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"I think if Andrew Adamson was
directing the next movie and I hadn't been asked to do it, then I
don't think I could help myself from feeling extremely disappointed."
Harry Gregson-Williams
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Just after the release of THE
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, composer Harry Gregson-Williams
shares about his return to Narnia, his feelings about moving on from
the franchise, what he's doing with up-and-coming-composers like
David Buckley and Stephen Barton at his Wavecrest Studios, and his
upcoming projects which include X-Men Origins: Wolverine. |
CC: First off,
congrats on PRINCE
CASPIAN. The film is
doing well and you're
score is again very
entertaining.
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
Well, thank you.
CC: Can you compare
the two experiences of
composing for THE
LION, THE WITCH, AND
THE WARDROBE versus
PRINCE CASPIAN?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
There was one
fundamental
difference, and it's a
physical difference.
For THE LION, THE
WITCH, and the
WARDROBE, I wrote the
score in my studio in
Los Angeles and
recorded it here as
well. On PRINCE
CASPIAN, since Andrew
Adamson was cutting
the film in London,
the sound and visual
effects being done in
London, it was
required that I pack
my gear up and send it
over there. So I had
to find a studio there
and hit the ground
running, which I did
just after Christmas
of last year. It was
quite a challenge to
recreate the
conditions that I feel
comfortable writing
in. I had to do
something similar when
writing for KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN, but, in the
end, it turned out to
be a lot of good fun.
CC: How long did it
take you to "get
comfortable" to write
and be creative?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
It took a couple of
weeks, but I had left
myself a lot of time.
I started quite early
to give myself plenty
of time to experiment.
CC: Once you got
going, was your
process very similar
to THE LION, THE
WITCH, AND THE
WARDROBE?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
Yes. It was very
similar.
CC: Outside of the
relocation, what would
say your biggest
challenge was
musically on PRINCE
CASPIAN?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
My biggest challenge
was to embrace Andrew
(Adamson's) notion
that I should bring
forward themes from
the first movie. Of
course, there are a
number of new themes
that I had to write,
but the real conundrum
for me was figuring
out just how much of
the thematic content I
was going to bring
with me from the last
movie. It's strange
not starting from
square-one. I actually
worried about this
quite a bit, so what I
ended up doing was to
push all of that to
one side and write
Prince Caspian's theme
and the cue for the
first 8-minutes of the
film. I knew this
piece would have no
reference to the
previous movie, so
this was good for me
because it made me
feel as though I was
on a fresh musical
journey.
CC: Would you say
that, at least in some
ways, it is more
difficult in doing a
sequel?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
Yes. I would say that.
I don't know what
David Arnold would say
when one does Bond
movie after Bond
movie. Perhaps
intellectually it's
not so difficult for
him because what would
a Bond movie be
without ((hums James
Bond theme)) - because
you just need those
John Barry moments.
But somehow he is able
to make the scores
feel fresh. So for me,
once I could see the
arc of the story that
I'd be able to follow,
it all became much
clearer.
CC: David Arnold is
the composer taking
the reigns, as it
were, for the
franchise.....How does
it feel? Is it easy to
cut the chord and say,
"I've done my part and
so whatever he does,
great!"
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
I think if Andrew
Adamson was directing
the next movie and I
hadn't been asked to
do it, then I don't
think I could help
myself from feeling
extremely
disappointed.
CC: As you are then
stepping away from the
franchise, what do you
take away from the
experience of working
on these two movies?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
I've really enjoyed
the whole thing. I
can't stress too much
how fortunate I have
felt being able to
work on these movies -
especially since I am
English and obviously
have English
sensibilities. I take
away a vast experience
really. It's been a
great opportunity to
write some tunes and
then stand by them. I
had no idea I was
going to do PRINCE
CASPIAN. Straight
after THE LION, THE
WITCH and THE
WARDROBE, I was
probably focusing on
another movie already.
CC: What do you mean
that you had to "stand
by" the tunes you
wrote?
HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS:
Well, for a movie like
GONE BABY, GONE, I
wrote a theme for it
and it seemed to work.
Ben Affleck was happy
with it, but that
theme has gone to bed,
if you know what I
mean. That theme is
not going to get
another airing in
Gone, Baby Gone 2. So
it was a bit of a
strange sensation to
be revisiting the
themes from THE LION,
THE WITCH, AND THE
WARDROBE, but still it
was one I thoroughly
enjoyed.
Continue the Interview
(Page 2)
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