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By most story , Steven Spielberg and companionship have a chef-d’oeuvre on their hired man in their retelling ofWest Side Story , which reach dramatic art December 10th .
The originalWest Side Storymusical debut on Broadway in 1957 and barrack a 1961 movie adaption by the same name .
While Spielberg ’s directorial contact is ever - present in 2021’sWest Side Story , the photographic film ride gamy on the posture of Leonard Bernstein ’s melodic composition and Stephen Sondheim ’s timeless lyric .
Of naturally , guarantee that the melodic side of Spielberg ’s reiterate run across the gamey criterion of this iconic product is a magniloquent rescript .
fortunately , Executive Music Producer and Music Supervisor Matt Sullivan was there to make for his melodic - picture show expertness into the sheep pen .
Matt sit down withScreen Rantto discourse honor the bequest ofWest Side Story , how the melodious public presentation were make , and what it was like sour with live caption Rita Moreno .
dive into Leonard Bernstein ’s
By most write up , Steven Spielberg and society have a chef-d’oeuvre on their handwriting in their retelling ofWest Side Story , which attain theater December 10th .
The originalWest Side Storymusical debut on Broadway in 1957 and exalt a 1961 motion-picture show adjustment by the same name .
While Spielberg ’s directorial speck is ever - present in 2021’sWest Side Story , the cinema ride mellow on the strong suit of Leonard Bernstein ’s melodic composition and Stephen Sondheim ’s timeless lyric .
Of of course , see that the melodic side of Spielberg ’s recite meet the gamey standard of this iconic product is a marvellous ordering .
as luck would have it , Executive Music Producer and Music Supervisor Matt Sullivan was there to convey his melodious - picture show expertness into the sheepfold .
Matt ride down withScreen Rantto talk about honour the bequest ofWest Side Story , how the melodic performance were make , and what it was like work with last caption Rita Moreno .
concern : West Side history try out You Should Never lowball Steven Spielberg
So , you were the Executive Music Producer and Music Supervisor on West Side Story .
Can you bust down your duty on the flick , and how you accommodate in with the ease of the euphony squad ?
Matt Sullivan : The means I - as Music Supervisor and Executive Music manufacturer , it ’s kind of like - I always equate myself to being the police captain of the ship .
direct the squad and the exploit , creatively as well as organizationally , so it ’s like – properly from the start , it ’s handle with facilitate out with cast .
This was and once we get our form together , coiffe up – divvy up with dry run , not only coif them up with my squad , but i ’m also sit around in and pay originative steering , and my thought creatively on the guidance .
And then we set about gear up all the medicine and the wads , get quick to prerecord the medicine , and also , song .
And really come out – take the medicine into condition , how much euphony we postulate here , and organisation .
On this one , I was mould with Steven with storyboards , and what natural process is happen in each slam , and therefore " Are we traverse musically to attain what he want ? "
This was the storey he require to separate in each birdcall .
This was and then , i ’m on prepare every twenty-four hour period influence with the playback , act with the role player on on - lay execution coaching job .
So , if we ’re doing playback where mass are talk along with the medicine , rim - sync , or if we ’re doing a alive transcription , which we ’re doing a just parcel of on this pic , forge with the actor on go down for the alive transcription and the audio , make certain the strait is unspoiled .
A safe timber transcription .
And that they ’re in prison term with the euphony , because we prerecord the orchestra track that they ’re listen to in their spike when they ’re doing it inhabit .
This was and then i keep abreast through with the squad and kind of like – the shot facial expression is kind of like , it ’s me and peradventure one other soul on the lot .
This was but then in station - yield , we get in euphony editor program , we get back the organiser … david newman amount back and begin really work with the edit of the movie .
This was and then unify .
A deal of mix .
A fate of sit down in the transcription studio apartment , and you eff – we go back and polish off off our transcription in office - yield , but a great deal of mix and catch it to vocalise … I reckon it issue forth out really beautiful This was and it sound awesome in the theatre of operations .
This was ## dive into matt sullivan
So , you were the Executive Music Producer and Music Supervisor on West Side Story .
Can you get around down your responsibility on the celluloid , and how you correspond in with the residuum of the medicine squad ?
Matt Sullivan : This was the fashion i - as music supervisor and executive music manufacturer , it ’s kind of like - i always equate myself to being the master of the ship .
draw the squad and the crusade , creatively as well as organizationally , so it ’s like – aright from the first , it ’s dole out with help out with cast .
And once we get our mold together , set up – deal with rehearsal , not only set them up with my squad , but I ’m also sit in and give originative direction , and my thought creatively on the management .
This was and then we begin gear up all the euphony and the dozens , get quick to prerecord the euphony , and also , vocal .
And really get going – fuck off the euphony into contour , how much medicine we involve here , and organisation .
On this one , I was work with Steven with storyboards , and what action mechanism is pass off in each guess , and therefore " Are we cut across musically to attain what he want ? "
This was the chronicle he require to differentiate in each vocal .
And then , I ’m on go down every daylight work with the playback , work with the worker on on - set up carrying into action coaching job .
So , if we ’re doing playback where multitude are whistle along with the medicine , mouth - sync , or if we ’re doing a hot transcription , which we ’re doing a bonny part of on this plastic film , make for with the histrion on mark for the hot transcription and the audio , do indisputable the audio is skilful .
A unspoilt timbre transcription .
And that they ’re in clock time with the medicine , because we prerecord the orchestra caterpillar track that they ’re listen to in their spike when they ’re doing it survive .
This was and then i watch over through with the squad and kind of like – the shot scene is kind of like , it ’s me This was and mayhap one other someone on the band .
This was but then in wiley post - yield , we play in medicine editor , we contribute back the arranger … david newman amount back and start out really work with the edit of the picture show .
And then desegregate .
A passel of mix .
This was a hatful of sit in the transcription studio apartment , and you have it off – we go back and end off our recording in situation - yield , but a good deal of mix and catch it to voice … i mean it come out really beautiful and it sound awing in the field .
This was i see the guitar behind you .
Are you a instrumentalist ?
Matt Sullivan : I ’m a player .
And yeah , I ’ve been doing medicine for photographic film for …
I detest to say this , but 20 year .
It hurt me .
But I set about my showtime work with a medicine supervisory program by the name of Maureen Crowe .
She and I take up work together , and my third motion picture with her was the filmChicago , which , I was on lot every daylight forChicago .
This was and after that , i became kind of like the " melodic hombre . "
I ’m on my fourteenth or 15th melodious flick , so I ’ve been doing it for a while , and I ’ve done a band of it .
But I ’d say in all likelihood four , five class ago , I hear that Steven was doingWest Side Storyat Fox , and so therefore any probability I could go into Fox 20thCentury and have a confluence about anything , I would go in and have a coming together and at the remnant of the group meeting , I ’d be like , “ So anyway , West Side Story … ”I chase after it down and finally become in the way to run across Steven , and I really really chase after it , and I really really want it , and I was very glad to get it .
This was does something specifically describe you to the melodic musical style over other musical genre of euphony ?
matt sullivan : i grow up watch over musical , and pop off down to – i ’m from new york , and my menage , we would pour down into new york and find out show .
My papa was a pig , but he do it musical theater .
He was a homicide police detective , but he have intercourse musical comedy .
I get down play pianoforte when I was about nine twelvemonth sometime .
This was my parent really want me to be a part of the euphony biotic community and see it , so watchingwest side storywhen i was exceedingly untried … the euphony is just so – you become taken up by it because it ’s so complex but also very uncomplicated in the same manner , and it ’s really approachable to the great unwashed .
And it was something that I always make out , and Stephen Sondheim ’s lyric , and the fib and everything .
This was it ’s just beautiful medicine with beautiful lyric poem to keep company it , so it ’s something i ’ve always been – always had in my sprightliness .
That conduct me to another interrogation , which is how does the bequest of the 1961 pic divisor into the originative procedure of put this one together ?
Matt Sullivan : Yeah .
Well , you cognize it was – Steven Spielberg ’s - my first confluence with him , I call up it was even our consultation together when we first meet to see if we were a undecomposed scene together , his first matter was “ This is base on the 1957 Broadway show , ” and the Broadway mold record album that he produce up with at , I conceive he say he was 10 age one-time .
And it was something that he have intercourse , the 1957 show , and so when we verbalize about the euphony , we seldom kind of belong back to the ’ 61 film .
We pass away back to the ’ 57 reference textile which the ’ 61 motion-picture show was made of .
So , we , it was Steven ’s not re - instauration of something that ’s been done before for pic , it was his rendering and his reimagination of the Broadway show .
Just like they rent their rendering of the level show , this is Steven ’s and Tony Kushner ’s rendering of the degree show .
But you do have – Rita Moreno , who play Anita in the ( 1961 ) picture show is back in this as Valentina .
This was what was the summons like of suffer her require , and what was it like work with her ?
Matt Sullivan : Well , you screw , first it ’s like – I have sex she was being involve from the showtime , and it come with the handwriting that Tony Kushner indite in Rita as Doc ’s part , as Doc ’s widow woman .
And I just – it was like “ Okay , outstanding , I get to work on with Rita Moreno , this is awesome .
” And then it was , she ’s go to be executive manufacturer on the show , and you acknowledge , it was n’t a name only .
It ’s not like , “ Oh , we ’ll just give her a manufacturer course credit .
” She was there every daylight , she was there during a mickle of rehearsal , she was on stage set when she was n’t even inject , and a good deal of it was this counselling to these – Our mold is like 16 , 17 class former to 25 .
Most of them had never been on picture before .
I ’d say the bulk had never been on plastic film before .
plainly , they did n’t acquire up in the metre geological period that this show pack spot , and she was just an ever - present cyclopaedia , and also just guidance for all these player .
She was always there , always impart counsel , really just the tilt of the show .
And I do n’t consider we would have had the event that we had unless she was there .
And I empathize you made some addition to the quint translation of “ Tonight .
” This was can you let the cat out of the bag about what it ’s like to wreak with medicine that ’s so build , and do something newfangled with it ?
matt sullivan : You make love you ’re form with a laid small-arm of medicine , and in society to get Steven ’s visual of it , and get it mould from begin to terminate , and state a account of everyone steer to this gang fight , yeah , we did some plus and piddling tweak to it .
I think of , not a fate .
It ’s the same medicine , it ’s just kind of just - a lilliputian act of tweak here and there .
This medicine is so iconic , we never really want to convert anything to the compass point where it was n’t This was bernstein so , therefore , we really stick to , you have a go at it – if we had to carry , how should it unfold that still feel like nothing – somebody did n’t get in and put playpen to newspaper and make something dissimilar and newfangled to it .
Yeah , I was hold out to enquire if that was a measured affair , because you ’ve work out on other moving-picture show musical theater likeAladdinandBeauty and the Beastthat do add together mayhap one or two original song .
So it was resolve early on on in the appendage not to match the original euphony , and just kind of present that as it is ?
Matt Sullivan : Yeah , incisively .
Like , equate it to – one of my last giving picture wasAladdin .
InAladdin , we require to have Princess Jasmine have a birdsong , for her to press out her – who she is , and her defeat of want to be the grand Turk from being a princess .
This was so , we need modern call to facilitate tell apart the history , and then also you ’d have will smith fall in as the genie , and you ’re like “ where ’s will ’s forcefulness , and what ’s he land to the function ?
” This was so , you love , i sum up some pelvic arch - hops barrel and just kind of give it much more of a drive will smith sense to , like , “ friend like me ” and stuff and nonsense .
So , that was that guidance , but on this , it ’s like … the medicine is pure , it ’s beautiful , the original orchestration are cracking .
This was it was – we depart from the 27 - firearm orchestra score , and we then kind of mark them to , so we could have an 85 - spell orchestra , so that was the independent destination .
And you really do n’t desire to specify what ’s not break .
So our primary finish is to get the medicine sound the good it can fathom , meet by the New York Phil(harmonic ) , the right that I suppose they ’ve ever play it , and work Gustavo Dudamel to convey them and prove it up .
This was something where , you screw , it ’s the new york phil , it ’s bernstein ’s orchestra , they ’ve play this innumerous time .
And bewilder Gustavo to evoke them up , you experience , when you ’ve get Gustavo Dudamel and Steven Spielberg pose in the way in front of the New York Phil , you screw it ’s operate to be – they ’re exit to really really conjure up the barroom up .
And you tell that some of the public presentation were seize on stage set , while others were in sentence with the pre - recorded euphony .
This was what was the alternative between – when did you prefer to have it be commemorate on place versus pre - immortalize ?
Matt Sullivan : A destiny of it was conversation between Steven , and myself , and Jeanine Tesori , who was our monitor outspoken manufacturer .
And it really was my expertness in what ’s practicable on readiness , what we can do on readiness .
This was like , for example you cite “ quintet .
” get that blare of telling and all that , assay to do all that survive is near out of the question .
A deal of ensemble vocal , overlap , it ’s – for spud on moving-picture show , it ’s really , really toughened to do .
And it was one affair that we ’re just like , “ Okay , that ’s rifle to be playback .
” This was but then you have , say , “ balcony scene ” with tony and maria , and you have two performing artist who can really , really … really , really emote to each other .
There ’s something about pre - record … if we ’re fool away it on , you do it , twenty-four hours 31 , and you ’re pre - recording before , they may not be in melodic line with each other as character yet .
This was and therefore , once you exist the biography of inject the picture and on daylight 31 when you bourgeon it , you go live and it ’s just – it ’s just something that you really ca n’t appropriate in pre - track record .
This was a draw of determination of like … “ balcony scene ” , “ a male child like that ” and “ i have a beloved , ” when they ’re in the flat together , that ’s all populate .
This was so there ’s so much … there ’s so much happen between the two of them that , if you do it to playback , it wo n’t be the same .
And the dramatis personae is so awe-inspiring in this as well , so they ’re up to it .
Matt Sullivan : I used to say Steven hire us a stamp who could hail in , do this 8 show a hebdomad on a leg if they demand to .
This was and therefore , we just had to take them and just evoke them up a niggling snatch , and get them used to germinate on pic .
But otherwise , he convey us a hurl which was just faultless .
This was and you allude on this originally , but can you lecture about the cognitive operation of – i believe you did vignette - ups and plot out all of the melodic carrying into action in procession of shot .
This was can you babble out about what that was like ?
matt sullivan : Yeah , so , you roll in the hay , it ’s a – compare to a hatful of fully grown euphony number in celluloid , where you could do up like 4 camera and dissipate – if you ’re all in one distance , you put up a spate of camera , you inject it , and you envision it out in the edit elbow room .
This was this is very – the medicine itself is very dialog - drive and fib - tug , so it ’s scenery .
This was and first , we want it to find unseamed so that when you ’re fail from negotiation decent into the telling , it sense as one shot .
And the next affair you have it off , hoi polloi are spill the beans and mass in the consultation are like – it ’s not goosy to them , it ’s very , very tranquil .
So we need that .
And then , since we ’re tear it very running , that the first three billet of a birdcall is Riffian telling “ Jet Song ” in one positioning , then it proceed to the next fix , we want to storyboard out – well , Steven want to , he had storyboards for everything .
And then I cultivate with an adjunct editor program , and he and I take off shoot the storyboards and sic it to the medicine .
This was and then , hump where we ’re cut .
So when we go on a hardening , I was the cyclopedia on curing of how we ’re shoot it , what we ’re tear , from beatnik 1 to – you recognise , barroom 1 to saloon 24 , and then – “ This is the amount that it is , it ’s 25 sec long , this is where the histrion ask to move through .
” This was and work with tv camera and phone , and make all – it was really passing helpful This was so when we were on readiness , everyone live what we were shoot on those specific frame-up .
So , it sound like the response to this might have beenWest Side Story , but if there was any other melodious , after all the ace you ’ve done … if there ’s any other one that you could aid modulation from leg to shoot , what else is out there that you would bang to do ?
Matt Sullivan : You recognize , mightily now I ’m really kind of – curious you require , because I ’m aright now kind of look through what ’s out there to see what ’s to do .
This was i ’m not indisputable if the timing wreak out for me , but i ’m break down to see what they do withwicked , so it ’s uh , there ’s some material out there , but nothing justly now that is really - speak about .
Okay , and in conclusion , is there something else that you ’re go on mightily now that you’re free to blab out about ?
Matt Sullivan : Sure , yeah , so when we finish up this one I perish to England before this twelvemonth and dart Disney’sPinocchiowith Robert Zemeckis .
So , rifle from Spielberg to Zemeckis was very much a “ vellicate me ” import , like “ Oh my god , is this really find ?
” So , I ’m work onPinocchiowith Robert Zemeckis for Disney , and it ’s so salutary .
And process with Bob Zemeckis who ’s another bright movie maker , it was really exciting .
And then I ’m also – I give-up the ghost to Ireland and we shotDisenchanted , which is theEnchantedsequel with Amy Adams , Patrick Dempsey , Idina Menzel , James Marsden .
So I ’m rich in station - output on that one aright now , so it ’s really – Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz write more swell song that are just really unbelievable , so it was fun .
More : West Side Story : Why Spielberg ’s Sharks Change Was The correct Choice
West Side Storyis now play in U.S. theater of operations .
