When a composer and a filmmaker find a groove, the results are a seemingly never-ending well of material. Suffice to say, the best partnerships are far more than just one note. Pun intended! Filmmakers whose work spans multiple genres – war, action, fantasy, crime, all of the above – need a sound that suits the story. There are several long-standing director/composer partnerships out there and one of the more recent noteworthy pairings is the one-two punch of Guy Ritchie & Chris Benstead. We’ll be completely honest here: one of our very favorite (if not all time favorite) director is Guy Ritchie. A legend now, he blew people away with his…
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Interview…Composer David Fleming on Danger and Discovery in ‘Damsel’
Every once in a while it’s fun escape into a popcorn fantasy film, and something with a sword or two and a dragon are usually sure to please. In this case, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo delivers in all categories all the while offering a tale you thought you had seen before. With Netflix’s Damsel, he puts a spin on the “princess in distress” framework to make Millie Bobby Brown the hero of her own story. Then again, just looking at the album artwork below, you could probably figure that out. To elevate and enhance the story, composer David Fleming was brought in to give Juan Carlos’ story literal wings. His work…
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Interview…Composer Theodore Shaprio on ‘The School for Good and Evil’, ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ and Cracking Musical Puzzles
For more than two decades, Shapiro has been solving cinematic puzzles both light and dark. He scored some of Hollywood’s classic comedies—including Idiocracy, Old School, Tropic Thunder, and Dodgeball—with regular collaborators such as Paul Feig, Todd Phillips, and Jay Roach. He’s also cracked the code of political dramas (the Emmy-nominated Game Change, Trumbo), adventures both animated (Spies in Disguise), and unconventional (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), as well as sexy, stylish mysteries (A Simple Favor). Shapiro is like a character actor, putting on different musical costumes and adopting accents to disappear into roles much like Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, which he scored with rays of…
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Interview…David Buckley on ‘The Sandman’ and ‘The Nice Guys’
Emmy nominated composer David Buckley is known for his versatility and prolific output. Having worked with some of the very best in the business, Buckley has been able to score a multitude of genres and projects including Universal’s Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk, Greenland starring Gerard Butler, Jason Bourne directed by Paul Greengrass and The Nice Guys for Shane Black and Joel Silver. Previous scores include the Joel Schumacher-directed thriller Blood Creek, Taylor Hackford’s action feature Parker and Rob Minkoff’s fantasy adventure The Forbidden Kingdom. For television, the hit Scott Free/CBS drama series The Good Wife and continues to score the spin-off, now in its sixth season, The Good Fight (for…
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Interview…Joseph Trapanese on Chamber Music, Cellos, and Choir in ‘Spiderhead’
One of the busiest film musicians out there has to be Joseph Trapanese. Let’s call him “Joe.” Joe is a composer. These days, Joe is happy. In fact, he’s very, very happy. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s one of the most sought-after magic makers and has a brilliant track record working on huge films with megastar directors. In Netflix’s Spiderhead, Joe reunites with director Joseph Kosinski (with whom he previously worked on TRON: Legacy, Oblivion, and Only The Brave). Aside from working closely with his good friend Joe K – we’ll call him “other Joe” – Mr. Trapanese had the unique opportunity to get away from the music that…
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Editorial: The Sacredness of Family Values in Netflix’s ‘Ozark’
5 years, 4 seasons, 44 episodes. And still some things remain left unsaid. In Ozark, a middle class family is forced to move to a remote place after a big secret is revealed. I won’t share much because some things are best if seen, but after 5 years of knowing the Byrdes, it’s hard to imagine if they had stuck together like they did, if their lives hadn’t been threatened at first. It’s not that they should welcome the horrible set of events. In a scene that’s on the season finale, the Byrdes survive a horrible accident without a scratch. This is an act of god. Note the lower case.…
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Interview…Composer Steve Mazzaro on the Quirky and Charming Score to ’Army of Thieves’
Every few years, some piece of pop culture jumps up, grabs hold of us and just won’t let go. In this case, it was the unassuming prequel to Zach Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Considering they both deal with zombies, perhaps the surprise (and parallel) was quite funny, even serendipitous. What really comes alive in this heist film, which are usually fun by nature, is the music. At times, it is white-hot to match the energy (and calamity) fueling this team of discarded dorks. Other times, it is somber and anguished as these characters wear their emotions on their sleeves. Further, the sound pulsing through the speakers is so unexpected…
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Podcast: 2021 Recap – Films, Scores and More!
Hi everybody. Well, we’re completely out of 2021 (whew!) and as we march forward into what the future of cinema holds, let’s take a quick look back to what impressed or depressed us in the last twelve months. On today’s show, I’m again joined by my compadre, my Consigliere, my caballero, Federico Furzan. Together, we run down the best & worst of 2021 as well as our favorite films, film scores, and anticipated features hitting screens in the coming months. How closely do the picks of these two high-flying film friends with low standards align with one another? I guess you’ll have to check out the episode to find out.…
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Interview…Composer/Orchestrator Tim Davies on ‘Maya and the Three’
Tim Davies leads a very busy musical life, and the Grammy- and Annie-nominated musician splits his time between orchestrating for features, television, and video games; composing his own scores; and conducting and arranging for orchestras all around the globe. Whether it is as composer/orchestrator/conductor or a combination of all three, he’s been a part of Frozen and Frozen 2, both Ant-Man movies, The Lego Movie 2, La La Land, Trolls, Minions, The Peanuts Movie, The Croods: A New Age, Empire and WandaVision. He is currently lead orchestrator for Christophe Beck, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Fil Eisler. When not on the scoring stage, Davies can be found at the podium conducting orchestras…
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Exclusive: Interview…Stephanie Economou Discusses Collaboration and Inspiration on ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’
Stephanie Economou is a composer and violinist based in Los Angeles, CA. Her early successes have emerged from her exploration and study of widely varying musical styles, including classical, experimental, folk and rock. Stephanie’s experience in film scoring extends from drama to action to comedy, which has demanded the synthesis of an electronic and acoustic musical palette. It is her uniquely hybridized compositional voice which has proven a valuable asset across a wide spectrum of visual media. Stephanie is the composer of the upcoming Netflix TV series Jupiter’s Legacy, based on the comic series by Mark Millar. She has written the music for the Lionsgate/Starz series Step Up: High Water,…
