Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037
The most thoroughly handcrafted instruments in the world, Steinway pianos are as unique and full of personality as the world-class musicians who choose them above all others. Note by Note follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand, from the forest floor to the concert hall, exploring the relationship between the musician and the instrument, chronicling the manufacturing process, and investigating what makes each Steinway unique in this age of mass production. Each piano's journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. Filmed in key Steinway locations—the factory, Steinway's reserved "Bank," and private auditions—Note by Note is a loving celebration of not just craftsmanship, but of a dying breed of person who is deeply connected to working by hand. To this end, this is an ode to the most unexpected and perhaps ironic of unsung heroes. It reminds us of how extraordinary the dialogues can be between an artist and an instrument—crafted out of human hands but borne in the materials of nature.
Trailer
Credits
Director/Producer: Ben Niles
Cinematographers: Ben Wolf, Luke Geissbuhler, Ben Niles, Geoff O'Brien
Editors: Purcell Carson, Geoff O'Brien
Running time: 81 min.
Website: www.notebynotethemovie.com
About the Filmmaker
BEN NILES is a documentary filmmaker and award-winning graphic designer. During his 15 years as a graphic designer, Niles directed and produced photo-shoots, videos, commercials and print campaigns for commercials and entertainment clients including Atlantic Records, Nantucket Film Festival and the Jacob Burns Film Center. In his years in the record industry, Niles created album packages for Collective Soul, Jewel and Jon Brion; celebrated box sets for Phish and George Carlin; and packages and identities for jazz musicians Cyrus Chestnut, James Carter and Henry Butler. A graduate of University of Georgia at Athens, Niles attended an intensive fine arts study abroad program located in Cortona, Italy.