Film.Music.Media

Composer Interview: Joey Newman (January 24, 2012)

You can hear composer Joey Newman's music every time you tune into The Middle on ABC as well as on the reality show Little People, Big World. Joey also just conducted alongside John Williams at the Young Musicians Foundation Gala. If you're wondering about the last name the answer is yes, he is indeed from the prestigious Newman family of composers. I talk to him about entering his family's legacy and how music found him while growing up. We also talk about scoring a 30-minute sitcom like The Middle and all the challenges that come with comedic scoring. We also touch on scoring a reality series like Little People, Big World and much more. Enjoy this pleasure of an interview with a great and talented guy!

Composer Interview: Lorne Balfe (January 16, 2012)

Before the holidays I got to talk to Lorne Balfe once again about his recent duo of video game scores. Recently Lorne joined Jesper Kyd to co-score Assassin's Creed: Revelations and he also scored Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure with a main theme from Hans Zimmer. This time around we discuss the video game world and how Lorne who previously had never been a gamer has found a new niche that he's fallen in love with. We also discuss his work on Sherlock Holmers: A Game Of Shadows where he did additional music with Hans and was also the score producer. We go on discussing what the role of a "score producer" is and a few other interesting tidbits including a documentary he composed for the BBC. It was a great honor to chat with Lorne once again. If you haven't heard my first interview with him I highly suggest it as well. Lorne is a fun, lively and animated personality who has accomplished a lot this past year working on some extremely big projects.

Composer Interview: Kurt Oldman (January 3, 2012)

Kurt Oldman takes some time to talk about his process and share some fun and interesting stories. He talks about the terrifying process of scoring his first feature, and how he knew absolutely nothing about film scoring at the time. He also talks about his recent project "0000" and goes into the composer/director relationship. A great chat with a genuinely great and talented guy.

Composer Interview: Inon Zur (December 14, 2011)

Inon Zur, who is undoubtedly the master of video game composing, talks about stepping into The Lord Of The Rings franchise with War In The North. We discuss the function of game scores, his typical preference of video games he loves to score and a boatload more from one of the most talented composers working today.

Composer Interview: Greg Edmonson (December 14, 2011)

The extremely friendly and knowledgeable composer of Firefly, King Of The Hill and the Uncharted game trilogy for PS3 takes some time to talk about his career. Greg tells the story of going through the pain and anger of dealing with the cancelation of Firefly as well the ins and outs of composing for one of the most successful gaming franchises in history. Greg gives us such a wealth of fascinating information in this interview and it truly is an enriching listen.

Composer Interview: Henry Jackman (December 6, 2011)

If you're looking for one the meatiest composer interviews you've ever listened to then you have to check out Henry Jackman speaking on literally all aspects of film composing. This is more a master class than an interview as Jackman delves into his upbringing, how he started in pop music and eventually was recruited by Hans Zimmer. He sheds light on composing for certain genres and the use of electronics in film scores. We even analyze some of Hans' recent scores. Truly an insightful chat. Henry Jackman has composed X-Men: First Class, Winnie The Pooh, Puss In Boots, Gulliver's Travels and Monsters Vs. Aliens. His next film is Man On A Ledge opening in January. He was also just nominated for an Annie award for best score for his work on Puss In Boots.

Composer Interview: S. Peace Nistades (December 1, 2011)

S. Peace Nistades takes some time to chat about his recent score to Dragon Age: Redemption. Peace is a young and extremely talented composer working from his own Alkaloide Music Productions in Hollywood, CA. He has worked on a wide variety of films and has tackled many genres. His music has the complexity and maturity of a composer who has been in the business for decades and it was great to be able to pick his brain for a bit. Enjoy! 

Composer Interview: Giancarlo Vulcano (November 4, 2011)

Giancarlo Vulcano is a composer who has worked for many years with Howard Shore on films such as Lord Of The Rings and The Departed. He has composed some fantastic scores to documentaries like Unfinished Spaces. He currently works on the music team for NBC's 30 Rock.
In this interview we talk about documentary scoring and finding the balance between intellectual and emotional music. We also discuss how music functions on a 30-minute comedy such as 30 Rock.

Composer Interview: Cliff Martinez (October 14, 2011)

The fantastic Cliff Martinez takes some time to talk about his start in music and how he ventured from drumming with The Red Hot Chili Peppers to being Steven Soderbergh's go-to composer. With a huge impressive filmography under his belt it's no wonder Martinez is one of today's top and prestigious composers. His distinct style and sounds make is music unmistakable and his talent for honing in on emotions makes his music unforgettable. In 2011 his films include The Lincoln Lawyer, Contagion and Drive. Enjoy!

Composer Interview: Heitor Pereira (August 24, 2011)

The extremely talented and versatile Heitor Pereira was kind enough to chat with me about his recent score for The Smurfs. The meat of the interview though is really focused on the collaborative process of telling story through music. Heitor has composed amazing music in scores like Running The Sahara, Haven and Illegal Tender. He's also been collaborating with Hans Zimmer for quite some time co-composing scores like Riding In Cars With Boys and It's Complicated with him. He's been the featured guitarist on many of Hans' scores such as Mission Impossible 2. This interview is definitely more of a conversation and it's one of the most interesting and informative ones I've had. Enjoy great inspired words from Heitor Pereira.