 Marvin Hamlisch discusses "The
Informant!" How did working with Steven Soderbergh come to
fruition, and what was some of the dialogue or direction given to you by Steven prior to gathering your own inspiration? We talked about the film a lot and spotted the film together. Once I had
done about half the film, I showed him a few cues to see what his reaction would be. It was important for me to make sure
that when I recorded, the director was in the recording studio because I think it’s much easier to change something
when the director is sitting there, rather than trying to edit later on. While this film obviously did not call for Cliff Martinez's sparse ambient sound that Steven has used
frequently before, I was amazed at how well your approach blended to the film. Tell us why you chose to enhance the movie
with melodic and sentimental themes and jazzy cues that have a James Bond flavor from the 70"s and 80's, when this story
took place in the 90's. It was all about accentuating
the comedy. You have piccolos, kazoos, you have a bass saxophone, you’ve got a ho-down while he’s taking a polygraph
test. So, all of this stuff is really zany—but it’s all part and parcel of the brain of Mark Whitacre. The truth
of the matter is, we’ve given the other part of a bipolar person a voice. I purposely didn’t try to stay in any
particular time, but I also didn’t try to make a point of going back further than he goes back, because I thought it
was going to be restrictive to the comedy. You
collaborate with Alan and Marilyn Bergman again. Talk about the choice for the use of this song and more importantly its significance
to the film. Steven Soderbergh wanted
to make sure that the music let the audience know the film was funny, and that is what I wanted in the song ‘Trust Me.’
The reason I chose [Alan & Marilyn] Bergman was because I knew they were very politically savvy and I needed people who
really understood the politics of what was going on. When they came up with the title ‘Trust me,’ I fell in love
with the idea totally. It also has the great line in it, "Life’s so much fun when you’re using other people’s
money." They really hit the nail on the head with this one.
Did Barbara Streisand ever come to mind
for this song since you have had such a longtime and successful collaboration together? We wanted a singer sounding more like a Texas con-man, and Barbara doesn’t
really fit that bill.
Steve Tyrell does
a fabulous job with this song. Was he the singer you had in mind or did you open this up for auditions and Steve proved to
be the right fit? My first choice was Sinatra
but he’s not with us any more. Steve had the perfect voice and I knew he would do a great job. You have once again created a memorable score that is certain to influence others,
as you have all along with your music. What can you tell us about your creative process as it seems to flow so naturally from
you?
The creative process
for me varies from project to project. With The Informant!, as with most movies, the first step is to find the key
to the door. Then, to find a kind of music that you feel will unlock the secrets of the characters—so the composer can
really add something meaningful to what’s going on, on the screen.
I speak of how you have influenced others but thinking back, how
did you find your calling and whom did you look to for inspiration as a young composer? Well, I was a recording assistant for Funny Girl, so of course Julie Stein meant a
lot to me. He’s a great, great man and a wonderful composer. Of course, the first time any composer ever hears Westside
Story that will influence you. But I think that Julie Stein is still one of the big influences on me, because I love
his music and I love Gypsy. There were also certain shows, particularly earlier in my life that I just adored and
would just listen to like crazy. On the other hand, one of the films that I always remember seeing—were three films—scoring
wise, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, On the Waterfront, and High Noon.
After the mid 90"s your career has been less focused on film. The success of The
Informant! has undoubtedly opened many doors again for you, though. What direction will you take your career?
I’ll do what’s offered to me, and what seems right. So if a really
good movie comes around and someone says "Let’s get Marvin Hamlisch," I’ll do it. If someone wants to
work with me hopefully collaboration can begin. Congratulations
also on your Lifetime Achievement Award this year. You have rightfully earned the many awards including 3 Oscars, 3 Golden
Globes and countless others—when you step away from your piano or the orchestra and reflect on your contributions to
music, what does this mean to you? I have to
tell you truthfully, that I don’t really think about those types of things. I think in terms of the work, I think in
terms of the work that we’re doing, which is very good work. Everything else is gravy. If we happen to get nominated,
I’ll be thrilled. I don’t think about what could or could not be the ramifications of doing anything. If you start
to play that game, you’ll go crazy. Congrats
also on receiving your 8th Golden Globe nomination. I am very grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press
and very thrilled for this nomination. It means a great deal to me. It’s wonderful to return to scoring movies.
 Ramin
Djawadi on Iron Man and Deception
Q: Before we talk about your most recent scores I want to go back
a bit to your music for the film Mr. Brooks. In this film, Kevin Costner's
character had a multiple personality
which would seemingly be difficult to score for since you have to combine contrasting polar opposite sounds and yet create
a unity at the same time. How do you approach a score to a film such as this, where it is not a straight forward storyline
all the way through?
A: The
film basically dictates to you its restrictions. In the case of Mr. Brooks, Kevin Costner’s character had a split personality
so when he was the family man, it was a more conventional orchestral approach. When his killer personality appeared on screen,
it called for a more modern and edgy sound. In this case, I looked for cool sounds that would almost make his sinister character
more likable, even though he was ultimately the bad guy.
Q: what do you hear in your own work that might separate
your music from your colleagues?
A:
I am still in the search to define my style more and more but if you listen to my music there are certain specific distorted
guitar sounds that I like to use. I like to bring this sound in to my scores when I can like I have done with Mr. Brooks and
Prison Break for example, where it becomes a signature that I hope is recognizable.
Q: Your sound is very recognizable and that is what keeps me coming back for
more. I am always waiting to see what kind of spin you will put on a film using your signature sound.
A: This is cool. You know, I don’t even know how I came
up with that sound. It was pure experimentation. I discovered that this is the sound I want to focus on and I am not afraid
to bring this in to my other scores because this is basically my signature to the score.
Q: Lets talk about Iron Man. You have one of the biggest blockbusters of the
year and you have a chance early on in your career to make a statement with your music. Now, before you answer this question
I will say that although I have not seen the movie, I must admit that at first listen it was not what I was expecting. Tell
us your approach to this project and was the outcome your intended direction from the beginning?
A: This was a tough project right from the beginning because we had many
opinions on how to approach this score so it was a matter of finding out what direction we would go in first. I started with
an orchestral idea which Jon Favreau (director) said was great. He mentioned that the music was very comic
book film and superhero like but he wanted to do something else. We knew the music would be compared to other comic
book films, like Batman for example. Our direction was to do something a little different. I have to give Jon
the credit for coming up with this idea. He told me that he wanted a guitar and he also really pushed for a more
rock and roll sound. I am glad he did now because he made me look at it in a very different way.
Q: I did not mean to suggest that what you did was wrong because every film has
its own identity. It is funny though that when you say comic book and superhero together you automatically think Batman
or Superman. Then you automatically think -big orchestral sounds and memorable themes that can be tied to that movie at the
mere mention of its name. Your score to Iron Man clearly explores outside that box.
A: I am sure that there will be those who will criticize this approach because they were
expecting a purely orchestral score but I think it is a great idea to go a different way. I will say it was difficult working
so heavily with guitars is that I could not do any long thematic melodies. There was a lot of fluctuation in sounds which
restricted my ideas a bit to a more rhythmic approach with little melodies and riffs in between.
Q: Your most recent
score for the film Deception is stunning. I feel you go back to your roots a bit, writing some intense guitar melodies and
incorporating some strings and piano to create a mysterious and dramatic feel that is captivating. In the likeness of Mr.
Brooks it has two different feels to the music that you tie together so well. Tell us your approach to this movie.
A: You are right. It is like Mr. Brooks
but with this music I was able to write more themes and lyrical montages where the score for Mr. Brooks didn't call for it. Deception
was a very inspirational and almost dreamy experience working working on this wonderful film. The score is mainly strings
and piano with some synthetic elements.
 Interview with Deborah Lurie:
Q:You have had a colorful background from
the rock arena to the orchestral Hollywood. This is not an uncommon transition but how do you keep from these two worlds from
colliding?
A: The
two worlds really compliment each other actually. The commonality for me is in the players. I use the same musicians, primarily
the string section for my rock arrangements as I do for a film score. I find it great to see them in these separate environments.
I like that these two worlds differ in that the rock side of things is less stressful so it allows for me to unwind and have
a little fun, though films are my primary focus.
Q:
To back up a little, which genre did you begin with?
A: Actually, I started in theater. In addition
to a fair amount of acting, I worked as a piano accompanist for quite a few shows, and that led to writing original music
for theater productions. It wasn't until I went through my undergraduate at USC that I studied film music, scoring
as many student films as I could and getting to know film students. It wasn't until a few years after college that I really
started working in rock.
Q: If you had to pick one area of music composition, what
would that be?
A: I enjoy working in all genres but I guess my favorite genre would be drama.
I feel most at home or in my element when I am scoring a dramatic film.
Q: I hear the obvious influences from Danny Elfman, John
Ottman and Christopher Young in your work but if I listen to your solo work that is not tied to a collaboration or a project
that calls for a mirrored approach, I hear a delicate and melodic sound from you that is truly unique. What are your sources
of inspiration and who else has played a role in helping you develop your technique and style?
A: I sang in many choirs
throughout my life and so I found a lotof my inspiration through choral music. You might hear this
from the voicing of my string arrangements and my harmonies. So a lot of the choices that I make is reminiscent to choral
music. Starting in theater I also wrote music for Shakespearian plays and became very passionate about music of the renaissance
and med-evil times. I have an eclectic background of influences though. I loved musical theater when I was
growing up as well as a lot of folk music. Also one of my composition teachers at USC was a
choral composer named Morten Lauridsen who was very influential to me. Some
classical composers I love are Ravel, Bach, Shostakovich, and Barber. I also love the music of Edgar Meyer.
Q: Were there any film
composers that caught your attention?
A: I never really
listened to many film scores that much so my knowledge of the repertoire
is limited but I definitely admire the music of Danny Elfman and Thomas Newman. I
love the Alan Menken Disney musicals too. It is funny because I have been told in the past that I have
a similar style to particular film composers but I honestly am usually not particularly familiar with their
work so I can't say that they were influences.
Q: When you are producing a demo for a filmmaker and even given the growth in technology,
what ideas do you find most challenging to express without actually recording the music live?
A: Well, I am not a
guitarist or not a good one anyway and when you have strumminginstruments
such as the guitar, it is difficult to express those ideas in synth mock-ups. I either need to improve my
guitar playing or start shopping for a more sophisticated guitar synth! The other things are like what Thomas
Newman has done in his improvisatory layering of ethnic instruments, a technique that has become very popular
in modern film music. With traditional orchestral music, it is a lot easier to use synthesizers to give
a director an idea what they will hear in its completed state. It's rather tough to give them a preview
of the modern collages of sounds that will be created live in the studio with the help of brilliant musicians like George
Doering. Some of the most amazing textures you'll hear in film music today are created,
in a large part, by the players themselves who are letting their imaginations run wild. It takes a skilled composer
to create the environment to turn those ideas into great film music, but it's most definitely a collaborative effort with
these insanely talented studio musicians.
Q: You have worked on some well known projects such as Spiderman
3, which was primarily scored by Christopher Young. What has been your role on this film imparticular and how did this come
about for you?
A: I was called in at the tail end of the project because they wanted to incorporate some of Danny
Elfman's themes for particular characters that he had developed in the first two movies. It was actually exciting for me to
get that call from Sony Pictures and having them say to me that 'we hear you are the person we should use', It was one of
the moments in my career that stands out to me like a dream come true.
Q: You have two works that stand out as unique projects to me. The
first one being Imaginary Heros, which was co-composed with John Ottman. This music plays an emotionally descriptive role.
Tell us how you approached this dysfunctional story and what was the driving force to these themes?
A: First
of all, I have worked with John Ottman for years in different compacities and with this film imparticular, John (Ottman) wrote
the main theme, which became the nucleus of the score. The theme was based on this waltz which plays
both a seemingly tranquil and a sarcastic or ironic role. You would
really have to see the film to know how great this worked, and John's insight as a filmmaker as well as a
composer is really obvious to me in the composition of this main theme. John sent me a recording
of the theme, and I basically worked off of this idea. It is interesting because I am not sure I would have had the
courage to create this whimsical waltz based around this kid committing suicide. Nevertheless, I think it worked well and
I just ran with it making the music very much my own (omit).
Q: The other score that caught my attention
was the little known film, Mozart and the Whale. What was your experience working on this film given the nature of the story
and its intimate portrayal?
A: This was a very sweet movie that I enjoyed working on a great deal. It is a film that I think
you should see. My experience was a very unique one because I never worked with the director through the entire film. I instead
worked with the film editor Lisa Churgin and the film producers and music supervisor. The filmmakers
were changing the tone of the film a little bit from a more serious drama to a quirky love story. I was able to let loose
a little and have fun with this score although I don't think this sound was what was intended from the directors point of
view.
Q: Let's talk a little bit about your wonderfully
beautiful and heartfelt score for An Unfinished Life.
A: Wow, thank you. I got this opportunity from working on several
smaller scale works for Mirimax Pictures in previous years. I was asked to experiment with a couple
musical ideas for this film late in the game. The movie had been done for a long time prior to me coming
on board. Before I knew it, I had written most of the score. It was all done over a three week
period and it is amazing that this slow tranquil music could be done under such pressure. I wouldn't want a director to read
this and think that it can be expected of me all the time because it's no picnic!
Q: Were you familiar with Christopher Young's
score prior to writing your interpretation of the story?
A: I was familiar with a few pieces of it here and there.
I think Chris Young's work was beautiful and I don't think my music was drastically different in tone.
The direction I was given from Lasse Halstrom was "write from your heart", so that is what I did.
Q: What is coming next for you in your
career?
A: I wish I knew. I just finished Spiderman 3 and another film this morning actually. My Summer will
be busy too. My goal is to continue working with new filmmakers in hopes
of opening the doors to more creative opportunities. My primary focus is to have my music attached
to films that make it to the theater. I will also continue to do rock arrangements which is like therapy for me. They chill
me out. (laughing)
|
 James Michael Dooley discusses
his latest projects
Q: Lets first get a little of your background
in terms of how you got in to the craft and how you later developed a relationship with Hans Zimmer and the gang.
A: After I graduated from NYU in the
summer of 1998 I went to USC to study at their film music program. While I was there I got to work some influential guys like
Leonard Rosenman, Elmer Bernstein and Christopher Young. After that I worked with Christopher Young as an assistant during
Entrapment and for a short while and after that I worked at Capitol Records. I was basically making a living at this point
while still allowing myself the time to learn and develop my craft. In my travels I got word from a music engineer that Hans
Zimmer was looking for a tech, which I applied for. Three days later I was working with Hans Zimmer. My first films that I
worked on with Hans was Gladiator and Mission Impossible II. After a very short break I was then asked to work with Klaus
Badelt on The Time Machine, which I happily agreed to and I have been there ever since.
Q: There are many wonderful talents working in the business today striving to write a
memorable theme and be recognized for their individual crativity on the next epic or blockbuster film. Where do you see yourself
in that picture and what are some characteristics that would separate you from this elite group of artists?
A: Great question. First you have to put it out of your mind that there
are people moving out here every day that want your job. That is just the way it is and you can't let that stop you from continuing
down your path. Basically you have to know that the majority of the jobs that you get come from relationships that have developed
from the production side of things. I am fortunate enough to develop relationships with people in the business that are like
minded and that appreciate my differences in style and approach from other artists. I think this holds true for any successful
composer really. You are just going to connect with people that are like you and as they grow the hopes is that so will you.
In terms of style, you have to stand strong in what you believe in. You have
to make a million choices every time you write a piece of music- whether it is making something louder, softer, faster and
so on; you have to stand by your choices versus trying to be like someone else. Just do what your heart tells you and don't
be afraid to stand by that.
Q: If
I were directing a film, I would instantlyconsider you after just hearing something is simple as your music to the BMW commercial.
Whether it is a commercial, a game or a major motion picture score what is the main source for your inspiration?
A: First, thank you for the compliment and
again this is a great question. This is why I work with the people I do so often such as Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson (First
Flight) and Fred Savage (Daddy Day Camp). They all will find beauty where no one else will see it and that is what I find
inspiring. An analogy I have is someone could read War and Peace and come away saying that was a great war story while another
person could read the book of ingredients to chewing gum and unlock the mysteries of the universe. It is all perception. I
surround myself with those that inspire me and support my creative decision no matter what the project may be.
Q: This has been talked about all too much as it is but I am still curious
of how it all comes together when Hans Zimmer has a team of composers putting their signature on a film. Using The up coming
film The Simpsons for example, at what point do you get involved and how does this all work since every artist has their own
take and style?
A: In almost every
form of art there has in place an apprentice system and this is no different when it comes to working with Hans Zimmer.What
confounds me is the focus on Hans Zimmer's team which is no different than any other apprenticeship yet it seems to always
attract feedback. Look at West Side Story, for example. Leonard Bernstein didn't do it all himself. He had Irwin Kostal assisting
him in the orchestrations. Film music specifically is a craft
that requires a skill to write in the likeness of the master. For example, I worked with Danny Elfman on The Hulk which required
me to learn his style and to be able to write in the likeness of him. It is all about learning the harmonics and orchestrations
so that we are all on the same page. Look at Disney. It is pretty miraculous to see a group of artists get together and continue
to produce in the likeness of Walt Disney. So for me, I have been working with Hans for about eight years now and I know what
goes in to his music, being the meticulous workhorse that he is. I have seen him do it and I have learned his techniques.
It doesn't mean that I can produce his music the same way he would. He's a genius. It's like no one can out-Strauss Strauss.
You have got to give people a little bit of a break. We are all trying to find our way learn it and it is hard. You sometimes
have to break some eggs and do things like other people have done in order to develop your own style.
Q: I have asked a couple former Media Venture composers a similar question
and I got this response from them too so let me clarify that my question wasn't meant as an attack. In fact, it was meant
more as a compliment stating that you or John Powell or Harry Gregson-Williams have the ability to write great music yourselves
such as Hans Zimmer and I was simply wondering how each composer with their own developed style can create a work that sound
like one person. I am suggesting that you are all talents in your own right.
A: Well, thank you. I didn't mean to take you to negative land. It is just that I get this question
all the time and I wanted to share my enthusiasm for this great opportunity with collaborating in a colony of musicians, I
guess you could say. There is a skill involved in this process that I feel is often overlooked.
Q: What challenges come about for you in the business and what are the exciting
or rewarding aspects of your career?
A:
What is more challenging I find is that is that there are so many talented musicians around the world and the recod business
has somewhat collapsed since its hayday and now you see a lot more crossing over in to film scoring side of things since you
can make a descent living in comparison to making a successful record. So I think there is a saturation of talents trying
to get in the business. There are exceptions of course. Overall though, just because you can write a good tune doesn't mean
that you are going to react to a film and working with dialogue will mean that you will be successful at it.
Another challenge is keeping in touch with all the music in the world when
I am spending most of my time composing music. It is important for me to stay abreast of what is happening in the world musically
because there is so much terrific music being produced and yet this takes time which I am much more limited because I am doing
my thing versus sitting in an office. It is a lifelong pursuit and it is great just to be able to have an intelligent conversation
and know what is going on. As far as rewards go, I have
to say I love my job. I get these unique experiences where I try to be cool about it but for example, On Daddy Day Camp I
had an experience that goes right to the heart. Fred Savage was at the recording session and we were taking a break for a
minute when Fred Savage leaves the room whistling the Camp tune. I thinking, 'That's awesome!" and I will never forget
that. It is moments like that you just can not beat. There was another situation during the film First Flight where I was
brought in after another composer whose music didn't make it. The directors, Cameron (Hood) and Kyle (Jefferson) were unsure
if it could be done and even for me, I wasn't sure if I could do it. It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever
done. But after hearing it played I heard them in the hall saying "we're going to be fine." I am thinking, that's
why I do it. I took the pressure off them and we did something great together. It is like a lightning bolt going to your heart-
it's fantastic.
Q: You have
a wide range of credits to your name already and if we had time, I think all of them deserve attention but one that stands
out is Electroland. Tell us about your approach to this eye opening film.
A: This was co-composed with a wonderful friend of mine, Mel Wesson whom I work a lot
together with. He is a fantastic musician and sound designer that does some weird and wonderful things. He does some amazing
things that I can't do and vice versa so we make a great team working together. On Electroland, we broke it up in to segments.
We would each start a cue and swap our ideas back and fourth, having a solid plan to begin with of course. I think we did
this score in three days actually. It was a challenge.The approach was to bring some dynamics to these grand images. We broke
it up in to all types of energy sources that were in the picture and tried to create a sound for each of them using a bit
of a mix with pop sounds and combining them with a more technical approach to things when it came to energy sources like solar
energy. To illustrate the magnitude of damns for example, we added a more powerful human-like emotion to the music. We also
wanted the music to highlight the seriousness of the message by adding these qualities.
Q: Pushing Daisies is one of the big hypes for new tv series
airing this fall. Your music stands out as being different, much like what Thomas Newman did on Six Feet Under. How did you
get involved and what was it for you that stood out in the creative process that ultimately lead you down the road that you
took.
A: This is a very
interesting and complex story. First of all, what is funny is that the Thomas Newman approach never came into the conversation.
The direction given to me by the creator of the show, Brian Fuller was to reflect the music more along the lines of Danny
Elfman, Mark Mothersbaugh or Jon Brion. Going back to the beginning, I had to write a love theme that I found challenging
because the characters can never touch. It was music that I designed to have hope in it but it never quite reaches fulfillment.
Although the theme reoccures, the chords change and the music oscillates up and down with no resolution. It will never quite
get there which is a challenge to do with music. So in a sense we took the approach of a Wes Anderson film. It is like a modern
day fairy tale. To highlight the feel of the story I used things a reverse music box for example. It was about creating simple
tunes and making the music accessible. It is a lot of melody and harmony versus complicating the music with mixed up drum
beats and so on. The music for this show sets me in motion. Although this story provided challenges, this is exactly what
excites me and where I feel my strengths are.
Pushing
Daisies is one of the most brilliant stories I have ever seen. Everything about it is so well crafted. I can watch it over
and over again and it still makes me laugh- it's so well written...it is my honor to be a part of the show.
Q: Daddy Day Camp is wild ride in which the music plays an epic
adventurous role in parts. I can also see this music used in an animated feature. Tell us about your take on this film and
what role the music plays.
A:
Well, first of all I have known Fred Savage for a long time so coming in to this project was already going to be fun. We used
to hang out and play video games and talk about films and so on but he was always involved in the acting and writing side
of things and I was always in the music side obviously so now we could actually combine the two on Fred's first feature film
which was exciting.
For direction, what Fred explained
to me is that he wanted a catchy camp tune like a Great Escape sort of sound. So I sat down and put together this simple tune
arranging it with some acoustic guitars, banjos, whistles, spoons and other camp flavored instruments and I brought it to
him. I first explained my idea for it. You have to know that this is the not so luxurious underdog of camps so my idea was
to start off with this camp tune that would evolve in to this superhero theme, depicting the triumph over the other camps
as the story unfolded. I other words it starts off small and builds to a full orchestra. We didn't break new ground in this
sense because its a kids movie and it called for certain sounds and emotions but we did allow for time to experiment with
kazoos and toys and other things to put a fun spin on the movie.
Q: You wrote some amazing and powerful music for the trailer of Spiderman 3. I imagine
your feelings wouldn't have been hurt if you were asked to score the film but if you did was your music heard in the trailer
basically how you would have delivered the music for the film?
A: This is a very interesting thing. For example, for Daddy Day Camp, I didn't score
the trailer but I scored the movie and vice versa on Spiderman 3. In essence, there is really no tie between the marketing
and the production of the film. Plus the dynamics of a complete score verses a 3 minute trailer are going to be completely
different. The music serves two different purposes. For a trailer, you are not applying the same technique or discipline as
you would if you were scoring to the ebb and flow of emotion through an entire movie. You want to capture the viewer with
intensity so that the music builds and builds and just when you think you couldn't get any larger, you take the music a step
further. You have little time to capture the audience so really this is as over the top as music can get.
I have done several trailers and the direction is usually the same but it
interesting because if you think about it, what does big mean? You can add sound to a certain point but there becomes a fine
line where music can become dense and sounding the opposite of what you were trying to create. It is a challenge and a skill
that takes time to develop. The cool thing with Spiderman 3 was that I did not see the movie first so I came up with my interpretation
of what I thought the theme should sound like. Once I sent them the theme they asked me to give them different versions, making
the sound darker, adding drums here...what ultimately happened was the cues I was sending them, there were editing it to the
film using my music as a tool kit in a sense. Think of it this way, without Picasso we wouldn't have this idea of collage
where you are making something larger out of completed smaller pieces.
Q: I know that no composer in hollywood wants to be pigeonholed but if you had to choose
a specific genre that suits you best, what would it be and why?
A: You know this is interesting for me and although I know you want a definitive answer,
I have to say all of them and I will tell you why. Once I have cracked the code to a specific project I like to move on to
something completely because it keeps me fresh. Think of the outpouring of music since the beginning of man and your job is
to come to the table with a fresh and new idea that becomes the personality of that specific film or show. It is an incredibly
daunting task when you consider the many great talents in the business but the challenge of the job is what is exciting to
me. I like to cross different paths all the time because it keeps me on my toes and it allows me to experience something new
every time.
 Talking with Jeff Danna
about his scores with Mychael Danna (Tideland and Fracture) as well as his two other solo films (Chicago
10 and Closing The Ring)
Q: I want to begin with Tideland,
which I feel is your most artistic work to date. First of all, how did you get involved and at what point was it decided to
be a collaborated effort?
A:
Back in the beginning of that project, Mychael (Danna) and I talked about wanting to do something together again. I don't
remember the nuts and bolts of how it came to be. I know that Mychael knew Leslie Walker which is how we got connected to
that film.
Q: I feel that Tideland
was a masterfully designed and poignant film set in this bizarre world of happenings. This leaves a lot of room for creative
expression. What key elements were you looking for when telling this story musically?
A: The great thing about Tideland is that there was no boundaries in the imaginative (Terry)
Gilliam world. A lot of times when composers come on to a project, there are the obvious parameters placed around your creativity
because of the genre or the period or the directors desire for a certain sound...basically a lot of things to be considered.
In this case, there wasn't a box around us. The one general note we had from the beginning was to play it from Jodelles perspective
versus playing it to the audience as a series of happenings. Jodelle's character was quite innocent, eccentric and surreal.
Q: Being that this picture was vividly different
from your works in the past, were there any outside influences or did the film naturally dictate your overall sound?
A: Lesley Walker, the film editor does not temp her films, so
it was very interesting to be able to come to the table with a completely fresh take on it and not having someone say it needs
to sound like this.In some ways this makes it a little trickier because there is a whole world of possibilities and it takes
time to narrow them down.
Q:
You recently worked with Brett Morgen again on Chicago 10 which appears to be similarly challenging as The Kid Stays In The
Picture. What was your experience working on this film?
A: Well, this was our third project working together and it was different from the other two things
we've done. Usually Brett likes to think of the score very up front and playing a major thematic role. He tends to call it
over-score versus underscore- that is his term for it. In Chicago 10, because of these images and because of the nature of
the source music he wanted to do something that didn't necessarily jump out. He wanted something much more subliminal. Working
with Brett is always challenging. He makes great films and has high standards.
Q: Developing solid relationships with filmmakers can be an essential element
to a successful career in the business. Although you have worked with Brett Morgen on three films, you have managed a successful
career with a wide variety of relationships and genres. How have you been able to make this work for you, maintaining a steady
flow of versatile assignments.
A:
Well, a lot of it depends on the directors themselves and what happens in their careers. I mean a lot of it is just luck.
The trick would be to run in to a director that will continue to make films and have a successful career. I have managed to
this but I have also worked with a bunch of people that were considered 'one and done' as they say. They make really good
films and then they just never get another chance. So yes, it is a key part to a film composers career and you just hope that
you will be able to meet people like Brett Morgen who will continue to hire you repeatedly and allow you to do good work for
them.
Q: You team up again
with Mychael in the film Fracture and it worked well but looking at it from a filmmakers point of view, you and Mychael have
both proven to be successful and unique talents in your own right. Perhaps you can shed some light as to how these collaborations
come to be and for what reasons?
A:
Well we just like to work together and we also feel that when you have two minds on the same page, the result can be better
then doing it yourself. Scoring a film is sort of like a sprint where you have a large assignment and very little time for
it to be done. Having two people doing the heavy lifting in that time frame makes for an obvious improvement. Instead of having
eight weeks to focus on a whole score you have that time to do half of the score and be able to focus on the small details
and have time to fine tune your work much easier. Also because we have a connection musically we can help improve each others
work. For example, Mychael might suggest doing something different or trying a certain instrument and I'll say, "Oh yeah,
I hadn't thought of that". So my thought is that anything that gets run through the double filter it gets that much better
because of it. So from a filmmakers point of view, I think it is a great idea. In this case it gets to guys focusing on the
film with double the ideas and ways of approaching it.
Q: Have you found this to be an expectation now?
A: I don't know. We haven't done that many films together. I imagine that the people we have
worked for as a pair, they would be considering us as a duo, I would think.
Q: I don't mean to be stuck on this subject but I am curious how a score is
broken up when you are paired on a project. Who decides to do what?
A: Well, it is literally a basic thought that I will take a shot at a certain cue and say
to Mychael "What do you want to do?" and we'll just take it from there and start and then we will trade the ideas
back and fourth. We have similar technology such as our composition program so we can literally e-mail from my desk to his
desk ideas in progress. We piece it together that way. It is like an artist sitting at their drawing table and another artist
walks up and says "well, what if we drew his ears like this...?" so to speak. It is that kind of idea.
Q: In your latest work Closing the Ring, you work with
legendary actor and filmmaker Lord Richard Attenborough. First of all, how did you land this project?
A: Because I knew Lesley Walker. She knew Richard and played
him some of my things.
Q: It
must have been a daunting task working alongside one of the greatest visionaries of our time. Since I have not seen the movie
or heard the score, what was your approach to this film and how did this experience differ from any of the others you've had?
A: Well, when you get right down to it, it is always the same
process. I am there to write the score for a motion picture. On the other hand there definitely were some moments when I would
look over and there is Lord Richard Attenborough and I would quietly be amazed for a moment.
For Closing the Ring, the film bounced back and fourth between America and
Ireland. So he wanted something genuinely Irish for the Belfast part and something more geographically succinct for the American
part. It was that two pronged approach and I think he was pleased with the outcome.
Q: Did Lord Richard Attenborough play a large role in the scoring process?
A: Oh yes. I actually went to London for a couple of months and
moved right in to his offices. He would come by every couple of days and it was good- that is the way it should be.
Q: You have been
extremely busy I know but do you have anything on the horizon that you wish to talk about?
A: I have some things in the works but nothing locked in yet
for me to talk about.
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 Brian Tyler tells us about
his latest film score, "Bug".
Q: Having not seen the film, can you tell us what we are
looking at? I know this isn't the ideal way to experience a score but I am looking at this as a separate entity this time
or as an individual work of art.
A: While the music is a part of the film it takes on its own life outside
the film. Many of my favorite scores are for films I have never seen. I just want people to sit back and have their own experience
while listening to the score. This score was, for me, so outside the box that it is a leap of faith even going this far into
the experimental side of what I know as composing.
Q: So stepping out of your element entirely must have been a daunting and
yet an exciting new experience. Although you did a wonderful job on William Friedkin's The Hunted, Bug goes far beyond this
score and anything else you have done. Tell us more about how this experience evolved and how you were able to reach an agreement
with this direction of composition.
A:
Well, Billy Friedkin really gave me a lot of latitude on this score. The things we talked about were conceptual. There was
no spotting. He did not even want to know when I was to come in and out with cues. In fact, the direction he gave were to
be as unpredictable as possible. We listened to some Webern early on as well as watching Godard's "Weekend" and
how the score for that film would sometimes interrupt completely normal dialogue scenes with utter disregard for what they
were saying, drowning out important plot points and confusing the viewer. That kind of approach was fascinating to me. I am
also fascinated with Reich, Crumb, Stockhausen, and other avant garde composers which we talked about.
Q: William Friedkin is probably most respected for his earlier films The
French Connection and one of the scariest horrors of all time, The Exorcist. What was your experience like working with him
again and more importantly what do you believe was the highlight of working on this film imparticular?
A: Those films are classics. And he is a genius - but not just in the film
sense. Seriously, the man challenges me at every turn. It is always fantastic working with him because of the uncertainty
of the whole thing. It may be difficult but I always come out proud of what I was able to do. Now, this movie is great and
I hope people will see it without pre-conceived notions that this is a horror film or whatever. It is a methodical and bizarre
journey of pain and love. The highlight was finding a completely different voice musically. Billy challenged me and I took
a leap of faith.
Q: Although it might
not be professional to inject one's opinion in an interview, I have to admit that in my fifteen years of filling my ears with
film scores, I have never heard anything so groundbreaking, unique and original come to the big screen. You know that I am
a faithful listener to your music and a true believer of your abilities but this one honestly shocked me. Where in the hell
did this one come from? What were your influences or research tools on this project and how did you develop these incredibly
unique atmospheric sounds?
A: Thank
you kindly. Like I said, it was a leap of faith. Some people may really enjoy this score, as I hope they do, but I imagine
there will be a lot of people who are completely vexed by it. I took great care in making sure that there was not a sense
of balance to the music. The dissonant textures and the melodic content of the music had to be unresolved in order to work.
The score is very deliberate and methodical. It could not be random. That would not have served the story. There are themes
if you listen closely enough but they are wrapped in a musical haze or a textural confusion. This all must sound rather odd
but it is really how I felt when creating the music. The sonic palette of the film makes absolutely no common sense. Solo
cello, piano, celeste, drums, air conditioning units, guitar, harmonica, saxophone, and digital distortion are not usually
used together. And that was not the point. I was trying to make something that was unique to these character's world.
Q: How long did it take and was there any second guessing involved once you
pasted your music to the film?
A:
It took a couple of months to compose and record the score. It was not the easiest journey. I did not have a lot of second
guessing as to whether I thought it was right but I had a lot of sleepless nights thinking that Billy would think I had lost
my mind utterly. I am just glad Billy was so supportive.
Q: How do you think your music married the film in the end and would you ever approach a score like this again
being that you are more thematic and orchastral in your writing?
A: I really have no idea. But I hope that yes, I will be taking these musical detours every once
in awhile. I never wanted to be a composer that got too comfortable scoring just certain kinds of films like big action films
etc. That is not why I do what I do. That does not drive me. Change does.
Q: Was there a temp score to this film or did you begin this project right from the beginning?
A: No temp whatsoever.
Q: How would you label this music in terms of genre? In other words, would
your call this predominantly acid jazz or...?
A:
Oh boy. I would call it experimental or avant garde music I suppose. Which I guess is a fancy pants way of saying it is really
weird!
Q: Coming from Bug, do you
have any other future releases or up coming projects that you wish to highlight?
A: I recorded "War" with the London Symphony Orchestra recently (which was fantastic) and
the film is a thrill ride. It is very aggressive and wild. I started that film all the back into last summer. That comes out
in the fall I believe with a soundtrack release as well. Right now I am just finishing up the score for "Bangkok Dangerous"
starring Nic Cage. It is completely different than Bug - thematic, epic, and exciting with a touch of Thailand in there. The
film was an interesting canvas for my to compose to since it has very little dialogue. Nic Cage is a hitman in Thailand and
does not speak the language and he falls in love with a Thai girl who is deaf-mute. So the music had to tell the story. It
was a great challenge. I also finished up scoring Justin Lin's "Finishing the Game" which is a mockumentary about
the making of Bruce Lee's last film. The score is 100% 1970s funk, rock, and disco. All the recording techniques were straight
outta 1977. It was a pure fun! Now I am scoring "Aliens vs Predator 2" and that is absolutely incredible to work
on. The Brothers Strause are directing this like men possessed. It has the grit and grime and the feel of the original films.
The music is going to be along those lines. Bringing it back old school style! After that is "John Rambo" which
will be the coda film to the series. It is a great script and I think people are going to be blown away by what Sly is cooking
up for the swan song for this character. Hmmm. That took a while to explain. Maybe I should mix in a vacation at some point.
Naaaaaah.
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 A Conversation
with Jeff Atmajian on his music for "Creation".
Q: Prior to "Creation", you have earned a solid reputation as being one of the leading
orchestrators in the business. I want to talk about how a production of this magnitude came about for you to compose this
music, especially given that you didn't have any releases of your own, being credited as a composer.
A: Prior to "Creation"
I had two films and some TV and Ad music as well as Library Tracks on my composing resume. I also have about 8 hours of music
I have composed but it is just not heard by many people. When I first worked with Gabriel Yared in early 2004 on the ill-fated
score to Wolgang Peterson's film "Troy" he emphatically and graciously said to me that when he saw my scores he
thought they were the scores of a composer not an orchestrator. I am still deeply touched by this vision he had of my abilities
and the kind and thoughtful way he shared it with me even while in the midst of writing his most massive score of the time.
In September of 2004 I received a call from Carol Schuller Milner - Robert Schuller's daughter and the creator
of the story and staging of "Creation". This massive and ambitious show was due to be out in June of 2005 and she
needed a composer. David Foster had been on board to some extent over the previous few years (this show was many years in
the making) but for whatever reason could not be part of it any longer. Carol is a huge fan of Gabriel's music and somehow
managed to reach him to see if he would be available to do the music. As he was not he told her to contact me when she asked
him for a recommendation. He gave my name to her. I am still thrilled and amazed by the selfless belief he had in me. She
rang me and my first meeting with her went really well. I gave her lots of my music including many hymn arrangements I had
done and I say with no modesty, she was really impressed! So I had a meeting with the production team and discovered that
I was the right one for this project.
You may also be interested to know that before I came on the scene
Mike Post was the top choice by most of the rest of the producers but Carol had already decided I was the right one. You see
I have a strong spiritual background, strong theatrical background and a fairly good background in dance and song. Not to
mention my years of dramatic experience from doing film scores. I think I was meant to do this project.
It was
a gargantuan effort as I had to write music to go with CGI screen images, dance routines and aerial dance routines as well
as songs. I helped audition the cast and choose the soloists as well. All the music had to fit a time line that was not too
defined at first and slowly came into place only as the work progressed. Most of all I had to record it all 6 weeks before
the show opened so that it would be available to rehearse to. There was no getting it wrong! Once recorded the keys and tempos
were locked to dance and song features that were still being refined, but it all worked. It was far harder than having a picture
to write to. Plus I had no prior association with the Crystal Cathedral but I did know they had a long and strong tradition
of music as a cornerstone of their ministries. It was a daunting experience -I could hardly sleep at nights in November and
December of 2004 especially but it was the most fulfilling thing I had ever done. I am so grateful it came to me and
I to it.
Q: How did
you begin working with Gabriel Yared?
A: Orchestrator/Composer Conrad
Pope kindly recommended me for "Troy" and so John Bell; Gabriel's long time orchestrator whom I also knew over the
years from various other things I did in London, met up with me just after I finished doing the recordings for John Debney's
score "The Passion of the Christ" in early January 2004. He took me to meet Gabriel. I can still see his studio
that was then in Notting Hill and remember hearing some of his demos and thinking "Wow! This is going to be awesome!
Q: Obviously, the graciousness of
Gabriel to recommend you for Creation must have been flattering, yet daunting in the same breath. Tell us what went through
your head at first and as things progressed, did these emotions evolve in to a greater confidence in your own abilities?
A: His
confidence was a real support. The first three months were scary as ever because I had to write this extravagant feast of
music to something that only existed in a sort of patchy combination script and timeline. It helped that the people I worked
with were all really wonderful and working so very hard themselves. As things progressed and the music started to flow I began
to feel fully confident and truly "in the zone".
Q: This production called for many different sounds from sweeping melodies to tribal rhythms
and ethnic instrumentation- how did you go about weaving these textures together?
A:
When I met the "Aerealists" - who are just wonderful and truly amazing at what they do, I asked them about what
they usually perform to. They gave me some tracks and I thought that for the sequence where they create the planets of the
universe it would be good to reflect the planets with the continents and thus a few ethnic styles of music. They loved this
idea and I also knew that the audiences would love this type of music and it would provide good counterbalance to the huge
amounts of orchestral music. I thought that American Indian, East Indian, Middle Eastern and then a full percussion mix of
those styles to end with would be a good way to go.
I also had in mind using Geetha Bennett as well as Frank Bennett
(my esteemed colleague in orchestration) and their group to do the live Indian parts. Geetha plays the Vena and sings and
is truly fantastic and Frank and his mates play mrdangum, tamburo and tablas. I did get John Bilezikjian to put some Oud solos
over the ending bit. I got Jim Hill to create some wonderful loops and phrases along this structure and added some keyboard
efforts of my own on top of his tracks and this became our demo. Later I recorded Geetha and company and also another percussionist
on top of the loops. In London we added some strings.
As to the Creation of the Animals I got my mate Adrian Thomas in London to do the same sort of thing but with
African Drums and instruments. He too did an amazing job and I added Pedro Eustache on top of it with ethnic winds and then
some drums in London. I think the addition of live elements to loops is so very important to bringing life and reality to
these kinds of tracks. And of course Jim Hill mixed them brilliantly.
As for the Solo Duduk, well I am Armenian and so I chose to use it unaccompanied for 2
and 1/2 minutes for the creation of Adam. Though it is all written out Pedro really gave it all the soul I could ever ask
from a performer and he's not even Armenian.
Q:
One thing I found interesting is that you conducted the orchestra but had David Metzger and Jon Kull as your orchestrators
instead of doing this yourself also. I assume it had to do with†a race against time but did you have any other reasons
for making this decision?
A: It was purely a matter of time. I will say what you have heard from others as
well: I provided them with clearly laid out demos and then I looked through all the scores after they did them. This is not
because I couldn't trust them. They are both fabulous orchestrators. I just felt a great responsibility to every step of the
process from my musical integrity. I confess that it cannot be easy to orchestrate for an orchestrator. I admit I was quite
clear in my directions for everything but still, these guys were invaluable to me and I was so grateful to have them. I wish
people could know how important a caring orchestrator can be no matter how much or little is required of them. I want to also
say that JoAnn Kane was really good to me and had her office do the copying even with my tight budget. I felt for that they
deserved good clear Finale scores so as to make their job easier.
Q: What did you take away from this experience?
A: Such a range of things from the
deeply personal to the outward joy of seeing how much my music moved other people. More than anything I felt that I was doing
something that I was meant to do and not just hidden behind the scenes. It was a blessing for me and I hope a returned blessing
to the many people who were touched by the music. And of course a great CD.
Jeff tells
us about his music for "Screamers"
Q: The documentary titled "Screamers" is based on the Armenian Genocide
in which you wrote the music for. How did get involved project?
A: I was contacted by Raffy Manoukian, the overall producer of the film. He knew of me in
London and we once planned a project of Armenian Music which is still in wait mode. He had asked the director, Carla Garapedian
to meet me as he and a few others felt the film needed some score to give it more deep emotion.
Q: You used native instruments such as the Duduk
and the Oud. Is there a difference in writing for an orchestral instrument versus various Western instruments.
A: Though I am Armenian I have never
really studied the Oud. The Duduk I know well enough and even more so thanks to Pedro Eustache who really clued me in on the
best ranges for the instrument. So I wrote the Oud and Shvi (Armenian Flute) piece as best I could from both a dramatic musical
point and one that respects the limits of the instruments.
As for the Duduk, well it is more limited tonally
than say an English Horn but truly has the sound of pathos and is like a human voice. This is very moving. Of course the Director
grew to love the demos I made and so when I recorded the live Oud with John Bilezikjian for the one piece it was on
it seemed best to have him play in a strumming style like the demo. It would have been great to let him "do his thing"
(not just strumming) as he knows the instrument so intimately but after trying that we settled on the original version
with the strumming. My point is: for certain instruments, especially ethnic ones, it is ideal if you can let the player do
the creating. Oud more so than if it were a guitar which lives quite well in the Western world traditions.
The challenging
part is that the composer these days (in film) usually need to make demos with his sounds and limited knowledge compared to
a player and sadly that often shuts out the possibility of the player bringing their great expertise on board because at that
point the demo has been embraced. The ideal would be to have the time and money (I had none) to have them in at the
start to do the demos.
Jeff tells us about his music for "Screamers"
Q: The documentary titled
"Screamers" is based on the Armenian Genocide in which you wrote the music for. How did get involved project?
A:
I was contacted by Raffy Manoukian, the overall producer of the film. He knew of me in London and we once planned a project
of Armenian Music which is still in wait mode. He had asked the director, Carla Garapedian to meet me as he and a few others
felt the film needed some score to give it more deep emotion.
Q: You used native instruments such as the Duduk and
the Oud. Is there a difference in writing for an orchestral instrument versus various Western instruments.
A:
Though I am Armenian I have never really studied the Oud. The Duduk I know well enough and even more so thanks to Pedro Eustache
who really clued me in on the best ranges for the instrument. So I wrote the Oud and Shvi (Armenian Flute) piece as best I
could from both a dramatic musical point and one that respects the limits of the instruments.
As for the Duduk,
well it is more limited tonally than say an English Horn but truly has the sound of pathos and is like a human voice.
This is very moving. Of course the Director grew to love the demos I made and so when I recorded the live Oud with John
Bilezikjian for the one piece it was on it seemed best to have him play in a strumming style like the demo. It would have
been great to let him "do his thing" (not just strumming) as he knows the instrument so intimately but after trying
that we settled on the original version with the strumming. My point is: for certain instruments, especially ethnic ones,
it is ideal if you can let the player do the creating. Oud more so than if it were a guitar which lives quite well in the
Western world traditions.
The challenging part is that the composer
these days (in film) usually need to make demos with his sounds and limited knowledge compared to a player and sadly that
often shuts out the possibility of the player bringing their great expertise on board because at that point the demo has been
embraced. The ideal would be to have the time and money (I had none) to have them in at the start to do the demos.
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