There was a time when writing for cinema had a certain prestige. There was also a time when writing for cinema usually involved being paid to do the work. Increasingly, however, composers are finding themselves totally squeezed on both fronts. Continue reading The rise and fall of French soundtrack composers
For its 42nd edition, Belgium’s Film Fest Gent is to showcase British cinema. A notable part of this will be the GREAT BRITISH FILM MUSIC concert. This will provide an anthology of the work of both classical and contemporary film composers that have made a notable contribution to British cinema. Continue reading Ghent Film festival to showcase British music
The Oscar fever has started. Although music is far from being the focus of the event, the music nominations are inevitably pretty impressive.
It’s interesting to note that two of the nominees – Hans Zimmer and Alexandre Desplat – have been featured on Find-a-Track in the past few months.
In the US, the Guild of Music Supervisors was founded to act as a valuable, highly specialized resource to further the understanding of the constant evolution of music in media and for related guilds who benefit from our expertise.
As such it tries to ensure that music supervisors are not forgotten in their work and when it comes to awards ceremony. Continue reading US Guild of Music Supervisors announces nominees
As “Interstellar” is sitting very comfortably atop most of the box office charts at the moment (November 2014), I couldn’t help being interested in reading a Quora piece on working with Christopher Nolan. The reply came from none other than Hans Zimmer (photo), the famous soundtrack composer.
Chris … doesn’t, in any way, get in the way of my imagination. In fact, he works very hard at not having me confined by the mechanics of film-making. So, our process is usually starting long conversations – just riffing on ideas. Then slowly I start writing and experimenting, coming up with sounds, etc., all the while keeping in constant conversation with Chris.
What is perhaps even more fascinating is the way Zimmer got involved in “Interstellar” in the first place. From a separate question: Continue reading What’s it like working with Christopher Nolan?
The President and Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Paul Williams, will deliver a keynote interview at next year’s Midem in June 2015.
Williams is know to the broader public as a composer and actor, having written numerous hits for artists as diverse as Elvis Presley and Kermit the Frog. Continue reading Head of ASCAP to address MIDEM about the future of licensing
Film Fest Gent has announced a major film music seminar on Friday the 24th of October. This year’s theme is ‘French cinema’. Surrealism, Nouvelle Vague, Besson’s Cinema-du-look, poetic realism… What is it that makes French cinema and its film music so unique? Continue reading Ghent film festival announces major film music seminar
URGENT Narip will be bringing their highly-rated music supervisor sessions to the Berlin Music Week on September 4, 2014. The idea is to give composers, publishers and labels a chance to pitch music to supervisors that are currently working on projects. The limited enrollment of 16 people per session guarantees that they meet and get face-time with the guest music supervisors.
Registrants get a brief of the guest supervisor’s CURRENT music needs, a chance to pitch plus immediate feedback at each session, taking the mystery out of why a piece of music does or doesn’t fit. On-the-spot feedback can help registrants to re-work tracks and perhaps get them licensed – or at the very least brings them valuable market knowledge.
Two events are planned this year:
Attendance is free for Berlin Music Week attendants but you must sign up by August 26, 2014. So click through right now.
Details on the Narip site or the Berlin Music Week.
Postbahnhof am Ostbahnhof
Straße der Pariser Kommune 8
10243 Berlin
Germany
Frenchman Francis Lai, the cult soundtrack composer who gave a distinctive feel to films such as Claude Lelouch’s “A Man and a Woman/Un homme et une femme”), “Bilitis and “Love Story” will receive a lifetime award at the upcoming World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, Belgium in October 2014.
UPDATE: Francis Lai died at the age of 86 on November 7, 2018. Continue reading Francis Lai to receive lifetime award at soundtrack event
Cliff Martinez InterView (LakeShore) from APLUSFILMZ on Vimeo.
Former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez will be featured at a special concert during the World Soundtrack Awards, held during the Ghent Film Festival October 25, 2014. The concert will focus on his long-standing collaboration with director Steven Soderbergh, for whom he composed on “Sex, Lies and Videotape”, “Traffic”, “Kafka”, “Contagion”, “The Limey” and “Solaris”.
UPDATE: scroll down to download his album with the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra. Continue reading Cliff Martinez to host concert at World Soundtrack Awards
