BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
“A lot of people watch the film and they don’t realise how powerful music can be – how it can actually create a really different emotion,” Thomas Lo says. The anon. violinist is on a mission with partner in crime Nicole TJ to bring music to the forefront in their latest project ‘Trailer Music’.
“The film industry has always been working the same way, where people create a film visual then get a composer,” Thomas says. “So what we want to do is turn the tables around and show people how important music is in film.”
The Melbourne classical musicians will team up with six filmmakers and a director who will each create a short film to accompany Nicholas Buc’s piece ‘Trailer Music’. Each film will be based on a different section of the work, and Thomas and Nicole will select a group of filmmakers who they believe will “give the music the credit it deserves”.
A creative brief for the visuals will supply instruction of a common theme – technical or artistic – to ensure a consistency between the six films produced when they’re strung together for the final product.
“What we’re looking for is people to be able to create films based on the music itself, instead of using the music as a background,” Nicole says.
“The way that Nicholas has written the piece is that each mood is so distinctive but when it flows into the next section, it transforms so seamlessly that you don’t realise.”
In effect, it’ll be a silent movie with “no dialogue, no sound effects, all music”, according to Thomas.
“The music itself creates the dialogue, and you use the articulations and sound as part of the sound effects,” he says.
“Without the dialogue, the only thing you can listen to is the music.”
So what’ll it be like to experience a film composed for a musical work, rather than the reverse? For starters, the screening will actually be a live concert.
“We’ll play the music first, once in pitch darkness so people can experience what the music is like and have their own imagination of what the film could be like,” Thomas explains. “Then we’ll play the film, and show how the music itself can be so provocative.”
The project is being funded by a Pozible campaign, which has raised almost $5000 to date. They’re half way there, but with the campaign wrapping up on April 27 anon. are calling for supporters of film and music to help the project come to life.
“Sometimes having a film or visual there presents a more accessible way for people to take a chance – to take a step into the world of classical music,” Nicole says.
Reaching their goal of $10,000, anon. will have the funds for artist and director fees, marketing, venue hire, and production costs. Jump on board with the project here – you can even get your name in the credits of their film.
For more information on anon. and ‘Trailer Music’ go to http://www.projectanon.net/TRAILERMUSIC/.
Image supplied.
