Film.Music.Media

Lorne Balfe | Score Producer/Co-Composer: Top Gun - Maverick

Lorne was a guest on Film.Music.Media for the first time 11 years ago, and he was the very first All Access video interview over 7 years ago. We've had many great conversations over the past decade, so it's a true pleasure to have Lorne back for a new All Access.
For this conversation we discuss what has changed in the entertainment industry over the past decade, and what it means for younger people starting their careers now versus back then. We also discuss how integral music editors are on films and television, and why Lorne wholly believes that every aspect of filmmaking is a team effort including scoring.
We dive into Top Gun: Maverick and how Lorne worked with Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga and Hans Zimmer on the music for the film. He shares how they had to adapt during the pandemic, and the key to making a team effort be cohesive to serve the story.
Lorne also talks about how much of a fan he was of 90's action films especially those from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. We talk about our shared love for 90's action, and how Lorne is now working with people like Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer on different projects. We also talk about Lorne's scores to Bad Boys For Life, and how he made sure Mark Mancina's theme was front and center. Lorne also talks about working on Michael Bay's Ambulance.
As always, it's a pleasure to have Mr. Balfe as a guest and this conversation is a fantastic insight and reflection on some of his current projects.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Natalie Holt | Composer: Loki / Obi-Wan Kenobi

Composer Natalie Holt is one of the busiest composers working today, and she joins us for this fantastic All Access to take us behind her career and projects.
Natalie discusses her early career working for composers like Ilan Eshkeri and Martin Phipps, and what she learned from that time being part of a composer's music team. We dive into her process and how she finds the starting point for a project. We also discuss how she approaches television arcs, thematic structure, the importance of music editors, working with directors, and much more!
Natalie takes us behind her score to Loki, and what it was like to craft a score for one on Marvel's most iconic characters. She explores how she found the tone and atmosphere of the series, what Loki needed as a character, and what she found both rewarding and challenging.
We also touch briefly on her score for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Natalie shares what a dream it was to work with John Williams and have him be part of the limited series.
Natalie is an extremely passionate and talented storyteller and it was such a joy to have her take time to explore her career and process.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas
 

Cristobal Tapia de Veer | Composer: The White Lotus

Cristobal Tapia de Veer's life journey has taken him down many roads, and even he didn't expect to end up as a film and television composer. In this All Access interview, Cristobal talks about how his career in producing pop music led him to a chance meeting that set him on the path to his most creatively rewarding projects.
 
Cristobal just won the 2022 ASCAP Composer's Choice Awards for television score of the year and television theme of the year for his score to The White Lotus. The annual ASCAP Screen Music Awards feature the "Composer's Choice Awards" that are voted on solely by the ASCAP composer and songwriter community.
 
We discuss Cristobal's general approach to composition and musical storytelling, how he loves to experiment and work solely by himself without any assistants or music team, and much more!
 
We also dive into Cristobal's score for The White Lotus, which is the acclaimed miniseries from writer/director Mike White that you can stream right now on HBO Max.
 
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Shie Rozow (Composer: The Last Of The Winthrops)

The wonderfully talented and fun Shie Rozow joins us for an All Access interview that shines a light not just on Shie's personal career but also on the crafts of composing and music editing as a whole.
Shie tells his personal story of growing up in Israel and moving to the United States where he found his career path as a composer and music editor. We first dive into what exactly a music editor does, and Shie explains every part of the craft and how he approaches it from temp score editing to conforming cues.
We then explore some of Shie's recent work as a composer including the feature documentary The Last Of The Winthrops. We also look at some of the short-subject docs that Shie composed like One Day You'll Go Blind, Body Language, and Legacy: The Life Of Canto Robledo.
Shie is one of the most talented storytellers and musical professionals working in Hollywood today, and this interview is a treasure trove of insight from someone who has paved their own unique career path.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Batu Sener (Composer: The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild | Ice Age - Scrat Tales)

For this All Access we're sitting down with the fun and talented Batu Sener to dive into his recent scores for The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild and Ice Age: Scrat Tales.
Batu is a young composer in Hollywood, and he has been an essential part of John Powell's music team for the past several years working as an additional composer and score producer.
We discuss what it was like relocating to the United States to pursue a career in music, how he met John Powell, and what it has been like working as part of a veteran composer's music team.
Batu also talks about how he convinced John Powell to let him work on his first cue as an additional composer, what it's been like building an amazing relationship with John, and how it feels to branch out to score his first animated feature film.
It was an absolute blast to catch up with Batu and hear his fresh perspective of what it's like to be a young composer in Hollywood today as well as dive into his creative process.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas
 

Joseph Stephens (Composer: The Righteous Gemstones)

From being inspired by John Carpenter and Ennio Morricone to meeting Danny McBride and Jody Hill in college, Joseph Stephens walks us through his amazing composing career and takes us into his process.
In this All Access, composer Joseph Stephens reflects back on his path to becoming a film and TV composer. Learn the story of how Joseph met Danny McBride and Jody Hill in college, which has led to collaborations like Eastbound And Down, Observe And Report, Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones.
We look specifically at Joseph's scores to Vice Principals as well as the The Righteous Gemstones, which just recently aired its Season 2 finale. Josephs talks specifically about the different styles he uses, approaching the tone of McBride and Hill's humor, and writing songs like "Misbehavin'" and "Sassy On Sunday".
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composers Talk (2nd Annual Symposium)

Stories have the opportunity for international reach. This panel will explore how composers uplift stories that appealed to audiences in the U.S. and beyond, as well as share their unique journeys and perspectives.
Join Kevin Smithers, Sandro Morales Santoro, Dan Zlotnik, Camilo Froideval and Wei-San Hsu
We’ve partnered with our good friends at Impact24 PR once again for our 2nd Annual F.M.M Symposium! This is panel 3 of 3!

Music That Drives Stories (2nd Annual Symposium)

Music is a necessity in movies, television, and video games that serves as a plot device and a way to evoke emotion in the viewer. This panel dives into the process of creating unique scores for media and how it compliments and drives the story with J.D. Spears, Lewis Rapkin, Jonathan Snipes and Denise Santos.
We’ve partnered with our good friends at Impact24 PR once again for our 2nd Annual F.M.M Symposium! This is panel 2 of 3!

Composing Combos & Songwriting Duos (2nd Annual Symposium)

Explore prestige drama and children's entertainment through musical and scoring collaborations in this informative virtual panel with Rachel Charest and Aaron Bertram of Kids Imagine Nation, Antonio Naranjo and Meiro Stamm.
We’ve partnered with our good friends at Impact24 PR once again for our 2nd Annual F.M.M Symposium! Visit our YouTube Channel or Facebook page to view the video version.

Sharon Farber (Composer: Brainwashed - Sex-Camera-Power

Composer Sharon Farber joins us for this illuminating and fantastic All Access conversation where we take a look at her path to becoming a composer, her work in film and television, her concert work, and a deep focus on her new score to Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power.
Sharon will also be discussing her work on Brainwashed with director Nina Menkes on January 24th for an ASCAP Screen Time Conversation which is part of ASCAP’s annual Sundance Music Cafe. People can check that out by creating a free account at festival.sundance.org.
For this discussion, we focus on Sharon's versatile career and look at her general approach to both writing for the screen as well as writing for the concert stage. Sharon talks about her love for working with musicians and embracing everyone's personal voice and styles.
We then take a close look at her score to Brainwashed and how she had the rare opportunity to use an orchestra for a documentary score, and how working on the film opened her eyes to how film being told through the male perspective has objectified women for decades, and what the ripple effect of that is on society. This results in an amazing dialogue about the visual language of cinema and how women are portrayed onscreen, which is the central subject of the documentary as well.
Sharon is an incredible storyteller and one of the most talented composers working today, and she brings some amazing insight to the craft of composing.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas