Errol Morris Interview WP: At what stage do you add music? When do you start thinking about music for your films? EM: Very early on. Fast, Cheap was a problematic movie, again, with music. We tried lots of different things before we finally came up with something that worked. And it's a real tribute to Caleb Sampson that he was willing to rewrite the music so many times. He tried so many different alternatives. But the music is a really, really important part of what I do, and this current film, Caleb is writing the music for, and we already have over an hour and a half of music in this movie. Some things will change, but I feel that even though I haven't finished shooting, I still have a lot more shooting to do. How the music is working--we already have a very strong idea of what the music is going to be like. WP: So he's involved already? EM: Oh yes. WP: When did you bring in Philip Glass in Thin Blue Line? Was he involved early on? EM: Well, yes and no. I mean, early on I started to make the movie work by using Philip Glass music. It was the Philip Glass music that made the movie really come together. I used scratch Philip Glass music [Glass music purchased at a record store and used temporarily]--the last works from Facade, from dance pieces he had used for Twyla Tharp, Mishima, all kinds of odd places. And the concern was, of course, like, what am I gonna do if Philip Glass won't write the music, because this music works so well for the movie. But of course he agreed to write the music, and he did a great job. WP: Did you get him interested by showing him some of the early footage? EM: Yes. WP: And then he was hooked, and then you worked together thereafter? EM: Yes. WP: It seems like you find distributors at film festivals. Isn't that true of Fast, Cheap & Out of Control? EM: Yes. Usually my films don't have distributors until they're shown in some completed form at a festival, and then they get distribution. WP: Your films get such good reviews. I would think that would help in later projects to line up a distributor. EM: Yes, they do help. Reviewers have been really kind to me. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7    N E X T : Randall Adams

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