Film.Music.Media

Rufus Wainwright (Songwriter: ”Secret Sister” from Rebel Hearts)

Rufus Wainwright is one of the most talented songwriters and performers working in music today. His musical upbringing helped shape him into a storyteller who works across songs, opera, theater and more. His music resonates with millions, with each of his albums being a true reflection of himself.
Rufus is also no stranger to having his work featured in films from original songs, covers and new performances. His recent original song "Secret Sister" was written for the incredible documentary Rebel Hearts. Rebel Hearts tells the story of a group of nuns in in the 1960's that stood up against the patriarchy of the Catholic church to fight for freedom and equality. You can check out the documentary on Discovery+.
For this All Access we sit with Rufus for an intimate chat about his childhood growing up in a musical family, how he found his path as a songwriter, what it's like to perform live vs recording an album, writing for stage and screen vs crafting a song for an album, and much more.
We take a look at his approach for writing "Secret Sister" specifically and how he actually has a personal connection to the story. Rufus talks about the point of view of the song and what about the film inspired him.
Rufus is an artist that is true to himself, and his voice as a storyteller resonates with so many since his songs truly explore the human condition and never fail to emotionally resonate.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Alan Silvestri (Music & Lyrics: Back To The Future - The Musical)

For our last All Access of 2021, Alan Silvestri joins us once again. This time to talk about Back To The Future: The Musical, The Witches, and how The Polar Express has become a holiday classic over the years.
Alan is one of our favorite guests and it's an absolute pleasure to have him for his third All Access on Film.Music.Media. In this episode we talk about the long journey to completion that Back To The Future: The Musical had, and what it took to adapt the iconic film for the stage. Alan also takes us into the process of adapting the score, and creating new music and lyrics with Grammy-winning songwriter Glen Ballard who he shares co-credit with.
We also look back at his score for Robert Zemeckis's The Witches, and what it was like to score the film during the pandemic. We also touch upon the lasting creative relationship that Alan has with Robert, and why the bond is still strong after all these years.
Alan also looks back at the lasting legacy of Back To The Future and what it means to him, as well as how he feels that The Polar Express has found its way to be a movie-watching tradition for many families during the holidays.
We hope you're watching or listening to this interview safe and happy as we near the end of the year, and look forward to more in 2022! Happy holidays and happy New Year!
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Dara Taylor (Composer: The Tender Bar)

Composer Dara Taylor is one of the brightest and most original voices working in the industry today. If you're a fan of Christopher Lennertz then you may recognize her name as she got her start working with Chris as part of his music team. In the years she has showed her versatility across all genres with projects like Echo Boomers, Little Ellen, Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar, and most recently she teamed up with director George Clooney for The Tender Bar starring Ben Affleck.
In this All Access get to hear Dara's journey from growing up and living in New York all the way to moving to Los Angeles, and how she got her foot in the door with her first jobs. We dive into her time working with Christopher Lennertz and everything she learned and carried into her career when she branched out and started taking solo projects. Also learn how she became connected with George Clooney and Grant Heslov that lead to her being hired for The Tender Bar.
Dara also takes us into her process including her approach to scoring The Tender Bar and how she had to navigate needle drops and create an overarching emotional thread through the narrative that leaned into the heartwarming tone that George Clooney was trying to capture.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Matthew Margeson & Dominic Lewis (Composers: The King‘s Man)

Matthew Margeson And Dominic Lewis are taking their friendship to the next level and are working side by side to co-compose The King's Man from director Matthew Vaughn. You've seen them on All Access before, but now we're diving into their latest collaboration together.
Matt and Dom discuss how they met working for composer Henry Jackman early in their careers at Remote Control Productions. We talk about late night coffee chats at 3am, and how the two always wanted to co-compose a film together.
Matt and Dom then take us into the world of Matthew Vaughn's Kingsmen films, and how the two of them came onboard together to work on The King's Man. Hear about the approach of how this new film gave them the opportunity to really start fresh and not feel obligated to reference the other two films given that it's not connected by timeline or characters.
We end the interview by playing a little "Newlyweds" Co-Composer Edition! Matt and Dom are put to the test and see how much do they truly know about each other!
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Steve Jablonsky (Composer: Red Notice)

Composer Steve Jablonsky joins us once again for a new All Access interview. Steve recently re-teamed with director Rawson Marshall Thurber for Red Notice, which just recently became the biggest opening weekend ever for a film debut on Netflix.
We dive into Steve's score for Red Notice and talk about balancing tone to make sure the score is fun but still has weight and stakes. Steve talks about leaning into the genre of caper films and utilizing some elements in the score that give a great nod to the genre.
We also rewind the clocks a bit to discuss Steve's score to Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel, which came out right at the start of the pandemic.
Steve also shares his views about scoring a film for Netflix and what his take is on the debate of seeing films in a theater vs streaming at home.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Gregory Tripi (Composer: Warning)

Composer Gregory Tripi takes some time to sit down for a fantastic All Access interview that explores his path to becoming a composer, working with composers like W. G. Snuffy Walden and Cliff Martinez, and taking us behind some of his most notable scores including his recent score to Warning.
Gregory explains his general approach to scoring, and what he loves about the collaborative process of filmmaking. We also chat about his two recent library music albums for Warner Chappell Music, and how the creative process differs when writing library music versus music direct to picture. We also discuss creating synth palettes and how Gregory envisions the sounds in his head no matter what instrument he's using.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Sebastian Zuleta (Music Editor: Wu-Tang - An American Saga | Finch)

Sebastian Zuleta is a composer, arranger and music editor who has worked with composers such as Hans Zimmer, Heitor Pereira, Henry Jackman, and others.
In this interview Sebastian takes us inside his work as a music editor and explains what role a music editor has on a production. Sebastian shares his approach working as the music editor for the Hulu series Wu-Tang: An American Saga and what it was like working with RZA on the series. We also dig into his work as the music editor for Finch starring Tom Hanks and scored by Gustavo Santaolalla.
Sebastian also talks about growing up in Colombia and how his passion for filmmaking and music brought him to the US where he studied in Florida and eventually moved to Los Angeles where he got an internship at Remote Control Productions. Sebastian shares what those early years were like, and goes into detail about the working relationships his role as a music editor served between the director and composer. He also shares how his work as a music editor helps him become a better composer on his solo projects and vice versa.
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Dominic Lewis (Composer: Monsters At Work)

We're celebrating our 80th All Access interview with the always fun and talented Dominic Lewis who is returning for his 4th time in the hot seat. Dom takes some time to catch up with recent projects like Monsters At Work for Disney+, Peter Rabbit 2, Jolt starring Kate Beckinsale, composing the final season of Ducktales, and more!
Dom shares what it was like following in the footsteps of Randy Newman for Monsters At Work, and what he tried to bring to the show musically. We also talk about the electronic-charged soundscape world Dom built for Jolt, and the bittersweet feel of writing music for the final season of Ducktales.
We also discuss how the pandemic pushed studios hard to lean on streaming and what that means for the future. We weigh the pros and cons of what it means for viewers and of course for the talent who make a living making content.
Dom also shares what he has coming up including scoring a film starring Brad Pitt and his new podcast that is now available!
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Gustavo Santaolalla (Composer: The Last Of Us Part II | Monsterland)

Oscar-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla sits down with us fresh from his ASCAP Composer's Choice Award win at the 2021 ASCAP Screen Awards. Gustavo won for his score to The Last Of Us Part II, and the annual award is voted on by other composer's in the industry.
 
In this All Access, Gustavo shares how music entered his life and how it turned into a career. He takes us through the early parts of his life and how his career in bands led to writing for film. We chat about the time he met Alejandro González Iñárritu and how that collaboration evolved. Gustavo also talks about how he met Ang Lee, and how he wrote the entire score to Brokeback Mountain in 15 days. We cover some other topics such as how Gustavo is always searching for "the wrong note."
 
We also chat about The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part II. Gustavo talks about why he decided to take the plunge into scoring a video game, and how he worked with Neil Druckmann on the two projects. We examine the western genre elements in the score as well as how he utilized minimalism and dissonance to create a sparse musical soundscape.
 
We also touch upon his score the Hulu original series Monsterland, which premiered last fall and how he enjoyed diving into the horror genre for the anthology series.
 
Gustavo's warmth and passion exudes from from his work, and it's why his music connects with and resonates so much with people around the world.
 
A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Tom Holkenborg (Composer: Army Of The Dead | Justice League)

Tom Holkenborg has proved his versatility across many genres, and his most recent projects showcase his abilities to craft narratives from big action set pieces down to nuanced emotional character arcs. While Tom has been a guest on Film.Music.Media in the past, this is our first All Access and we take the time to dive into Army Of The Dead, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Godzilla vs. Kong.
Tom takes us through his thoughts and emotions when he finally learned that Zack would be returning to finish his vision of Justice League. Tom tossed out all his initial work and started fresh for Justice League, and he takes us through how exactly he mapped out and structured his approach in tackling this 4-hour epic.
Tom also discusses working with Zack Snyder again for Army Of The Dead and how the film and score may play with expectations and provide some fun surprises for the action-horror zombie heist flick.
We also touch on Godzilla vs. Kong and how Tom’s love for the entirety of the Godzilla franchise helped him shape his own take on the two titular screen monsters. We discuss the trick to scoring massive action fights, creating momentum through music, and how he approached each of them thematically to give unique musical identities.
Tom also discusses where he sees himself currently in his career, and how his curiosity and thirst for knowledge has become almost an addiction that keeps him busy outside of his music career. Tom shares about learning new languages, perfecting a cup of coffee, and working on his culinary skills among many other things that help keep him craving to learn new things. We also chat about how his popular Studio Time series got started, and why he dedicates tons of time to providing knowledge for free to those who are interested.
Tom’s passion for music, instruments, and gear shine through his warm personality. He’s one of the most creative minds in the industry, and it’s always an honor to have him sit down and share some stories and insight.