Art Starter: Lior

Lior

Nominated for Best Original Song Composed For The Screen: Hey Hootabelle from Giggle & Hoot and Best Music for Children's Television: Hey Hootabelle

How different is it composing music for screen as opposed to writing music for your day to day band/project? I see the main difference in that with screen composition you are usually given the artistic function you need to head towards and then need to work out how to get there. It's a big difference because the seed is already given to you, and you need to draw on your range of skills and tricks to make that seed grow into something, which will achieve that artistic function and also fit into the collaborative parameters. For me, it's a less personal venture, which challenges the 'craftsmanship' aspects of my songwriting.

Does the television or film director give a specific brief or a general outline for you to explore creatively? In my experience, I have only been given an overview and description of what the visual will be like, and then the brief of what the producers want in terms of the song, what they want it to say and the feeling they want it to convey. I haven't worked to an already completed visual thread as is often the case with film soundtrack work. I would imagine that would be more difficult.

What can music add that is not already present in a film or television piece? I always found it funny that being a musician, I often get so caught up in the visual aspect that I don't pay much attention to what's happening musically around it. I only became aware of how powerful music is in a film when I became privy to participate on work that some film composers were doing and saw the visuals pre- and post-music. It's only when I had the point of comparison that I could see the difference could be feeling a pinch of emotion without the musical aspect, to that of being genuinely moved once the music is in.

Is it necessary to tell a story or just convey a mood when writing for the screen? My experience has only been that of writing songs for screen so there is a lyrical element and a story of some sort as well as a mood you are aiming for.

The Screen Music Awards will be held in Melbourne on Monday 19 November