchestra. This, together with the fact that the editing exceeded the deadline, meant I had to take an IBook with me on holiday to create the orchestral scores and parts. Then straight to Prague (with Maurits) to record 45 minutes of music in 3 sessions of 4 hours. Wiebe, at the same time, was working on electronic cues.
The Dutch press reacted half-heartedly to 'Morlang'. Trouw even called the music exaggerated and distracting. Luckily this turned out to be only a national mistake. At the Film Music Biennale in Bonn, we were nominated for an award for best film music over the last 2 years, alongside 'In the Mood for Love' and 'The Others', among others. Along with Wiebe, I of course accepted the invitation to join. This was a typical meeting. Long nights at a hotel in the company of film composers from all over the world are very rare. And at the price-giving ceremony the next day,"The winner is .... Mo .....SKVA!" shame!
'orchestral'click
to play
''to
Ierland' click to play
click
to play
Sounddesign
With Morlang, we tried not to have music and sound design in competition, but allowing each to have their moments. This was how the sequence of the initial titles came into being, and how the rest of the film was subsequently filled in. So it was either sound design or music and not both at once. After making the premix at Soundpalette, the final mix was done in Ireland. For this Bart and I stayed in Ireland for 4 weeks, working with Douglas Murray. This was a inspiring and valuable experience.
Like 'Total Loss', 'Morlang' got reviews in the US that were a lot more positive than those of the national press. Variety: "A sleek, highly stylized arthouse thriller that, fragmented in time and space, neatly resolves into a portrait of fictional painter Morlang. ...the revelation of Morlang's traumatic secret proves worth waiting for. British, Irish and Dutch cast is uniformly excellent.
"Broad scripting and acting are counterbalanced by crisp photography, shivery sound design...
"The music by Soundpalette, a Dutch group of composers, makes a good link between thematic, emotional, dramaturgigal scene music and music of interwoven sound design." (Jury of the International Film Music Biennale Bonn)
Morlang
(2001) production:
Tjebbo Penning
director: Petra Goedings
company: Phanta Vision
D.O.P: Han Wennink editor:
J.P. Luijstenburg
At
Soundpalette: music:
Han, Wiebe
sound design: Bart, Han,
mixage: (olv Douglas
Murray) Bart, Han
sound editors: Jankoen, Danny
