2013 BMI Film & TV Awards - Composer Interviews

On May 15th, BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) held their annual awards gala, The Film & TV Awards, where they honor the composers of the years top-grossing films and top-rated television programs.

As they have done of late, they offer short videos with many of the top composers in the industry via their Youtube channel.  They've created a playlist of them all, which we offer to you above.  Interviews included are:  Christopher Lennertz, John Williams, Brian Tyler, Mark Isham, Cliff Martinez, Mike Post, David Buckley, Nathan Barr, Theodore Shapiro, iZler, Blake Neely and more!

As always, its great to see and hear from the people behind some of the past year's best music.  In addition to Cliff Martinez (this year's recipient of the Richard Kirk Award winner), Christopher Lennertz shares about playing the role of James Bond as a 9-year-old.  John Williams talks about scoring Lincoln (and looks great... strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark...or score a Star Wars film or something.).  Mark Isham shares about scoring the weekly "Once Upon a Time" and biopic "42." while David Buckley shares about scoring season-to-season on The Good Wife.  Brian Tyler talks about scoring a "post-Avengers" film, Iron Man 3, and iZLER reveals how gratifying and hair-raising it is to score two TV series at one time:  Revenge and Shameless.

Give the entire playlist a listen above and you can see a list of ALL the winners below:


RICHARD KIRK AWARD

CLIFF MARTINEZ

ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

MYCHAEL DANNA
Life of Pi

ADELE (PRS)
"Skyfall," from Skyfall

BMI FILM MUSIC AWARDS

ALAN SILVESTRI
The Avengers

THOMAS NEWMAN
Skyfall

DANNY ELFMAN
Oz the Great and Powerful

JOHN WILLIAMS
Lincoln

DANNY ELFMAN
Men in Black 3

BRIAN TYLER
Iron Man 3

ALAN SILVESTRI
The Croods

MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
Hotel Transylvania

NATHANIEL MECHALY (SACEM)
Taken 2

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (SACEM)
Argo

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ
Identity Thief

DANNY ELFMAN
Silver Linings Playbook

MYCHAEL DANNA
Life of Pi

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (SACEM)
Rise of the Guardians

ALEXANDRE DESPLAT (SACEM)
Zero Dark Thirty

ALAN SILVESTRI
Flight

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ
Think Like A Man

THEODORE SHAPIRO
The Campaign

BRIAN TYLER
The Expendables 2

JOE KRAEMER
Jack Reacher

DANNY ELFMAN
Dark Shadows

AARON ZIGMAN
Madea's Witness Protection

STEVE JABLONSKY
Battleship

ALAN MENKEN
Mirror Mirror

JOHN OTTMAN
Jack the Giant Slayer

THEODORE SHAPIRO
Hope Springs

MARK ISHAM
The Lucky One

HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS
Total Recall

LYLE WORKMAN
American Reunion

AARON ZIGMAN
Escape From Planet Earth

BMI SPECIAL CITATION OF APPRECIATION

LAURA DUNN

BMI MINISERIES MUSIC AWARD

TONY MORALES
Hatfields & McCoys

BMI TELEVISION MUSIC AWARDS

BRIAN KIRK
NCIS

CHUCK LORRE
Two and a Half Men

BLAKE NEELY
Golden Boy

JOS JORGENSEN
America's Got Talent

ANDY LOVE
America's Got Talent

BLAKE NEELY
The Mentalist

PETE TOWNSHEND (PRS)
CSI

CHRISTOPHER FRANKE
The Amazing Race

VAUGHN JOHNSON
The Amazing Race

LEE SANDERS
The Amazing Race

MARK MANCINA
Criminal Minds

ROB SIMONSEN
Blue Bloods

ROB CAIRNS
The Bachelor

GEORGE RITTER
Rules of Engagement

BERT SELEN
Rules of Engagement

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ
Revolution

KEITH POWER (SOCAN)
Hawaii Five-0

BRIAN TYLER
Hawaii Five-0

CARIM CLASMANN (PRS)
Grey's Anatomy

GALIA DURANT (PRS)
Grey's Anatomy

PETER BJORN AND JOHN (STIM)
2 Broke Girls

JOHN FRIZZELL
The Following

PETE TOWNSHEND (PRS)
CSI: NY

BILL BROWN
CSI: NY

KEB' MO'
Mike & Molly

DAVID BUCKLEY (PRS)
The Good Wife

JOS JORGENSEN
The X Factor

ANDY LOVE
The X Factor

SCOTT KIRKLAND
Bones

KENNETH BERRY
Undercover Boss

EHREN EBBAGE
Undercover Boss

MATT KOSKENMAKI
Undercover Boss

JOHN NOONEY
Undercover Boss

CRAIG OWENS
Undercover Boss

CHAD FISCHER
Scandal

iZLER
Revenge

CARTER BAYS
How I Met Your Mother

CRAIG THOMAS
How I Met Your Mother

MARK ISHAM
Once Upon a Time

MIKE POST
Law & Order: SVU

BLAKE NEELY
Arrow

BMI SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION MUSIC AWARDS

JOSE ANGEL
La Patrona

MARLU
La Patrona

PACO PANIAGUA
La Patrona

JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
La Patrona

ALEJANDRO SIRVENT BARTON
Abismo de Pasión

BMI CABLE TELEVISION MUSIC AWARDS

TREE ADAMS
Perception

JIM JOHNSTON
WWE Raw

MICHAEL BOLGER
SpongeBob SquarePants

SAGE GUYTON
SpongeBob SquarePants

EBAN SCHLETTER
SpongeBob SquarePants

JEREMY WAKEFIELD
SpongeBob SquarePants

JACE EVERETT
True Blood

NATHAN BARR
True Blood

CHARLIE CLOUSER
American Horror Story

CESAR DAVILA-IRIZARRY
American Horror Story

DAMON CRISWELL
Fish Hooks

ANDY STURMER
Fish Hooks

BRANDON KINDER
Bering Sea Gold

J.G. QUINTEL
The Regular Show

JOHN ENROTH
The Regular Show

ALBERT FOX
The Regular Show

MARK MOTHERSBAUGH
The Regular Show

CRAIG OWENS
Dance Moms

RONNIE VAN ZANT
Mountain Men

JACOB SHEA
Mountain Men

ROLFE KENT
Dexter

DANIEL LICHT
Dexter

iZLER
Shameless

Find out more at the official BMI site

SoundCast Interview: Reinhold Heil (Cloud Atlas) Plus 5 Exclusive Unreleased Tracks

Composer Reinhold Heil talks with Christopher Coleman about his work on one of the most unique films in recent years, CLOUD ATLAS.  He shares his reaction to how both the film and score was received as well as the special challenges this project presented to himself and his collaborators: Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer.  We also present FIVE previously unreleased tracks, in their entirety, from the Cloud Atlas original score!


Episode Highlights

00:28 - Intro and Reinhold Hold Bio
02:20 - Exclusive track #1: "Frobisher's Audition (Modern)"
04:52 - Exclusive track #2: "Frobisher's Audition"
07:43 - Interview: Reacting to the Film's Reaction
13:15 - Interview: Score Reaction - The Glue
22:04 - How the indy-film-budget affected the score
23:48 - The Scoring Pre-production process
27:34 - Exclusive track #3: "The Cloud Atlas Sextet for Piano"
32:11 - "Composing is like a dragon"
34:11 - Omnipresent melodies
37:06 - Exclusive track #4: "Luisa, We Gotta Be Together"
39:11 - Three themes and multiple hooks
40:50 - Exclusive track #5:  "Cloud Atlas Sextet for Choir"
48:17 - Crafting the Sextet and its variations
51:45 - Did Ayrs really co-compose the sextet with Frobisher?
57:22 - Lasting thoughts about scoring Cloud Atlas
60:13 - Conclusion and final notes


Music Selections


00:02 - "Luisa, We Gotta Be Together" (Cloud Atlas) by Reinhold Heil
02:41 - "Frobisher's Audition (Modern)" (Cloud Atlas) by Reinhold Heil
28:28 - "The Cloud Atlas Sextet for Piano" (Cloud Atlas) by Reinhold Heil
40:40 - "Sonmi Meets Chang" (Cloud Atlas) by Reinhold Heil, Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek
44:49 - "Cloud Atlas Sextet for Choir" (Cloud Atlas) by Reinhold Heil
57:55 - "Cloud Atlas Finale" (Cloud Atlas) by Reinhold Heil, Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek

Additional Notes:

Listen to more unreleased music at www.reinholdheil.com
Follow: Reinhold Heil on Twitter (@reinholdheil)

Buy CLOUD ATLAS on Blu-ray and DVD from Amazon.com

Buy the CLOUD ATLAS soundtrack from Amazon.com

Download the Episode

Subscribe and More Info

Interview: Garry Schyman (Bioshock Infinite)

Composer Garry Schyman speaks with Marius Masalar (@mathazzar) about his unusual path to becoming the composer of the award winning music for the Bioshock franchise.  He tracks his process and challenges of writing each of the three game scores:  Bioshock, Bioshock 2, and most recently, Bioshock Infinite.


Music:

0:00 - 22. Doors
20:20 - 6. Step Into My Garden (from the original Bioshock score)
25:29 - 8. Elizabeth
31:48 - 4. Lighter Than Air
37:50 - 16. The Battle for Columbia III
49:56 - 25. AD

Interview:

0:35 - Intro & path to a composing career
3:25 - First video game scoring and the Philips CD-i
5:08 - THQ and Bernard Hermann
7:02 - Hired by Irrational to score Bioshock
8:11 - The early landscape of video games and why it was appealing
12:41 - What makes the Bioshock franchise so compelling to a wide audience?
15:16 - Bioshock's violence and how to sell a modern game
18:14 - Bioshock's evolving musical approaches
23:06 - Not in Kansas anymore…Bioshock Infinite's new musical language
24:14 - Elizabeth's theme and recording as you go
28:10 - Hints of the original Bioshock
30:09 - Small ensembles instead of an orchestral sound
32:46 - Ambiguity in the characters and their music
36:17 - Garry's unusual approach to the combat music
40:07 - What is it that makes a good game score?
40:40 - Interactive music vs. creative integrity
45:20 - Upcoming projects
46:41 - Advice for young composers
48:48 - Conclusion and contact information

You can support Tracksounds by picking up the popular video game, Bioshock Infinite at Amazon.com here: http://amzn.to/10JFMqJ

Find more Audio Interviews and Podcast Episodes on The SoundCast
http://bit.ly/soundcast

Connect with Tracksounds:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tracksounds
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tracksounds
Google Plus: http://gplus.to/tracksounds

Official site: http://tracksounds.com

Interview conducted and produced by Marius Masalar. Video editing and effects by Marius Masalar.

Return of the Matrix - 10th Anniversary Reloaded Edition

It's been 10 years since the release of the hotly anticipated sequel to THE MATRIX.  THE MATRIX RELOADED, while not as universally loved, still offered some unforgettable, cinematic moments.  Don Davis and Juno Reactor collaborated on Reloaded to provide us with a couple of set-piece tracks that remain in the top-tier of the category.  Join us as we celebrate #TheMay6th, refill our red-pill-prescription and reload The Matrix.

Our extension feature includes: full reviews of all The Matrix feature film soundtracks, The Animatrix, and two video game scores: Enter the Matrix (Erik Lundborg), The Path of Neo (Tobias Enhus).  We also feature interviews with composers, Don Davis and Erik Lundborg.

RETURN OF THE MATRIX

by Christopher Coleman

(Originally Posted in 2007.  Updated: May 2013)

In 1999, the movie business was in dire need of a revolution. It just didn't know it yet and neither did the movie-going-public. The Wachowski's upstart production of THE MATRIX shook up an industry that had all but given up on creativity. The biggest cultural-phenomenon started by a single film since 1977's STAR WARS, THE MATRIX not only introduced a new vocabulary to many but helped propel the perception of the computer-geek from zero to "the one.". THE MATRIX was intelligent and visually engaging at the same time...two things that seemed to have become mutually exclusive in the world of film. Interweaving the religious and the philosophical, Japanese anime, and the Chinese, kung fu genre, THE MATRIX was a blend that few had even dared dream about, let alone follow that dream through to a feature film. THE MATRIX could be considered the first cyber-punk film to move into the mainstream. It went on to influence a number of films and television shows and commercials, which sought to capitalize on some of the groundbreaking effects and growing interest in cyberspace. Not to be lost amidst of the visual effects and philosophical messages was this film's innovative blend of electronica and orchestral score. The music of The Matrix went to on influence the world of film music almost as much as the film had influenced it's world.

ENTER THE MAY 6TH

Interview with Jamie Christopherson - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Composer Jamie Christopherson talks with Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) about scoring one of 2013's most hotly anticipated games, METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE.  He also shares about not coming back to the LOST PLANET franchise and working with Christopher Lennertz on NBC's popular show, Revolution.

Music:

00:00 "Revenge with a Vengeance"
13:00 "The Hot Wind Blowing" featuring Ferry Corsten (Plantinum Mix)
24:04 "The War Still Wages Within"

Interview:

06:00 - Not on Lost Planet 3
08:00 - Working with Christopher Lennertz
10:17 - How did you come on to Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance
12:06 - The weight of the Metal Gear tradition
13:32 - Change in Musical Direction
15:20 - Dealing with the sheer volume of music needed
16:28 - Boss Battles and building up to vocal versions
18:29 - Finding the band members
20:28 - Which came first the score or the song?
22:03 - The Revengeance Launch Party
23:59 - Officially released music
26:32 - What else are you working on?
28:45 - Will there be more Metal Gear Rising?

You can support Tracksounds by picking up Jamie Christopherson's original vocals soundtrack at Amazon.com here: http://amzn.to/12GNG65

Find more Audio Interviews and Podcast Episodes on The SoundCast
http://bit.ly/soundcast

Connect with Tracksounds:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tracksounds
Facebook: http://facebook.com/tracksounds
Google Plus: http://gplus.to/tracksounds

Official site: http://tracksounds.com

Interview conducted and produced by Christopher Coleman.  Video editing and effects by Marius Masalar.

The Company You Keep (Soundtrack) by Cliff Martinez Review

The Attention You Keep

Review by Richard Buxton

2011’s DRIVE was certainly a milestone in the career of composer CLIFF MARTINEZ. The playlist for Nicolas Winding Refn’s savagely smooth drama burst into musical circles beyond film scores with its criminally cool tones, raising the profile of MARTINEZ dramatically in the process. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP is unlikely to make such musical waves - largely due to the film itself - but it is another indication that CLIFF MARTINEZ is clearly molding his own niche within film scoring and is continually improving with each score.

READ THE FULL SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

Composer for Thor - The Dark World Revealed in Teaser Poster!

Marvel Studios began their press campaign with the release of the first teaser poster for THOR - THE DARK WORLD, the sequel to 2011's THOR.

While a host of details for the film were released along with the image (see below), one detail can only be found in closely examining the beautiful poster itself... and that is that none other than composer CARTER BURWELL will be composing the original score!

As you'll recall, Patrick Doyle ably composed the score for the first film, directed by Kenneth Branagh, and so with the change in the director's chair, many wondered if Doyle would return.  It has been known for some time that veteran, television-director, Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Law & Order, The Sopranos) will be Asgard's true master this time out, but we are now treated to this a-typically, early release of information regarding the original score's composer.

For some, is not likely that the superhero genre is what first comes to mind when thinking "Carter Burwell."  No doubt, Taylor has an impressive cable-television directorial resume; one that can lead to fans having high expectations in terms of the level of drama and character development, but what does his choice in composers say about the score?  Will it be the subtle, yet deep variety commonly coming from Burwell's pen or will he open it up and give us something as adventurous as ROB ROY?

The main themes that Doyle crafted do see like those that Burwell could naturally absorb and refit to his liking.  Take this sample for instance...

Do you think this was a good choice?  What does this do to your level of expectation for the film and its score?  Tell us in the comments below!

MORE ON THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Marvel’s "Thor: The Dark World" continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.  In the aftermath of Marvel’s "Thor" and "Marvel’s The Avengers," Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos...but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness.  Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, from a story by Don Payne and screenplay by Christopher Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery “ #83 in August, 1962.

“Thor: The Dark World” is presented by Marvel Studios. The executive producers are Alan Fine, Nigel Gostelow, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Craig Kyle.

The film releases November 8, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Like Thor on Facebook: Facebook.com/Thor
Follow Thor on Twitter: Twitter.com/ThorMovies

Frozen Planet (Soundtrack) by George Fenton - Review

Cold and Classy, Bold and Brassy

Review by Thomas Midena

There’s nothing like a top-grade nature documentary which displays most intriguing wildlife on Earth through stunning visuals. But these visuals are only one side of the experience. A sweeping documentary isn’t sweeping without a sweeping soundtrack. Luckily, FROZEN PLANET is scored by the ever-classy George Fenton, and it’s sweeping! FROZEN PLANET is a seven-part series from the BBC about nature in the Arctic and Antarctic. It explores the intrigues of wildlife, land formations and weather, including the confronting effects of climate change. It’s a setting which is inspiring, but also gives FENTON the freedom to explore and experiment - an opportunity he does not waste.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Spartacus: War of the Damned (Soundtrack) by Joseph Loduca - Review

A Template for War

Review by Richard Buxton

Ever since Maximus ravaged an empire in his quest for vengeance in GLADIATOR, the swords-and-sandals genre has become increasingly formulaic from a musical perspective. Ridley Scott’s epic revived the genre and as a result dictated the musical formula for many scores that followed in its wake. SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED, scored by JOSEPH LODUCA, has inherited the scattered genes of GLADIATOR with notable influences from TYLER BATES’ 300 and the many GOD OF WAR games. For much of the score, SPARTACUS leans more towards the latter two, occasionally strikingly so.

LODUCA’S is a good example of a score achieving the minimum that an audience would expect from it. There is nothing that attacks the tropes of the genre, nothing that challenges the listener, and nothing that will have you frantically scrambling to click the replay button. It’s a very safe score and suffers as a result. WAR OF THE DAMNED is the third complete series in the SPARTACUS saga, each having been scored by LODUCA. The composer has certainly had time to perfect his approach to the series’ musical backdrop, but perhaps this is the making of what is ultimately a very generic and forgettable score.

READ THE FULL REVIEW