VOA常速英语2007年-Songwriters Enhance Movies With Their Music

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
05 November 2007

One of the most important collaborations in Hollywood is between songwriters and filmmakers. Music sets the tone for a film and highlights the story line. Mike O'Sullivan attended a recent Hollywood forum² where composers explained how they write music for movies.

One classic collaboration¹ was between the singing duo Simon & Garfunkel and the filmmaker Mike Nichols.

In the 1967 film The Graduate, music made performances by Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross even more memorable³.

Singer Jesse Harris wrote songs for this year's film The Hottest State, written and directed by Ethan Hawke. Harris performed two of them at the recent Hollywood forum.

The Grammy award-winning composer writes and records his own albums, but he also enjoys writing music for movies. He says each new song is a challenge.

"I try to make each song make sense for itself," said Jesse Harris. "So to me, each song dictates⁴ its own rules and its own direction. And I feel like the object is to find that, and then write the song."

Willie Nelson sings another Jesse Harris composition in the film The Hottest State, a sad song in keeping with the story of a young Texan in New York who struggles in his relationship with a beautiful singer.

Songwriter and record producer Glen Ballard worked with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis on the upcoming film Beowulf, based on the early Anglo-Saxon saga⁵. The computer-animated movie features Angelina Jolie, Ray Winstone and Anthony Hopkins, and it needed some epic⁶ music.

Composer Ballard says music is a tool for the movie-maker, and a song or score has to fit the movie.

"A song in a movie has to do some serious heavy lifting, or otherwise it should not be there," said Glen Ballard. "So the idea that a song might be able to accomplish some story-telling, some character development, and whatever that song can bring to a scene - if it is going to be on-screen for a minute, it generally has to really work."

Getting the mood right can be a challenge. Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche worked with director Peter Hedges on the romantic comedy Dan in Real Life. plays a relationship expert who struggles to succeed as a single parent.

Lerche was on the set for the filming, and even taught the star how to play guitar. He says being there inspired him.

"I wrote one of the original songs for the sound-track in the house where it was filmed while they were shooting in the room next door," said Sondre Lerche. "It was a tremendous experience. That was my main inspiration, to be there."

This song was the result.

The director liked the song and put it in the movie.

These songwriters say their music adds an important dimension to films, allowing the composer to help with the narrative⁷, and giving them an audience that might not otherwise hear their music.

1 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

4 dictates   

n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• Convention dictates that a minister should resign in such a situation. 依照常规部长在这种情况下应该辞职。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He always follows the dictates of common sense. 他总是按常识行事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。

6 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

7 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。