Film.Music.Media

Composer Interview: Marcelo Zarvos (September 20, 2012)

The always amazing Marcelo Zarvos takes some time to talk about his recent score to The Words and his upcoming score to Barry Levinson's The Bay. We chat about his upbringing and how he came to compose for films. He describes his approach and goal for The Words. He then shares about his working relationship with Barry Levinson who he has composed 3 films for and counting. He shares what it was like to venture into found footage territory with Barry, which is a new area for both storytellers. A really great interview with an amazing composer.
Interview Conducted By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Marcelo ZarvosBeth KrakowerCinemedia Promotions

Director Interview: Mark Nistico (September 16, 2012)

Director Mark Nistico talks about his new film, Blue Collar Boys. His film revolves around a construction worker trying to keep his family's business afloat while doing whatever is necessary to bring money in. The tense drama won Best Picture in the micro budget category at the Toronto Independent Film Festival. Mark talks about the inspiration for the film and what it's like being the director, writer, producer and editor. He shares how he worked with composer Joe Lapinski to craft the score as well. Mark gives a lot of great and insightful information for any independent filmmakers out there and it was a real pleasure to talk to him.
Interview Conducted By:Kaya Savas
Special Thanks:Mark NisticoChandler PolingWhite Bear PR

Composer Interview: Anton Sanko (August 30, 2012)

Emmy winning composer Anton Sanko shares some insight behind his score for The Possession. The composer is no stranger to the genre with amazing work on film like The Last Winter. He shares his approach and we chat about the challenge of humanizing characters while still achieving the goal of thrilling the audience. He talks about the duality of the piano and how it can be dark or warming plus describes certain scenes that relied almost on 100% score with no diegetic sound. Some great insight from a composer who knows how to execute within the thriller/horror genre.

Composer Interview: Tony Morales (August 29, 2012)

Tony Morales takes some time to chat about his recent Emmy nominated score for Hatfields & McCoys, which he co-composed with John Debney. Tony explains the research that went into the music in finding the style of the setting and era through instrumentation. He also shares how John and him structured the score for such a massive mini-series and how they condensed the score for an album release. A great talent and a great interview.

Composer Interview: Sean Callery (August 23, 2012)

Emmy winning composer Sean Callery takes some time to talk about his work on the hit series, Homeland. Sean received his 12th Emmy nomination for his main theme to the show. We talk about how he found his way into music and ultimately composing. He discusses his methods and approaches on shows like 24 and Homeland, and the differences between cable and broadcast network television. Through that Sean reveals the importance of working with great showrunners and how that makes the difference when you're in the midst of composing a television series. This was truly one of the best interviews I've had and it's extremely informative. A fun chat with an amazing and talented guy. Sean's other credits include 24, Bones, Medium and La Femme Nikita among many others.

Composer Interview: Geoff Zanelli (August 18, 2012)

Geoff was the first interview ever on Film, Music & Media done via email back in 2009. Now we chat again about his recent score to The Odd Life Of Timothy Green. Geoff tells us his inspirations for the music and what he wanted to achieve with the score. The music is clearly his most personal score yet and everything that he shares in this interview reflects that. Geoff Zanelli has really created a heartfelt and memorable narrative here, and it was a real pleasure to be able to have him back on F.M.M. Geoff shares how fatherhood helped him connect with the story and allowed him to write in his true voice. We also discuss how John Toll's cinematography influenced how he approached the music plus working with director Peter Hedges. It was a real joy to speak to Geoff about this wonderful score.

Composer Interview: Michael Bacon (August 9, 2012)

Composer and songwriter Michael Bacon takes some time to chat about his music and methods. We discuss how he got started in music and what led him to film composing. As an established documentary composer he shares some insight into his process for scoring many documentaries over his esteemed career. We also chat about his band with his brother, actor Kevin Bacon and what that journey means to him. An incredibly insightful chat with a great musical storyteller.

Composer Interview: Reza Safinia (August 1, 2012)

Reza Safinia has had an impressive career in the music business for a long time first starting in the pop music scene. We discuss his transition from that part of the industry to film composing. He shares what he looks for in a film for musical inspiration and we discuss his score to the Sundance hit, Filly Brown. He shares his approach for the film and what it's like to have a screen film at Sundance. He also shares some insight for his upcoming film, Snap. A great and insightful interview.

Composer Interview: Adam Peters (July 16, 2012)

Composer Adam Peters takes some time to chat about his recent collaboration with director Oliver Stone. His music can be heard in Oliver Stone's Savages and is an integral part of the entire soundscape. He shares what it's like working with Oliver, how he got the job, what his goals were and how his music needed to interact with the many songs Stone used throughout the movie. He also reflects on his time working with Hans Zimmer on the Rango score. An incredibly talented musician with a great ear for textures and colors in music. Enjoy this immensely enlightening interview.

Composer Interview: Fall On Your Sword (July 12, 2012)

The composing duo Fall On Your Sword (Will Bates & Phil Mossman) take time to talk about their scores for Lola Versus and Another Earth. We chat about how they met and how the name "Fall On Your Sword" came to be. Will and Phil talk about their process and the musical goals for Lola Versus and what they wanted the music to do for the character. We also discuss the use of vocals in film scores and what the vocals in their music meant for the story. A very refreshing interview from a talented team of composers.