“Tito and the birds” soundtrack is featured at festivals around the world
A 10-year-old boy teams up with his father trying to fight an epidemic disease in which people become sick after being frightened. This is the plot for the animation “Tito and the Birds”, directed by Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar and André Catoto. The movie has the soundtrack produced by Ultrassom Music Ideas, a company that participates in the Brasil Music Exchange (BME), Brazilian music internationalization projetc performed through a partnership between the Brasil, Música & Arets (BM&A) and Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).
The idea came from a research made by Eduardo Benaim, who studied the vicious circle between the culture of fear, social segregation and the security industry. The film took eight years to be completed. Even though it was not officially released, it has been awarded with the grand prize at Anima Mundi and participated in many events such as Annecy Festival (France) and Toronto International Film Festival. This is not the first time Ultrassom has been involved in an internationally successful animation: the company has also been responsible for “Boy and the World” soundtrack, a nominee for the Oscars as best animation in 2016.
Both projects were headed by Gustavo Kurlat and Ruben Feffer. “Undoubtedly, creating “Boy and the World” has expanded our universe as creators, especially because it was nominated for the the Oscars and streamed by more than 70 countries,” says Gustavo.
“Tito and the birds” presents a visual that resembles an expressionist art and has an orchestrated soundtrack, which was recorded in several countries and has a collaboration of maestro Vítor Zafer. “We have developed a major theme that we associate with Tito and his ‘crooked’ world, with a 13/8 metric to increase this discomfort. We created an opening theme based on a single constant sharp note, and a sequence of four slowly pulsating bass notes, in a sequence that already indicates tension. We also had a theme for the glimpses and possibilities for a solution to the problems,” Gustavo explains.
The musical animation is an international success and the musical part has received several positive reviews. “Many people commented it is one of the film highlights. In the international press materials, Kurlat and I are pointed as the creators. Then several international doors opened for us. The world is watching the Brazilian animation and the soundtrack is part of this,” Ruben says.
Regarding the challenges of the creation - with possibilities of international reach -, the duo says it depends on the project, but, in general, Brazilian creators have a huge potential to break standards and get the market attention. However, it is necessary to give this Brazilian sound something that allows an universal interest.
The success in creating memorable and exportable musical tracks has brought Gustavo and Ruben more confidence while participating in international pitchings. “Today we do not need to introduce ourselves or showcase our portfolio before. In Los Angeles, I was at Dreamworks (where I was a workshop instructor) and at Remote Control (Hans Zimmer composer and superstar company) and had access to employees and areas that would normally be behind closed doors. At this year’s Annecy Festival, we participated in an event called Meet the Composers where producers and animation directors from around the world talked about their projects”, he concludes.
Watch the movie trailer
“Tito and the birds” features the executive production of Daniel Greco and Felipe Sabino. Although a release date has not been to public acknowledge, the animation continues to receive recognition in festivals worldwide.