Film.Music.Media

Composer Interview: Jacob Shea & Jasha Klebe (February 28, 2017)

Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe are two composers who have produced exemplary work early on in their careers. Both Jacob and Jasha got their starts working with some of the most notable composers working today including Steve Jablonsky, Lorne Balfe and of course Hans Zimmer. The two of them found themselves working together when BBC Earth came knocking on the doors of Bleeding Fingers Music with their new show Planet Earth II. Hear Jacob and Jasha share their backgrounds and paths to film composing, and hear them discuss their approach to scoring Planet Earth II. They talk about the Bleeding Fingers Music model and how it has become a new platform for composers to become attached to some amazing projects. Go in-depth into how they split scoring duties on Planet Earth II, and the approach they took to scoring a massive TV nature documentary series. Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe have already carved their own paths as musical storytellers early in their career, and Planet Earth II further demonstrates their talents. This interview shines a light on two emerging talents who without a doubt have many more stories to tell.
Interview Produced & Presented By: Kaya Savas
Special Thanks: Jacob Shea Jasha Klebe Chandler Poling Adrianna Perez White Bear PR

Composer Interview: Justin Freer (February 28, 2017)

Composer and producer Justin Freer has turned his passion and love for film music and channeled it into one of the premiere companies dedicated to live film music concerts in the world. As a co-founder of CineConcerts, Justin discusses what pursued him to focus his passion into bringing some of the most beloved and respected scores of all time to venues around the world. We discuss the challenges of adapting a score to be performed live to picture in its entirety. Justin shares some insights into how he keeps the orchestra perfectly in sync to picture and how they adapt certain scores that may utilize synth sounds. We also discuss the importance of film music concerts and why he believes there’s been a sudden surge of interest in live to picture concerts around the world. Justin is one of the brightest and most passionate people you’ll hear speak, and his work in bringing classic scores to a modern audience is something that continues to be cherished by audiences worldwide.
Interview Produced & Presented By: Kaya Savas
Special Thanks: Justin Freer Andrew P. Alderete CineConcerts

Composer Interview: Lesley Barber (February 21, 2017)

Composer Lesley Barber takes some time to share her journey to becoming a composer and some insights into her process. Lesley's talents and versatility have brought us memorable scores to films such as Hysterical Blindness, Mansfield Park, You Can Count On Me, and recently the critically-acclaimed Manchester By The Sea. We chat about her process for Manchester By The Sea including reconnecting with writer/director Kenneth Lonergan for their second film together. Lesley explains how she came up with the inspiration to utilize vocals in her score, and how she navigated a heavy subject matter as well as source music. Lesley also gives her views on her score being rejected from Oscar consideration due to the use of classical pieces in the film. Lesley's unique style and strong talents as a musical storyteller make this a fun and fascinating interview for all.
Interview Produced & Presented By: Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Lesley BarberChandler PolingAdrianna PerezWhite Bear PR

All Access: Mark Mancina (February 13, 2017) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
On this episode of All Access we are joined by composer Mark Mancina whose career has given us some of the most iconic scores of our generation. Mark takes us through his path to becoming a composer as well as his approach to some of his most memorable scores. We discuss Speed and how Mark worked with director Jan de Bont to craft the now iconic action score. Hear the stories behind some of his other scores such as Bad Boys, Twister, Con Air, Moll Flanders, Blood+, August Rush, Planes and Moana. Mark also shares why working with Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay was a challenge, and why he decided to walk away from Bad Boys II. Also hear Mark talk about the challenges of bringing The Lion King to life as a musical. Mark's career has given us some amazing scores that spanned across so many genres, and each of them special in their own way. Enjoy this fascinating and fun interview with one of the most respected and influential composers in the industry.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Mark MancinaMarlon Espino

All Access: Henry Jackman (January 31, 2017) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
Henry Jackman returns as a guest on Film.Music.Media, this time for an All Access interview that takes us through his entire career including his approach for Kong: Skull Island. Hear how Henry found his path to becoming a film composer by finding a passion in traditional classical music as well as hard electronic rave music in Europe. Henry talks about his time working in pop music and how Hans Zimmer ended up convincing him to move to Los Angeles and pursue film composing. We cover a variety of topics including how to work with demanding directors like Paul Greengrass, where the first note comes from, dealing with criticism, composing for Disney and Marvel, and much more. So pour a glass of Scotch and enjoy the fine charm and humor of the great Henry Jackman.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Henry JackmanMatt JustmannRay CostaAndrew P. AldereteCosta Communications

All Access: Dominic Lewis - Episode 2 (January 9, 2017) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
It's 10pm at Remote Control Productions, the clock is ticking, and composer Dominic Lewis has to make the finishing touches on his score for The Man In The High Castle: Season 2. Join us on this episode of All Access where we take a completely different approach by simply watching Dom work his magic. Get an amazing and unprecedented look as we sit down next to Dom in the final hours before the score is delivered, and get a first-hand look at the mammoth undertaking of writing a score for a rich and detailed TV series like The Man In The High Castle. Dom plays host and will entertain you with his charm and wit as he goes through his thought process and workflows in an All Access episode that is sure to delight and educate in equal measure.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Dominic LewisDaniel Futcher

All Access: John Hawkes (January 2, 2017) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
In this very special episode of All Access we sit down with Oscar-nominated actor and musician John Hawkes. John is mostly known for his work as one of the finest character actors of his generation, but his passions and talents reach beyond film as music has been part of his life from his youth up till now. We sit down and explore John's path to acting and music. John goes into amazing detail about his acting methods and approaches to some of his most memorable roles. John discusses his latest film, Too Late which was shot on 35mm and filmed in five 20-minute single takes. John also wrote the original song "Down With Mary", which his character sings in the film. Listen to John share stories like acting with Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, the approach to doing nude scenes with Helen Hunt in The Sessions, and performing in his band Rodney & John. So, sit back and relax as we examine the craft of acting and songwriting with the one and only John Hawkes.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Production Company: Vanishing Angle (www.vanishingangle.com)Producer: Matt MillerDirector Of Photography: Kelly KingCamera Operator: Tory HarderEditor: Tory Harder
Special Thanks:John HawkesRay CostaAndrew P. AldereteCosta CommunicationsVanishing Angle

Composer Interview: Justin Hurwitz (January 1, 2017)

When you talk about young talent in the industry, it's impossible not to mention Justin Hurwitz who has already demonstrated his amazing abilities as a storyteller so early in his career. In this interview, Justin talks about his background and how he set himself on the path to becoming a film composer. Hear his fascinating insight including how he met director Damien Chazelle in college, how he paid the bills by writing scripts for sitcoms like The League and The Simpsons, and how he learned from all the mistakes he made on his first feature. We discuss how he learned through making mistakes on Damien Chazelle's first feature, Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench which was also a musical. Then learning more on Whiplash before tackling the modern musical once again with La La Land. Justin dissects his process including how he wrote both the score and the music to the songs in the film, as well as working with lyricists Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. The whole music process on La La Land took 2 years and we talk about Justin's workflow through it all. Justin Hurwitz is such an incredible storyteller and personality, and it was immensely inspiring to hear his story and approach to one of 2016's most critically-acclaimed films.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Justin HurwitzAlbert TelloLTLA Communications

All Access: Abel Korzeniowski (December 18, 2016) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
On this episode of All Access, we sit down with composer Abel Korzeniowski whose rich orchestral style has quickly made him one of the most respected and in-demand auteur composers working in the industry. Abel shares his background and how he found the path to film composing. We also discusses how he moved from his native country of Poland to the United States to pursue his career further. We examine Abel's scores throughout his career and what it was like working with different directors such as Tom Ford and Madonna, including specific approaches to many of Abel's scores like Nocturnal Animals and Penny Dreadful. We also discuss electronics in music and what their role is in the music he writes. All in all this is a great all-encompassing discussion with such an incredible talent and person. Abel continues to breath life into the projects he works on, and it's a real pleasure to have him as a guest on this episode of All Access!
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Fernando VelázquezJana DavidoffGabriella BelzerCW3PR

Composer Interview: Fernando Velázquez (December 18, 2016)

Composer Fernando Velázquez's talents and style as a musical storyteller has given us some amazing scores such as The Orphanage, Mama, The Impossible and Crimson Peak among many others. Recently, Fernando continues his collaboration with director J.A. Bayona with A Monster Calls as well as with the fantasy adventure Zip & Zap And The Captain's Island (Zipi y Zape y la Isla del Capitán). Fernando talks about about his background and how he never remembers a time that he didn't want to write film scores. We discuss the differences between Spanish and American cinema, his relationship with J.A. Bayona, how he approached scoring A Monster Calls, and is posed with the question of "will we hear a Fernando Velázquez score for Jurassic World 2?" Fernando's music has brought the films he has scored to vivid and emotional life, and it's an enlightening delight to hear him speak about his craft.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Fernando VelázquezJana DavidoffGabriella BelzerCW3PR