Composer Michiel Marsman will have 2 premieres at the IFFR 2024
KRAZY HOUSE
A film that combines a 90s American religious sitcom with a Russian Horror extravaganza.
The film consists of two parts. It starts as an American 90s religious sitcom series and evolves into a dark horror extravaganza. Before the shoot, based on the script and initial conversations with the directors Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil, we decided I would start creating the sitcom tune. "Krazy House," an authentic American sitcom hit, delightfully naive and a real super annoying earworm. Drawing on years of experience in creating style pastiches, I crafted a new song that sounds like an old classic, a forgotten hit from that era. To achieve authenticity, everything had to be perfect - the language of the song, both music and lyrics, the singers, the instruments used, how they were played, and the overall sound. For vocals, I immediately thought of an artist I had worked with before; he has the ideal boy-next-door voie! Then came the catchy guitars, bell synths, drum machines - it was delightful, and I could really let loose. In addition to the song, I created an extensive bumper package, short pieces of music for scene transitions, some energetic, some sensitive - everyone knows them! The tune was played frequently on set to get the actors and crew in the right mood!
For the second part, I waited until the first version of the film was available. The initial edit heavily used cliche Hollywood horror soundtracks to set the mood, but both Steffen & Flip and I wanted something more original. Before producing sound and music, I typically search for a concept, much like a painter mixing colors before starting to paint. In this case, a thick church organ, Russian male choir, pulsating synthesizer arpeggios, ominous synths, uncomfortable eerie strings, and furious guitar were part of the sound palette. Why? It's related to the religious aspect of the story, with the main character Bernie and his Jesus versus the Russian Father with his sons. It worked like a dream! Starting with a very low tone from the male choir, I created a 40-minute suite, keeping specific scenes in mind but not fully integrated into the film yet. The suite included both intense and soft passages, building up in different sections, all based on a recognizable theme, a leitmotiv, appearing in various forms.
Teaser trailer of “Krazy House”
The music was organic and not dictated by the visuals. Using this suite, Steffen and Flip went back to editing to create a new version of the film, and wow! That's when it all came together - visuals and music, atmosphere and structure. The recurring theme tied everything together. Based on this new version, I continued to create the remaining pieces, again building on the leitmotiv. In the final scenes, the earlier sitcom theme is connected with the Russian theme, creating a beautiful, cohesive conclusion!
media composer Michiel Marsman
BINARY
After the short films Sexorcism, Mr. Lonely, and a scene from Random Shit, Binary is the first longer horror film in collaboration with director David Jan Bronsgeest! The story revolves around a Pakistani man who has fled to the Netherlands because he identifies as a woman. The film begins midway through the gender transition. The complex family ties, clashing cultures, violence against women and transgenders all converge in a violent and confusing Bollywood horror climax.
For this film, I started with research - how do religious prayers, chants, and instruments sound in Pakistan? What does Pakistan sound like? This resulted in various field recordings, from crowds in squares to haunting prayers. I didn't want to use these sounds literally; that would result in a bland score. Instead, I treated them as a starting point, a sort of DNA for the score. I manipulated the material extensively - stretching, pitching, chopping, and distorting it. I created a chaos of various sounds, like canvases splattered with different types of paint. Then, I examined this chaos from various perspectives, sometimes randomly combining elements, distorting them multiple times, experimenting until something interesting emerged - a rhythm, a pattern, a cool sound, or a melody, or an ominous soundscape. I would describe the music I created as "Digital Distortion" - a genuinely chilling, cold, mean, and painful sounding distortion.
Michiel Marsman - Film Composer
Born in Amsterdam’s notorious Red Light District and raised on a steady diet of his writer father’s bebop and free jazz collection, Michiel Marsman is a wildly creative, experienced and multifaceted producer focused on film, television and commercial soundtracks.
In 2009 Michiel became partner and creative director at music agency Sizzer Amsterdam, helping the company become a cutting-edge front runner in the international music and advertising scene. Under his guidance Sizzer won numerous creative awards, such as a Silver awards for best music at the LIA awards and the Ciclope Advertising Craft Festival for music in the global Diesel campaign ‘Fuel for Life Denim Collection’. Clients included Audi, Heineken, Google, Martini and more. He also composed music for several movies, including platinum winning Dutch box office behemoth ‘Bon Bini Holland’, and did the sound design for Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen’s art-piece ‘Once upon a Time’.
Earlier he studied guitar at the Hilversum and The Hague Conservatory and embarked on a sonic journey that led him from jazz rock to Holland’s first (and probably only) psychedelicmetal- house project to ultra-loud ‘Gabber’ destruction force Dr. Mindfuck, to a decade-long career composing music for clients like Heineken, Adidas and Nike with his company Billinger & Marsman.
All this experience makes Michiel Marsman both a trusted sonic wizard and a highly creative force for any project. While staying involved as Executive Creative Director and partner in Sizzer, Michiel has circled back to his roots and is focusing on what he loves most – making great music for inspiring projects.