Musical Multitaskers: From Soundtracks to the Silver Screen

Musical Multitaskers is an ongoing series about Beijing’s nimblest songsmiths and their most eclectic side projects.

Three. Two. One … That familiar, vintage countdown has flickered across countless movie screens for audiences of all types. Not only did it stoke our anticipation, but its droning, measured blips eased us into into the rhythm of the film.

Wu Quan aims to draw us in with the same effect. At first he didn't project his vision onto a screen, but instead elicited mechanical, shuffling electro soundscapes equal to the ricketiest of reels. The best example is his collaboration with Chinese avant-noise pioneer Yan Jun on the droning 2006 experimental album Viva la Vaches (Tie Guan Yin Duo).

Many of Quan’s releases aren't just albums, but multimedia packages complete with intricate cover art and abstract video files of his creation. Last year he directed a full-length film called Sentimental Animal, which won "Best Asian Feature Film Award" at the 2012 Rotterdam International Film Festival. Its plot focused not at all on music, but instead on an aged former soldier. But Quan did score the film himself, and below he tells the Beijinger about the links between soundtracks and the silver screen.

What’s more natural for you: working in films or music?
With film, the audience doesn’t necessarily have to imagine anything. Because of that immediate visualization, it is more convenient to connect with people. But in another respect, that can make it harder to connect with the audience because the visuals you’re giving them can be interpreted wrongly, or directors can end up being too picky about people’s interpretation. Sometimes people think they really understand what you’re trying to convey as a director, when in fact, no, they’re completely lost.

But couldn’t an audience misinterpret a song just as easily as a movie?
That’s true. In fact, film can often be very straightforward, and that is its advantage. That can be a very good way to tell stories and find truth. Meanwhile, I find music to be less attractive when it is straightforward. Since film has no physical or visual limitation, the possibilities are infinite. It’s a good form to express the essence of something. I would say music is just like the wife of film – they are the perfect partners for each other.

Has your filmmaking improved your music, or vice versa? Would it be attention to detail? Proper pacing? Or something else entirely?

No, it has nothing to do with storytelling skills or how to pace a story better. Music is inherently abstract; because of that, a soundtrack’s tension is big enough to support or prop up a film’s structure. It's a much more natural art form than film, more free-flowing. So I think it's good to maintain the experience and understanding I gained as a musician directing a feature. That way, you’re not thinking about story structure when it comes to the movie’s point of view, connotation, tempo and narration. Instead, your emotions will help you make those choices.

Photo: courtesy of Quan Wu