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Passing onto the questions' part, your latest couple of projects comes to mind. “FOUR MINUTES” by Charles Beeson, a sports' movie about the four minute mile-breaker Roger Bannister which brings "CHARIOTS OF FIRE" echoes to mind. How did you come onboard this and how was your collaboration with the director? Will we get an official cd release on this one?
Unfortunately the composer who was originally hired to do the film injured his arm and I got a rather urgent call to do the film...in ten days! After seeing it, I couldn't say know because Charles Beeson had created such a wonderful picture. I had so little time but I am very pleased with how he film came out. I do not think the score will be commercially released.
What about “THE WOODS”? From what we know, it's a new horror mystery by the director of "MAY", Lucky McKee. What can you tell us about the way you worked with him on this one? How's the score like?
After seeing Lucky's first film 'May' I was thrilled to get a chance to work with a director with such a dark and twisted view of things! The Woods has a sinister wit to it. Being that it is set in the 1960's, I was also able to be a bit nostalgic or 'retro' with the score.
Granted that the musical style would logically change correspondingly each time, do you musically approach movies of completely different genres (say Drama, Horror, Thriller, Comedy, Romance etc) with the same way, or does the procedure changes entirely depending on the kind of movie you're working on?
Each score is like a character to me. For horror scores, the music tends to be 'the narrator' to some respect. It has to sustain and shape the tension. Dramas are all very different. It is usually through conversations with the director that I discover what my pallette of sounds will be and then I write at the piano and wait for that 'moment' when a good idea comes. I try to listen to myself play and stay out of my own way , trusting that my instincts will lead me to a theme which is right for the film. Comedy tends to be an intellectual process where the score needs to support the jokes. It is usually all about..........timing......
Do you feel move comfortable working on any specific movie type?
I am most comfortable with drama. But I have been so fortunate to get to do such a wide range of films. I think my favorite kind of score to write is one very different than the one before it.
Moving on and onto the head of your new projects, we find “THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE OHIO”, a personal favorite of yours, if I may guess; I heard you're quite fond of it! Here at Scoremagacine we listened to it many times and we liked what we heard…a warm little score, uplifting in general and carefully built on Thomas Newman´s style…
I like that...a warm little score. That is exactly what I set out to create. This film is so dear to me and the characters feel like old friends. Jane Anderson and I were careful to make sure the music was always the right size for the setting. Most of the film is inside the Ryan's home. I also greatly enjoyed exploring all the sounds of the '50's and 60's.
Along with the violin / fiddle solos by Sara Watkins, also noticeable are a lot of country / americana music elements, by the 'Nickel Creek' Newgrass band, along with a general 'band/small ensemble' feeling that dominates the score, particularly on its instrumentation and structure. What other instruments did you use and how did the various musicians work for the score? Why did you choose to move into such a musical approach for this film?
I used ukelele quite a bit because Woody Harelson's character plays it in the film and it just sounded 'small' enough for the mood. I also featured one cello playing pizzicato on several cues. This was a sound I used in a few places on Gods and Generals and have really fallen in love with how much emotion can be projected. The harp was explored in the lower region of the instrument. I often accompanied this low harp with the right hand of the piano and had them work together as one sound. I used do-wop singers and some electric guitar (some times vari-speeded to play in double time). The string section was primarily used as a supportive canvas to all these other sounds.
What's your opinion on the songs that escort your score on the official cd release? Where you in any way involved in them?
I love those songs. Brian Kirk was the music supervisor and also composed the 'Sandwich Song' jingle used in the film. He did a brilliant job compiling songs which were suited to the period and emotion of the film.
Moving back in your career, we find the critically acclaimed score for "GODS AND GENERALS" (together with Randy Edelman). How did the collaboration come up and how was the scoring process like? Do you agree that it's possibly your best work-to-date?
Well, I like "Prize Winner" more right now, but thanks, I am proud of Gods and Generals. Ron Maxwell was such an inspiring director to work with. He really pushed me into finding a new part of myself as a composer. I am so grateful to have had that experience and it was really due to Randy's sudden schedule change that it all happened.
Randy, had started on Gods and Generals and then the schedule changed on “XxX” and he had to leave the project, or have me come on and incorporate what he had started into the main part of the score. Randy introduced me to Ron and away we went!
How was it working with violinist Mark O'Connor? Did you choose this particular collaboration or did others decide this for you?
The terrible thing about working with Mark is that he ends up giving you about twenty amazing takes on every cue that all express something different. Choosing which takes to use took much longer than actually recording him. He is an extraordinary player and a very wonderful soul. I feel lucky to know him.
What exactly did you do for "LOONEY TUNES : BACK IN ACTION" score? what do you think of the final score by Jerry Goldsmith?
There is a short film, starring The Road Runner attached to this film. I scored it. I didn't work at all on the main body of the film. It was quite a challenge writing in this style and I got off to a bit of slow start. I usually write several minutes a day but for Looney Tunes I was lucky to get thirty seconds done(laughs. I scored four short Looney Tunes cartoons and this one ended up attached to the feature film.
What's your musical background / studies John? What instrument (s) do you play?
I started as an Opera singing doing chorus work as a kid until my voice changed. Then I played in rock and jazz bands. I went to USC school of music, then Manhattan School of Music. I never graduated because I started working at a recording studio/ production company. I am primarily a guitar player but now that I write at the piano all the time I am bad at both! (laughs).
What drew you into music in general, and film music in particular, for the first time?
As a little kid I used to sit at the piano and improvise moods. Same thing I do all day now. I remember being struck by the score to “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” as a kid but I didn't really figure out that I wanted to work on films until I got asked to synthestrate for Ryuichi Sakamoto on a mini-series Oliver Stone produced called 'Wild Palms'. I was about 24 at the time, and I made a decision to devote my professional life to this work.
Do you have any personal favorites as far as film music of today is concerned? Any composers whose work compels, or influences you?
Well, James Newton Howard influenced/ taught me almost everything I know. He has the ability to say more with a few notes than any other composer and he has the ability to teach more with a few words than any one else I know. I have a lot of peers whose work I really admire, Ed Shearmur, John Powell, Rolfe Kent, Mychael Danna, Don Davis, Brian Tyler...I like these guys.
What about musical genres outside film music?
What! There's music outside of film music! (laughs). Actually I listen mostly to the composers who influence film music. I try to refer to 'The Masters' as much as possible. I am particularly fond of Bartok, Ravel and Saint Säens these days. Studying is an important part of film composing.
Looking back in your career, several highlights pop up. What about “THE RICH MAN'S WIFE”, where you collaborated with JAMES NEWTON HOWARD? What do you particularly recall from that collaboration? How did it come up?
Well, James quite simply got me the job. He introduced me to Roger Birnbaum and encouraged Roger to have me score the film and he would write a theme. I was just very fortunate to have a guy like James helping me get started. I am currently working with Roger again on a film called "Stay Alive".
What do you think of James Newton Howard's work in general?
Transcendent. The ultimate in film music. I just saw "King Kong" yesterday and I think that the last fifteen minutes of that score may very well be about the best scoring I have ever seen.
You worked again with him in "DANTE'S PEAK", where you allowed any creative freedom and how exactly did you separate the composing roles between you two?
James wrote a couple of themes and then used them in about four places in the film. I then set out to write the other 90 minutes of score in the film. In six weeks. It was quite a busy time.
Many consider “DANTE'S PEAK” as a kind of a break into scoring movies in general for you, apart tv movies and series. Do you think that this is valid?
Sure it was. But 'Beavis and Butt-head do America' had already come out when I started working on Dante's Peak. I had already been hired to score Alien Resurrection when I started composing Dante's Peak.
Are you looking forward on collaborating with him in particular, or with any other film music composer, sometime soon? What's there for a composer to gain when collaborating with another
colleague, generally speaking?
My collaborations with James started my career. They were very important to me. I don't think James gained much from them, he did it to help me out. I asked him what I could do to return the favor and he told me just to do it for someone else one day. Then I met young composer of extraordinary talent named Frederik Wiedmann. I am sure that Freddie and I will co-compose a score together in the future.
In the same time as Dante's Peak, (1997) you worked on the score for “ALIEN: RESURRECTION”. Would you say that this movie had basic differences from all the other “ALIEN” installments? And what do you have to say about the inevitable comparisons with the Goldsmith / Horner / Goldenthal scores for the same franchise?
I am honored to have worked on this series of films and very proud of the work I did with Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I remember so clearly when I saw Alien. It is still kind of strange that to me that I scored the sequel to a film that was so powerful to me as a kid.
What about your series of horror scores for movies like “I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER”, “THIRTEEN GHOSTS”, “TEACHING MRS.TINGLE” and “GHOST SHIP” (although the later one's musical approach is quite different if I may add..). What do you have to comment on them?
Well, "Tingle" is a bit to mischevious to be a horror score but you forgot my favorite, “Thirteen Ghosts”. That is the score where I did the most experimenting. Joel Silver really pushed me to let loose with every strange sound I could find. I enjoy doing a horror score once in a while even though they tend to be draining because creating all that tension writing all day, leaves you really feeling it. So it is important to get a break from them. They also tend to have an enormous amount of music in them.
From all the tv works you´ve done, which ones would you choose as your most notable?
“James Dean”. Maybe my favorite movie I have ever done. I am also very fond of “Four Minutes”.
With “JAMES DEAN” you provided an urban, up-to-date and jazzy score. How did you decide to move into this direction?
I wanted to the score to sound like the music Dean loved. Mark Rydell knew Dean so he led me down the path of a jazz quintet with a string section. Jack Sheldon played the trumpet on it. He was the ´James Dean´ of the score.
To this day, is there something you´d like to have done (say, a dream project, collaboration, an experiment….anything!) but still haven´t?
A kids film! Gosh darn it. All I want to do is a kids film so my kids will think I´m cool. At this rate, they will have to be teenagers to see any of my work. Yeah, it is funny how people see me as the action, drama, horror, comedy guy....but not the family film guy. Yet! (laughs)
Finally, what can you tell us about your confirmed future projects?
Upcoming is "Stay Alive" produced by Roger Birnbaum and McG. It is a horror film about a video game. I tried something new here and recorded my orchestra at the very beginning of the writing process and then manipulated it in my computer extensively. Thank God for Logic!.
Also upcoming is an incredible thriller from first time director Isaac Webb. This is a very strange dark and creepy film. But it is clearly not horror, but it is incredibly scary...you will have to see it to understand.
Thanks a lot for your time John, appreciated. Scoremagacine Team wish you all the best for the future!
17-january-2006
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