jasdooit

There was a blue poster commonly hung in cafes and snack bars during the 1990s. It was the film ‘The Grand Blue’ (1988) by director Luc Besson, which depicted the dream of a diver who wanted to become one with the sea. The theme song ‘My Lady Blue,’ with a deep and blue-toned melody as profound as the poster, was composed by Éric Serra (66), a composer and guitarist. On the 5th, Éric Serra, who held a master class themed “Inspiration Beyond the Film” at the Seoul Arts Center in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, said, “Before creating the music for *The Grand Blue*, I underwent diving training in the Mediterranean for three months,” adding, “I still cannot forget the light and sound of the sea that I felt with my entire body when I jumped into it without any equipment.”

Éric Serra first visited Korea as the recipient of the Jecheon Music Award at the 21st Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, which opened on the 4th. He received a standing ovation for his approachable demeanor during the master class that day, such as asking the audience questions first, after expressing his gratitude in accurate Korean, saying, “Thank you very much,” while receiving the award plaque at the opening ceremony. In response to the question, “What is the biggest difference between creating film music and composing your own music?” he answered, “The difference is that film music involves entering the director’s dream and helping to fulfill it together, whereas creating my own music is about fulfilling my own dream.”

The director with whom Éric Serra “fulfilled dreams together” is Luc Besson. The two, who are of the same age, first met when they were 18. Serra has composed music for all of Luc Besson’s films, starting from his first short film *Front and Back* (1981), through his feature debut *The Last Battle* (1983), *Léon* (1994), *The Fifth Element* (1997), to his recent work *Dogman* (2023). When asked, “Are you ever worried that inspiration might run out?” he replied, “Composing is similar to sports training.” He added, “Consistently repeating the process allows one to maintain creativity to some extent,” and emphasized, “Execution power, rather than inspiration, determines the outcome.”

A fan who studies composition independently asked for advice, saying, “I am afraid because I am not confident that I am doing well.” A brief smile appeared on his face. He responded, “I, too, still feel fear every time I write a song,” and added, “Feeling fear is a very good thing.” “What is important is abundant self-pride. Do not seek the correct answer; instead, create music that allows you to take pride in yourself.”

※ This article has been translated by Upstage Solar AI.