L'innocence plus forte que le mal: Le Labyrinthe de Pan - Entretien avec Javier Navarette

L'innocence contre le mal. Un duel impossible, presque insoutenable. Et pourtant, l'après-guerre en Espagne a inspiré Guillermo Del Toro ( L'Echine du Diable, Blade 2, Hellboy...) et le compositeur Javier Navarette, pour aborder cette question avec sensibilité et donner une couleur sonore exceptionnelle au Labyrinthe de Pan. Le film est à la fois emprunt de violences et de cruautés (difficilement suportables visuellement), mais réalisateur et compositeur ont su nous immerger dans un monde fantastique empli de candeur et d'innocence enfantine. Et c'est grâce à la musique que ces univers qui se côtoient et s'opposent peuvent co-exister. Une musique envoûtante comme une ritournelle qui nous emmène loin dans l'imaginaire. Un peu comme un conte que l'on raconterait aux enfants pour les préserver d'une réalité trop dure.

Please, Mister Navarrete, how would you personally introduce yourself?
Javier NAVARETTE - I'm an art lover, and (I hope) a loving person. I like simple, straight, powerfull forms of art, from primitive to contemporary avantgarde, when ahieved...

What are your sources of inspiration when you compose film music: styles of music, composers… Do you have any mentor?
I belong to an eclectic generation. I'm sorry if it doesn't sound very humble, but my main source of inspiration is myself. I think all of us are full of information, and we only have to look at something, anything closer and closer, to get inspired.

May you tell me about your training?
Also eclectic: self-learn electric guitar, then jazz chords, electronic music workshops, then minimalism. And then again everything: french impresionistic, russian avantgarde.

May you tell me about your background?
I come from a catholic family from a very cold side of Spain. Coming to Barcelona improved a lot my quality of life. I might move now, somewhere else.

Among all your scores what are the ones you like the most?
I like 13 Campanadas and 99.9, and better at all Pan's Labyrinth.

When and how did you come to work in film music?
Agustin Villaronga was told about me and came to a concert, then he looked for me for a film called In a glass cage.

What do you feel when you’re composing and what do you like in this process?
I try to concentrate in achieving good pieces. In between, many things happen, of course: conversation with the director, getting better knowledge of the film, finding new things, even errors can help. What I like better is the moment in which a cue is near to be finished, but still can be refined. The very begining is also very nice.

How did you come on the Pan’s Labyrinth project?
Guillermo came to Barcelona, even before he finished the story. I was very pleased listening the story from his voice, like from an ancient trouvadour.

Did you know, when you started, that the film would be presented at the Cannes film festival ?
Not at all.

How would you describe your score for Pan’s Labyrinth?
It is quite clasical, and straight. There is a central theme and two or three seconday themes.

May you tell me about your approach: Thematic? Atmospheric?
It is thematic and atmospheric, I hope. Melody has an important role, that's true.

How much time did you have to compose your score, and with what budget (if not secret)?
I didn't was in a hurry, but there was a good amount of music to do, so I was busy a few months. Budget was enough, I don't know exactly. In some moment of the planning it came to be much bigger than producers thought, because we wanted choir and other extras. Guillermo insisted and that made a difference, I think.

What orchestra and what size did you choose?
Did you use some electronic sounds in your score or was it all live?There are no electronic at all. Orchestra was a clasical medium-large, without some woods, and more or less full brasses and percussions. Mixed choir also has a background role.

Do you have any anecdotes about the process to tell us, funny or interesting things?
Yes. We've got Jaroslava Eliaasova playing piano, even after she had left music. She's quite an old lady, but I insisted and insisted and got this interesting lady playing again, maybe recording for the last time. I deeply admire her sound and feeling.

How did you work, and with what request from the crew (director, producer, music supervisor, temp score)?
I worked very closely to Guillermo and Bernat Vilaplana, the editor, who is very good with music, by the way.

It’s you second collaboration with Mister Del Toro along with THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE. How did you meet, how do you work together, do you have projects to come with him?

Guillermo called me after he saw an spanish period film called "El mar", which had some coincidences of athmosphere whith the film he was ready to do in Spain. And I think it's not a secret he wants to make a third film about the spanish civil war some day.

What was your inspiration to compose this lullaby and how did you create it?

The story was the main inspiration. I do have sons, and sing a lot for them when they were babys, also. One of the charachters of the film had to sing this lullaby to Ophelia, the main charachter, so we had to make the composition before they started the main photograph.

What do you personally think about the subjects of the film (War, resistance, politics, violence, innocence, fairy tales, childhood, family…)

I love them, they have place for everything: epics, fantasy, tenderness, suspense. This film is a dream for a composer, and I'm happy to have worked there.

For a new project, if you could choose a genre, a kind of story and a filmmaker, what would they be?

I would choose a mistery sobrenatural comedy by Jim Jarmush, or the Cohen Brothers, or the next David Lynch film, or the next Guillermo del Toro film.

Do you have any other projects to come?

I'm working in a film called LA ZONA by the mexican director Rodrigo Pla, his first film. It has a great look and a great story. I'm very happy about that.

Do you have specific message to add?

I believe in soundtracks as a part of a film. If you have a chance and you didn't before, then try to see the film Pan's Labyrinth! If not, listen to the record and make your own fantasy.

Photo Javier Navarette (C) Charlie Steffens

Yipee-Ki-Yay - Die Hard 4.0: Entretien avec Marco Beltrami par Christine Blanc

John McClane est de retour. Bruce Willis reprend le célèbre rôle du policier New Yorkais qui se trouve toujours au mauvais endroit au mauvais moment, pour un nouveau volet de la franchise Die Hard (Piège de Cristal, 58 Minutes pour Vivre, Une Journée en Enfer), intitulé DIE HARD 4 – RETOUR EN ENFER (Live Free or Die Hard).

C'est avec un plaisir non dissimulé que nous retrouvons Marco Beltrami en pleine forme, et en pleine activité. En effet il nous a accordé un peu de son précieux temps, tout en bouclant le mixage de “3:10 to Yuma” a Abbey Road.

On the July 4th holiday, an attack on the vulnerable United States infrastructure begins to shut down the entire nation. The mysterious figure behind the scheme has figured out every modern angle--but he never figured on an old-analog fly, John McClane, in the digital ointment. No mask. No cape. No problem.

Please Mister Beltrami, for the readers of inter-activities, how would you personally introduce yourself?
I come from a family man (3 boys ages 9,7,1). I Enjoy camping and dirt bike riding with my wife and the 2 older ones as well as surfing and most outdoor activities. My work keeps me long hours inside dark rooms so i need the contrast.

When and how did you come to work on film- video and TV music?
I rec’d my master’s degree in compostition from Yale University under Jacob Druckman in 1991 and then moved out to LA to do an internship program at USC under Jerry Goldsmith. I knew little about film music—my main interest was concert music but i learned little by little there could be great innovation within the film music field.
My first project was a tv show called “Land’s End” then i did some tv movies of the week and then in 1996 scored “Scream” for Wes Craven.

What are your sources of inspiration?
I enjoy and take inspiration from all styles of music and sound. Musical integrity is independent of style

Are you inspired by a composer in particular?
I suppose my main influences were Herrmann, Rota and Morricone

Do you consider yourself as being part of a “school” of composition?
No. although i’m not real good with computers and electronics

How would you describe or characterize your own musical style?
I’ll leave that to others. I suppose simply put i like to combine manipulated accoustical sounds with traditional orchestral ones.

How do you choose a project to work on?
If i feel that i could contribute to it.

Did your way of working change along the years or according to each film?
More or less its always been the same, though i have more equipment now and Buck Sanders, who has been working with me since 1997.

Do you have a method of working?
Usually watch the movie and work from the most general ideas about size, color, rhythm to more specific thematic content which i work at away from the picture. Only after i find my direction do i start addressing specific scenes.

What do you feel when you’re composing and what do you like in this process?
Each film is sort of like cracking a puzzle. I like solving the puzzle and discovering the unique emotional, dramatic aspect of the characters and cinematic landscape. After that, much of the individual scene writing is sort of like busy work.

When you're watching a film, do you feel emotions that lead you rather to orchestra or rather to electronics? How do you use either medium?
Well the original scores were orchestral so that’s pretty much what we did. The difficult thing was that due to the very tight schedule they wee editing the picture even after we recorded so much of the music in the first 3 reels is really chopped up and doesn’t sound that fluid.

Live Free or Die Hard

How did you come on Live Free or Die Hard?
I worked with the director Len Wiseman before on Underworld 2.

The three first opus of the Die Hard franchise were scored by Michael Kamen. Did you listen to them before scoring the fourth? Were you inspired by them? Did you happen to meet Michael Kamen?*
Never met him but Len liked the feel of the original scores and asked me to incorporate some of that feel into my score.

May you tell me about your approach for this film?
It’s pretty much an action ride. I used Kamen’s motive for John McClaine.

How much time did you have to compose your score?
We had about 6 weeks once we got a picture we could work to.

What orchestra and what size did you choose? Did you use some electronic sounds in your score or was it all live?
The orchestra was 65 players. We recorded about 120 min of music over 5 days at fox. We had some electronics, but mainly it was orchestral.

To you, what is the most interesting, the most successful or the most complex scene you had to score for this film?
Probably my favorite moment is the scene when McClaine drives his car through an elevator shaft. The music and sound seem to work really well together there.

It's now ten years since you made your first success at Hollywood with Scream. How do you see these ten years of working in the field of cinema?*
I’ve learned a lot about the process, and while quite enjoyable and fulfilling at times the politics and non-musical aspects of the job can become quite tedious and upsetting. It’s difficult to find the balance between putting everything into your work and at the same time not being too precious about it.

You composed several symphonic pieces apart from cinema ("Scenes From Kingdom of the Dinamiten"). Can we hope for a cd recording someday?*
We’ll see. Many of my ideas are non film oriented and I work on little bits from time to time. Perhaps one day I’ll organize them for a cd.

It was announced that you may not do the sequel of Hellboy, The Golden Army, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Your score for Hellboy is maybe one of your most impressive and accomplished ones. May you confirm, and tell us why? What do you think about that? What was your reaction to this bad news (hoping it will change!)? *
Although I really liked working on Hellboy and like working with Guillermo, I understand directors wanting to take different musical directions for different movies. Yes, I was disappointed. Hopefully it will work out well.

Some composers (Howard Shore, Graeme Revell, Joel Goldsmith, Michael Giacchino, Christopher Lennertz...) seem to be interested in videogame music, which is produced these days with a great amount of money and allows to appeal to big live orchestras and choirs. It also seems to allow more freedom regarding the relation image/music.Have you ever though of working in that field? Why?*
I haven’t been offered any and haven’t really pursued any.

Will there be some references to Michael Kamen's work? (style, themes)?* (*Questions by Milio, Marco’s Fan)
Yes, see above .

Have you finished the score for 3:10 to Yuma?
We’re mixing now.

Are you working on another project? If yes, may you tell me about it?
My next project is “In the Electric Mist” for Bertrand Tavanier. I’m really looking forward to it—takes place in the swamps of Louisiana and has a lot of Cajun influence.

For a new project, if you could choose you a genre, a kind of story and a filmmaker, what would they be?
Well I used to say a western but I’m doing that now.

Among all your scores what are the ones you like the most?
Tough to say. I like different ones for different reasons.

Is there is going to have a Live Free or Die Hard 5?
No idea.

Do you have specific message to add for our readers? Thanks and all my congratulations.
Thank you for the interest. It’s nice to know there are people who appreciate your work.

La Colline à des Yeux 2: Entretien avec Trevor MORRIS par Christine BLANC

Lors d'une mission de routine, une unité de jeunes soldats de la Garde Nationale fait halte dans un avant-poste du Nouveau-Mexique afin de livrer du matériel à des scientifiques. Lorsqu'ils arrivent, le camp est désert. Après avoir repéré un signal de détresse dans la montagne voisine, les soldats partent à la recherche des savants disparus…Ils ignorent que ces collines, autrefois hantées par la terrifiante famille Carter, sont aujourd'hui peuplées par une tribu de mutants cannibales qui attendent leurs proies, pour se nourrir et se reproduire…

Entre séries, jeux vidéos et cinéma, Trevor Morris, compositeur protéiforme, nous ouvre les portes de son art à mille facettes.


Please Mister Morris, for the readers of inter-activities, how would you introduce yourself?

I compose music for TV & fim, I don’t write songs or do record production. Music against picture is really my profession. I did television commercials in Canada before moving to LA, it was definitely how I learned my craft.

When and how did you come to work on film-VG and TV series music? (May you tell me about your training? May you tell me about your background?)
I am largely self taught, although I studied music as a child, but didn’t attend a university like USC for film scoring. So my success, such as it is, in writing music for picture has really come about due to will. Like anything worth having in life, it took incredible dedication. I cut my teeth doing jingles in Toronto, which was an incredible school. The rest was a sort of day by day learning process.

What are your sources of inspiration when you compose some music?
Well working with Hans is and continues to be an incredible inspiration. He really is the man, in so many ways. He is certainly near the top of my list of film score composers that I have looked up to. I mean, most composers of my generation are chasing “Star Wars”, but John Williams, as absolutely amazing as he is, writes in a style, method, and under circumstances that are in no way applicable to me or the modern composer. I write a computer, I am more connect to say John Powel or HGW than John Williams in that way. Although I do watch Star Wars no less than once a month.

Do you consider yourself as being part of a “school” of composition, like Mediaventure or else?
Well Hans’ influence is very strong, and has a gravity to it for sure. I think my school or style, if there is such a thing, is more dictated by my age and era in this business than by Hans directly.

How would you describe or characterize your own musical style?
I’m still trying to figure it out myself.

How do you choose a project to work on?
I’m sure this isn’t what you are supposed to say in an interview like this, but I really don’t get to choose my jobs to a great extent. I say no to lower jobs out of principle, but for the most part my field is very competitive and I am grateful for every film and TV project I get to work on. I have the best job on the planet.

Did your way of working change along the years or according to each film?

Not really. Inspiration comes from different places each time, but the method is always the same. I write in my ultra-high tech studio at a computer.

Do you have a method of working?
The usual manner I would suppose. Watch the picture and react instinctually. I try to write themes and melodies first, even a motif or vibe. Then just work the picture from start to finish.

What do you feel when you’re composing and what do you like in this process?
I am always searching for an idea bigger than me, bigger than my technique as a piano player.
I know I have come across something good when I say to myself “wow, I did that?”

You worked for films, Video Games and TV series. What format do you prefer to work on? May you tell me why?
Film is pretty much the highest of the art forms, besides opera etc.


RELATION SHIP

Hans ZIMMER
You worked on Black Hawk Down & Riding in Cars with Boys with Hans Zimmer as assistant composer, in 2001, King Arthur, Pirates Of The Caraibean 1 & 2... Are you still in contact with Hans Zimmer ? Do you talk with him about your latest work? What do you keep from your experience alongside to him? We still work very closely together. Hans is the master problem solving, a skill that I have definitely taken with me.

What about Pirates of the Caraibean 3 ? Where you part of it? Why? How’s That?
I was scheduled to be, but The Hills Have Eyes 2 created a timing confict, so I have to bow out.

KLAUS BADELT
Can you tell me about the cues you composed for each one of the POTC? How did you work with Klaus BADELT? And Then with Hans ZIMMER? Were there differences between the two?
I worked in the same building as Klaus, but never with him. I have huge respect for him and think he is a wonderful composer and very much like me in terms of his approach to using technology in the composing process.

James Newton HOWARD
You worked on Big Trouble in 2002 as composer assitant for James Newton Howard. Are you still in contact with him? What memories do you keep from this experience?How did you come to work with him?
My time with James was brief, but we have remained good friends ever since we worked together. I came to work with him through a fabulous singer Lisbeth Scott and an engineer Jim Hill, both of which I still work with. They were both working with James and reco’d me to work with him in an assisting capacity.

The Hills Have Eyes II -

Trevor Morris Bon Pied-Bon Oeil...
How did you come on the The Hills Have Eyes II project?
It was an odd experience, I literally met Wes Craven and the producers for about 10 minutes, they having never heard my music. I was told later by the music supervisor that as soon as I left the meeting, Wes looked at the room and said “well, there’s our guy”.

Did you see the first versions of Wes Craven (1977 & 1985), and the one of 2006 from Alexandre Aja? Did you listen to the scores of the other “Hill” films? Were you inspired by them?
I saw and hear them all. Being a sequel of a sequel remake, it was hard to not be influenced by the past work. I don’t know many composers who have had to do a movie like that.

May you tell me about your approach? Well its interesting, we ended up utilizing a great theme from the composers of the previous sequel, which stuck as a franchaise sort of riff to bring into the sequel. The rest of my score was mostly a visceral reaction to the imagery.

When you're watching a film, do you feel emotions that lead you rather to orchestra or rather to electronics? How do you use either medium?
I like to blend electronica with orchestra, so my approach was really to blur the lines between aleatoric orchestral gestures and electronic ones. I feel I succeeded.

How did you work, and with what request from the crew?
There were a lot of cooks in that particular kitchen, something that I sort of dread. It is really impossible to make art by comittee I think. So pleasing 4 people is near impossible.

What orchestra and what size did you choose? Did you use some electronic sounds in your score or was it all live?
We did a medium sized orchestra of strings and brass and some percussion and did exclusively aleatoric gestures and things of that nature. That became the base flavour for the soup, if you know what I mean. The rest was electronic.

How did you treat the specific atmosphere of The Hills Have Eyes II?
I react strongly to colour, light, speed of the picture. Everything is derived from that.

To you, what is the most interesting, the most successful or the most complex scene you had to score for this film? May you tell me how you did it? May you analyze for us the relation you created between picture and music?
It was an entire Reel, Reel2. It was a transition reel between the horrific opening of the film, and the first mutant attack. It was a tough and slippery slope and how much tension to infuse and where.

How would you describe your score for The Hills Have Eyes II ? In what way did the very special atmosphere of the film inspired you?
The score is pretty close to 50/50 aleatoric orchestra and electronica, very my style. The film is a modern film, so it seemed the right colour.

Can you tell me about your favourite scene for The Hills Have Eyes II and explain or analyze how you put it into music?
I really enjoyed the final showdown with Hades, such a great romp musically. Full on no apologies kind of scene. As only the final scenes in movies can be.


Did you choose special instruments for the score? And in what way? In order to do so, did you make some research about the way to use these unusual instruments or did you take advice from the musicians themselves?
Well it is an american tale, so contrary to my usual approach, there wasn’t much in the way of ethnic instruments. The orchestra was really the base texture.

Do you have any anecdotes about the process to tell us, funny or interesting things?
The scene I rewrote the most was a man coming out of a toilet... that was a long day.

Will there be a cd of your score for the film?
I don’t think so, but I am working on an itunes digital release. I already have 2 titles with them as an artist.

VIDEO GAME MUSIC
How did you come to work on Video Games music projects?
They sort of came to me, they like film composers since video games have come so far and now really are little films.

Did you usually playing games?
Loved them as a kid, huge game player.

May you describe your score for Command and Conquer 3 & Need for Speed: Carbon?
NFS was a great blend of Japanese taiko style music and electronica, really unique.
C&C3 was more about creating a new world, a modern world over run by tiberium, a sort of modern crystaline cancer. Super challenging colour wise.

How much time did you have to compose a score for video game?
Video games have a bit of time, comparitively, which I am thankful for. Usually 3 months or so.

How did you work, and with what request from the crew?
Usually there is just one point person for music, which is the way I prefer it. They speak for the interests of the game.

What are the differences between working for films, series and Video Games ?
Not as many as you’d think. The timeline is the most obvious. Film runs for 90 minutes in a linear way, where as games are interactive. Very very different on the mind.

How does Video Game music functions within the game?
Every game is different, some is dynamically cued off of events. Some just literally play out.

What orchestra and what size did you choose? Did you use some electronic sounds in your score or was it all live?
Unfortunatley my games so far have not had budget for orchestra, I so wish they did.

Did you choose special instruments, or technologies for the score?
Very much so. Lots of ethnic places to go. Japan, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Beijing. I hire unique instramentalists for each country, it's so much fun.

Did you use some electronics on it ? Why?
It is largely electronics, due to budget and also due to the style, both dictated by the game and by my personal style.

Can you tell me about your themes for the video games (may you describe them, tell me about the way you used them throughout the video game)?
Its usually done by leve, since most games seem to progress in this fashion. You the player accomplish and move on in levels. I try to give each level a motif.

Among all your scores for the Video Games, what are the ones you like the most?
NFS was a pretty unique score, I quite enjoyed that one.

Do you have any anecdotes about the process to tell us, funny or interesting things?
Not really, just a really enjoyable process for me. I enjoy games a lot.

Will there be a cd of your score for Video Games? If not why?
All my game music is available on itunes download. Need for speed and Command and Conquer 3 area available now... the game I am currently on “Army of Two” will be release when done.

THE SERIES

How did you come on the Series project?
Again mostly through contacts and my agents.

May you describe your score for one or each series? (-The Tudors, -E-Ring, -U8TV, -Code Name: Eternity.)
Each series is different, but they all share one common theme, incredible time constraints. Each project is done in an absolutey insane amount of time. Like 36-38 minutes of music in 3 days kind of insane.

May you talk about the story, your relation with the crew?
In TV, producers are king. So I usually liase with the production team directly for notes.
Although in TV there are a lot of people involved, a very large team effort.

How much time did you have to compose your score for each episode, and with what budget?
3-4 days on average, although The Tudors is a little more like a week per show.

Do you know how many seasons are scheduled? For how long have you signed?
You have no idea when you sign on, only after it airs and either continues on or not. The great mystery of television.

What orchestra and what size did you choose? Did you use some electronic sounds in your score or was it all live?
TV is usualy electronica with a few live musician overdubs. Not that many shows get a real orchestra anymore like The Simpsons or LOST.

What do you think about the subjects of the series?
I find them all very interesting, even the ones that didn’t last like ERING.

Will there be a cd of your score for the series ? if yes, when? If not, why?
We are doing a CD release of The Tudors as we speak, I am very excited about it.

TV series seem to be more creative storywise than theatrical movies. Do you agree? Does this dynamic artistic frame exercise or challenge your own creativity?
TV differs insofar as the story line has to have small and large archs, that is enough to carry an episode and a season. “24” is truly amazing at that.

To you, what is the most interesting, the most successful or the most complex scene you had to score for one series? May you tell me how you did it? May you analyze for us the relation you created between picture and music?
I must say ERING was an incredibly complex and interesting score. So diverse and ethnic and electronic and emotional. I truly enjoyed it and miss scoring that show.

Can you describe if there is one, the main theme you created for one or each series, how you conceived it/them, and how you used it throughout the series?
There are usually at least a few themes in a series, and then some per episode.

Among all your scores your made for the series what are the ones you like the most? And why?
I am very proud of The Tudors, is a very rich tapestry of emotions.

Did you appeal to unusual instruments for the score sometimes? Why?
As often as possible, the colours inspire me greatly.

Do you have any anecdotes about the process to tell us, funny or interesting things?
Just the usual time constraints, I am constantly amazed it gets done at all.

Do you have any favorite directors that you liked working with or that you would like to work with?
I enjoyed them all, but the Bruckheimer camp is a very sharp bunch, I hope to work with them again in TV and in Film works.

Are you working on another project? If yes, may you tell me about it?
The Tudors is back for season 2, which is very exciting to see where it goes.

Do you have any other projects to come?
You will be the first to know.
With thanks,
Trevor

Track List Prison Break - Ramin Djawadi

PRISON BREAK - RAMIN DJAWADI

1. Main Titles

2. Strings of Prisonners

3. Inking The Plan

4. Save A Brother's Life

5. Int The Yard

6. T-Bag's Coming For Dinner

7. Sucre's Dilemna

8. Sarah & Michael

9. Tale Of D.B Cooper

10. Abruzzi is the Ticket

11. In The Tunnels

12. Unconditional

13. Conspiracy

14. Sarah

15. C-Note

16. An In Be Tweener

17. Prison Break

18. The Manhunt Begins

19. Special Agent Mahone

20. AMerica's Most Wanted

21. Veronica is Murdered

22. And The There Were Six

23. A Stash of Cash

24. Linc & LJ

25. Stand-Off

26. Cat & Mouse

27. (Classified)

28. Remorse

29. Origami

30.Escape is just the Beginning

TYLER BATES' update- The Watchmen, 300, and Halloween 9

You’re presently working on several projects at the same time; how do you manage to do do that?
TB-I simplified my schedule so there are no conflicts. While many composers are comfortable handling several projects at once, I prefer to give my undivided attention to each film and director. I am currently working exclusively with Rob Zombie on ‘HALLOWEEN.’

Would you tell us about the WATCHMEN?
TB-It is much too early to tell what the music for ‘Watchmen’ will be and what musical devices it will employ. It is my intention (like HALLOWEEN) to create a complete ‘temp score’ of original music before and during filming. This way if there is any specific “orientation” it is in reference to the body of music created for the film itself. I have never embraced ”temp scores” but I understand their necessity in the process of modern filmmaking. I would like to see film-scoring return to the process of old when composers wrote the score in advance to filming, and afterwards refined the music if necessary after principal photography. It sounds idealistic, but I think it is the only way to create a reasonably “original” body of music for a film.

La petite histoire...

Une image subliminale de THE WATCHMEN aurait été glissée par Zack Snyder dans un trailer de 300.

L'HISTOIRE:
Plusieurs super-héros combattent le crime dans une Amérique de fin du monde. Vulnérables, humains, imparfaits, ils ont autant de qualités que de défauts et font pour la plupart ressortir leur côté sombre, mélange de cruauté et d'égoïsme.

And about 300?

TB- I first became involved in ‘300’ in May of 2004, just after the release of my first project with Zack Snyder, “Dawn Of The Dead.” He showed the ‘300’ graphic novel to me and asked if I was interested in creating music for a presentation he was preparing in effort to attract studio backing for the film. This ultimately entailed the creation of several pieces of music. Once Zack expressed his approach to making the novel into a film, we discussed that the music needed to feel indigenous to 480 B.C, expressed in a highly contemporized way. Percussion and vocals immediately came to mind in respect to the simplicity of musical structure centuries ago. I also thought of my friend, vocalist Azam Ali, with whom I was making a record with at the time. Because I knew the depth of Azam’s talent and techniques, I was able to utilize her voice for many characters within the the score far beyond your typical film score “oohs and ahhs.” I think she added a tremendous amount of emotion and personality to the score. In addition to the final score, Azam participated in the initial music sketches for the presentation, music created for a “test shot,” which embodied the majority of the score concepts, and several pieces of music written for which to choreograph various scenes during principal photography.

The ambient sound design aspect of ‘300’ is a consistent component in my scores. In discussing the films’ various locations, I was excited by the opportunity to create textural elements and soundscapes unlike anything I have heard in an epic film. The majority of this material is handcrafted in my studio. It was Zack’s idea to bring electric guitars into the mix. He is well aware of my history as a recording artist and touring musician. I am a guitarist by trade, so this was not a surprise to me. I did feel that in the scope of the “rock” element of the score would need to be connected to the more traditional aspects of the music. After work-shopping the many “rock’ pieces with a few friends who play in some of today’s biggest heavy bands, I then experimented with “detuning” the guitars and affecting them so that they became as crude as the on-screen weaponry. I also wanted to create a “rock’ sound without the use of a traditional drum kit, which I think worked out pretty well. Ultimately, the music to ‘300’ is precisely what Zack and I worked to create in a 2 1/2 year span.

You're actualy working with Rob Zombie on Halloween 9. What's about this new experience with Rob, and what's about the score? Are you working with John Carpenter?

TB-I have known Rob Zombie for several years, which led to him bringing me on board his last film, “The Devil’s Rejects.” When he was first asked to do ‘HALLOWEEN,’ he came to me to create our version of John Carpenter’s great classic theme for his presentation to the studio regarding his concept for the film. It went over well, and is now used as the music for the current theatrical trailer for the movie. I won’t be collaborating with John Carpenter on this project although that would be great fun. My collaboration with Rob is not verbally specific. The information is in his film. I do watch the film in its various permutations to see where he is going with the movie and how he feels about the structure at any given time. I also have the opportunity to see what he has done with the music I have created for “temp” purposes. He makes it fairly obvious what he wants the music to accomplish without making specific musical references. The film itself embodies the character of great classic films, although there is nothing cheesy about this movie. I would liken the first act to ‘In Cold Blood.’ It is insane. I have to say that it is a great challenge to augment what is taking place on-screen without being too heady. As I write this I feel like the music is headed in the right direction for this film. It is truly disturbing and raw. The music becomes a bit more traditional in the third act, and employs most if not all of the classic John Carpenter themes. The cinematography is a determining factor in the expression of these themes. They tend to work the best when they saty close to the minimalist approach of John Carpenter in the first ‘HALLOWEEN’ film. I anticipate that orchestra will play a large role in the music throughout the third act, but that doesn’t mean it will be less intense than the music in the first half of the film. We are still in the middle of this project so I cannot make any definitive claims about the film or its music other than it is scary as hell!

What's about Resident Evil: Extinction?

TB-I opted out of this film because their schedule pushed too far into a conflict with ‘HALLOWEEN.’

Prison Break: entretien avec Ramin Djawadi par Christine Blanc

Michael Scofield s’engage dans une véritable course contre la montre : son frère Lincoln est dans le couloir de la mort, en attente de son exécution pour le meurtre du frère de la Vice-Présidente des Etats-Unis. Persuadé de son innocence mais à court de solutions, Michael décide de se faire incarcérer à son tour dans le pénitencier d'état de Fox River pour organiser leur évasion...

Please Mister Djawadi, for the new readers of inter-activities, how would you personally introduce yourself? When and how did you come to work in film music?

Ramin Djawadi - I started playing piano at age 4 and then switched to guitar at age 13. After a couple of years I realized that I wanted to do music professionally. I always this plan to play in bands first and then later switch to film composing. I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and played in a variety of bands. After I finished college I worked as a composer at a video game company in Boston while still gigging with bands at night. A year after that I coincidently had a “hook up” at Media Ventures, now Remote Control, and I packed my bags and moved to LA.

Do you have any mentor?
Klaus Badelt was my mentor for many years. His movies were my first projects that I worked on and certainly learned a lot from him. Another one is Hans Zimmer, of course. His entire approach about our profession is so amazing. It goes way beyond just writing music for film. I feel fortunate to get ongoing advice from him.

Are you still in contact with Hans Zimmer ? Do you talk about your latest work? I still see Hans at the time, I have my studio in his Remote Control complex. In fact, he let me move into his old room after he built himself a new one down the hall. We hang out and talk about our projects all the time. It’s nice to be able to share the progress and experience on a movie. He has been doing it for such a long time, it’s a good feeling to know to have that kind of support.

The first time we met was some time ago about Blade Trinity. How have you been since then? How did you evolve musically? I have been fortunate to work on many projects since then and in a variety of styles. I think the variety is something that makes you grow as a composer, the challenge to write in different styles of music and creating a unique sound for the project. Musically I’m certainly trying to find my own voice. One of the few disadvantages of being at Remote Control is that a lot of people will categorize you into a certain corner. I hope that that won’t happen to me.

How do you choose a project to work on? I love to switch styles a lot, so I always try to reflect that in the projects. Of course that’s not always possible, but ideally, I like to do a drama after an animation movie or a comedy after an action film. The hard thing also is that once you do one certain genre well, you will be asked to do the same style again. It’s hard to keep the variety.

When you're working on a film, what is your main source of inspiration: the pictures, the subject, the art direction? Most of the time inspiration comes from the subject of the film. It usually already gives you a direction. On a movie like BEAT THE DRUM I started using all this african instruments. So the sounds of these instruments can inspire you to write a certain way. I always try to do a good amount of research about the country’s culture and music. I always want to know what instruments are available as flavors to write for.

How do you compose? Do you have a method of working? If the time allows I prefer to start writing themes without picture. It starts you out with a freedom without being influenced by picture changes. From there I start plugging it into the scene. I like to watch the scene before I go home at night and then sleep over it and think about it in the car. Then I try to write it when I come back the next day. It’s the feeling of letting the scene settle with you before you jump on it. Another thing I like to do is to have several different cues in progress at the same time. I will start one cue and once I have a rough map, I will move on to the next. Once I have two or three I will start with the first and finish it.

Did your way of working change along the years or according to each film? Not really. The last time I actually composed with paper and pencil was in college. It’s all on the computer now. I write on a piano or string patch. On certain projects I will use the guitar. A lot of cues on Open Season or Beat the Drum were written on the guitar.

How would you describe or characterize your own musical style? That’s always the embarrassing question. I’m not sure if there is enough of my music out there so that people would say that it sounds like a typical Ramin score. One thing I can say though is that my music is melodic. I always try to have a theme or motif in a piece of music. Otherwise it gets boring.

What do you feel when you’re composing and what do you like in this process? I try to draw myself into the movie. When I feel that the emotion or comedy gets enhanced through my music in a scene, then hopefully I’m doing the right thing.

You worked for films, animation and TV series. What format do you prefer to work on. May you tell me why? It’s hard for me to pick a favorite. I’m really into animation movies right now as it’s ok to go so over the top with the music. It can take you anywhere from big band to techno.

Prison Break

How did you come on the PrisonBreak project? It all came together pretty fast. I had a really great meeting with the production team three weeks before the airing date and by the time I was on the show I only had about two weeks to score the double episode pilot.

How would you describe your score for the serie? It’s definitely very rhythmic and intense. A note that I would constantly get from the network was to keep supporting the plot with rhythms. The interesting thing about this show is that compared to other shows, that they move very fast with the plot per episode. It just doesn’t get dragged out. We tried to do the same with the music. Always be on the move and have constant tension.

What do you think about the subject of the series? It’s different and that what attracted me to the show. It certainly also raises the question about how many people out there are convicted innocent?

TV series seem to be more creative storywise than theatrical movies. Do you agree? Does this dynamic artistic frame exercise or challenge your own creativity? I think what makes TV challenging is that you sometimes don’t know where you are heading. When we started with Season 1 I had no idea that we would end up in Panama in Season 2. All of sudden I needed to make my themes work in an ethnic way that I had not anticipated before. It is also possible that the plot changes or a new character shows up. You need to somehow make sure that your score keeps up with the story turns.

How did you work, and with what request from the crew? The task was to create a cinematic score like a movie. The producers wanted themes and the sound to be big and orchestral. They also wanted to have some modern elements with it. I just look at this show as if I was scoring a movie. There are themes for characters and plots.

Can you describe the main titles you created for the film, how you conceived it, and how you used it throughout the film? The hard thing about main titles are that you only have 30-60 to make a big statement. The theme on the piano at the end is our mystery theme. It gets used in the show when our characters are trying to uncover the whole conspiracy about Lincoln’s inprisonment. So I wanted to leave the main title with a big question mark. The rest of the main title is it’s own piece that I never use in the show except in the last cue at the end of Season 1 and it’s also hidden in the last cue at the end of Season 2.

How much time did you have to compose your score for each episode? I had two weeks to write themes and score the entire double episode pilot. After that I have anywhere from 3-5 days to score each episode. There is usually 35-40 minutes in each episode, which makes the schedule very tight.

What's about the budget? There is no budget for a live orchestra. We recorded live vocals for the main title, but the score itself is all samples or me recording guitars or other single instruments in my studio.

What, and what size did you choose? Did you use some electronic sounds in your score or was it all live? Unfortunatley, there is no live orchestra. There is so much music in the show and the cues are so big that I’m not sure how it would be possible to record and mix it all in time. So everything you hear comes straight out of my room.

Do you know how many seasons are scheduled? For how long have you signed? Season 3 just was announced and I will definitely stay on the show. I’m not sure if they are already planning beyond 3.

How did you treat the specific atmosphere of the world of Prison Break? There are so many charactes and I tried to give them all their own sound when possible. Scofield has this constant “thinker ticker”, Bellick has this distortion bass, Mahone has an investigation synth sound, etc. I tried to give each scene cut it’s own atmosphere. It’s not always that easy as they all overlap at some point.

To you, what is the most interesting, the most successful or the most complex scene you had to score for this film? May you tell me how you did it? May you analyze for us the relation you created between picture and music? I will summarize the season finale of season 1 as that scene. The whole breakout was the payoff viewers had been waiting for for 20 episodes. I wanted to make sure music wasn’t getting boring as we had 40 minutes of constant action and tension. It was basically one cue with the highlight being the very last cue of the season where I reprised the theme from the main title for the first and only time in the entire season.

Can you tell me about the scene where the doctor shoots herself in season 1 ? It’s very strong and very lyrical. Can you describe your music for it, analyze it? This scene takes us back to episode 15 where we see flashback about our different characters and we learn that Sarah used to be a heroin addict. When she overdoses at the end of Season 1, she has a relapse as she feels she that she failed. Musically, I’m going back to the past with her. It’s her theme sung by a female voice, a similar arrangement that was used during her flashback.

Prisoners are from many ethnic and cultural origins. How did you approach musically this diversity? By stressing the differences? Using different instruments? Yes, wherever it was possible without being too over analytical. As there are so many important characters I tried to give them each their sound and theme. Sucre has a nylon string acoustic guitar, but for Abruzzi it’s the more the combination of the all sounds together. His theme is mostly played on a French Horn with some synths around it. It’s the combination that gives him that sleezy dangerous mafia vibe.

How did you approach percussion (what ones did you use on it?) in this series? As the network requested so much percussion I needed to find a way to have a lot of rhythm even under dialogue scenes. I’m using a wide range from Tom Toms to little wood sticks. Many times you will just hear a heart beat bass drum pumping underneath.

You appealed sometime to some vocalist. Can you tell me about the role you assigned to voice? I use vocals very minimal in the show other than the main title. It was an instrument that I didn’t hear to be part of the sound as much. The first I used it during the show was in episode 15 during one of Sarah’s flashback as it added a more sureal feel. The producers liked it so much that we continued using Sarah’s theme on vocals again when appropriate.

Among all your scores your made for the series what are the ones you like the most? And why? It’s probably whenever Scofield is pursuing his plan to escape. He is so focused when he is in the tunnels of the prison. It was a lot of fun to support all of his progress musically.

In 2006, you were nominated for the Emmy Awards for your work on the series. How do you feel about that? It was certainly a big honor to receive such recognition. I was really surprised when I received the news.

Do you have any anecdotes ? A lot of my friends and some people I work with are big fans of the show. I always have to quickly turn the screen off when they enter the studio so that they don’t see anything before it’s on air.

Will there be a cd of your score for the series ? if yes, when? And about what seasons? If not, why?
Yes, the release will be around the same time as the return of PB with Season 3. It will contain music from Season 1 and 2. It was hard to make an album cut of the show. I have written so much material that there were hours and hours to choose from.

What if you were a prisoner?... I wouldn’t last 2 seconds. Some of the things you see in the show are scary. A real life prison is probably worse. I like to keep my toes.

Would you prefer to be a warden ? I would prefer that over being a prisoner, but would probably fail at all the responsibilities that come with that job.

For a new project, if you could choose you a genre, a kind of story and a filmmaker, what would they be?I would love to do a romantic comedy or a really sad drama. Something that would make me cry while working on it.

Are you working on another project? If yes, may you tell me about it?
I just finished another animation movie called “Fly me to the moon”. It’s a wonderful movie in 3-D only and is about the three flies that sneak onto the Apollo 11 to experience the first moonlanding. Release is scheduled for later this year of 2008. Another movie is a Kevin Costner thriller called “Mr Brooks” scheduled to release June 1st in the US. This is mostly an electronic score and quite different from the orchestral animation stuff I have been doing recently. There are some other projects in the works that I usually don’t mention until closer to completion.

Do you have any specific message to add for our readers?
I would like to thank all the readers that are reading this interview and I appreciate their interest in my work. I hope that I will come up with more music in the future that is worth talking about.

PRISON BREAK - RAMIN DJAWADI

1. Main Titles
2. Strings of Prisonners
3. Inking The Plan
4. Save A Brother's Life
5. Int The Yard
6. T-Bag's Coming For Dinner
7. Sucre's Dilemna
8. Sarah & Michael
9. Tale Of D.B Cooper
10. Abruzzi is the Ticket
11. In The Tunnels
12. Unconditional
13. Conspiracy
14. Sarah
15. C-Note
16. An In Be Tweener
17. Prison Break
18. The Manhunt Begins
19. Special Agent Mahone
20. AMerica's Most Wanted
21. Veronica is Murdered
22. And The There Were Six
23. A Stash of Cash
24. Linc & LJ
25. Stand-Off
26. Cat & Mouse
27. (Classified)
28. Remorse
29. Origami
30.Escape is just the Beginning

ANNUAIRE-59