Film.Music.Media

Composer Interview: Cris Velasco (May 1, 2017)

Composer Cris Velasco is one of the most respected and in-demand talents in the video game composing world. For this discussion we re-visit Cris’ own journey to becoming a composer and why he decided to start his career with a focus on vide game composition. We chat about the different techniques and approaches Cris uses when he writes music including letting the music play in loops around his house while he does chores so he can see if any of his melodies become annoying or irritating. We dive into Cris’ recent projects such as his involvement in Overwatch, the approach he took while working on Resident Evil 7 and his new series Dimension 404 which airs on Hulu. Dimension 404 is a unique anthology series that follows in the footsteps of classic series like The Twilight Zone where episodes are a standalone story requiring a different style of music for each narrative. Cris is one of the most fun and creative minds in the business and it was so great to get a glimpse into his world once again!
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Cris VelascoGreg O’Connor-ReadTop Dollar PR

Composer Interview: Vivek Maddala (May 1, 2017)

Composer Vivek Maddala has created wonderful scores in the world of film, especially in documentary filmmaking. Hear about his unique background where he was on the path to becoming a scientist, and was extremely successful in his field when he felt the call of composing pull him into that career path. Vivek talks about his approach and techniques to scoring, and we dive into his recent project which is scoring The Tom And Jerry Show which airs on Cartoon Network. We discuss the amazing history of Tom And Jerry and how the original series' style of scoring cartoon shorts has lived on through the years. Vivek talks about how he approaches this modern take on the classic cartoon duo, and how he focuses on keeping the traditions of Scott Bradley and "mickey-mousing" slapstick alive, while still adding character and thematic touches. Vivek shares some amazing and fun insights in this great discussion!
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Vivek MaddalaChandler PolingAdrianna PerezWhite Bear PR

Composer Interview: Heather Christian (March 30, 2017)

Composer Heather Christian is behind the score to the acclaimed Sundance hit Lemon! Lemon is directed by Janicza Bravo and stars Brett Gelman, Judy Greer, Michael Cera, Nia Long, Rhea Perlman Martin Starr, Megan Mullally and many more. Heather enters the film music industry as a fresh voice bringing a unique background and passion to the field. Hear her path to becoming a composer and how she tackled working on a unique film like Lemon. Heather also shares her personal views as a female composer starting her career in a male-dominated profession.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Heather ChristianBrielle SchiavoneThe Music Sales Group

Composer Interview: Fil Eisler (March 25, 2017)

Composer Fil Eisler takes some time to discuss two of his recent projects with CHiPs and Newtown. Fil talks about his unique path to film composing and how his love of playing in bands meshed with orchestral music. We dive into Newtown which revolves around the Sandy Hook tragedy. Fil discusses the role of documentary filmmaking and how it can help start a conversation about an important subject such as gun control. We also discuss CHiPs and how Fil worked with director Dax Shephard to create a score with both band elements and orchestral action. The whole goal of CHiPs was to stay away from the conventional "studio rock" sound that is in modern R-rated comedies these days. Fil is one of our favorite guests and it was so great to have him back to catch up on his recent projects.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Fil EislerJason KimAllie BloxbergCW3PR

All Access: Jeff Rona - Episode 2 (March 17, 2017) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
Jeff Rona returns to join us once again on another episode of All Access. We visit Jeff at his studio to discuss his newest score to the film Veeram, an Indian film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Jeff walks us through the journey of scoring a major Indian blockbuster and why they sought out an American composer for the film. Jeff walks us through some of the score including the thematic structure as well as how 3 versions of the score exist since the film was shot in 3 languages, shot not dubbed. Beyond that we discuss some broader subjects such as working with directors and navigating working relationships with all the different personalities out there. Jeff also shares his love for world instruments and how he utilizes certain sounds in his music. Also hear how Jeff learned some basic scoring fundamentals when he visited his friend who happened to be scoring hardcore porn at the time. Jeff is a treasure trove of amazing insight and fun conversation and it was an honor to have him back on as a guest.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Jeff RonaKelly SealCody Johnson

All Access: Klaus Badelt (March 1, 2017) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
On this episode of All Access we are incredibly honored to be welcoming Klaus Badelt. Klaus quickly rose to prominence while working under great composers such as Hans Zimmer and Michael Kamen. Hear Klaus share what led him to pursue film music as a career, and stories from some of his most beloved scores. We dive into such scores as Ned Kelly, The Time Machine, Beat The Drum, Invincible, The Pledge, Rescue Dawn and Pirates Of The Caribbean. Klaus shares details about the hectic journey of working on the first Pirates Of The Caribbean, what Werner Herzog is like as a director, living in China to compose The Promise and the 2008 Olympics Closing Ceremony, the bizarre experience of working on Basic with John McTiernan, and the approach he took on his newest score to The Warrior’s Gate. Klaus has built an amazing career and has always continually pursued new opportunities that appealed to him, from composing for French cinema to starting his own tech company with Kinonation. Klaus' current focus is with his company Kinonation where he is solving the issue of worldwide distribution by letting content makers keep ownership of their content while getting it front of a wide audience via top streaming companies such as Amazon, Hulu and Netflix for no cost. We hope you enjoy this fantastic discussion with the kind, passionate and talented Klaus Badelt.
Interview Produced & Presented By: Kaya Savas
Special Thanks: Klaus Badelt

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