Today is exactly three months since production ended for "I'll Remember." And, finally, post-production is coming to a close.
One of the most crucial elements in a film is the sound. A viewer is more likely to criticize a film when the quality of what he hears is poor than when that of what he sees is subpar, hence the reason I've spent much time these last two weeks of post-production on sound design and the score. Luckily, I have an experienced sound designer and a great composer on my side.
The highlight of the entire post-production process came yesterday when I spent three hours in the composer's studio on a hot summer afternoon in Los Angeles when the temperature soared to nearly 100 degrees. In the compact space, we had two computers running on four monitors, two keyboards, and four fans ineffectively trying to cool us off. Despite the heat, the process of listening to the different instrumental tracks and watching the composer (a great guy from Taiwan, just like me) ad lib a stirring melody here and a melancholic chord there was tremendously entertaining, recalling the days when I was a pseudo musician in my high school marching band and orchestra.
We discussed the timing of the music to enhance the right emotional beat, the character of the instrument, albeit digital, to correspond to the story, and the duration of notes to allow for the right amount of silence. I suppose I particularly enjoyed this experience because I was able to play the role of a musician/composer for those brief hours. I don't know if the other directors the composer has worked with are as demanding as I am; I'll have to ask him when everything is said and done.
The score should be finalized tonight, the sound mixed this Thursday, and the color corrected by Friday. So the only thing left to do is to put everything together and output a DVD. It really is like giving birth. The impetus to shoot this film was conceived about nine months ago in December 2012. Two months later, my friend Quentin planted the idea to shoot it in Los Angeles. Pre-production began in April, and now labor is beginning.
And, just like having a child, anyone who sees my baby will want to judge it - how pretty it is, how well it cries, its character, and its soul. The difference is that instead of focusing on protecting this first-born from the disillusioned world, I need to note the criticism and prepare for my next birth.
I hope I'll be a prolific mother.
