Falling slowly, eyes that know me, and I can't go back

(Full disclosure: I'm not an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member, but I am a member of what used to be called National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, now just referred to as the Recording Academy. Whatever.)

Film music can be pretty unique. Or it can be the lowest common denominator drivel, pounded out by jaded, calculating writers. Too often Oscar winning songs fall into the latter category. And with 3 truly awful songs nominated from "Enchanted" and a generic faux-gospel tune from "August Rush", it looked like that might happen happen. Not having seen any of the 3 films represented by the Best Song category, Pam & I looked at each other as they played the songs during the Oscars and said "Man, this is the best they could do?"

But then they did the song from "Once" called "Falling Slowly", and we both knew this was the one. And thankfully the Academy did the right thing. By not rewarding the hackery of Alan Mencken, Stephen Schwartz, and Disney, the Academy lifted up that small song from that small movie and rewarded unique and lovely songwriting.

Here are Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performing "Falling Slowly" on Letterman last November:

He'll look at you and tell you lies

(all pictures from Jeremy Silman's article about composer David Bell;
click on any picture for a large image)

I touched on this in my last post, wherein a Right-wing editorial writer complained about the WGA. But that's not important right now. What is important is that film and TV production and post-production is leaving L.A. and it's sad, because the best talent pool and facilities for that work are here in L.A.

I was at Paramount Stage M today on the Paramount lot, one of the last remaining scoring stages in town. And it's closing forever next June, 2008. The reason, Sumner Redstone wants to close the facility and turn it into mixing and editing rooms because he's a cheap bastard who doesn't mind the actual music recording, or scoring, being moved to cheaper and less talented European musicians. How's his track record in the film business? Well, just look at Paramount under Sherry Lansing compared to today under Redstone's hand-picked Berman & Gray.

What's ironic is that out on the actual stage, pictured above, workers were busy setting up tables and chairs for a formal dinner tonight honoring, you guessed it: Sumner Redstone.

And the actual support staff on the stage had been trying to get the room repainted for over 10 years, with no luck. But now, with the room scheduled to be demolished in 6 months, the room is freshly painted, for a macabre Last Supper. One might suggest that Redstone is a surrogate for Judas in the painting, with his 30 pieces of silver in his pocket.

Rather sad for Hollywood.

Here are some more great pictures of Stage M. And if you're interested, follow the link to Jeremy Silman's site for a great description of how TV (and film) music are recorded.

Looking into the control room from the stage:



Looking over the mixing console out through the window onto the stage:


Here's another link with some historical info about Stage M.