LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

A still from the recent Downton Abbey film, featuring actors Michelle Dockery and Matthew Goode. The background musicians were provided by Music in Vision

JAAP BUITENDIJK / FOCUS FEATURES

The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is clearly a perfectionist. After watching the 1997 film Titanic he approached the director James Cameron with a bold observation. He pointed out that on the fateful night of 14–15 April 1912 the star formations in the night sky would have appeared completely differently from how they are depicted on film. My lasting memory of the film was thinking that surely Kate Winslet could have moved over a bit on her raft to stop Leonardo DiCaprio from succumbing to hypothermia. However, Cameron clearly felt the accuracy of this seemingly small detail was important, so he obliged by making the change for a subsequent anniversary rerelease of the film.

As a musician, it’s heartening to see this attitude. We can all bring to mind an example of an actor who has suddenly been given a few weeks (or hours) to learn an instrument, resulting in a cringeworthy screen ‘performance’. There are many videos online dedicated to ‘roasting’ these mishaps; most prolifically, the comedy duo TwoSet Violin have tapped into this subgenre. I’m on a mission to convince every production team that audiences do notice these mistakes, which break the suspension of disbelief. The UK film industry is enjoying a boom at the moment, owing to the popularity of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Production companies have huge budgets at their disposal, and the proliferation of concurrently filming projects means that even finding free studio time for shoots is a challenge. Consequently, there has never been a better time to work in the production industry. Supporting artists, or extras, perform a unique and invaluable role in film and TV productions, and being involved in on-camera work as a freelance cellist myself has led me to create a business out of this niche. I am now trying to ensure that professional musical performers are able to have access to exactly this kind of work.

Players need to have a flexible mindset and to be prepared for all sorts of variables when working with a film crew

ISTOCK

IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT FILM PRODUCTIONS ARE WELL-OILED MACHINES, AND THERE IS A STRONG SENSE OF HIERARCHY BOTH ON AND OFF SET

So, how do we go about making this possible? A production crew functions in a manner very similar to an orchestra: the team is generally made up of freelancers, and heads of department will hire specialists with whom they have prior experience of working. As in an orchestral section, personality is key; crew members need to be highly efficient, possess excellent teamwork skills, perform well under pressure and, importantly, be friendly and enjoyable to work with (essential after a twelve-hour day when the camera is still rolling).

It’s important to understand that these productions are well-oiled machines, and there is a strong sense of hierarchy both on and off set. Consequently, it can be challenging to come in as an outsider and request a change to the processes that are already in place. Many productions recognise the value of specialist musical performers, but getting them on screen is not a clear-cut task.

It would be easy to lay blame on certain departments for misunderstanding the requirements of musicians, but overwhelmingly I find that each of my production colleagues is understandably dedicated to prioritising the needs of their immediate team. Added to this, supporting artists are not booked until fairly late in the production process, owing to the vast numbers of people that have to be scheduled for each shoot day.

One would assume that the music supervision department would take care of booking on-camera musicians, and this is sometimes the case. However, more often it is the second assistant director’s team that organises background artists or ‘crowd’ requirements. They will approach their trusted extras agents, who supply all sorts of supporting artists, and will find options for roles with specialist skills, whether that is a type of sport, a type of dance or the ability to play an instrument. The hindrance here is that the extras agents cannot be specialists in every area and will often have to rely on the word of a supporting artist who claims to be able to play the violin, the piano or whatever. Successful background artists are used to displaying a can-do attitude, and competition is fierce, so they will often try to make a go of it.

Of course, if there is no music supervisor on set (and bear in mind that not all music supervisors are also instrumentalists or singers), the crew can be none the wiser as to the skill level of the artist they have employed.

The interaction that instrumentalists have with me is quite different from that which they have with other fixers in the musical world. They might be surprised to learn that I expect them to send a paper tracing of their hands with measurements, or a self-tape (the name actors use for an audition tape) of them performing a short piece.

Actor Clive Owen plays violinist Dovidl in The Song of Names. Music in Vision led the casting search for a young musician to play the character as a boy

MUSICIANS COULD BE MIMING ONLY, PLAYING LIVE AND BEING RECORDED, PLAYING LIVE WITH NO RECORDING, OR MIMING TO A CLICK TRACK

I am often called in to supervise the musicians for their on-set dates. A typical day for musicians can mean an extremely early start if there are large numbers of crowd artists in the background. This means that the hair and make-up and costume departments have to prepare everyone before the shoot time, so the musicians could be called in for as early as 4am, depending on the order of preparation and crowd numbers. As a supporting artist, one has to become used to lots of downtime and waiting around. This job is not for you if you’re impatient, fidgety or unable to cope with not being in control of your schedule. There are long periods of waiting, which alternate with intense periods of concentration during repetitive takes. There is usually a line-up to carry out checks on make-up and costumes before the extras are called on set for a brief rehearsal. A button has invariably fallen off, or a wig might have gone askew. If it’s a historical production, it is highly likely that the extras will not be wearing the most comfortable of costumes. Voluminous dresses and wigs can become hot and uncomfortable once you’re on set, particularly when there are candles involved, a lot of lights and large groups of people.

There are always many takes. It is therefore important that the performers realise they generally won’t know when they will be finished for the day, or even when they are breaking for lunch (hint: don’t ask questions about either of these things). There may not be a music supervisor present, but there is a lot that musicians can do to keep their day running smoothly. This is not a usual workplace. Crew members rush around with heavy tools and wires and are not used to being around musicians with valuable instruments. It is important to keep belongings out of the way of any equipment and to take care not to use any workstation as a coffee table. Absolutely no photos or videos are to be taken on set, because artists will be required to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) regarding the production.

Musicians therefore need to have a flexible mindset, and be prepared for all sorts of variables on set. They could be miming only, playing live and being recorded (which commands a higher fee), playing live with no recording taken, or miming to a click track. Often, if the director does not want the instruments to be audible (for dialogue purposes), string players will have to clean off as much rosin as possible from their bows. I’ve even worked on shoots where new, clean bows (of the cheaper variety) are bought in by the production to ensure that nothing can be heard.

Occasionally, unusual instruments are hired in, when players that own them are not available. I really enjoy interacting with the props and set decoration departments, because it allows me to research and consistently expand my knowledge of instruments. A recent production I worked on had to hire some special balalaikas because the models that are generally available are from the Soviet era (who knew?), whereas this production was set in the 1740s.

On the drama series Britannia, set in the era following the Roman conquest of Britain, I was a performer in addition to my other duties. Fortunately, I had not been asked to provide relevant instruments from around AD43; instead, the wonderful props department made selections. We simply turned up and chose from a box of prop instruments suitable for the period. It was our job to mime on these instruments in as convincing a manner as possible. The musicians who are most experienced and successful at this kind of work are able to cope with spontaneity, being able to take direction such as being asked to move, more or to walk around while playing.

I INVARIABLY FIND THAT ACTORS THROW THEMSELVES INTO EACH NEW SITUATION, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY LEARN FROM THIS AS PERFORMERS

When I am required to work on set, my job is primarily to ensure that the miming of musicians is correctly synced with the pre-recorded track. This can be easier said than done, because there is often not much room, so I can generally be found checking the performances on the screens that are also used by costume and hair–make-up to keep track of which performers need assistance in those areas.

Preparation is key. On one particular shoot, I provided a jazz band to mime in a nightclub setting. I had managed to arrange a drum kit from the correct period, but I hadn’t done anything about the piano. When the keyboard player turned up on set, one of the crew asked if he had brought his piano with him. Fortunately, the band was miming behind a screen for a silhouette effect, so he was provided with an ironing board to mime on!

I am often required to find hand or body doubles for actors to make a musical performance more realistic. Diplomacy between departments is required here, because it can be difficult in some cases to find an exact match. Other departments want to ensure that their needs are met. A feature film I worked on had a lead actress miming at a keyboard instrument, and the make-up department were disappointed when I kept showing them suggestions of pianists with short fingernails. I had to point out tactfully that none of my options would have longer nails.

It’s impossible to tell whether or not you will make the cut. In the recent Downton Abbey film, the orchestral musicians that I provided were front and centre for the ballroom scene, but in the live-action Dumbo, the Dixieland parade band appear for only a few seconds, despite numerous days of filming and a sousaphone player being supplied.

Occasionally, it will be necessary for musicians to interact with one of the main actors. During a recent production with which I was involved, two of the protagonists were required to work with a group of singers. I had provided vocal coaching in a specific dialect for the supporting artists, but the actors had not been present at the rehearsal. This meant that we had to ensure the stars were quickly up to speed and able to join in with the group. As is often the case, this all had to happen in a matter of minutes while the scene was blocked (a short rehearsal to decide how and where actors will move in relation to the camera), before shooting began. Of course, I invariably find that actors throw themselves into each new situation, and we can certainly learn from this as performers.

Although effective miming is crucial, often the visual requirements extend beyond this. At the beginning of 2018, I was approached by a casting director for war film The Song of Names. The production was searching for a young actor–violinist who could portray a violin prodigy between the ages of nine and thirteen. He needed to bear some resemblance to the main actor, Clive Owen, as he would be playing the younger version of his character. He would also need to be able to portray a Polish accent convincingly.

The specialist music schools in the UK were my first port of call. The children and teenagers in the running for the role were required to submit a self-tape, where they introduced themselves and performed a short piece to camera. Then a very select few were asked to audition for the director. In the end, I was fortunate to come across Luke Doyle, who has a gift for acting as well as being a talented violinist. The soundtrack recordings were made by Ray Chen, and Doyle worked to synchronise his performances to these. The most challenging aspect was having to do this without a shoulder rest, as the production wanted to ensure that his violin reflected the protagonist’s humble beginnings. This included making some modifications to his instrument, such as changing the chin rest and the tailpiece, along with the adjusters. Doyle did a marvellous job of staying calm under the pressure of being faced with an instrument that was consequently a bit unhappy with being modified.

Ultimately, for musicians who enjoy and throw themselves into the challenges of new projects, film and TV shoots are very rewarding. One caveat though: you may have spent hours on set, but be prepared to wait for a year or so to see whether your starring role has made the cut!