It’s a Thursday afternoon in December, and on the big screen at the Sony scoring stage, swords are flashing, arrows are flying and soldiers in ancient Chinese garb are spinning in midair.
Composer Harry Gregson-Williams is conducting a 90-piece orchestra in his score for Disney’s “Mulan” (currently available on Disney Plus), the live-action remake of the 1998 animated classic about a girl who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her ailing father in battle. “Brass, mezzo forte at bar 103,” he says just before a take. “Lots of energy! Tense buttocks!” he adds, to the laughter of musicians.
The lights dim, the red recording light is illuminated, and for three minutes the stage echoes with the sounds of pounding percussion, screaming brass and fast-moving string figures. Cue 8M37, “The Emperor Is Taken,” is in the can, and director Niki Caro pronounces it “amazing.”
Three months later,...
Composer Harry Gregson-Williams is conducting a 90-piece orchestra in his score for Disney’s “Mulan” (currently available on Disney Plus), the live-action remake of the 1998 animated classic about a girl who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her ailing father in battle. “Brass, mezzo forte at bar 103,” he says just before a take. “Lots of energy! Tense buttocks!” he adds, to the laughter of musicians.
The lights dim, the red recording light is illuminated, and for three minutes the stage echoes with the sounds of pounding percussion, screaming brass and fast-moving string figures. Cue 8M37, “The Emperor Is Taken,” is in the can, and director Niki Caro pronounces it “amazing.”
Three months later,...
- 9/9/2020
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
A few years ago, Hans Zimmer wrote Ben Wallfisch a fan letter. Zimmer had just seen “The Escapist,” a film he didn’t like but whose music he admired. He never received a reply.
A few months later Zimmer was in London meeting a mutual friend, fellow composer Richard Harvey, and Wallfisch’s name came up. Later, when Harvey later told him Zimmer had written but not heard back, Wallfisch was mortified.
As both Zimmer and Wallfisch tell it, that very day Zimmer received an email from another Benjamin Wallfisch, a Texas lawyer, who wrote to say, “I think you meant to write the composer Ben Wallfisch.”
Zimmer, one of Hollywood’s most in-demand composers, had been impressed. “I looked at a video on YouTube, a piece that he had written for an orchestra in Holland,” the composer recalls. “I thought it was astonishing. Brilliant writing, and quite witty. And it had 254 views.
A few months later Zimmer was in London meeting a mutual friend, fellow composer Richard Harvey, and Wallfisch’s name came up. Later, when Harvey later told him Zimmer had written but not heard back, Wallfisch was mortified.
As both Zimmer and Wallfisch tell it, that very day Zimmer received an email from another Benjamin Wallfisch, a Texas lawyer, who wrote to say, “I think you meant to write the composer Ben Wallfisch.”
Zimmer, one of Hollywood’s most in-demand composers, had been impressed. “I looked at a video on YouTube, a piece that he had written for an orchestra in Holland,” the composer recalls. “I thought it was astonishing. Brilliant writing, and quite witty. And it had 254 views.
- 4/4/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Craig Mack, the Grammy-nominated rapper who rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like "Flava in Ya Ear" and "Get Down," has died. Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey confirmed to E! News that Mack passed away at his home in Walterboro, Sc just before 9 p.m. on Monday. According to Harvey, it appears he died of natural causes. The star was 47 years old. Having been signed to Sean "Diddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records early on, the Long Island native achieved breakout fame with the 1994 hit "Flava in Ya Ear," which went platinum and scored the star a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. In an old interview with MTV Raps, Combs called Mack and fellow...
- 3/13/2018
- E! Online
“Zootopia,” Disney’s zeitgeist-grabbing, Oscar frontrunner, took best animated feature honors Saturday at Asifa-Hollywood’s 44th Annie Awards, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The Studio Ghibli co-production, “The Red Turtle,” meanwhile, won best indie feature.
Overall, “Zootopia” grabbed six Annies, which also included directing (Byron Howard & Rich Moore), writing (Jared Bush & Phil Johnston), storyboarding, character design, and voice acting (Jason Bateman).
Laika’s stop-motion “Kubo and the Two Strings” earned three awards (character animation, production design, and editorial), along with Guillermo del Toro’s “Trollhunters,” the DreamWorks/Netflix series (character design, character animation, and storyboarding), and the “Pearl” Vr short from Google Spotlight. Within TV/Broadcasting, the Oscar contender took direction (Oscar winner Patrick Osborne), production design, and music.
Disney’s “Moana” was the other big feature winner, collecting two Annies for animated effects and voice acting (Auli’i Cravalho, who tied with Bateman).
Other honors went to Pixar’s lovely,...
Overall, “Zootopia” grabbed six Annies, which also included directing (Byron Howard & Rich Moore), writing (Jared Bush & Phil Johnston), storyboarding, character design, and voice acting (Jason Bateman).
Laika’s stop-motion “Kubo and the Two Strings” earned three awards (character animation, production design, and editorial), along with Guillermo del Toro’s “Trollhunters,” the DreamWorks/Netflix series (character design, character animation, and storyboarding), and the “Pearl” Vr short from Google Spotlight. Within TV/Broadcasting, the Oscar contender took direction (Oscar winner Patrick Osborne), production design, and music.
Disney’s “Moana” was the other big feature winner, collecting two Annies for animated effects and voice acting (Auli’i Cravalho, who tied with Bateman).
Other honors went to Pixar’s lovely,...
- 2/5/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
A total of 145 scores were recently announced as being eligible for this year’s Academy Award, with everything from perceived frontrunner “La La Land” (Justin Hurwitz) and “Jackie” (Mica Levi) to outliers like “Sausage Party” and “Elle.” The final five will be nominated on January 24. In the meantime, avail yourself of this Spotify playlist featuring selections from 110 of the eligible scores — as well as the full list of every eligible score.
Read More: Oscar Best Score Contenders: The Inside Story of Creating 5 Diverse Frontrunners
Read More: Oscars 2017: Listen to 70 Songs Eligible for This Year’s Academy Award
The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer
“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer
“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer
“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer
“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer
“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer
“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer
“Armenia, My Love,...
Read More: Oscar Best Score Contenders: The Inside Story of Creating 5 Diverse Frontrunners
Read More: Oscars 2017: Listen to 70 Songs Eligible for This Year’s Academy Award
The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer
“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer
“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer
“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer
“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer
“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer
“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer
“Armenia, My Love,...
- 1/3/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 145 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2016 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 89th Academy Awards.
The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:
“The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer
“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer
“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer
“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer
“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer
“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer
“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer
“Armenia, My Love,” Silvia Leonetti, composer
“Assassin’s Creed,” Jed Kurzel, composer
“Autumn Lights,” Hugi Gudmundsson and Hjörtur Ingvi Jóhannsson, composers
“The Bfg,” John Williams, composer
“Believe,” Michael Reola, composer
“Ben-Hur,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
“Bilal,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna,...
The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:
“The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer
“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer
“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer
“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer
“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer
“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer
“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer
“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer
“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer
“Armenia, My Love,” Silvia Leonetti, composer
“Assassin’s Creed,” Jed Kurzel, composer
“Autumn Lights,” Hugi Gudmundsson and Hjörtur Ingvi Jóhannsson, composers
“The Bfg,” John Williams, composer
“Believe,” Michael Reola, composer
“Ben-Hur,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers
“Bilal,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna,...
- 12/14/2016
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced the 145 scores eligible in the Best Original Score category, includeing work from “Jackie” and “La La Land.” The latter film, a musical directed by “Whiplash” helmer Damien Chazelle, picked up the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s award for Best Music earlier this month; “Jackie” was the category’s runner-up. Notably absent, meanwhile, are “Arrival” (which just landed a Golden Globe nod), “Manchester by the Sea” and “Silence.”
Read: ‘La La Land’: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s ‘City of Stars’ Duet Will Sweep You Off Your Feet – Listen
Justin Hurwitz composed and orchestrated the “La La Land” score, while “Jackie” marks “Under the Skin” composer Mica Levi’s second silver-screen effort. Decades after becoming one of the world’s most renowned film composers, Ennio Morricone won last year’s Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.
Read: ‘La La Land’: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s ‘City of Stars’ Duet Will Sweep You Off Your Feet – Listen
Justin Hurwitz composed and orchestrated the “La La Land” score, while “Jackie” marks “Under the Skin” composer Mica Levi’s second silver-screen effort. Decades after becoming one of the world’s most renowned film composers, Ennio Morricone won last year’s Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.
- 12/14/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Netflix has only been in the feature film business for about a year, and yet the company has struck gold again, with its acquisition of the French animated film The Little Prince. The movie – based on the seminal 1943 novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – was initially set for a theatrical release back in March, thanks to a distribution deal with Paramount. However, that plan was ultimately dropped for unknown reasons, and Netflix was able to scoop up what has since become the most successful French animated film in cinema history, due to its box office receipts from across the globe. Now it’s available on the streaming service, and viewers can check out the “Netflix original” from the comfort of their own homes.
Yet, with all the hubbub surrounding the film’s release, the question remains if director Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda) has crafted a movie worthy of the cherished source material,...
Yet, with all the hubbub surrounding the film’s release, the question remains if director Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda) has crafted a movie worthy of the cherished source material,...
- 8/6/2016
- by Robert Yaniz Jr.
- We Got This Covered
Terrahawks, the classic British children’s sci-fi series from the legendary creator of Thunderbirds, is to be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Network Distributing.
Gerry Anderson, the hugely influential creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space: 1999 made a spectacular return to puppet animation in the early 1980s with an exciting new series co-created with Christopher Burr. Thrilling yet another generation of children (and adults!), Terrahawks introduced a new elite force to defend 21st century Earth against a host of alien invaders.
Led by the heroic Tiger Ninestein, the Terrahawks crew consists of Captain Mary Falconer, his acting second-in-command; fighter-pilot and former pop star Kate Kestrel; the poetically inclined Lieutenant Hiro; and Lt. Hawkeye – the gunner with computer-enhanced vision. Assisted by a legion of charismatic spherical robots known as the Zeroids, they battle a cabal of evil adversaries – none more terrifying than android crone Zelda, the would-be conqueror...
Gerry Anderson, the hugely influential creator of Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Space: 1999 made a spectacular return to puppet animation in the early 1980s with an exciting new series co-created with Christopher Burr. Thrilling yet another generation of children (and adults!), Terrahawks introduced a new elite force to defend 21st century Earth against a host of alien invaders.
Led by the heroic Tiger Ninestein, the Terrahawks crew consists of Captain Mary Falconer, his acting second-in-command; fighter-pilot and former pop star Kate Kestrel; the poetically inclined Lieutenant Hiro; and Lt. Hawkeye – the gunner with computer-enhanced vision. Assisted by a legion of charismatic spherical robots known as the Zeroids, they battle a cabal of evil adversaries – none more terrifying than android crone Zelda, the would-be conqueror...
- 5/30/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Here’s a look at the first trailer for The Little Prince. The animated feature is from Mark Osborne, director of Kung Fu Panda, and features the voice cast of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Ricky Gervais, Bud Cort, Marion Cotillard, Benicio del Toro, James Franco, Paul Giamatti, with Mackenzie Foy and Albert Brooks.
This isn’t the first adaptation of the film. Director Stanley Donen helmed the 1974 musical version starring Richard Kiley as The Pilot, Steven Warner as The Little Prince, Bob Fosse as The Snake and Gene Wilder as The Fox.
Based on “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the movie was an Official Selection in May at the Festival de Cannes 2015. Paramount Pictures released the film in France July 2015.
Read Variety’s review here.
The score is from Hans Zimmer, Camille and Richard Harvey.
The Little Prince opens in theaters March 18, 2016.
Visit the official site: www.
This isn’t the first adaptation of the film. Director Stanley Donen helmed the 1974 musical version starring Richard Kiley as The Pilot, Steven Warner as The Little Prince, Bob Fosse as The Snake and Gene Wilder as The Fox.
Based on “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the movie was an Official Selection in May at the Festival de Cannes 2015. Paramount Pictures released the film in France July 2015.
Read Variety’s review here.
The score is from Hans Zimmer, Camille and Richard Harvey.
The Little Prince opens in theaters March 18, 2016.
Visit the official site: www.
- 11/25/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Cannes — In 2015, it's much easier to tell which company produced an animated movie as opposed to who directed it. That’s a tad disheartening considering how much energy the studios behind these films exert trying to nudge their directors into the spotlight. For instance, you can immediately tell a Pixar film by its character design and a story that almost always has a life message it wants to tell (which you can predictably see a mile away, for better or worse). Walt Disney Animation has soared in recent years by blissfully keeping the movie musical alive or finding the heartstrings in action-packed adventures. DreamWorks Animation films skew toward broad, interactive 3D animation that overshadows their peers and a sense of humor that can often appeal more to adults than kids (at times). Laika’s gorgeous stop-motion work has the quirky, dark corner completely covered. The artists at Universal’s Illumination...
- 6/5/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
What's the difference between operas and musicals? Is getting there quicker cheaper? The house where Handel and Hendrix lived
What distinguishes an opera from a musical?
About £50 a ticket.
John Peniket, Burnham, Bucks
Operas and musicals are similar in that they are both performed as musical theatre, with a story, character distinctions and arias. They are both made up of several songs, or musical pieces, connected by lines of dialogue; this is usually spoken in a musical, whereas in an opera it is performed as a recitative in which the dialogue transpires in a melodic or musical pattern.
Operas also tend to be continuous singing, although some musicals are sung through (eg Les Misérables). These are often acknowledged for their opera-like qualities by being called "popular" or "rock" operas.
Luke Gallagher, Lancaster
The following are tendencies, not certainties. Opera singers weigh more than those performing in musicals. The latter are easy to understand,...
What distinguishes an opera from a musical?
About £50 a ticket.
John Peniket, Burnham, Bucks
Operas and musicals are similar in that they are both performed as musical theatre, with a story, character distinctions and arias. They are both made up of several songs, or musical pieces, connected by lines of dialogue; this is usually spoken in a musical, whereas in an opera it is performed as a recitative in which the dialogue transpires in a melodic or musical pattern.
Operas also tend to be continuous singing, although some musicals are sung through (eg Les Misérables). These are often acknowledged for their opera-like qualities by being called "popular" or "rock" operas.
Luke Gallagher, Lancaster
The following are tendencies, not certainties. Opera singers weigh more than those performing in musicals. The latter are easy to understand,...
- 5/3/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Floating Forecaster, by U.K. interactive designer Richard Harvey, is a ping-pong floatation device that lets you loft up your balls just by running your fingers across your smart phone. Using either the iPhone interface app c74 or a custom MaxMSP sequencing program, you can do pretty much anything with your balls -- shoot them up in the air, keep them quivering low to the ground, hold your own PowerBall lottery, whatever. Check out some epic ball-playing here: [vimeo 13059978] Mechanically, the contraption is made of 30 air pumps hooked up to a power supply, and it relies on some basic principles of gravity and air pressure. Your physics teacher probably tried the same floating-ping-pong-ball trick in high school, but with a hairdryer. (For nerds who actually care how it works: Air blasts create a low-pressure airstream, while the surrounding higher-pressure air forces the ping pong to stay inside the airstream. The ball...
- 7/9/2010
- Fast Company
British composer David Buckley began his career by writing television music and jingles in his homeland before he was introduced to Harry Gregson-Williams. After working on some of the composer's most recent projects (from the Shrek sequels to Gone Baby Gone), David gained enough experience to write his own full-length film scores. His most visible credits up to now include Joel Schumacher's Town Creek and The Forbidden Kingdom - the movie that united martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li. His latest movie entitled From Paris With Love once again teams up a mismatched couple - now in the form of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and John Travolta, who play characters getting on like a house on fire. Based on a story by Luc Besson, the French action picture gave its composer an opportunity to provide a high-energy, percussive score which is counterpointed by sensuous songs on the soundtrack. We...
- 3/26/2010
- Daily Film Music Blog
DVD Playhouse—January 2010
By
Allen Gardner
The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment) Absorbing character study follows the leader (Jeremy Renner) of a bomb squad unit in Iraq and his growing addiction to the adrenaline-fueled life and death edge that he and his men must walk on a daily basis. Director Kathryn Bigelow, an unheralded great filmmaker for nearly two decades, has finally hit paydirt with this gut-wrenching examination of war as drug, as opposed to hell. That said, The Hurt Locker is 2/3 of a great movie that takes a wild left turn in a subplot involving Renner’s character and that of a local boy to whom he takes a shine, and never quite recovers its momentum. In spite of that hiccup, it remains one of the best films of 2009 and, thus far, the finest cinematic exploration of America’s war in the Middle East. Also available on Blu-ray disc, in...
By
Allen Gardner
The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment) Absorbing character study follows the leader (Jeremy Renner) of a bomb squad unit in Iraq and his growing addiction to the adrenaline-fueled life and death edge that he and his men must walk on a daily basis. Director Kathryn Bigelow, an unheralded great filmmaker for nearly two decades, has finally hit paydirt with this gut-wrenching examination of war as drug, as opposed to hell. That said, The Hurt Locker is 2/3 of a great movie that takes a wild left turn in a subplot involving Renner’s character and that of a local boy to whom he takes a shine, and never quite recovers its momentum. In spite of that hiccup, it remains one of the best films of 2009 and, thus far, the finest cinematic exploration of America’s war in the Middle East. Also available on Blu-ray disc, in...
- 1/19/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
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