As we continue to champion female filmmakers here at Underwire we are keen to keep track of our alumni and celebrate their achievements. In the run up to Underwire 2014 we have been catching up with craftswomen who have showcased at the festival, finding out what they’ve been doing since!
For this week’s interview, we spoke to Justine Barker. Justine was nominated for Best Composer at the last three consecutive years of Underwire (2011, 2012, 2013). We spoke to her about screening at festivals, working in short films and what she’s got in the pipeline.
What was your experience of screening at Underwire?
3 drama films I’ve scored have screened at Underwire; in 2011, Comes But Once A Year directed by Mark Lobatto, in 2012, 12 directed by Aml Ameen (The Butler, Maze-Runner) and last year Silent Treatment when I collaborated again with Mark Lobatto. It was really exciting to see the films shown with the others in the category and see the audience reaction. I genuinely love the genre of shorts - they are often viewed as a calling card or training ground for filmmakers but they are an art form in their own right. Attending screenings of such diverse shorts by so many great women filmmakers is a joy.
Having been nominated for Best Composer at three consecutive years of Underwire, how has that recognition benefited you?
It’s helped me to connect with other filmmakers and has given me the ability to demonstrate that recognition to my contacts, new and old. It’s also been a great confidence boost.
What have you been up to since?
I’ve been busy working on a variety of projects from terrestrial TV programmes to shorts bound for the festival circuit. In the last 3 years I’ve scored over 25 shorts and written for dramas on BBC1, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. My focus to date has been mainly drama but I’d love to write for other genres too - I scored my first documentary this year - a project by actor/producer Freya Berry forHope Child Africa - it’s been submitted to Underwire 2014 so I’m hopeful it will make the official selection.
How important has screening at festivals been for you as a composer?
I really enjoy screening at festivals - it’s a vibrant circuit and it’s given me the chance to see the work of directors that I may want to collaborate with that I wouldn’t necessarily have access to otherwise. Hopefully filmmakers wanting to see the work of composers feel the same! Writing music for films can be a very solitary pursuit so getting out and meeting other filmmakers and enthusiasts is wonderful, and also energising. It’s not just the films and the crew either, it’s also the sponsors. I wasn’t really aware of Women In Film and TV until I attended Underwire - I have recently joined their network and have met lots of interesting people so far.
Do you have any advice for craftswomen currently submitting their work to film festivals?
If you find a festival that you really want to submit to, that highlights your particular craft, mention it to your director or producer - they may not be aware of the festival and if it means more exposure for their film, then it’s in their interest to screen.
Would you like to see more support and celebration of craftswomen in the film industry?
Ultimately I want to be considered a good composer, not just a good female composer. That said, it’s disappointing that in 2014 women are still so under represented and not on an equal footing with men in the industry. For that reason, yes, I applaud and encourage anything that raises the profile and empowers the community of women filmmakers.
What are you currently working on?
At the moment, I’m half way through scoring the second season of Channel 5’s critically acclaimed new cop drama Suspects starring Fay Ripley (Cold Feet), Damien Molony (Ripper Street) and Claire Hope-Ashitey (Children of Men). It’s a really gritty police procedural created by Paul Marquess (The Bill, Footballers Wives). Shot in the style of a fly on-the-wall documentary, Suspects is unscripted, the cast devising their own dialogue based on a detailed plot description. It’s very pacey and extremely enjoyable to write music for.
I’m also working on the score for Viking, a short dark comedy, directed by Sam Callis (The Bill, Londons Burning) which stars Sophie Thompson (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows) and Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street). It’s a very quirky and original story about a woman who returns home to find her brutish father dead. She goes to extraordinary lengths to bring closure to their broken relationship.
