Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/600849
56 CINEMONTAGE / FALL 2015 get exhausting — a complete joy." However, he emphasizes, Williams has had to be flexible with his writing approach. "We hold off on certain scenes when we know that there may be a significant re-cut coming," Belgardt explains. "But at a certain point, something needs to be written. If the scene in question is re-thought again, and it isn't something that can be fixed editorially, John is game to write it again. In the end, we all want what is best for the picture. So the process of refining will continue, I'm sure, right up until the very, very end." As Belgardt tells it, during the composition process, Williams would invite Abrams over to his house to play a couple of the important themes for him on the piano. "I think it would be safe to say it was love at first hearing," he explains. "As months passed, and we received more of the picture, John would continue exploring new melodic ideas. A few times, we would just end up on the scoring stage and J.J. would hear something for the first time and say, "Are you kidding me? Where did that come from? That's amazing. That's my new favorite piece in the picture!" Was there any thought about updating old themes, given that the original characters are over three decades older? "It's interesting, because there are quotes of the old themes that will sound very familiar — which is exactly what you would want when you hear to picture," the music editor responds. "But then, John will take a theme that you thought you knew very well, and re-orchestrate it or use it in a different context. While it has a familiarity, it is somehow new and revelatory." According to Belgardt, the meticulous use of certain themes really ties The Force Awakens to Episodes IV, V and VI of the franchise. "It truly feels like a continuation of the saga after Jedi," he explains. "Both J.J. and John are so aware of what a powerful tool it is, helping the audience to remember the past while always looking forward." Belgardt, who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1992 with a Bachelor of Music in Cello performance, got his start in the movie industry in 2002 assisting Ken Wannberg, Williams' longtime music editor, on Steven Spielberg's Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can. "Ken taught me a lot," he says. I learned everything about tracking and conforming from him, as well as how to approach a cue that either needs to be expanded, shortened or changed —while always trying to keep its musical integrity intact." "Since Ken didn't really know how to use Sonic or Pro Tools, he would just sit with all of John's sketches and tell me what bars to cut and where to put them," Belgardt continues. "It was the best learning experience I could imagine. Most importantly, though, he taught me not to take everything so seriously. Work hard, do your best, but then, for goodness sake, leave the cutting room and get yourself a drink! Both he and John have great discipline." Other composers Belgardt has worked with include James Horner (The Missing, 2003), Mark Isham (The Black Dahlia, 2006), Hans Zimmer (The Holiday, 2006), Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, 2007) and Gustavo Dudamel (The Liberator, 2013) — the latter for whom he travelled to Caracas, Venezuela to record the score with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra. But working with Williams has been the most rewarding experience of all for the music editor — experiencing how music can be used and witnessing a greater dynamic on The Force Awakens, in which the composer expands the musical universe while referencing the past. "It just goes to show the power of John's music," Belgardt concludes. "When he does go back to one of the old themes — and it is placed in just the right spot — one cannot imagine a more perfect union of picture and music." f Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Lucasfilm