Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1126636
32 DGA QUARTERLY DGAQ: Because music is so integral in your film and TV work, I feel somehow that you were a DJ in another life—or maybe you were in this life. You tell me. VALLÉE: Yeah, in this life. I did that when I was younger, privately. My dad used to be what we called in French back then a discothé- caire and he was doing the musical programming of some radio sta- tions in Montreal. So we grew up with records, two turntables, a mixer, an amp, speakers everywhere. Then at 14, my older brother and I started to love disco music and we started to DJ disco mu- sic, and then it became something else with punk and rock and so whenever we were [at] parties, we were DJing. Music is our thing in our family, and we are all music-oriented. I thought I was going to do that in my life and become a musician. I didn't push it. I don't know why. Q: I think kids are lucky if they're growing up around that kind of environment. A: I remember when [my dad] came back home from work with a 45 of "Money" from Pink Floyd and he said, "Guys, put the needle on." [Mimics the song] I remember having a physical reaction. Q: You mentioned that needle drop, and people talk about needle drops in movies. You literally see the needle dropping in a lot of your work. A: Yeah, it's a thing that I love so much, and I like to pay respect to all these musicians who influenced me and gave me hope when I was a teenager. Now that I'm working with music like this, and I only use source music, it's like paying tribute. Visually also, it sets up something. It is precise; even here (shows a scene from Sharp Objects where Alan, Camille's stepfather, drops a needle on a record), I think we start with this because we made Alan an audiophile. We found the most expensive, amazing analog sound system. Q: You've said that you create playlists for your actors to help define their characters. Can you give me some specific examples? A: It started on C.R.A .Z.Y., with, of course, the lead (Marc-André Grondin). I made a playlist. And I also pitched C.R.A.Z.Y. with a CD, and there was a lot of British rock and roll: Pink Floyd, the Stones, David Bowie—"Space Oddity" became a moment in the film. Of course, this kid had his music and the father (Michel Côté) also had his music. He was a big fan of Patsy Cline and Charles Aznavour. So, I give them their tracks and the others are more influenced by these too. It helps define the characters and helps [the actors] find a quality of emotion. Q: That emotion is beautifully established right at the beginning of Wild with that string intro to the Simon and Garfunkel tune "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" which is a recurring motif in the movie. A: It's so emotional—it's like "wow." They created a masterpiece there. Q: Now you've worked repeatedly with Susan Jacobs, and I think for a