Chapter 50: Whose Mobile Phone
"Hans, here is some footage I shot."
Gesturing to the other side of the room, Duke continued, "Let's watch a segment of the opening sequence first..." Sofia walked over to the television at the front of the reception room, slid a Videotape into the VCR, and turned on the screen.
This wasn't put together by Duke or Mike Dawson; it was the result of Sofia practicing after developing some of the negatives. Although she had merely spliced the footage together roughly—it couldn't even be considered a rough cut—it still reflected Duke's vision for the film, making it perfect for today's scoring meeting.
The footage had no sound, but that didn't stop Hans Zimmer from watching intently from his seat. First, several soldiers appeared carrying a coffin, followed by an officer sitting and smoking. The imagery cut continuously between the officer and the soldiers, interspersed with a few shots of explosions.
Even without any embellishment, Hans Zimmer still gleaned information from the visuals. The officer seemed poised to take extraordinary action, carrying a tragic, heroic weight. Furthermore, every shot was extremely brief, cutting relentlessly; the finished film would undoubtedly set a fast pace.
The opening sequence lasted only a few minutes. After it finished, Hans Zimmer didn't know exactly what would happen next, but he could feel the direction it was taking.
Right now, Hans Zimmer was just one of many top-tier Hollywood composers, yet to achieve his future status as a master. Duke replayed the sequence and laid out his requirements for the score.
Film scoring wasn't just about composing music. It had to complement the film's core themes, match the mood of the scenes, and reflect the director's vision. Every classic score was born from extensive communication between the director, the composer, and the rest of the crew.
"The film needs scores with two different tones."