The line-up for this year’s The Character of Music panel at Comic-Con in San Diego has been announced. A number of composer and executive producer teams will discuss the dynamics of music in film and television. Panelists include Bear McCreary and Jonathan Steinberg (Black Sails), Brian Reitzell and Bryan Fuller (Hannibal), and Dino Meneghin and Jeff Davis (Teen Wolf). The participants will discuss their working relationship, how music plays a character in their stories and the intense process of scoring their projects. The panel will be moderated by BMI’s director of film and TV relations Anne Cecere and Chandler Poling of White Bear PR. The event will take place on Friday, July 19 at 3:00pm in Room 32AB. Check out our previous article for the details of the other film music-related panels at Comic-Con.
Category: Film Music News
Weekly Film Music Roundup (July 5, 2013)
Three new movies are opening nationwide this week:
Already in theaters since Wednesday is the animated film sequel Despicable Me 2 directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud and featuring the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan and Benjamin Bratt. Pharrell Williams has written the movie’s original songs and themes and Heitor Pereira (The Smurfs) has composed the film’s original score. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album including both songs and score. Check out our previous article for the full album details and to listen to audio clips. Also click here for a video featurette on the music and visit Trailer Addict for a video interview with Pereira at the film’s red carpet premiere in Hollywood and ASCAP’s We Create Music blog for another interview with the composer.
Also opening wide is Walt Disney Pictures’ western The Lone Ranger directed by Gore Verbinski, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, Tom Wilkinson, William Fichtner, Barry Pepper, James Badge Dale, Ruth Wilson and Helena Bonham Carter. The film’s original score is composed and produced by Hans Zimmer. Walt Disney Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score earlier this week. A CD version is set to be released by Intrada Records later this month. Click here for the full details of the score album. Hollywood Records has also released a soundtrack featuring songs inspired by the film by artists including Ben Kweller, Iggy Pop, Shane MacGowan, Lucinda Williams and The White Buffalo.
BMI Supports Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Labs at Skywalker Sound
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) continues its support for Sundance Institute’s Film Music program which has just launched its new collaboration with Skywalker Sound to host the Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Labs at Skywalker Sound in 2013 and 2014. The Music and Sound Design Lab for documentaries ran June 3 through June 10, and the session for feature films will run from July 10 through July 25. This is the first time Sundance Institute and Skywalker Sound are collaborating to support independent filmmakers and film composers and marks a significant expansion of the Institute’s former Composers Labs to include sound design. At the Lab, Fellows work with a variety of Creative Advisors, a group of film composers, sound designers, filmmakers and film industry professionals.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (June 28, 2013)
Two new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the action thriller White House Down directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, James Woods, Richard Jenkins, Joey King and Rachelle Lefevre. The film’s music is composed by Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser (2012, 10’000 B.C., The Day After Tomorrow). A soundtrack album featuring the composers’ music was released digitally today and will be coming out on CD on July 23. To listen to audio clips and for the full album details, check out our soundtrack announcement.
Also opening wide is the buddy cop comedy The Heat directed by Paul Feig and starring Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans and Michael Rapaport. Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album earlier this week featuring the songs from the film by artists including LCD Soundsytem, Santigold, Kimbra, The Isley Brothers, Angel Haze, Parliament, Azealia Banks, Ted Nugent, Boston and Kreayshawn. For audio clips and the full track list, check out our previous article. The film’s original score is composed by Mike Andrews (Bridesmaids, Bad Teacher). No word yet on a score release.
Ramin Djawadi, Aaron Zigman, Cliff Martinez, J. Ralph, Joe Hisaishi and Henry Jackman Invited to Join the Academy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 276 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures to join the organization. Among the invited artists this year are a number of film composers including Ramin Djawadi whose credits include Iron Man, Clash of the Titans, Safe House and the upcoming Pacific Rim, Cliff Martinez whose film projects include Contagion, Drive and Best Picture nominee Traffic, Joe Hisaishi who scored the Academy Award-winning animated film Spirited Away, Aaron Zigman who is best known for his work on such films as The Notebook, Sex and the City and Bridge to Terabithia, Henry Jackman who scored this year’s Best Animated Film nominee Wreck-It-Ralph and J. Ralph who was nominated for Best Original Song this year for his work on Chasing Ice. In addition, Prince whose work for film includes Purple Rain and Happy Feet was also invited, as well as Siedah Garrett who performed last year’s Oscar nominated song Real in Rio from Rio.
Danny Elfman Wins Saturn Award for ‘Frankenweenie’
Danny Elfman was honored with a Saturn Award tonight at the 39th annual Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The composer won the award in the Best Music category for his score for Tim Burton’s animated feature Frankenweenie, which was also recognized in the Best Animated Film category. The other nominated composers were Mychael Danna (Life of Pi), Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina), Thomas Newman (Skyfall), Howard Shore (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) and Hans Zimmer (The Dark Knight Rises). For the full list of winners, visit Variety.
Video Highlights from ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards 2013
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has published a number of video clips from the organization’s ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards gala, which was held last week at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Check out the acceptance speeches of Patrick Doyle (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sense and Sensibility) who was honored with the Henry Mancini Award and Ray Charles (Three’s Company) who received the ASCAP Foundation Life in Music Award after the jump. Also embedded below are three of the night’s musical performances by Alan Bergman who performed the song The Way We Were in memory of Marvin Hamlisch featuring Brian Byrne on piano, Tom Lowe who performed Empty Chairs and Empty Tables from Les Miserables and Graham Parker who performed the song What Do You Like? from Judd Apatow’s This Is 40.
Patrick Doyle Honored at ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards
Last night, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) held its annual Film & Television Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Patrick Doyle was honored with the Henry Mancini Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the world of film and television music. The award was presented to Doyle by ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams and President of Feature Post Production at 20th Century Fox Ted Gagliano following a video tribute featuring clips of many of Doyle’s best known scores including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Gosford Park, Dead Again, Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, Thor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Indochine and A Little Princess. Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson congratulated the composer via a video message.
Alan Menken Vying for EGOT
Alan Menken is in a position to become only the third composer to ever win the EGOT, which is bestowed to artists that won all four major annual American entertainment awards: the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. The other composers who were previously honored with the EGOT are Richard Rogers and Marvin Hamlisch. Menken composed the original song Sing Like a Larry Bird for a musical episode of this TV season’s hit ABC alien comedy The Neighbors, in which the aliens discover Broadway. Menken won Oscars for his scores of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontas, a Tony for the Broadway musical Newsies and a Grammy for Disney’s Tangled. His work on The Neighbors is eligible for an Emmy in the Original Music and Lyrics category.
Weekly Film Music Roundup (June 14, 2013)
Two new movies are opening wide this week:
Opening in most theaters is the Superman reboot Man of Steel directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe. The film’s music is composed by Hans Zimmer. WaterTower Music has released two different soundtrack albums featuring the composer’s music earlier this week. Visit our previous article for the full details of the albums. Click here to check out a video featurette on the music and also visit Collider and First Showing for video interviews with Zimmer about his work on the film. Also visit YouTube from a red carpet interview with the composer at the film’s premiere in New York and click here for another interview at the film’s premiere in London.
Already in theaters since Wednesday is the apocalyptic comedy This is the End written and directed by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg and starring James Franco, Jonah Hill, Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera and Emma Watson. RCA Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the songs from the film, including the original track Take Yo Panties Off by Snoop Dogg & Craig Robinson, as well as tracks by Cypress Hill, Whitney Houston, Funkadelic, Backstreet Boys, Norman Greenbaum, J-Kwon, K.Flay and a track from James Franco’s band Daddy. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full details. The film’s original score is composed by Henry Jackman. Check back on this page to learn more about the composer’s work on the film within the next couple of days.