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Celebration / Jose Cuervo

Submitted By Denis Kilty

Description

'Celebration' is a wonderful immersive story of the people and landscape of the town of Tequila, Mexico .- the home of Jose Cuervo Tequila.

The story begins with agave farms - a key ingredient in tequila - and journeys from dawn till dusk, crossing the vivid agave fields and into the city, through the distillery and onto the streets culminating in an incredible kaleidoscopic celebration. Jose Cuervo were keen on a cultural focus - the people behind the drink, not just the drink itself. They're story is what resonates - hard work, humble people, humble beginnings.

Objective

My role on this project was both composer and sound designer. I was in charge of all audio elements. This gave me the fantastic flexibility to blend and intertwine sound and music to create an immersive experience as the story transits from countryside to city.

Technical Challenge

The sound itself was almost completely recreated in Ireland. The technical challenge was in blending such varied landscapes into a piece of music that naturally flowed across so many landscapes. Dynamism in sound design was critical, from subtler scenes like the train's shifting perspectives, to the kaleidoscopic nature of the festival scene at the climax. Hyper textured moments such as the sword slicing the agave and daylight passing over the tequila barrels made for very interesting sonic moments.

The musical score dances and pulses under the picture, drawing us through the story and into the festival. The musical key was selected to blend with a segment of Mariachi music recorded on site during the festival, to facilitate a beautiful crossover moment in the music as they band sings at the festival. The main musical challenge in this type of extended cut was to create music with an engaging melodies and textures to carry across the full piece and still create impact as the film reaches its climax.

Credits

Other Work

Denis Kilty Client: Jose Cuervo Title: Celebration