Interview with Christian
DesJardins - author of Inside Film
Music – Composers Speak
Christian
DesJardins is a twenty-nine year old
film music enthusiast. Silman-James
Press have just published his book Film
Music Composer Speak in which
he describes the whole process of film
music composition and production and
interviews over 30 film music composers
including John Barry, Basil Poledouris,
Rachel Portman, David Raksin, Alan Silvestri
and Gabriel Yared plus orchestrators,
directors and producers.
This is an e-mailed
interview between Christain DesJardin
(C.D.) and Ian Lace (I.L.)
I.L. I was interested
to read that you really became interested
in film music after seeing Prince
of Tides, score – one of his best
- by James Newton Howard (and with Barbra
Steisand’s achingly beautiful song added
at the end of the soundtrack album not
heard in the film).
I will gladly admit
that I was equally thrilled by film
music at an early age - I remember sitting
through Prince Valiant twice
- at the age of 16 or thereabouts –
the second time for Franz Waxman’s thrilling
Wagnerian score.
C.D. Yes,
Franz Waxman was brilliant and the first
‘Hollywood Golden Age’ composer I became
aware of, with his score for Rebecca.
I am 29 but that doesn't mean that I
don't love the masters of the past.
In fact, I will watch an older film
before a new one because, to me, that
was Hollywood at its best. Grapes
of Wrath is an all-time favourite
with Alfred Newman's score - even as
sparsely used as it was; but you can't
beat film scores like To Kill A Mockingbird
- one of the best film scores -
Rear Window, Days of Wine
and Roses ... This is nostalgic
Hollywood!
I.L. First of all congratulations
on such a big undertaking. Your initial
coverage of the whole film-music composition
process is most welcome – a wide, informative
survey.
C.D. Thank
you- it was a labour of love though.
I.L. It was also a
good idea to include interviews with
orchestrators and directors and a music
contractor (although I would like to
have seen some A-list directors’ names
in that short list).
C.D.
I agree
but, as I mention later, there will
be a follow-up to Inside Film
Music which will develop the
composer/director relationship in much
more depth. Sandy DeCrescent is the
most respected music contractor in the
business and I felt a brief mention
of her contributions might be in order
to create a well-rounded read.
I.L. Please give some
background about yourself and your experience
of films and film music. What are your
ambitions? Has the book helped you to
further your career and if so who has
taken an interest in your work?
C.D. I
studied music theory, sang with an a
cappella choir and played the clarinet
in the school band; I am now involved
in composition with piano and synthesizers.
Growing up, I had no idea of film music
although I got to know the themes from
Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
It just never dawned on me. So, in the
beginning I was impressed with the music
of Jean Sibelius or Hector Berlioz,
for example, because they were able
to tell a story with their music. As
an artist, I felt inspired and connected,
much like a film score works to a movie.
For me there is a marriage that takes
place where the image is just an object
until it is paired with a sonic emotion
and then it becomes alive.
‘Then
came a new discovery. It began with
The Prince of Tides - with James
Newton Howard’s Academy Award-nominated
score. Once you see this heartfelt film
and hear the incredibly beautiful and
emotional score, you might see why I
am now a devoted film music listener.
I bought everything I could find released
from James Newton Howard, who still
remains my absolute favourite talent
in the business. I later ventured out
to discover a whole new world after
watching other films and seeing different
names in the credits. I remember being
mesmerized by Thomas Newman's score
to Scent of A Woman and Jerry
Goldsmith's score to Basic Instinct.
Then, finding a soundtrack section
in the music store, was, for me, like
finding a lost treasure. Henceforward,
every dollar I earned was spent on film
scores. It was absolutely mystical.
I couldn't get the wrapper off of the
CD fast enough so I could be transported
to a new place. With an enormous collection,
fifteen years later, I decided this
was it. This is what I was meant to
do in life. Not just listening to these
scores for my personal enjoyment but
sharing this burning passion and excitement
with the world. writing Inside
Film Music: Composers Speak
not only strengthened my bond with film
music but it has assured me that I have
found my place,
no longer doing a job but pursuing a
career and living a dream.
I.L. When did you start
on Inside Film Music and how
long did you work on the project?
C.D.
I began this project in Spring of 2003
and I delivered a final manuscript to
my publisher almost three years later.
I.L. I noticed that
A-List composers are not included: John
Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein,
James Horner and James Newton Howard
- although granted the latter crops
up in many interviews especially with
the orchestrators - for instance. I
miss their authoritative views. Did
you approach any of them?
C.D.
First of all, although I know this is
standard to consider certain composers
as "A-List" composers, according to
the popularity and success of the films
they are associated with, but that doesn't
necessarily mean that they are more
talented or that they will deliver a
more interesting interview. Secondly,
I think composers like John Barry, John
Debney, Mark Isham, David Raksin, Alan
Silvestri among others have earned their
place in the business as "A-List" composers.
However, to answer your question, I
did seek Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith
but they were both ill at the time I
reached them. I thank God that I was
able to voice my admiration of them,
personally, before they passed on but
still, this devastated me because I
respect them both tremendously and it
would have been an honour to have had
the opportunity to have their last words
about something they were so gifted
and passionate about. I did also approach
James Howard but we never seemed to
get our schedules to meet this time
around. I am however, working on the
follow up to Inside Film Music
as we speak and I purposely omitted
some composers with the next book in
mind.
I.L. I was pleased
to note that your contributors and yourself
made fulsome tribute to the masters
of the Hollywood’s Golden Age of film
music. Please transport yourself in
your imagination back to that era and
imagine you have been given the opportunity
to interview one composer working then.
Who would that be? What would be the
reason for your choice and please suggest
three questions you would pose to him?
C.D. This
is an excellent question and an easy
one in terms of who to choose - Bernard
Herrmann. I can easily say that this
man was a film music genius. I know
- how dare I make such a comment when
there was the pioneering work of the
great Max Steiner and Alfred Newman,
for example? Well, my experience is
that Bernard Herrmann was a pioneer
of sounds that still influence film
music today and was an artist that was
perhaps ahead of his time.
So
my questions to Bernard Herrmann would
have been:-
1)
Before you would submerse yourself into
a macabre storyline, Psycho for
example, how would you decide on the
colour used for the orchestra? In other
words, how did you discover the effect
of screeching violins to capture sheer
terror - was this a premeditated idea
or a discovery through experimentation?
2)
You take this
sound a step further in Cape Fear.
You could have easily just brought in
the screeching strings to open the film
but would it be as effective without
the bold pounding brass? Did you add
the horns after discovering the strings
just didn't capture the intensity?
3)
Looking back a bit, you were given the
opportunity to create something completely
original in The Day The Earth Stood
Still. What was the first thing
that went through your mind? Were you
immediately like a kid in a candy store,
having ideas for this wide open canvass,
to be as abstract as possible or did
you find this daunting at first to step
in this somewhat uncharted territory
like an abyss?
I.L. Still staying
with that era for a moment. If you were
shipwrecked on a desert island and could
only have three scores from films released
between 1935 and 1955 which ones would
they be and why?
C.D. This
is a daunting task, much like asking
me to choose three of my favourite children.
Then again, this might imply that I
need therapy if I can't answer this
question so ... knowing I am alone on
this island, I am not taking music with
me just because I like a melody. I am
taking music to keep my spirit alive:
Shane
(Victor Young) - This beautiful
score paints a picturesque Americana
landscape with lush instrumentation.
So in body I may be on an island but
this score would transport my heart
back home again.
Gone
With The Wind (Max Steiner) - The
memorable sweeping theme is enough to
cherish but for me, the music brings
out my sentiment for my beautiful wife
and through this music, she would always
be there at my side.
The
Sea Hawk (Erich Wolfgang Korngold
) - a score of such victorious epic
proportions. It would encourage me to
fight against the odds of surviving
on the desert island.
I.L. Moving forwards,
again did you consider some other composers
such as: Harry Gregson Williams (The
Kingdom of Heaven), Alexandre Desplat
(The Luzhin Defence, Birth,
The Painted Veil) or any of the
Newmans – Thomas (American Beauty,
The Horse Whisperer), Randy
(Pleasantville) and David (Anastasia)
C.D.
What about Ennio Morricone, Maurice
Jarre, Patrick Doyle, Hans Zimmer and
.... the list of talents goes on but
then you have to stop and ask yourself,
what is this book about? This is a select
group of composers that I chose based
on the fact that they came from various
backgrounds, had different experience,
excelled in particular genres, composed
with different styles and so on. Plus
it becomes dangerous territory when
you try to include every popular composer
that you think should be involved because
then the question will be, "why did
you interview Thomas Newman and not
James Horner?" To make this long answer
short, I feel this book gives the reader
a diverse appreciation of scoring for
motion pictures or television. I could
have easily tripled the size of this
book but then the purpose gets lost
from a multi-purpose learning tool to
an overblown publicity tabloid for the
fans. Not only that, but this allows
me to explore different avenues for
my future endeavours. I feel this book
serves its purpose well and I would
not change anything about it - especially
knowing what is yet to come.
I.L. Obviously mention
of favourite scores will be omitted
from interviews through lack of space
but I was surprised that Alan Silvestri’s
section, for instance, made no reference
to The Abyss or Contact?
C.D.
I didn't make reference to my favourite
scores in my interviews, for the most
part because I had limited time to gather
as much information as I could and I
often tried to develop a quick discussion
about scores that had not been spoken
to death about in previous books and
interviews on web sites. I wanted some
fresh material although this wasn't
always the case. For example, asking
Jocelyn Pook about her score for the
film Deluge, would leave most
people scratching their heads. So instead,
I used Eyes Wide Shut because
many can relate to this film and would
gain a sharper appreciation of her talent
and experience working on this film.
Now, when you get to composers like
Alan Silvestri or John Barry for example,
think of how daunting the task might
be to conduct an hour interview and
cover every score in their career that
warrants a discussion of technique,
style, choices made, highlighting specific
scenes and so on. Would I have loved
to do this? Absolutely but it is an
impossible task. You are bound to leave
out key moments in their career. The
whole idea of this book with so many
contributors was to give an insight
on their various projects and experiences
and yet be as informative as possible.
It is not as easy as it may sound.
I.L. Of all the composers
you interviewed who impressed you the
most and why?
C.D.
I developed a life long friendship with
Christopher Young from our first meeting
for the book but funnily enough it started
as a complete disaster. You must read
the introduction to his interview to
understand why. But Chris's passion,
knowledge, experience and love for teaching
and sharing with others made this undoubtedly
my happiest experience. Chris is a humble
man with so much to offer, including
a talent that he often doubts in himself.
I see him as a misunderstood master
of his craft. What I respect most is
that he is a father figure and that
is his truest gift.
I
must also speak of Gabriel Yared. I
will admit that the interview needed
persistence but it was the most rewarding
of my efforts because I don't think
the book would have been the same without
his inspiring insights. He is an artist
in the truest sense. He lives with his
heart and soul and his introspective
views are intoxicating and rich with
emotion, much like his music. His is
a wonderful soul that I respect dearly
and I believe that, even though it was
a brief discussion, you too will find
a connection with his creativity and
perhaps even a deeper meaning of life.
The
truth is that even though I may mention
these two composers, I have come away
from this project with a deeper appreciation
of not only film music but also of life
actually. I know this is a deep thought
but every single interview is valuable
and they have made an appreciable impact
on me.
I.L. Nice to see mention
of the great Christopher Palmer in the
Jeff Atmajian section – I expect you
have read Christopher Palmer’s The
Composer in Hollywood?
C.D.
Absolutely, although I am embarrassed
to say that it took Jeff Atmajian to
suggest this to me after our interview.
Needless to say, it is an invaluable
resource and I am grateful for Jeff's
recommendation.
see
also
Inside
Film Music – Composers Speak Interviews
by Christian DesJardins; Silman-James
Press Paperback; 358 pages; ISBN 1-879505-88-6
$20:95
