John Williams to Score Kobe Bryant short film "Dear Basketball"

[mrbellamy 6,278]

Yes, Keane and Bryant are both nominated for the short. 

 

I feel like Williams would not go on stage even if they tried to coax him since he's too modest and pretty much always sitting somewhere in the back of the theater, anyway, but they'd obviously thank him.

[King Mark 3,631]

why isn't there a category for "Best Original Score for Animated Short"

 

we've been screwed again

[mrbellamy 6,278]

The Annies don't even have that!  

[Naïve Old Fart 9,514]

Does DEAR BASKETBALL have a commercial release - either film, or score?

[mrbellamy 6,278]

The film can be viewed for free here

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

If you live in the US

[mrbellamy 6,278]

[Chewy 2,388]

Time to use a VPN

 

[crumbs 14,306]

Who doesn't have a VPN nowadays?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,514]

VPN? Visible Pantie Nickers?

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

Does that give you access to the film?

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Wow, I did it with VPN. Me, old fart!! Thanks.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

It's kind of funny how Williams has done more publicity for this than his other 2017 film scores

[Tom 4,651]

33 minutes ago, Not Mr. Big said:

It's kind of funny how Williams has done more publicity for this than his other 2017 film scores

I think there are two connected reasons for this.  one, he generally does what the director/producer asks of him.  two, in the case of the Kobe project, he literally is one of three people, whereas in a normal movie the director, producers, writers, actors, etc. are all the focus of media stuff. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,514]

I found it on YouTube. It's nice, but there's a man talking all over it.

[Tom 4,651]

2 minutes ago, Richard said:

I found it on YouTube. It's nice, but there's a man talking all over it.

And what is the deal with the music distracting us from the nice moving pictures? 

[SteveMc 2,674]

1 hour ago, Not Mr. Big said:

It's kind of funny how Williams has done more publicity for this than his other 2017 film scores

 

Not really.  It seems he connected with the project on a personal level more so than on his other two scores.  I think the music shows this.  Dear Basketball and Markings are his best works of 2017. 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

Maestro!

 

Scores another Oscar winning film!

 

Kobe thanked the maestro.

[phbart 609]

"Dear Basketball" wins Oscar And Kobe Bryant thanked JW!

 

 

[King Mark 3,631]

yeah but they didn't play the score when they walked on stage, just some random  unrelated music

[Balahkay 627]

Maybe Williams doesn’t want them to have the music.  

[filmmusic 1,826]

I hope the Oscar helps the music to be released!

23 minutes ago, King Mark said:

yeah but they didn't play the score when they walked on stage, just some random  unrelated music

I don't think for any animated/live short, or documentary, they've ever played the related music.

(correct me someone if I'm wrong).

They're not so important categories.

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

Without JW, who knows where we would be. Everyone who has ever worked with him should thank him for his contribution to the artform. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

52 minutes ago, King Mark said:

yeah but they didn't play the score when they walked on stage, just some random  unrelated music

 

It's not like it was memorable enough that they would ever do that.

[p0llux 398]

Too bad jw didn't get an Oscar for this, but I think this was well deserved. One of the best basketball players collabs with one of the best animators and one of the best composers. Not surprised. 

[p0llux 398]

I honestly think this is as close as we're gonna get to that elusive 6th oscar for JW at this point in his career, unless he knocks it out of the park with episode 9.

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I have no idea why this vanity project won an Oscar.

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Does he have a lifetime achievement award?  If not, that seems like a safe bet, though possibly posthumously.  Maybe not, though; they don't seem to do those anymore.

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

Didn't he turn down the lifetime achievement award some years ago, saying he still had more to accomplish?

 

5 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

Maestro!

 

Scores another Oscar winning film!

 

Kobe thanked the maestro.

 

Hopefully the score will get a release now.

[mrbellamy 6,278]

Kobe Bryant and Glen Keane talking about John Williams backstage at the Oscars:

 

 

Quote

Kobe Bryant: Working with John was incredible. John speaks about music as if each key has its own soul and it was amazing to sit with John and to sit with Glen throughout this entire process and hear the same attention to detail that we each have for our craft. It's just an amazing experience to be able to work with John. He's a real life Obi-Wan Kenobi to me.

 

Glen Keane: John had written the score. He's 85 years old? Wrote the whole thing out by hand in pencil, just like the film itself is in pencil. He's an old-school craftsman and with 80 instruments, he wrote that and the day that we were recording it, he was like this little kid, just so energized. 

 

Kobe Bryant: Super charged!

 

Glen Keane:  And I thought "What is going on with John?"

 

Kobe Bryant: He gave me a hug, almost knocked me over! I was like "Damn! I know I've been retired but I haven't been retired that long, man, he almost knocked me over!"

 

Glen Keane: And he stood up in front of the orchestra and Kobe and I sat there. I suddenly realized, he's never heard the music. He's just been hearing it in his head and he wrote it and with 80 instruments and recording it. And he lifted his arms and it was this beautiful score, the score that you hear. Kobe wanted to shout and I was like "No, the red light!" and when it was done, John turns to us and says "I promise you it's going to get better." 

 

Kobe Bryant: I said "Man, I thought we were done! I thought we were done." John was incredible, man.

3

 

[filmmusic 1,826]

3 hours ago, Stefancos said:

I have no idea why this vanity project won an Oscar.

well, the execution was great!

i would watch a feature film with that rough drawing  style.

[Thor 7,492]

Yeah, style was great. But it's all VERY bloated. Then again, I can see why this would appeal to the Academy.

 

I also don't like Williams' music in context (uncomfortable shades of his abysmal A TIMELESS CALL), but I would love to have it recorded, away from the film.

[filmmusic 1,826]

6 hours ago, p0llux said:

I honestly think this is as close as we're gonna get to that elusive 6th oscar for JW at this point in his career, unless he knocks it out of the park with episode 9.

 

 

i think Williams will win another Oscat if:

1) he scores a non-Spielberg film (and a non-Star Wars, Indiana Jones sequels score)

2) gets out of his comfort zone and composes a more original score.

[Lewya 360]

17 minutes ago, filmmusic said:

i think Williams will win another Oscat if:

1) he scores a non-Spielberg film (and a non-Star Wars, Indiana Jones sequels score)

Not if it is another Book Thief.

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

The Book Thief: Episode II?

 

Like the sound of that!

 

On 2/28/2018 at 9:39 PM, mrbellamy said:

I feel like Williams would not go on stage even if they tried to coax him since he's too modest and pretty much always sitting somewhere in the back of the theater, anyway, but they'd obviously thank him.

 

That's where the fun is. Or maybe he's just far-sighted.

[publicist 4,643]

7 hours ago, p0llux said:

Too bad jw didn't get an Oscar for this, but I think this was well deserved. One of the best basketball players collabs with one of the best animators and one of the best composers. Not surprised. 

 

Given how thoroughly uninspired Williams' contributions were, i'm not surprised either.

[phbart 609]

What was JW saying to Meryl Streep?

 

[John 2,032]

"See that guy over there? Yeah, his name's Hans Zimmer. I'll eat my hat and retire if he wins for Best Score."

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

10 hours ago, Bryant Burnette said:

Does he have a lifetime achievement award?  If not, that seems like a safe bet, though possibly posthumously.  Maybe not, though; they don't seem to do those anymore.

There aren't any posthumous Honary Oscars. Even if they were awarded in the past, they've now been discontinued for quite some time.

[mstrox 6,651]

10 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Hopefully the score will get a release now.

 

With a track that short, there'd be plenty of room left on the CD to have somebody read the formal charge against Kobe in full

[Jay 37,346]

9 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

Kobe Bryant and Glen Keane talking about John Williams backstage at the Oscars:

 

 

Thanks for that, that was nice to watch, fun little story

[Pieter Boelen 740]

Apparently someone I knew as a trainee at sea told Kobe Bryant during a cruise how to wear his lifejacket.

I had no clue there were only three degrees of separation between myself and John Williams! 

[Jurassic Shark 12,054]

15 minutes ago, mstrox said:

 

With a track that short, there'd be plenty of room left on the CD to have somebody read the formal charge against Kobe in full

 

If Dear Basketball is recorded by the LSO there won't be room for anything more as they will have "packed it full".

 

9 minutes ago, Pieter_Boelen said:

Apparently someone I knew as a trainee at sea told Kobe Bryant during a cruise how to wear his lifejacket.

I had no clue there were only three degrees of separation between myself and John Williams! 

 

I'm more surprised that Kobe didn't know how to wear a life jacket.

 

9 minutes ago, Pieter_Boelen said:

Apparently someone I knew as a trainee at sea told Kobe Bryant during a cruise how to wear his lifejacket.

I had no clue there were only three degrees of separation between myself and John Williams! 

 

You basically know Johnny!

[filmmusic 1,826]

Dear Basketball should be released along the music of A Timeless Call.

And maybe throw in another small score in there. Saving private ryan perhaps.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

49 minutes ago, Pieter_Boelen said:

Apparently someone I knew as a trainee at sea told Kobe Bryant during a cruise how to wear his lifejacket.

I had no clue there were only three degrees of separation between myself and John Williams! 

 

Kobe, for heaven's sake. Put on a life jacket and set a good example.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

8 hours ago, Lewya said:

Not if it is another Book Thief.

 

It is a wonderful score and it should have won!!!

[Pieter Boelen 740]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I'm more surprised that Kobe didn't know how to wear a life jacket.

I assume he was talking about the mandatory lifeboat drill.

Doesn't mean anything about Kobe, other than that he was on a cruise.

 

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

You basically know Johnny!

Feels like we've been best buddies for longer than I can remember.

 

13 minutes ago, Philippe Roaché said:

Kobe, for heaven's sake. Put on a life jacket and set a good example.

It is beautiful to see this rumour develop in front of my very eyes! 

[Tom 4,651]

14 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Didn't he turn down the lifetime achievement award some years ago, saying he still had more to accomplish?

 

 

Hopefully the score will get a release now.

First, "You need to give this award to other composers because I am not dead yet."

 

Second, I would prefer he work up a 5 minute concert piece over a straight score release.  

[Faleel 5,346]

How about a longer work, in 4 movements ala American Journey

[SteveMc 2,674]

3 hours ago, hornist said:

 

It is a wonderful score and it should have won!!!

Yes.  Double yes. 

The Book Thief is one of Williams's best scores.

14 minutes ago, Tom said:

Second, I would prefer he work up a 5 minute concert piece over a straight score release

I'll second that.