Film.Music.Media

Composer Interview: Kaveh Cohen & Michael Nielsen (March 17, 2016)

Kaveh Cohen & Michael Nielsen are two composers who are paving a path by bringing new approaches and unique sounds to their projects. The composing duo talks about their journey to becoming film composers and talk about how they met, and why they decided to form a partnership. We discuss how the two of them compliment each other's talents and the benefits of working with a composing partner. We speak briefly about Ninja Tracks, which is the production music company the two formed together. It's a whole different approach to the "production music library" model, and they are truly succeeding with their music in huge campaigns such as The Martian and Hardcore Henry. We dive into their score for Forza Motorsport 6 and all the challenges that come with scoring a racing game, and a franchise that is on its 6th entry. This is truly a fascinating and fun chat for anyone wanting to learn more about working relationships and how to truly bring emotional weight to the challenging genre of racing games.
Interview Conducted By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Kaveh Cohen & Michael NielsenBeth KrakowerThe Krakower Group

Composer Interview: Sven Faulconer (February 15, 2016)

Composer Sven Faulconer takes some time to talk about his recent score to Blood Father starring Mel Gibson. Over the past seven years, Sven has showcased his great talent by scoring several short films and documentaries. Sven has gained invaluable experience working on scores providing synth programming and/or additional music and arrangements on some of the biggest films in the industry. Through this, he was given the chance to perfect his talent working with some of the most high profile composers in the industry. From working as a scoring assistant on Ridley Scott's Robin Hood as well as Despicable Me at Remote Control Productions, to his current ongoing collaboration with James Newton Howard. Sven has worked on many of James' scores such as Nightcrawler, The Hunger Games, The Bourne Legacy, What Lives Inside, The Green Hornet, Snow White And The Huntsman, The Tourist, Maleficent, After Earth, Cncussion and many more.
Interview Conducted By:Michael Hollands
Special Thanks:Sven Faulconer

Composer Interview: Tree Adams (February 15, 2016)

The talented and versatile Tree Adams has quickly made a name for himself by creating a unique voice and sound as a storyteller. Having Tree has a guest is a great pleasure as we discuss his unique path from performing in a band to focusing on the composing path. What sets Tree apart from other rockers is that he was classically trained when he was younger, which is now allowing him to take all his life experiences and craft some incredibly engaging music for film and television. We focus on Tree's score to the current season of The 100, which is the incredibly popular post-apocalyptic drama on The CW. The show is a dream canvass for a composer and Tree shares his approach to creating thematic arcs and building the sonic world. We touch on some of Tree's other scores such as Legends and Californication as he explores his approach over different genres. If you're a fan of The 100 be sure to find Tree Adams on twitter where he live-tweets every episode! It was a real treat and enlightening chat to delve into the musical world of Tree Adams.
Interview Conducted By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Tree AdamsSabrina HutchinsonDefiant PR

All Access: Harry Gregson-Williams (February 15, 2016) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
Film.Music.Media: All Access is honored to welcome Harry Gregson-Williams as our guest. Harry has carved a path for himself in the industry by building one of the most unique sonic styles as a composer, and crafting some iconic working relationships with top directors. We discuss Harry's beginnings in England and how he went to a boarding school to be trained in a children's choir. As he grew older he found himself working with composer Richard Harvey, which led to a phone call from a German composer named Hans. Beyond his journey to the United States and setting up shop with Hans Zimmer then branching out on his own, we discuss in detail many of the approaches with the different directors Harry has worked with including the late Tony Scott. Harry talks about his love for teaching and why he decided to shutdown his mega studio and scale it back to a home studio to be near his family, and we also get an official word if he is scoring Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant or not. Harry is one of the true auteur composers working today and his sound is instantly recognizable, getting to sit down and experience his charm in person was a true joy.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Harry Gregson-WilliamsStephanie Economou

All Access: Tim Wynn (February 5, 2016) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
Composer Tim Wynn sits down with Film.Music.Media for another fantastic episode in the All Access series. Tim's work in video game, film and television composing has given us some amazing scores that have stood the test of time. We spend some time here focusing on Tim's newest score to the anticipated science fiction turn-based tactical game XCOM 2. Tim talks about how he wanted the score to feel retro yet modern at the same time and talks about being influenced by Blade Runner and other classic scores of the sci-fi genre. Beyond that, Tim talks about how he found his path to film scoring. And how he and his best friend composer Christopher Lennertz roomed together, schooled together and now opened up their own dream studio together. We delve into industry talk such as how to be creative and have a voice when you have so much pressure coming from your directors, producers and studio executives. Many other industry trends and approaches are also discussed in another fantastic All Access interview.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Tim WynnGreg O'Connor-ReadTop Dollar PR

Composer Interview: David Newman (January 14, 2016)

Composer David Newman takes some time to sit down and talk about his body of work, and how being born into one of the most recognized musical families ignited his love for the craft. David goes into detail discussing topics ranging from industry trends, schedules and his approach to film scoring. We also discuss the ideal composer/director relationship while working including his body of work with director Danny DeVito. We dive into his most recent score to 5 Flights Up, and the type of approach he took to the heart-warming film starring Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton. David's career has been so rich and varied, and it has resulted in a body of work that has allowed fans worldwide to fall in love with his amazing music. It was a true pleasure to have him as a guest.
Interview Conducted By:Michael Hollands
Special Thanks:David Newman

All Access: Joe Kraemer (December 26, 2015) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
Film.Music.Media: All Access welcomes Joe Kraemer as we sit down in his studio and get talk all things film and film music with the Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation composer. Joe shares his path to film scoring including how be became friends with Christopher McQuarrie, which has led to one of the premiere director/composer collaborations in the industry. We delve into Joe's process for Rogue Nation including how he decided to not shy away from one of the most famous film and television themes of all time. We also get insight into the state of film music today, especially action film music. And Joe talks about his passion for The Beatles and how he decided to remaster and remix their entire catalogue just for fun. We talk video games and even Star Wars, including how the orchestra surprised Joe on his birthday while recording the Rogue Nation score. Joe's writing and storytelling is truly on a level of its own, and it was a real honor to have him back as a guest for All Access.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Joe Kraemer

Composer Interview: Roque Baños (December 17, 2015)

The wonderfully talented Roque Baños takes some time to chat about his recent score to Ron Howard's maritime epic In The Heart Of The Sea starting Chris Hemsworth. Roque shares talks about how he found his way to film scoring and bridge the gap from Spanish cinema to American cinema. We talk about his work on In The Heart Of The Sea and how he got the job through Hans Zimmer's recommendation and went on to build a score as big as the story. From rebuilding sections of the ship in the recording studio to finding the core emotional points, Roque gives us a fascinating look into his process.
Interview Conducted By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Roque BañosRay CostaAzalia MendozaCosta Communications

All Access: Inon Zur (December 16, 2015) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
On this episode of All Access, we get to sit down with one of the master auteur composers of video games. Inon Zur talks about his journey from Israel to the United States and how his dream of being a jazz musician took an unexpected turn when he discovered the world of video game music. Inon talks about his approach and process to scoring, and we go into detail for his most recent score to the massive worldwide sensation Fallout 4. Other topics include if the film industry looks down upon video games as a lesser art form, how to avoid being typecast and dealing with rejection as a composer. Inon is such a wonderful talent, and to get to a glimpse inside his world is a real treasure.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Inon ZurGreg O'Connor-ReadTop Dollar PR

All Access: Jeff Russo (December 14, 2015) *Video Interview Available

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]
On this "All Access" we sit down with Fargo composer Jeff Russo to examine his process and approach to scoring in intricate detail. Jeff tells us some wild stories about his initial path as a singer/songwriter and how that eventually led him to film and TV composing. We look into his work for Fargo specifically and what his approach for Season 2 was as he collaborated with show runner Noah Hawley. Jeff shares many amazing memories from his time on the road including a special moment that sticks in his mind more than any other. We also discuss juggling multiple projects at once, and what Jeff likes to do outside the studio when he has free time. Enjoy another supremely entertaining and informative episode of All Access with one of the best composers working in television.
Interview Produced & Presented By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Jeff RussoJana DavidoffAndrew CohenCW3PR