Variety Spotlights Harry Gregson-Williams' Wolverine Sessions

While we were, sadly, not able to secure an interview with composer HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS regarding his next big release, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, and give you some insight into what went into the scoring process, Variety has just posted an article which gives us a peak into one of the recording sessions for the film. If you've heard the sound clips from the score, perhaps you were surprised...as I was. How "pleasantly" or not remains to be seen. If you were expecting something a little rougher around the edges for Wolverine's story, stay tuned for what we have in store regarding PAUL HASLINGER's work for the video game tie-in.

Still, surprises and all, I think WOLVERINE will be an entertaining listen and I look forward to diving into it. In the meantime, check out Variety's brief glimpse behind the Wolverine recording session.


Check out the article here

Variety's Big List of Composers

Not exactly sure why Variety.com just published this long list of composers, but I always enjoy the film music coverage Variety delivers. Perhaps its because of award season?

This is a good sized list and there are a lot of names you'll recognize...and some you probably won't. The list is broken down by management agencies like: Blue Jean Management, Gorfaine/Schwartz and so on. So if you have some spare time and like reading down lists of names with a spatter of credits, then...

Check it out here

NBC to Air Television Show about Soundtracks?

Is it "American Composer?" "Score or No Score?" "Scoring with the Stars?" (Oh...wrong network. )

Sorry. It's none of these things, but Variety reports on a pilot that looks to be in the works written by Jared Bush entitled, SOUNDTRACK. Apparently, the show would be about a dude who loses his job and his ex-girlfriend gets engaged to some other dude (hmmm...sounds like a typical soundtrack-fan to me!) and then some iconic music gets stuck in his head. The song remains there until he figures out why. And then the next piece of music comes to mind.

Man...that's sounds like everyday life to me. ;) It will be interesting to see if this show happens. If it does, will you watch it?

You can read the full article here.

John Barry Reflects on 10 Scores

Variety has posted an interesting, albeit brief, interview with composer JOHN BARRY. In it, he talks about 10 of his most popular scores including: GOLDFINGER, BORN FREE, SOMEWHERE IN TIME, OUT OF AFRICA, and DANCES WITH WOLVES. The article continues to talk about his much overlooked career writing music for both stage and the small screen.

Can you guess what film he said this about, "...the only way I can do this is by doing almost a satire on a sentimental Disney kind of picture."


Have a looksee here

Variety Interviews Game Composers

VARIETY has just posted an interesting article regarding the state of video game music as described by some well-known game composers...and feature film composers. Mentioned in the article are composers such as: HOWARD SHORE, MICHAEL GIACCHINO, HARRY GREGSON-WILLIAMS, CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ, LAURA KARPMAN and GERARD MARINO.

Some brow-furrowers from the article:

Music budgets have risen from $30,000 (in the early '90s) to $1 million in some cases today, execs say. Composers tend to be paid by the minute, but with games requiring 90 minutes-120 minutes of music each, the $1,000- to $2,000-per-minute rate quickly adds up to creative fees in excess of $100,000.

Debney committed to writing the music for the knights-and-dragons game "Lair," but has turned down subsequent projects because there are no provisions for backend payments for successful games (as composers receive, via ASCAP and BMI, for successful films and TV shows). "The game companies are extremely resistant," he says. "I don't know if it'll change. It's a big problem."

Gerard Marino, whose "God of War" games are among the most popular (and whose music is featured on "Video Games Live"), recently heard a fellow composer complain that "there is no middle class anymore." His response: "Well, I think there is. It's games."

Also mentioned is that CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ will be scoring the QUANTUM OF SOLACE tie-in game.


There's more so check out the full article here!