Creating A Hair-Raising Atmosphere In "Rats" - An Interview With Editor/Composer Pierre Takal

A synth heavy beat propels “Rats” – the latest documentary from the mind of director Morgan Spurlock.   After watching footage that highlights the universally prevalent rodent, composer Pierre Takal determined the instrumentation would present a mood Spurlock was craving.  “Rats”, after all, was more than an educational film; it was a merging of the documentary and horror genres.

“It contrasts with what’s expected (from a documentary) and heightens the discomfort level,” said Takal.

Spurlock originally contacted Takal to tackle the role of editor for “Rats.”  An Arts and Cultural Programming Emmy winner, Takal was thrilled to reunite with Spurlock, whom he’d worked with previously on “Morgan Spurlock Inside Man.”  Initially content to wear his editing hat, Takal realized merging editing and composing would capture the tone of the educational thriller perfectly.  Trained as a concert pianist in his youth, music remains Takal’s first love.  In fact, Spurlock knew Takal as a composer before discovering the musician was also a talented editor.  Before the final segments of “Rats” were even shot, Takal crafted the film’s trailer first, so the director could weigh in on the style.

“I wanted to see what it felt like.  Morgan said ’This is going to work’” said Takal.

Takal spent three months editing the project, studying early footage in search of the story line.  While segments shot in New York and England made the cut, beautiful cinematography highlighting Paris’ sewage system didn’t propel the story. Likewise, early conversations about narration provided by a New York City based rat catcher were scrapped, noting the individual’s unique personality better served the documentary as a reoccurring character guiding the story.   “Rats” ultimately begins with the overpopulation of the critters in New York City and travels around the world where rats are studied as disease-spreading agents, bought as a culinary delicacy, hunted, stuffed and ultimately worshiped in India’s “Temple of Rats.”   As Takal wove individual story threads into a cohesive whole, Spurlock periodically visited the edit room to review progress and offer direction.

“Morgan has very clear and strong concepts but when you are working he is very hands off and gives you total freedom,” said Takal.  “It’s rarely the initial idea (we end with), that evolves and morphs.”

Inspired by the editing in MTV spots during the early 90s, Takal created rapid fire montages out of fixed camera footage to heighten tension.  This devise was employed in segments including an infestation of a well-off New York City apartment and rats roaming through underground drainage pipes. During every stage of editing, Takal developed the score.  Utilizing two keyboards, the score pulsed in the lower-register, allowing diverse musical styles to punctuate the soundscape.  When traveling through Mumbia and Cambodia, for example, Takal layered traditional instruments and phrasing to the synth-heavy backbone.  Spurlock was so pleased with the outcome of the score that he had the score published separately – a first in Takal’s composing career.

A long –time documentary editor, Takal enjoys sifting through footage to find the meaningful story in factual accounts.  In addition to the recently released “Rats” he served as editor to the award winning “The Eagle Huntress,” a documentary chronicling the training a 13-year old girl undertakes as her father defies tradition and encourages her to participate in the male dominated occupation.  For this film, Takal states he simply “reacted to the material” and let the footage show him the way.

“All I have to do is react,” said Takal.  “Everything has a story.  ‘Rats’ was daunting at first, it was very loose and I wanted it cohesive.  In the sum of all my reactions the story came out.”