Jaws without the derrrr dum, derrrr dum wouldn’t be half as tense (not that I know, too scared to watch it) and Apocalypse Now without Ride of the Valkyries wouldn’t have made it a definitive war film (according to me, with no film critic credentials), and PILI without the excellent work of Tom, Oscar, Tim, Max, Paul and Simon would not be as dramatic.
Watching PILI with the sound edit is a completely new experience. The dissonance of the insects and nature and the composition from Tim builds the tension in the film to the point I was squirming when sat in the final sound mix. One scene I was unsure about is now miles better and makes the hairs on my arms prickle. The music of Shaa and Peter Msechu sound super when they kick in, even though Peter’s song sticks in my head for hours after hearing it. And Tom has done an awesome job of covering up the drunks and hair salon that I begged/deployed Jackson to work his magic/paid to be quiet when shooting. Honestly the work of the sound team never ends.
I also discovered this week (after my colleague Tim was keen to find out) that our foley artist – Paul Hanks – is one of the best in the game, and according to font of all film knowledge IMDb worked on Casino Royale. PILI and James Bond: the similarities are uncanny – famous/unknown lead actor; well-resourced franchise/budget film-making from first time Producer; well-resourced stunts/erm stunts – okay, there are some differences, but main thing is despite these differences in budget we still haven’t compromised on quality and I think Barbara Broccoli should really consider Leanne for Bond Director when Sam Mendes steps down.
With the sound edit finished the film feels cohesive as sound and aesthetic combine beautifully to tell the story. Next week we’re into a cinema for final last minute checks before it gets sent off to become a DCP package to send off to film festivals. And then, the film is done and the scary part of showing people begins.
Not Another AIDS Film 