Welcome to part two of the two-part series of “Behind Oink!”. In this part I will be going into detail behind the music of Oink!. The film relies a lot on the music as there is no dialogue, and there’s very small storytelling cues in the visuals. Music is important to every film and transports us on the journey along with the characters.
Have you read part 1? Meet the family before continuing!
Luckily I know a lot of people who are musical and could perform the score for Oink!, but I wanted a particular style and tone to the film. The film is set in a house on a farm and so the obvious musical style was country music. The best pieces of country music are usually played with a stringed instrument, like a guitar or a ukelele. I got even luckier when I knew I had a lot of options, locally speaking, of who could perform the music. I have a very musical family, who in turn have friends who are also musically inclined and can play an assortment of instruments. However I wanted this film to feel very personal and for the music to feel the same. With this in mind I turned to my father, Lachlan Murray.
Lachlan Murray has been playing the guitar since his teenage years and has played in a few cover bands and a lot more at acoustic nights. His precision and talent at playing the guitar even rubbed off on my brother Niall Murray who further studied music and eventually went on to do the music for The Girl in the Café. The collaboration between my Dad and myself would be key to the chemistry and tone of Oink!. Something that sounds very folky and country and yet subtle enough to help keep the story of Sprog the Pig progressing nicely.
With little time to plan and rehearse the music Lachlan was very quick in coming up with something creative enough to make the film sound distinct and unique. In fact it was his idea to make each room of the house to have its own theme. So not only was the music used to progress the story but it also helped create an atmosphere for these characters to live in.
The success of his music is evident in the final product. The music flows freely and naturally, even effortlessly, throughout the film. From the start of the film, to going up the stairs and all the way to the end we feel what the film wants us to feel; love, a sense of adventure, a personal story and a bond between the characters.
Oink! is what it is thanks to the music. I hope you enjoyed this two-part series of the behind-the-scenes of Oink!. To watch Oink! now then please follow the link below.
Watch Oink!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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