Kendall Schmidt(I)
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Born in Los Angeles in 1958, composer and pianist Kendall Schmidt was
brought up in Beverly Hills and became a professional film composer in
1985. Sometimes using only a synthesizer, he quickly gained a
reputation for writing low budget scores of quality, most memorably the
haunting score for Neon Maniacs (1986). He was then brought in to re-score for
video release Witchfinder General (1968) and Scream and Scream Again
(1969) when MGM/UA decided not to pay royalties to the original English
composers. For similar reasons Schmidt also re-scored the Italian
sci-fi Terrore nello spazio (1965). Becoming a member of BMI, he went
on to score numerous movie trailers, including Licence to Kill (1989),
Glory (1989) and Total Recall (1990). He was also in demand as
orchestrator/copyist on major films such as Apollo 13 (1995) and
Titanic (1997). Sometimes working under the pseudonym "Kendall Roclord"
he additionally operated the production music companies Roclord Music
and Network Music. Aside from music, Schmidt also enjoys a second
career as unconventional portrait photographer at his Roclord Studio.
Still based in Pasadena with his wife and two sons, he lists his other
interests as cabinet making, poetry writing, computer programming and
long distance bicycle riding.