The Bremen Town Musicians. Authentic histories

For this the posts were taken from the personal archive materials Inessa Kovalevskaya Alekseevny.
Young, no one famous composer Gennady Gladkov, poet and filmmaker Yuri Entin Inessa Kovalevskaya decided to make animated musical for children. What was about myuzkl known, but what is a cartoon, and even children, the authors did not know. But I wanted the viewer to "singing cartoon» ...




Gradually, the outline began to emerge. The basis for a musical animated film was best to take a simple and familiar tale, to the story was clear from the actions of the characters. And instead of narratives all the forces directed to the creation of musical images of heroes. It remained to find a story, but try to find one that no one has ever filmed?
Nobody remembers who was the idea to make an animated musical fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm "The Bremen Town Musicians". It was not the best from the collection of famous storytellers. Dog, cat, a donkey and a rooster drove home from the yard unnecessary. Poor guy had to wander the roads and gradually became itinerant musicians. The episode of the robbers a little decorate fairy tale, the diversity of its action. But the drama of the film had to re-invent, to make it interesting, dynamic and fit into the framework of the musical.
At this stage of the work on the script V.Livanov joined as the second writer. So, "The Bremen Town Musicians»!
Available are dog, cat, donkey and rooster - strolling musicians or, in modern terms, a musical ensemble.
Well, as without musical director ?! They became a young man, he is subsequently Troubadour. But if the hero Troubadour, the tale must certainly be a princess! Princess And, of course, has a father-king and his royal palace, the crowd of courtiers. The brothers Grimm whole drama is reduced mainly to the episode of the robbers is to be for the protection of the royal protection.
Now, all the characters of the future film called.
With these sketches born film unsightly:





It should be noted Yuri Entin feature poems written for this movie. They are very expressive, precise, full of humor and clearly characterize singing characters.
In many verses funny wordplay:
"Oh, early to rise Guard!" "We have all the roads of the road!" "In the royal chambers lost peace!" And "The Castle, I locked!»
"Without me cute princess life is not sweet!»
All these literary jokes very decorate the songs, make them amusing and memorable.



While the tale evolved, composer Gennady Gladkov wrote to her music. Couplets immediately liked not only the group working on the film, but their singing and other studio members.
"Soyuzmultfilm" did not have the necessary capacity to record the music as the composer conceived it. Long grammzapisi agreed with the studio "Melody". They invited the quartet "Accord", while very popular, consisting of two female voices and two male. Record was scheduled for the night - another free time in the studio "Melody" was not found.
A small orchestra of recorded music, in part, which consisted mostly young musicians. The composer himself conducted the orchestra, Gennady Gladkov. It is the turn of singers - performers. Party offered to sing Troubadour Oleg Anofrieva - stage actor with a pleasant voice.
At the last moment it turns out, the quartet "Accord" did not come to write!
Really abandon studio "Melody", produced with so much difficulty? Catastrophe!
In the night we managed to get through to the singer Elmira Zherzdevoy and poet and singer Anatoly Gorokhov ...







With barely started recording ... It's just fortunate that in making the film attended a wonderful sound engineer and later composer Victor Babushkin.
Recorded serenading troubadours, their duet with Princess. The turn to the ensembles. And then it turned out that Oleg Anofriev- good simulator. The sound producer of the singer recorded on separate tracks, and then joined together, adding juicy bass Anatoly Gorokhov.
Bo-o-Olsha secret! - He sang for the King weak tenorochkom Gennady Gladkov.
We got to the verses of these robbers, and again a dead end ... At the head of the gang should be a woman - Atamansha. Lyric soprano Elmira Zherzdevoy did not suitable for this. Then Oleg Anofriev offered to sing and atamansha! All were dumbfounded. But he insisted, then asked which of the actresses have to "see" as atamansha?
 - Most likely, Faina Ranevskaya?
 - Well! I'll try to "turn Ranevskaya"! - Said Anofriev and went to the microphone.
Recording safely over. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As stated in the Russian proverb - no, a blessing in disguise! From the studio grammzapisi "Melody" went home in the morning. Moscow has not yet awakened to clean streets and rare car seemed fine, life is wonderful and totally happy ...



Thus, the characters received voice. It remains the most slozhnoe- think of their appearance.
Artist Max Zherebchevsky offered his own version.













Let's first talk about rezhessuru. Why do you need and making the director?
Script writing the script, the poet - poetry, composes music composer, the artist draws the characters, the actors voicing the roles animators animate characters.
What remains to share the director?
Each of the participants of the film, the film sees the future differently. The task of the director - to put together a mosaic of artistic perceptions so that they looked intact and not piecemeal. At the same time we consider that every creative person is very vulnerable and difficult to accept criticism.
The preparatory period for the film ends, and disputes with the artist was in full swing.
 - Then I decided to quite a risky move - says Inessa Kovalevskaya - Arts Council to present the studio, along with the director's script, storyboard and music of these characters, in my opinion, absolutely inconsonant any music or movie genre.
The hope was that, instead of resentment artist still listen to the opinion of the members of the artistic council.











Members of the Arts Council were remarkably unanimous in their opinion that these figures do not correspond to the scenario, and especially the music.
We must pay tribute to Max Zherebchevskomu - he agreed. After searching and new disputes Troubadour type found in some foreign magazine portraits of avant-garde musicians. Princess with funny tails sticking out in different directions, offered an assistant art director Svetlana Skrebnёva. Dress for Princess director found flipping through fashion magazines from abroad in a closed library, State Committee for Cinematography.









In the new form appeared, and other musicians. Even the wagon became a suitcase on kolesah.Korol, security and court challenges are not made, but the robbers ...
Animated robbers, characters quite common, but need special, anyone not like! The film is to start production, and "own" the robbers were not. At the studio he was declared unofficial competition. But it was not! One day, as he was by far the most beautiful, the editor Natalia Abramova studio brought colorful calendar, which shows the trio was the best-known comedians: Yuri Nikulin - dunce, George Vitsyn -trus and Yevgeny Morgunov - Experienced.



Here they are - our heroes! Robbers! Atamansha to be done to match the rest.





Storyboard attached to the script, it resembles a modern comic book and consists of drawings, kadrikov. Unfortunately, the director's only preserved sketches.





The film is removed out of order, all the scenes scattered and everything to come together into a coherent whole directing the script and storyboard are the basic guidelines for all work on the film.
Preparatory meeting between the Arts Council completed a film studio, takes all the work done. Allegedly creative and production team. It includes:
filmmaker I.Kovalevskaya
production designer M.Zherebchevsky
operator Petrov
soundman Babushkin
assistant director
assistant artist S. Skrebnёva
film editor E. Tertychnaya
Editor A. Snesarev
Group animators
Director picture



When it was invented, you need to show all these fantasies to the viewer. But these artists painted life there and they do not have to be like real people. Who will make the fantasy move? Search wizards? But finding and even brought up.



At the time, the film studio "Soyuzmultfilm" had prepared his staff on special courses. We came here very young, are studied and then worked almost all his life.
In the studio each had a permanent place with the indispensable mirror. Cartoonist look in the mirror and imagines herself a wolf or kitten and will transfer everything on paper!
No wonder if the studio in the hallway someone suddenly meowed or jump by zaychikom- is just a part of the image of the artist!
Sometimes profession cartoonist compared with acting. Normal actor get used to the role, adapting your body creates an image of it.
Animator not only get used to the role, it creates an image, which in nature. He gives his gait, habits, character, connects it with the voice. Even when his character is not "live". Try to imagine how goes the chair as a table dreams, angry pillows or dancing spoons! You can not? So you're not an animator!



Of course, every animator has its own preferences: one loves the dynamic characters, the other - the lyrical, the third prefers the musical material. Someone like psychological scene and nekotorym- fights and chases. But, basically, everyone should be able to go away everything.
The animated film every single scene makes a single multiplier. He plays and draws one for all. Of course, the director tries to pick up a job for the multiplier so that the scenes were the same characters, but it rarely succeeds.
To make the film in time for work on the film at the same time involved in some animators. On average, 3-5. Every animator brings his particular creative style. At the same time, saving all the good things that came up artist, you need to maintain the integrity of the film.
The more the picture is working animators, the harder it falls to the director and production designer.



"As for the film" The Bremen Town Musicians ", at the same time there are 16 animators. Only a very small directorial experience could make me go to such an experiment. More than that, I myself never allowed! - Says Inessa Kovalevskaya - As with most of the animators on the film "The Bremen Town Musicians" I met for the first time, the job scene at first sounded at random without regard to the knowledge and abilities and characteristics of the artist. Only after a while, after watching the first trial multiplicative, I began to better understand who and what kind of job offer. »
Despite the complexity and creative disputes, many linked to the fate of the many happy years of joint work.



Recalls Ella Maslov:
"I worked on many films directed by I.Kovalevskoy. Each time after the end of the film was a sense of celebration. I think that the audience watching these cartoons music, feel the same.
I would like to tell you about the wonderful profession and animator. And pulls write this word with a capital letter.
This artist-actor, which should be thoroughly gifted person. He must have the skills and other professions: musician, dancer, athlete, etc. constantly watching everything that is happening around, the multiplier spying habits of animals and birds.
Animator can be compared with a magician that can revive painted people, animals, birds, giving each its own character.
For example, in the film "The Bremen Town Musicians", developing a scene with the cat-fakir, I had to remember how to work in a circus fakir. How to move his hands as he manipulates his cloak, from which there are strange things.



Many wonderful movies made at the studio for 40 years of my work in animation, but the greatest satisfaction I get is working on a musical film, in particular, on those who created I.Kovalevskaya director. These films not only bring taste and love of music, but also lodge in people good. This is especially necessary for our children ».
It's a shame that there was already a tradition, when the songs of cartoons gleefully picked up by children and adults, becoming almost a "national treasure", being lost.



Explain in words only, which is to be dancing, it is practically impossible, it needs to be a choreographer. Directed by "how could" showed multiple, that many times listening to music, celebrated on the exposure sheet notes. Then he rewrote the record yourself on tape and left singing ...
"The scene has turned out exactly how I imagined it, and represents and even better!" - Says Inessa Kovalevskaya.
Inspired by the success director Davydov proposed to take the famous song false robbers, in which the musicians dressed characters: "bang - bang - and you're dead!" There were involved in almost all the characters in the movie.
"It seems to me that this method works for animator is the most interesting because it allows plenty of room for the independence and does not hinder his creative imagination. But, of course, when the imagination is available in sufficient quantities. Sasha Davydov it refers to the full. I would not call it a good draftsman. But his ability to listen and hear the music, \ which is not the same thing \, the ability to accurately accents in the movements of the characters, heightened sense of screen time is great! "- Says Inessa Alekseevna.
Oleg Safronov loved temperamental, dynamic scene. And it was particularly good characters vivid, eccentric. It so happened that a very important episode of the robbers and atamansha not have turned out that the multiplier, which were given to the scene. When the scene gave Oleg Safronov episode played, gambling became defiantly mischievous.



Abstracting from the topic, you can tell a funny story related to the predatory episode.
After the end of the film the creative team of directors with new paintings went to Kazan: "The Bremen Town Musicians", "spies", "Cheburashka" and others.
Admission was beautiful. Accompanying group of very serious and not talkative official from Gdańsk hire. After a short speech, the audience watched the program, and the group behind the scenes sat at the table, listening with half an ear to the reaction of the audience. And every time, as soon as it came to the room with the robbers, "our serious official" sheepishly apologized, getting out from behind the desk and went to the auditorium to watch your favorite bandit number. With a broad smile, he returned to the table. How many times he watched and listened to this number is difficult to say.
"Oh, early, stands guard!»
Viewers saw, heard and remembered!
In this great merit of the artist - the multiplier Vitaly Bobrov. His accent, finds in gait and facial expressions recorded a striking episode, which is liked by the audience.
An excellent draftsman, who managed to both people and animals, and the dynamics and lyrics, dreamer and inventor, genuinely enthusiastic with their work.



Chёrnovoy stream samples glued to the ring and is run many times in a row. Everything is and tense. Immediately director and artist are making their corrections. There is discussion, debate.
Last roughing samples, both its own and others' - an excellent school for animators, where you can learn a lot and hear a detailed assessment of their work and to see their own mistakes.
Gradually, as the readiness of the multiplicative case are connected to the studio and workshop: drawing, fazovka, fine lining, shading. More and more the Studio working on our picture. It is no longer a dozen and a hundred pairs of skillful and hard-working hands.
Fazovka - roughing, finishing, or on celluloid joins layout that makes the multiplier into a single unit that creates a movement on the screen. Finally, fill, when the characters of contour, transparent, become full, colorful characters in the film.



All these steps are taking place through the endless testing, debugging, verifying that the screen was not shivering circuit or errors in the colors of the characters.















Source: p-i-f.livejournal.com