Alan Silvestri on the soundtrack of ‘Pinocchio’: “I was looking for something fresh, something that came from the heart”

Once upon a time there was a wooden boy who could speak. A wooden boy who, despite being alive, wanted to be real. In 1940, Disney dazzled the world by adapting the classic Italian tale of “Pinocchio”. The film is one of his most legendary works and generation after generation the children of the world have seen it, enjoyed it and learned that if you lie, your nose will grow. Now, in an effort to remake all of its animated classics, House of Mouse brings the film to life. With Robert Zemeckis at the helm and Tom Hanks as Gepetto, the film can now be seen on Disney +.

As with most of these adaptations, the live-action “Pinocchio” doesn’t come close to the magic of the original. But what cannot be doubted is that all its members have given their best, at least, to make the film stand out. There are a lot more legends on the team than the aforementioned Zemeckis and Hanks. Worse there is also a young man who is in front of all of them. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, just 13, has the mission of giving voice to the protagonist of the story.

Get closer to the Classic

“It was a challenge to find the voice because it is very iconic and you have to look like it”says Evan Ainsworth in an interview with eCartelera, “Dickie Jones is Pinocchio. So it was difficult to master”. The boy immersed himself in the arduous task with very clear ideas and with a process of continuous repetition and mimicry. “I watched the original film a lot and tried to put my energy into it. It took a while, but in the end I got what I wanted. “, ensures happy. In addition, she also insists time and time again that working with Zemeckis was very easy and they understood each other perfectly: “We collaborated a lot on the voice thing. He gave me instructions like ‘yeah, Ben, go over there, work on the leveling …’ until I got where he wanted.”. He liked him so much that at the moment he doesn’t know if he prefers acting in front of the cameras or as a voice actor. “I don’t know if I could pick either one. They both have their good stuff.”, to anticipate. And it’s very clear what to get from a movie like this: “The teaching that is being given to today’s generations is that the world is a great place and that you have to be good and honest as you explore it”.

Giving voice to a recognizable character like Disney’s Pinocchio can be a heavy burden, but the actor handled it surprisingly well. “I was most honored to be in this position. It took me a long time to get it right, you need it with such an iconic character. But I managed the pressure well. I had a lot of fun on the set, it was a lot of fun”, reveals happy. He wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The composers of the film’s soundtrack are Glen Ballard and the illustrious Alan Silvestri (‘Back to the Future’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Cast Away’, ‘The Avengers’ …). And for both of them working with a director of the caliber of Zemeckis was a relief.

“We had to honor something the whole world knows and loves. An iconic Disney classic. But that’s the right kind of pressure because we had a great director who knows how to do it. And with Alan Silvestri they make all their films together.”, Ballard reveals. For his part, Silvestri goes further and appreciates the work of the director and his friend: “Robert Zemeckis is always ahead, as does a good leader. The pressure on him to reinvent “Pinocchio” had to be enormous. Glen and I would look at him and say, “He’s fine, so we’re going to follow him and everything will be fine.” And that’s how we did it. Bob takes most of the pressure on his own. “. Finally, Ballard makes this clear “As Alan said, the pressure was off us because Robert had a vision. We just had to help him realize it. And we did.”.

update the story

One of the keys that was sought in the film was to find, through respect for the classic work, elements that could be modified and connected to the current world. Influencer jokes, Chris Pine name jokes … And even new songs on the legendary soundtrack. “The first thing I was looking for was something fresh, which came from the heart. We use some of the classic Disney songs that we all know. But Robert Zemeckis wanted to bring Pinocchio to life today, a modern approach. That was the spirit in which everything was done. Writing the music, the songs with Glen Ballard. We wanted it to be as fresh as possible. “Silvestri explains.

His partner adds a similar idea, stating it “Robert Zemeckis made a film for these times, so obviously the accompaniment had to be music and songs that made sense.”. In fact, Ballard even dares to predict how the film will be remembered: “I don’t want to say it’s better than the original but it’s a great company”.

Subsequently Silvestri insists on the need to find an updated tone in all the integral parts of ‘Pinocchio’. “It’s not just about questioning styles, using this or that. Music is different in movies today than it was in 1940. When you decide to start a piece, and what it does, where it ends, it’s very different now. It’s natural. You can’t take Robert Zemeckis’ version of “Pinocchio” and record the soundtrack like the original tape because the music wouldn’t work in a modern movie. It’s not as difficult as it sounds because our sensibilities are so different now with music and movies. “reflects the composer.

The illusion of a child

Evan Ainsworth took the time to briefly tell what his work was like in the film. a process he enjoyed more than anyone else when he was surrounded by such acclaimed names in all areas. “Before, I only recorded my voice. But then I was also able to go to the set and watch him go behind the scenes.”exposes, “It was fantastic. There are so many amazing people in this cast. And working with Robert was fantastic. I learned a lot about how CGI, special effects and visuals work.”. The chance to go and uncover the guts of the tape was for him “the funniest. Being there and seeing everyone perform while I was behind the scenes, because my character is CGI. Great.”.

But if he has a great memory of anyone, it’s Tom Hanks. Despite not shooting scenes together, they maintained a great relationship which helped them get into the atmosphere of the film. “Tom Hanks, what a legend. It was great working with him, he’s very nice. He gave me the nickname ‘Benocho’, which is very cute.”reveals between laughter. “There was a moment when Tom Hanks was in a fake boat, surrounded by water and a green screen around him, and I saw how his imagination made it real. He was very busy, as if he were at sea. . And it was a lot of fun. ” seeing how that fake boat rocked, water splashing in his face … I was like ‘oh my God, this is real’ “concludes.

Find the magic of music

As they commented, for Silvestri and Ballard the songs must come out above all from within. If something doesn’t convince them, it is surely wrong. What I have discovered over the years is that if for example the director wants the audience to cry in a scene, if I don’t cry while I write it, I haven’t found the answer. When I find the notes, I’m alone in a room crying. You can call it a moment Eureka. I more or less know that it works emotionally “says Silvestri.

The composer continues to pay a compliment to his partner: “When I work with the great Glen Ballard I also know why you can see his face, see when he finds the answer or the answers. Our minds and bodies are the parameters for knowing if it works. It has to work for us for it to work for everyone else.”. Ballard simply adds by commenting on it “as long as a band, orchestra, singer or whatever does it, you don’t know, it’s all speculation”.

As in any creative work, nerves and uncertainty always fly overhead no matter how decorated all previous works have been. “I wouldn’t call it a creative block. I would call it true terror, panic. And it always happens “recognizes Silvestri, “The only thing that works is to tell yourself ‘you’ve done this hundreds of times before.’ and the music is the guide. But I always feel intimidated and worried that I will never find a good note again. It’s the nature of the process. “.

A team up to the task

Finally, the songwriters wanted to make it clear that their job is much easier if they have such brutal artists at their disposal on the other side. “Luke Evans and Cynthia Erivo are two sensational singers. The only problem we had was COVID. Their talent, what they brought to the set every day, was transcendental.”Ballard says. Silvestri first wants to talk about Hanks, whom he defines as an unstoppable force: “When you have someone like Tom Hanks, you know that in addition to singing, you will have an incredible performance that will be organic for the scene and the film. It was interesting when, in a song, he was with me and I realized that you can’t keep someone like Mr. Hanks to follow the flow of a piece of music. You have to let him take it, interpret it and act. It’s great what he did on that piece and any other in general. He makes them of him and acts in an exceptional way “.

But more than with Ballard or Hanks, with whom Silvestri has a deep relationship, it is with the director. They have worked together countless times and are one of the best and most prolific duets in the history of cinema. The New Yorker is full of praise for Zemeckis as follows: “The best analogy I find in our relationship is a marriage. There must be exciting things in the relationship, and there must be commonalities in terms of how a story is told and how the needs of the story feel. Robert Zemeckis is a master storyteller. We had our first date in ‘After the Green Heart’ (1984) and it went well. So there was another, and then another, and another. And we already have 22 or 23. That’s great because the trust now, like in any long-term relationship, is amazing. And it is a joy to have the opportunity to be together in this sense “..