Film.Music.Media

*Spoiler Warning for some plot points of Damsel and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Composer David Fleming sits down for a brand new in-person Film.Music.Media conversation!

Dave takes us into two of his recent scores with Netflix's Damsel and Amazon's Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

For Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Dave talks about how the approach for the score was very much defined by the vision of co-creators and stars Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover. And for Damsel, Dave talks about how he was truly able to go big with the orchestra and embrace the fairytale genre while still putting a modern twist and making the score an emotional and intimate journey.

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Emmy-winning Composer Carlos Rafael Rivera sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

Carlos takes us behind his new score to Griselda starring Sofía Vergara and how he found the sound to humanize her character in the Netflix limited series.

We talk about Carlos's approach to music, his passion for teaching, how he managed to build a career based out of Miami, and how his career is something he never expected.

Carlos talks about his love for visual storytelling and we discuss what the future of filmmaking holds and how optimism for future storytellers drives passion within all of us working in the entertainment industry.

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Emmy-winning Composer Geoff Zanelli sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

It?s always a blast having Geoff return to discuss his latest projects, and this conversation is no different!

We dive right into Leo, the new animated feature starring Adam Sandler from co-directors Robert Marianetti, Robert Smigel and David Wachenheim. Geoff takes us into his process and how the score had to work with the original songs that were part of the film. We discuss finding the right tone and how to navigate between comedy and sentimentality within scores for family films.

Geoff also gives us a look into the score for 10 Lives, the animated feature recently premiered at Sundance and sees Geoff co-scoring with Tome Howe.

Lastly, we get an amazing update on the immensely anticipated Star Citizen which Geoff has been working on during it?s lengthy development as the game tackles an unprecedented approach to its production through crowdfunding, conventions and building a whole community surrounding it.

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

 

Composer David Metzger sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

Dave is an industry legend who has built an incredible body of work as a composer, orchestrator and arranger. Besides his incredible body of work as a composer, he's also been composers' and songwriters' secret weapon when it comes to orchestration and arranging.

Composers like Mark Mancina, John Powell and Henry Jackman have relied on Dave's skills to bring their music to life. And without Dave, the songs of Frozen, Moana, Spirited and Disenchanted wouldn't have the orchestral colors that they do.

We dive into Dave's gorgeous score to Disney's Wish, and how he approached scoring his first feature since Brother Bear 2. Learn how Dave got hired on the project, and how he approached bringing the world of Wish to life.

Dave also shares his path to becoming a composer, and how the biggest breaks in his career came when he was ready to give up hope. We talk about his big break working on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, how he formed a lasting creative relationship with Mark Mancina to become an essential part of his team, and much more!

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Jake Monaco sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

Jake takes some time to talk about his path to becoming a composer and some of the early projects of his career. Jake talks about scoring animation and what his approach is to scoring television for younger audiences. We also dive into his approach to scores like Jerry And Marge Go Large, Cars On The Road and his newest score to National Geographic's Incredible Animal Journeys.

We look into how Jake created different and unique sonic palettes for each episode, and what his starting point is when approaching nature docs. From instrumentation to knowing how to navigate narration, Jake takes us into his approach and we have an absolute blast!

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Co-composers Christopher Lennertz and Matt Bowen sit down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

For this conversation we are spotlighting the collaborative process between co-composers, and what the process is for two composers to tackle a project together.

Chris and Matt are unique in that Matt has worked for Chris as an additional composer on various projects and has spent a good part of his early career learning from Chris as part of his music team. For Gen V, Chris knew it was the perfect project for him and Matt to tackle as co-composers.

You'll learn all about what Chris looks for when hiring people for his music team and how Matt used the early years working with Chris to learn techniques that he now applies to his solo projects. We also discuss the evolution of the score for The Boys and how that led to developing the sound for Gen V.

A Film.Music.Media & Impact 24 PR Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Matt Novack and Co-Showrunner Dan Mirk sit down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

For this conversation we are spotlighting the collaborative process between the composer and the show runner on a TV series. Matt and Dan take us right into what the process is like between the composer and showrunner and how the two of them worked together across Miracle Workers: End Times.

This conversation is incredibly insightful and unique given that Miracle Workers did not have a composer till this season when Matt was brought on. The prior seasons utilized library music, and Dan explains why they decided to bring in a composer to write an original score for this season of the anthology comedy series. Matt takes us into how he approached the tone and style for the season, and what elements informed his creative process.

A Film.Music.Media & Impact 24 PR Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composers Antonio Naranjo and Meiro Stamm are joined by director Cory Morrison for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

For this conversation we are spotlighting the collaborative process between composers and the director as we take a look into the scoring and production process for Glisten And The Merry Mission. Antonio, Meiro and Cory sit down to talk about what the process was for their collaborative workflows while scoring the animated holiday film.

Get an in-depth look at how two co-composers establish a process with their director and what the collaboration was like while working on the film. We also take a look at how they approached scoring a Christmas film and what role that genre played in the style and approach of the score.

A Film.Music.Media & Impact 24 PR Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Kevin Smithers and writer/directors Arturo and Roy Ambriz sit down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

For this conversation we are spotlighting the collaborative process between the composer and the writer/directors of Frankelda's Book Of Spooks (Sustos Ocultos de Frankelda). The Max original stop motion series is an absolutely stunning series filled with amazing storytelling, visuals and music.

Kevin, Arturo and Roy take us into their collaborate process and how the three of them worked on the series together. You'll get to hear what it's like for Kevin as the composer to work with two brothers who are the writers and directors, and Arturo and Roy talk about how they work not only with Kevin but how they split duties between each other. A wonderful look into collaboration and stop motion animation!

A Film.Music.Media & Impact 24 PR Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer/Songwriter Mark Sonnenblick and Executive Music Producers Bill Sherman and Will Van Dyke sit down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

Mark, Bill and Will kickoff our spotlight series focusing on composer collaborations. Get an incredible inside look at how the trio approached creating the musical that appears within the acclaimed mockumentary Theater Camp!

From how they approached making the musical feel true to the amateur production values the characters were doing onscreen to how they fleshed out the songs for the album, we take an insightful deep dive into what it takes to write a musical that appears within a non-musical film.

A Film.Music.Media & Impact 24 PR Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Producer Stéphane Humez, sound engineer Maxime Marion, and film music journalist Kaya Savas take you behind the scenes into the approach for the newly expanded and remastered The Rock album for Intrada Records.

Learn how the trio all know each other and how this release came to be. Stéphane takes us behind the presentation of the album, and why this album assembly makes the most sense for a listening experience. Stéphane also talks about the process of getting access to certain masters, and how all of that material made its way to Maxime.

Maxime takes us behind his mastering process, including how it was important to stay true to the original sound of the score. Maxime also shares how certain tracks were badly damaged, and how he approached the restoration process.

Kaya takes us behind the liner notes and how Nick Glennie-Smith, Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams and John Finklea were essential in helping piece together the picture of how the score was made.

If you've ever been interested in what goes into producing an archival soundtrack album then come join us for the ride!

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

#therock #soundtrack #album #behindthescenes #musicproduction #nickglenniesmith #hanszimmer #harrygregsonwilliams #michaelbay #jerrybruckheimer #donsimpson #stephanehumez #maximemarion #kayasavas #intrada #intradarecords #90s #90smovies

Composer Stephanie Economou sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation! Steph takes some time to chat about her recent score to Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken for DreamWorks Animation, and everything that went into bringing not only the main character to life, but the world around her. We also chat about Steph's time working with Harry Gregson-Williams and everything she learned working as an additional composer with Harry. Steph also talks about getting in touch with her Italian roots with her other recent score to About My Father starring Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro and what we can expect from her score to My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3! We also discuss all the changes happening in the industry, and Steph shares her perspective on it. A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas #stephanieeconomou #composer #interview #podcast #soundtrack #soundtracks #musicproduction #composerlife #behindthescenes #filmmaking #movies #television #rubygillman #rubygillmanteenagekraken #dreamworksanimation #aboutmyfather #sebastianmaniscalco #mybigfatgreekwedding3 #niavardalos

Composer Paul Haslinger sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

Paul takes us back through his amazing career in music from his time with Tangerine Dream, moving to Los Angeles and exploring other avenues of music, and eventually focusing on a career as a composer for film and TV. We explore what it was like to be an electronic musician in the 80's and how those working with synths and electronics were shunned in the composing community.

Paul talks about several of his projects including the Underworld films, Crazy/Beautiful, Crank, Shoot 'Em Up, and more! We also dive into his newest score for The YouTube Effect. The documentary directed by Alex Winter explores how YouTube has left a troubling legacy on how it has impacted society as a whole. Paul talks about his unique approach to scoring the film, and why he did not want to go the conventional route. While the score was written for the film, the stylings and structure of the album allow it to stand on its own almost as its own experience. You can listen to the album from Node Records on all digital platforms.

Paul is one of the pioneers of electronic music, and his music has left a lasting impact through all the amazing scores and albums he's composed throughout his career.

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

"Weird Al" Yankovic, Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson sit down to take us behind the music of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story!

Al talks about his love for the parody genre, and why his interest in writing film and television has led to projects like UHF and Weird.

Al describes what it was like to go back and re-record some of his most well-known songs that would then be lip synced on set by Daniel Radcliffe. Al also wrote a new original song titled "Now You Know" for the film.

Leo and Zach take us behind the score, and how the key to a good parody score is having sincerity behind it. For Weird, the composing duo aimed to channel the big warm scores of early 1990's dramas, while also getting crazy and over the top with different stylings and genres. Learn how they processed and warped the sound of the accordion for the diner fight scene, and much more!

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Jeff Russo sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!   Jeff returns as a guest to take us into two of his recent scores. We dive into the miniseries Love & Death, and how Jeff approached the drama based on the real-life true crime story. Jeff talks about what it was like coming onto the project late and what his process was with crafting a music narrative that wasn?t too heavy-handed. Jeff also explains his process for navigating song placements to create a seamless flow.   We also talk about the critically-acclaimed Mrs. Davis, which Jeff also scored. Mrs. Davis was a very different approach in that it went all in with bending genres, and we explore if genres even have the same connotation or meaning anymore or do they effectively box in storytellers. Jeff talks about how much fun he had scoring Mrs. Davis, and how he built the arc of the series musically.   Jeff also gives us a little of what we have to look forward to coming up as he is deep into working with Noah Hawley again on Fargo: Season 5 and Hawley?s upcoming Alien series for FX.   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Jeff Rona sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!   Jeff takes some time to talk about the newest edition of his book, The Reel World. Jeff?s book has been an incredible resource for composers entering this industry, and is packed with so much real-world knowledge and perspectives that help get any composer a more comfortable footing on the ever-shifting grounds of the entertainment industry.   Jeff talks about how he updates the book to reflect the current state of the industry including getting more perspectives from younger composers who have more recent insight to share along with the insight from veterans who entered the industry at different times including John Williams and James Newton Howard among others. Jeff talks about how things have changed and evolved, what has stayed the same, new technologies, and even the hot topic conversation around AI in music.   Jeff examines some of his recent work as well including how he works with an amazing team, how he got into video game scoring, and his recent solo album Lume.   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer David Fleming sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!   Dave shares his journey to becoming a composer including getting his start working with composers like Atli Örvarsson and Hans Zimmer. Dave also talks about his work as an additional composer on certain projects like Hans Zimmer's Dune, and what it's like being part of a music team.   For this chat we take a look at Dave's general approach to several projects including South Of Heaven, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Unforgivable. The latter two were co-scored with Hans Zimmer. We also dive into Dave's recent score with Hans to the French Canadian miniseries, The Night Logan Woke Up.   Dave also talks about co-scoring The Last Of Us on HBO. Hear how he worked separately from the series' lead composer Gustavo Santaolalla to help flesh out certain scenes and to add tension and atmosphere to the overall structure of the series.   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas   **This interview was recorded at the end of March 2023 and certain mention of projects and their timing are not accurate at the time of posting.**

Composer Max Aruj sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!

From getting his start working on Lorne Balfe's team to scoring hit thrillers like Crawl (co-scored with Steffen Thum) and his recent score to The Tank, Max has quickly stood out for his incredible versatility and unique voice as a musical storyteller.

For this chat we explore Max's background and path to composing, getting his foot in the door, working with Lorne Balfe, early lessons learned, branching out and scoring films on his own, finding his storytelling voice, and co-composing some projects with Steffen Thum.

For The Tank we look at what it takes to successfully create tension and score a creature feature, and why we as a society love the genre so much!

A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Corey Wallace sits down for a brand new Film.Music.Media conversation!   Topics: Corey's path to becoming a composer, getting his first jobs in the industry, developing his sound as a composer, his approach to scoring Supercell and writing music that balances disaster action as well as character arcs, keeping that traditional orchestral writing style alive, achieving a big sound on a small budget film, and more!   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas   #coreywallace #composer #interview #podcast #soundtrack #soundtracks #behindthescenes #filmmaking #movies #television #supercell

Composer Joel J Richard joins us for an in-depth look at his work co-scoring the entire John Wick series alongside Tyler Bates, and what went into developing the sound of John Wick and evolving it across four films.   Joel starts off talking about his unique path to composing including working as an assistant for John Powell. We talk about how he found his inspiration for composing and what were the steps that led to meeting Tyler Bates, which in turn led Tyler asking him to co-helm the first John Wick film.   We focus on the musical evolution of John Wick, and how he worked with director Chad Stahelski as the films grew in scope and the lore of the world expanded. Joel talks about finding the sound of the world, what style and approach worked best, and how the scores for each film led up to this final chapter. Chapter 4 opens up the scope of John Wick even bigger and builds upon its genre inspirations from Hong Kong cinema, John Woo, European neo-noir, Akira Kurosawa, and Sergio Leone. Joel talks about weaving those textures and nods, tackling huge action set pieces, and making sure the score never lost the feel that was established in the first film.   Joel is such a wonderful and versatile composer, and his work on the John Wick series ended up building its own unique sonic identity while still being able to acknowledge the genres that inspired the character and world.   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Alex Heffes has worked on over 70 feature films and TV projects collaborating with directors including Kevin Macdonald, Steven Frears, Catherine Hardwicke and Mira Nair. His ability to adapt and craft unique narratives and build sonic palettes has made him one of the most renowned composers working today.   For this chat we look at how Alex found his way to becoming a composer, and what his general approach to scoring is. Alex shares stories from various projects such as traveling around the world to record certain sounds and instruments to working closely with Tim Burton on the film adaptation of Sweeney Todd.   We also take a look at his recent score to Mafia Mama, which sees him reuniting with director Catherine Hardwicke for a fun and light crowd-pleasing comedy starring Toni Collette. Alex talks about working with Catherine again, and how he approached scoring an action comedy. We talk about finding the right tone, making sure the score doesn't overstep boundaries, referencing the mob genre musically and much more!   Alex's versatility as a composer and storyteller have brought us so many wonderful scores over the years and it was a real pleasure to peek into his world for this conversation.   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer James Allen Roberson takes some time to talk about his career and his new score to the heartwarming family film Heart Of A Champion.   We chat about James's path to becoming a composer, and how he started working as an assistant and additional composer for Rupert Gregson-Williams. James explains what he learned working for Rupert, and how it helped prep him for his own career.   We dive in and talk about his newest score to Heart Of A Champion, and how James approached the score to balance the tone and emotions of the narrative. We also talk about his score to the animated series, Spirit Riding Free and how he tackled an animated series across four seasons.   James's passion and versatility as a storyteller has made him one of the most prominent voices working today and it was a real pleasure to catch up with him!   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

EmmoLei Sankofa has been paving her own path and establishing her amazing sound as a storyteller through her scores for projects like Step Up: High Water, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, and her recent score to the feature Three Ways, which is now streaming on Hulu.   In this extensive chat we cover a wide array of topics covering not only EmmoLei's methods and approach to scoring, but also navigating the business, working with filmmakers, tackling different genres, adapting to change and so much more!   We also look at how EmmoLei is re-defining how a composer is part of the creative team, and why she loves to go the extra mile to collaborate beyond the score. She serves as Executive Producer on Three Ways as well, and we discuss how that happened.   EmmoLei also talks about her unique approach of using Morse code to come up with themes and melodies in her scores. Something that she's been utilizing since early on in her career, and one of the most interesting ways of crafting narrative structure.   EmmoLei's passion and versatility has made her a premiere voice in the industry, and she's doing so by staying away from the conventional career routes to discover how artists can truly make a living and still be fulfilled by their work in this industry.   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Tim Wynn's versatility as a storyteller can be seen and heard in his scores across film, television and video games. His work on movies like Freaks and The Legend of La Llorona to series like Disney's MECH-X4 and Supernatural showcase his passion for variety and exploring as many genres as possible.   Tim returns as a guest to discuss his newest score to the hit video game Marvel's Midnight Suns, which he co-scored with Phill Boucher. We take a dive into how he approached scoring the game and exploring the world of Marvel through music. We talk how different genres of games require different types of scores, and how the process has evolved over the years.   We also chat about other topics like changes happening in the industry, his general approach, a little refresh on his background and path to composing, and much more!   A Film.Music.Media Production | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas   #timwynn #composer #interview #podcast #soundtrack #soundtracks #behindthescenes #filmmaking #movies #television #videogames #marvelsmidnightsuns #midnightsuns #marvel

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium concludes with ?Post Production All Stars"!   Music is just one piece of the puzzle, hear from other professionals who work in post production alongside the composer and the score to see how music and sound is part of their workflows.   Featuring Forest Christenson (Additional Composer/Score Mixer, Hunters), Jemma Burns (Music Supervisor, Heartbreak High | Okja), Nathan Ruyle (Sound Designer, Joyland | The Voyeurs) and Yvette M. Amirian, ACE (Editor, The Integrity of Joseph Chambers)   An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium continues with ?Dynamic Dramas And Compelling Characters"!

This panel takes a look at scoring for characters and dramatic arcs as well as building out thematic structure!

Featuring Alexandra Petkovski [p/k/a FJØRA] (Better At Texting), Dan Light (Johanna Enlists), EmmoLei Sankofa (Three Ways) and Juan Carlos Enriquez ('Til Jail Do Us Part).

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium continues with ?Auteurs & Comedy?!

This panel takes a look at approaching scoring for comedies as well as sub genres. From finding the right tone, creating pacing, what comedic beats to hit or not hit, and more!

Featuring Adam Blau (Dead To Me), Kara Talve (The Simpsons), Matt Novak (Miracle Workers: End Times) and Peter Chapman (Wynonna Earp).

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium continues with ?All About Animation?!

It?s animation time! Let?s talk about the wonderful medium of animation and how composers approach scoring animation across all genres!

Featuring Esin Aydingoz (Princess Power, Black Barbie), Fabrizio Mancinelli (Mushka), Jared Faber (Teen Titans Go! To The Movies), Matthew Tishler (Fancy Nancy).

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium continues with ?Composing For The Good, The Bad, And The Scary?!

Tune in to hear us talk about establishing an atmosphere through music in tense and dynamic scenes!

Featuring Andrew Morgan Smith (The Old Way), Janal Bechthold (Marlene), Johannes Ringen (Troll) and Lindsay Jones (Marvel's Wastelanders)!

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium continues with a one-on-one conversation with composer Matt Bowen!

Go behind the scenes with Matt?s scores for The Binge, It?s A Wonderful Binge, The Boys and more!

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

The 3rd Annual Film.Music.Media Symposium kicks off with a one-on-one conversation with composer Mark Leggett!

Go behind the scenes with Mark?s scores for My Name Is Earl, Doctor Who Am I, Dolly Parton?s Mountain Magic Christmas, Dolly Parton?s Heartstrings and much more!

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

Grammy-winning composer, songwriter, violinist, and vocalist Lili Haydn sits down to discuss her incredibly diverse career as well as focus on her two new scores for Split At The Root and Ginny & Georgia: Season 2 (co-composed with Ben Bromfield).

Lili talks about her childhood and how despite music always being part of her life, it was not always the clear career path. Lili talks about her passions in activism and why she got her degree in political science from Brown, and how that led to a career in music eventually.

We discuss her solo records, being part of the Grammy-winning band Opium Moon, her work as a session musician, and her composing work.

Lili talks extensively about her new score for the documentary Split At The Root (soundtrack out now from Node Records), and how the plights of these mothers seeking asylum affected her approach to the music. We also take a look at the music for the hit-series Ginny & Georgia, and how she collaborated with composer Ben Bromfield to find the tone of the show as well as write songs like the popular "Marriage Is A Dungeon". Both Split At The Root and Ginny & Georgia are streaming on Netflix.

Lili's passion for music and storytelling is infused into every ounce of her being, and getting to sit down and explore her process and approach is a true joy and inspiration.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Animation is fueled by passionate storytellers during all aspects of production. A successful collaboration between the score composer, music department and the animation leaders can make a project sing.

Join us for an in-depth panel conversation as these Animation All Stars discuss their journey in the industry, their most beloved projects and how music fits within animation.

Featuring Daniel Cavey (Sr Producer Franchise Production, Lucasfilm | LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation), Stephanie Earley (Editor, Bob's Burgers | Central Park), Patrick Hughes (Founder/CEO, Foundation Media), David Silverman (Consulting Producer & Director, The Simpsons), and Ryan Shore (Composer, Star Wars | Scooby-Doo!)

An Impact 24 PR & Film.Music.Media Production | Presented By Kaya Savas

Co-composers Graeme Norgate and Grant Kirkhope sit down together to reflect back on scoring GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64! Surprisingly, in nearly 26 years this is the first time that Graeme and Grant have spoken publicly about the score together!

Graeme and Grant take us back to the mid 90's where the two of them found themselves working for Rare Limited; a game developer based out in the English countryside. Hear the origin story of how the two met, what it was like working at Rare in those early days, and how the two of them found themselves working on GoldenEye 007.

The duo talk about the technological limitations of the time, how they rarely worked on the game at the same time during its lengthy delayed production, how they had complete freedom with the music, and how the levels were scored simply based off short descriptions and early art.

Both Graeme and Grant are open about how they really had no idea what they were doing at the time as two young composers. You'll hear how Graeme handled the "sound design" of the game, and where he found what are now the legendary death grunts of the enemies as well as the sounds of each gun.

You'll also hear great stories like how Grant scored the now legendary pause music, which of the NPC's were modeled with their faces as an easter egg, and much more. We also look at how long it took for them to realize that the game was a hit, and the years leading into Perfect Dark.

This is truly a special conversation for anyone who grew up playing GoldenEye 007 with friends at every sleepover till your thumb was raw from pushing around that infamous N64 joystick. And hopefully if you're new to the game, you can learn how a small group of passionate people accidentally made one of the most iconic video games of all time.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Son Lux joins us to chat about their Oscar nominated score to Everything Everywhere All At Once!

Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang are the members of Son Lux. Get to know the history of their friendship and collaboration and how Son Lux grew from a solo project that Ryan created to a band that explores anywhere music takes them.

We dive into Everything Everywhere All At Once to discuss what it was like working with the Daniels, how they developed the sound palette of the score, crafting the emotional structure, creating the sounds of the multiverse, building that immense staircase fight sequence climax in the third act, working without music editors for periods of time, utilizing Claire de Lune as a central motif, and so much more!

Ryan, Rafiq and Ian are incredible musical storytellers, and getting to hear them discuss their process and approach is so insightful!

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Greg Nicolett proved his versatility very early in his career, which has opened the doors to some amazing opportunities where his music and talents as a storyteller shine.

For this interview we sit down with Greg to learn more about his path to becoming a composer, and discuss topics such as how a career in the entertainment industry can take a lot longer to achieve certain goals vs other career paths.

Greg shares a lot about his work on the hit indie game Potionomics, and how he was also allowed to place his music within the game which is not always the case in game production. Greg's background as an editor also expands his versatility in post production.

We also talk preschool! A genre and demographic that hardly gets any attention or spotlight. Greg takes us into his work for the Disney Junior series T.O.T.S, and what the process is like working on a preschool show including the process and working with songs.

Whether you see Greg making an appearance in Rob Cantor's viral "Shia LaBeouf" Live (no really, check out the pianist!) or hear his music in a Disney production, Greg brings his passion to his work every step of the way.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Carter Burwell is one of the most iconic auteur composers working today, whose sound is instantly recognizable from the first few notes you hear. Carter's unique voice also attracts unique filmmakers from the Coen brothers, Spike Jonze, and of course Martin McDonagh.

For this interview we focus heavily on the work Carter has done with McDonagh with In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and The Banshees Of Inisherin.

Before we dive into Carter's scores for McDonagh, we take a look back at Thick Pigeon. Carter recounts stories of how he and Stanton Miranda formed Thick Pigeon as a musical group that came onto the NYC music scene before Carter was pulled into the world of film composition. Carter reflects back on his early career a bit, and how he ended up scoring films like Psycho III and Blood Simple.

As we dive into McDonagh's films, Carter takes us into his approach for The Banshees Of Inisherin and how the score's simple approach and sound was settled upon. We also touch upon his absolutely unique a cappella inspired score he did for Lena Dunham's Catherine Called Birdy.

Carter also talks about what he has coming up in the future including re-teaming with Ethan Coen, who is currently in post production with his next film.

It's been a few years since we had Carter as a guest, and it's always a massive treat to get to hear all of Carter's wonderful insights.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

 

Composer Jason Graves has paved an incredible career path over the years, with a strong focus on scoring games. We take a walk down memory lane as Jason talks about his early years being mentored by composers like Elmer Bernstein, the ins and outs of scoring games, how working on Until Dawn with Supermassive Games led to The Dark Pictures Anthology, and how he approached the latest installment The Devil In Me.

We also talk about scoring video game tie-ins to movies like Flushed Away and King Arthur, and how he always tries to get the composer of the film's blessing and insight before doing a game like that. Jason also talks about how it feels that the Dead Space remake is upon us, and how touched he is that they decided to re-use his original score in the remake.

Lots of amazing insight and great stories from one of the most prominent composers in gaming!

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Our friend Dom Lewis is back again to lift our holiday spirits up with not one, but TWO new scores that aim to spread some festive cheer. We dig into his scores to Spirited and Violent Night. One is a musical comedy, the other a violent action flick done in the spirit of Die Hard.

For Spirited, Dom scored his first musical and we talk about the composer's role in a musical when it comes to navigating around the songs that were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. We also discuss leaning into that heartwarming feel of Christmas scores without getting too schmaltzy, plus the excitement of writing a big orchestral score with choir that taps into the genre.

For Violent Night we talk about creating a score that embraces the Christmas feel, but how it needed to be over the top in a very operatic way for this balls-to-the-wall action flick that subverts the genre. Dom talks about all the differences in writing this score vs Spirited, including how he recorded himself for the entire choir and recorded an original song.

It's always a pleasure to have Dom sit down and chat, and such a nice way to kick of the holiday season!

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Jimmy LaValle (aka The Album Leaf) didn't expect to ever become a film composer, but the type of music he was writing pushed him into the realm of screen music.

We talk all about Jimmy's unconventional path to becoming a composer, how The Album Leaf concept started, growing up in the 90's music scene of San Diego, his old days of touring with bands like Sigur Rós, his process for composing scores, and we dive into his approach to scoring Something In The Dirt. We also discuss his continued collaboration with directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson.

Jimmy's unique sound palette and voice as a musical storyteller has gained him an incredible following of fans, and his wonderful insight into his process is nothing short of inspiring.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Orchestrators Jonathan Beard and Henri Wilkinson take us deep into the world of orchestration as we examine how they (along with Ed Trybek) took composer Bear McCreary's massive score and brought it to life.

Jonathan, Ed (who could not join due to scheduling) and Henri together are Tutti Music Partners, one of the most prestigious orchestration teams working in the entertainment industry.

Jonathan and Henri delve into a side of music that is rarely talked about, and that is orchestration. Learn all about the process of how an orchestration team works with a composer to realize the vision of the score.

The dynamic trio have a long and trusted relationship working with Bear, so of course Bear brought them in to orchestrate The Rings Of Power. Due to Bear's demanding schedule, Tutti Music Partners also oversaw the recording sessions for the score and take us into that process as well.

Jonathan and Henri illuminate every aspect of orchestration, examine some of Bear's themes in terms of orchestrating, talk about recording choir in one of Tolkien's languages, how their duties were split across the 6-8 months they worked on the project, and much more!

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composers Adam Lukas and James Everingham take us into their score for the awe-inspiring Frozen Planet II, which they co-composed with Hans Zimmer for Bleeding Fingers Music.

Learn about Adam and James, and how they found their path to composing. Adam and Lukas also discuss what the process is working at Bleeding Fingers Music, and how the duo became a perfect match when paired to co-write the score for Frozen Planet II.

We break down the production pipeline process for scoring an iconic BBC Earth docuseries, and how Adam and James worked with Hans Zimmer as well as featured vocalist AURORA on the score. Adam and James also talk about helping to create the custom "Fractured Strings" library with Hans Zimmer and Spitfire Audio that was utilized in scoring Frozen Planet II.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Ben Lovett joins for an All Access discussion that takes us into his musical world!

We chat about how Ben got into music, what the pivot point was to start scoring films, and how he works with directors on projects.

We also dive into his score for Hellraiser directed by long-time collaborator David Bruckner. Hear Ben talk about his approach, his respect and research for the original novel and original film adaptation, honoring Christopher Young's score, putting his own voice into this adaption, and much more!

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Oscar-winning composer Steven Price sits down for a brand new All Access interview that takes us into recent projects such as Our Planet Live In Concert's upcoming US Tour, Beast and My Policeman.

Steven breaks down his amazing score for Netflix's Our Planet, which focuses on climate change and humanity's impact on the natural world. We discuss how Steven approach the score for the series, how he navigates that iconic David Attenborough narration, and how different sound palettes are used for different natural habitats.

We then talk about the journey of taking his score from the series and adapting it for the stage with Our Planet Live In Concert. Steven talks about how the live-to-picture event reimagines Our Planet for a single-viewing concert experience that still covers all the major moments of the series.

We also talk about recent scores such as Beast and My Policeman, and the different approaches Steven took with those films. We also dive into Steven's general approach to composition, working with directors, and so much more!

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

Composer Miriam Cutler's passion and versatility has made her one of the most prominent composers working today, especially in the world of documentaries. It's absolutely wonderful to have Miriam back as a guest on Film.Music.Media.

Miriam tells some fascinating stories of her unconventional path to becoming a composer. Hear about her early days in the 70's as a performer when she joined up with Richard and Danny Elfman and their street theater group The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. This was before Danny Elfman reformed the group into the band we all know Oingo Boingo.

Miriam shares how she was very much into journalism and being part of the feminist movement, and how her path eventually led to composing. This led to an early career doing sleazy horror pictures, which was enough for her to hone her skills and eventually move her career to focus on documentary scoring.

We also talk about projects like her recent score to Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down and the Oscar-nominated RBG, including what working on a documentary is like and how it's completely different to your typical fictional narrative workflow.

A Film.Music.Media Interview | Produced & Presented by Kaya Savas

The score in a project makes a huge impact on the overall project, by either punctuating the plot or moving the story forward to the next scene. In this panel, composers discuss the different ways that the score enhances or reacts to a scene, as well as other functions the music may have in the overall narrative and storytelling approach.

Featuring composers Tangelene Bolton (Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Animation), Greg Nicolett (T.O.T.S.), Shaun Chasin (Domino: Battle of the Bones), and Elias Serpa (Voodoo Tracks Latin Music Library).

Moderated by Film.Music.Media Founder Kaya Savas

Get a special all-access look at the musical team behind animated shows like Daniel Tiger?s Neighborhood, Paw Patrol, Total DramaRama, and more! Composers James Chapple, Graeme Cornies, and Brian Pickett sit down to discuss how they co-founded Voodoo Highway Music Group, their process for scoring popular children?s animated shows, and more!

Moderated by Film.Music.Media Founder Kaya Savas.

While each project will present its own challenges and opportunities, are there similarities when composing for multiple mediums? Join us as we explore the similarities and differences when scoring for animation or other mediums with composers behind animated projects like Charlotte, Blush, The Boys: Diabolical, and The Loud House Movie.

Featuring composers Michelino Bisceglia (Charlotte), Joy Ngiaw (Blush), Matt Bowen (The Boys: Diabolical), and Philip White (The Loud House Movie).

Moderated by Film.Music.Media Founder Kaya Savas

Get a special look into the work of Christopher Willis and Elyse Willis! The musical duo is behind many songs and music cues from projects like Schmigadoon!, various Disney?s Mickey Mouse projects, Netflix?s Cat Burglar, and Armando Iannucci?s The Death of Stalin!

In this special All Access that is part of our Midsummer Music Matinee series, we get in-depth with Chris and Elyse and how their solo music careers ended up bringing them together. Chris talks about his work as a composer, and Elyse talks about working as a vocalist and vocal contractor.

Chris and Elyse occasionally get to work together like on Schmigadoon! and The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse. Get to hear how they work together as a married couple when the project calls for collaboration!

Moderated by Film.Music.Media Founder Kaya Savas.

Stories often feature characters with prominent characteristics that can inform their unique sound palettes. In this panel, we?ll dive into the creative decisions composers make when working with strong characters, from villains in superhero films to dinosaurs from millions of years ago.

Featuring composers Tyler Strickland (Edge of the Earth), George Streicher (Corrective Measures), Amit May Cohen (Zombies 3), and Kara Talve and An?e Rozman of Bleeding Fingers Music (Prehistoric Planet).

Moderated by Film.Music.Media Founder Kaya Savas.