We have a tradition in our Tolkien films of having a song over the closing credits. Its very important that the song feels right for the world of the movie - and also carries the emotional resonance of the end of that particular film. The Desolation of Smaug is no different. The ending of this film requires a voice and sensibility that will allow a viewer to process what they have just experienced. Its always tricky to think of the right person to create and perform these songs. Someone who shares our passion for Tolkien, and somebody who is prepared to respect the film. This year we are thrilled to have Ed Sheeran write and perform our closing song, I See Fire. My daughter Katie, deserves total credit for bringing Ed to our movie. He was touring New Zealand earlier this year, and Katie introduced me to his music. Beautiful haunting songs, full of passion and coming from a very genuine place in his heart. We heard that Ed was a fan of our movies, so while he was playing in Wellington, we invited him around for a tour. He then headed off to join Taylor Swift on a concert tour. But we had exchanged e-mail addresses. A few weeks ago, we were puzzling about who to approach about the song that had to be written and recorded very quickly. We now had a strong feeling about the tone of the song, but we needed to find the right voice. Katie reminded us about how great Eds voice was, and how right it would be. Fran and I got it the second she mentioned it. And I had his e-mail address. I wrote to him on a Sunday morning, and asked if he was interested. He would need to fly down to NZ to see the movie, because it was critical he write from the perspective of the audience. Within 48hrs he was in Wellington, having immediately jumped on a plane from London with his manager Stuart Camp, who was instantly supportive and helpful. Ed watched the movie at Park Road Post, immediately went into a room, and started writing and singing. Much of what you will hear on this song was recorded that same day, with a few overdubs and tweaks the following day. Despite having never played the violin in his life, Ed thought he might try overdubbing one himself, and Katie raced out to borrow a rather battered one from a school friend. Pete Cobbin from Abbey Road was at Park Road mixing Howards musical score, and was able to mix the song with Ed. It was a great experience, and what you will see in this video are moments captured by our behind the scenes team during the creation of the song. But the images are only supporting Eds wonderful song. This is his direct emotional response to seeing The Desolation of Smaug, written and performed on the same day he saw the movie. I am very proud to present I See Fire”. [Available for pre-order on iTunes at: smarturl.it/smaugi]
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 22:08:01 +0000
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