Composer Threads The Official Michael Giacchino Thread

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

i really hate when composers i like make scores for movies i, as a man, should not buy...

Oh well, the anonimity of on-line shopping

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Jay mentioned it earlier but I had never heard of the film and no one else responded in regards to it - 50/50

Trailer is out and it looks pretty good. I'll watch Levitt in anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoQJmspDRqU

An interesting project for Giacchino, I wonder if we can expect something along the lines of Earth Days.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

um there is going to be alot of songs in that one i hope the OST does not suffer for that.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Anyone have that Star Tours BTS video with him?

[Jay 37,364]

Jay mentioned it earlier but I had never heard of the film and no one else responded in regards to it - 50/50

Trailer is out and it looks pretty good. I'll watch Levitt in anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoQJmspDRqU

An interesting project for Giacchino, I wonder if we can expect something along the lines of Earth Days.

That looks really good

[Jay 37,364]

Giacchino to appear with Abrams Sunday June 12th at the Hammer Museum in LA

http://hammer.ucla.e.../program_id/857

[QMM 4]

Giacchino to appear with Abrams Sunday June 13 at the Hammer Museum in LA

http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs/detail/program_id/857

I'll be going to this

[Jay 37,364]

Be sure to post a full report!

[Jay 37,364]

Cool article about Giacchino, covering both the Cars 2 and Super 8 recording sessions

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118037996?refCatId=16

Since Variety articles eventually expire, here are the article contents

Busy composer tunes tentpoles

Giacchino keeps scores of musicians employed

By Jon Burlingame

'Cars 2' helmer John Lasseter, center, Michael Giacchino and conductor Tim Simonec at the scoring session.

It's a Thursday morning at the Newman Scoring Stage on the Fox lot. Steven Spielberg has stopped by to listen to a 104-piece orchestra play Michael Giacchino's score for "Super 8," the J.J. Abrams thriller he's exec producing.He stands with Giacchino and Abrams behind the massive console where veteran mixer Danny Wallin is monitoring levels and, after hearing two emotion-filled cues, pronounces Giacchino's score "your best since 'Ratatouille' " -- one of three Pixar films the composer has done, although not the one for which he won an Oscar ("Up").

Spielberg exits the booth to share the good news with the musicians. "The great thing about Michael and J.J. is, they believe in orchestras," he tells them. "Thanks to this new generation, you're all going to be employed for many years to come." Wild applause, naturally, follows.

The "Super 8" sessions marked the second time in a month that a roomful of Hollywood musicians was performing a Giacchino score. Just three weeks earlier, over at the Warner Bros. Eastwood stage, 88 musicians were playing very different music for "Cars 2," Giacchino's other big summer movie (his fourth for Pixar).

As on "Super 8," there was nary a synthesizer in sight. The score can best be described as "surf guitar meets orchestra," with Fender Telecasters and Hammond B3 organs prominently featured throughout the soundtrack of the animated pic. Or, as Giacchino puts it, "real people playing real stuff."

The composer is among a handful who prefer to score movies the old-fashioned way -- with an orchestra, whether the style is symphonic (as in "Star Trek"), jazzy ("Ratatouille") or both ("The Incredibles").

Along with top American composers like John Williams and prominent Europeans Alexandre Desplat ("The Tree of Life") and Dario Marianelli ("Atonement"), Giacchino believes that trained musicians performing on time-honored instruments are still the most effective way to elicit an emotional response from moviegoers.

And he tends to work with filmmakers who agree with him. Abrams, writer and director of "Super 8," discovered Giacchino in the late 1990s when he was scoring videogames like "Medal of Honor." Their work on TV's "Alias" and "Lost" led to collaborations on "Mission: Impossible III" and the rebooted "Star Trek."

Abrams, who plays keyboards himself and who owns a collection of vintage synthesizers, puts it this way: "Nothing can grab you by the throat, or heart, or soul, like an orchestra. It's undeniably the most engaging and exciting way to bring a score to life."

Pixar boss John Lasseter, director of "Cars 2," seemed to be having the time of his life at the scoring session. Variety managed to corner him after he had his picture taken donning cool '60s-era sunglasses and pretending to play the organ.

"These recording sessions are some of the most fun things I do on a movie," he says. "I am in absolute awe of the talent of these musicians, (who) have never seen this music before and yet they play it perfectly, with feeling and interpretation. They're not just reading notes."

Lasseter goes back into the booth and happily points to various directions Giacchino has written into the score to help get the musicians into the right mood: "kick-ass total '60s TV show action"; "sad and post-apocalyptic feel"; "sneaking bad guys."

As much fun as it is for the filmmakers, it's still precise and pressure-filled work for the composer and the orchestra. Seventy-two minutes of music for "Cars 2," another 82 for "Super 8," all written since the end of January for two highly anticipated summer releases ("Super 8" is due out June 10, "Cars 2" June 24).

Two more big assignments await Giacchino this year: "Mission: Impossible IV," produced by Abrams and directed by his "Ratatouille" colleague Brad Bird; and "John Carter of Mars," the sci-fi epic being directed by another Pixar colleague, Andrew Stanton, slated for next year but which Giacchino will begin before the end of 2011.

But having Spielberg show up at the scoring session for "Super 8" was a "wow" moment for the composer.

"He was our first teacher," Giacchino says. "We grew up at a time when he was making these films and John Williams was scoring the hell out of them. That's what I want to continue, that great tradition of filmmaking."

[Datameister 2,042]

Love that attitude.

[TownerFan 4,983]

Wonderful article. Burlingame has also said on his Facebook page that Super 8 is probably Giacchino's best score so far. Can't wait!

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

What are the odds of Cars2 OST being complete?

With that many songs, and disney, unlikely :/

Will we a have a near complete super 8 from varese (Family stone, land of the lost) or another 45 min OST (star trek)?

[Ollie 1,059]

Super 8 is generating great word of mouth from those who have seen it. The

creature is a typical Abrams beast, ie Cloverfield and Mr. red thing from Star Trek

but I can't wait for this one.

What are the odds of Cars2 OST being complete?

With that many songs, and disney, unlikely :/

Will we a have a near complete super 8 from varese (Family stone, land of the lost) or another 45 min OST (star trek)?

Pixar albums are usually generous but union fees will limit both albums more than likely.

[Richard Penna 3,689]

Depends how much music there is in the film too. Silvestri's A Christmas Carol was only 40 mins, but that's nearly complete.

And some recent AFM scores have been approaching an hour in length. I wouldn't be too worried.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Depends how much music there is in the film too. Silvestri's A Christmas Carol was only 40 mins, but that's nearly complete.

And some recent AFM scores have been approaching an hour in length. I wouldn't be too worried.

cars 2 72 minutes.

super 8 82 minutes.

[Jay 37,364]

Yes, both times are included in the Variety article

[Jay 37,364]

Monte Carlo track list and front and back artwork posted here:

http://www.varesesar...te-Carlo/Detail

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

MONTE CARLO

Music Composed by

Michael Giacchino (Up, Star Trek, The Family Stone)

A young woman, her uptight stepsister and her best friend use their savings for a long-anticipated dream trip to Paris, which turns out to be a big disappointment. When they decide to take a break from their lousy tour and duck into the lobby of a 5-star hotel, one of them is mistaken for a spoiled British heiress (Selena Gomez does double duty in both roles). Before they get the chance to reveal their true identities they are wrapped up in a whirlwind of paparazzi, private planes, couture gowns, storybook romances, and a vacation in MONTE CARLO.

Academy Award-winner Michael Giacchino (Up) composes a bright and exotic score.

20th Century Fox will open MONTE CARLO on over 3000 screens on July 1.

Varese Sarabande Catalog # 302 067 100 2

Release Date: 06/28/11

TRACK LIST:

1. Graceful Exit (:37)

2. What Mom Would Have Wanted (1:00)

3. Its Not Magic (:58)

4. Feeling Eiffel (:59)

5. Grace Under Pressure (1:01)

6. Mirror Coincidence (:56)

7. The Seduction of Paris (:58)

8. Along For The Ride (1:09)

9. Seizing the Moment (:30)

10. The Full Monte Carlo (:50)

11. One Suite Deal (:37)

12. Junk in the Trunks (:56)

13. Ball In (:53)

14. Pairing Up (2:44)

15. A Little Horse (s’il vous) Play (:47)

16. Of Another Color (:53)

17. Dressing Up and Dressing Down (1:05)

18. Jazz Cafe (1:18)

19. Staying Classy (:54)

20. Hotel Keys (1:49)

21. You’re Goin’ Places, Kid (2:11)

22. Chasing Emma (:31)

23. Have a Nice Trip (:43)

24. Megsmerized (:43)

25. Cordelia Arrives (1:30)

26. Cordelia’s Not So Suite (1:09)

27. Time To Go (1:27)

28. Missing Links (1:21)

29. Return Engagement (1:49)

30. Protection and (Room) Service (:27)

31. Just Stay Here (:48)

32. I Don’t Want to Lose You (:37)

33. It’s Too Much (:50)

34. Just A Regular Girl (:44)

35. Almost Everyone is Happy (1:03)

36. Separate Ways (3:01)

37. Grace Be With You (1:21)

38. Of Another Color (Extended Version) (2:49)

39. Making Light (3:36)

40. Grace’s Theme (:12)

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Looks dreadful!

[Taikomochi 1,136]

Ewww, 40 tracks. I can't stand albums that are above 25. It makes it too hard to appreciate any individual piece of music, especially when they are all about a minute long.

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

The last track lasts 12 seconds

Now that's an end credits suite!

[Faleel 5,348]

The last track lasts 12 seconds

Now that's an end credits suite!

I guess the film was made according to Reagans specifications for ET?

[fommes 153]

Maybe it represents how much substance the Grace character has.

[Taikomochi 1,136]

The last track lasts 12 seconds

Now that's an end credits suite!

Maybe this was merely the proportional amount of music Giacchino writes out of all his end credits suites: about 12 seconds.

[Jay 37,364]

I'm sure the movie features a pop song as End Credits. It looks to me like tracks 1-37 are the complete film score, and 38-40 are bonus tracks

[Koray Savas 2,251]

A 12 second theme? New record?

[Datameister 2,042]

I'm gonna guess that's a typo. IIRC, there've been one or two other track length typos in other Giacchino releases.

[LongTallJodie 59]

Those are pretty short cues, but since this is a lighthearted comedy score, that shouldn't really be a huge surprise. What IS a huge surprise, honestly, is that a lighthearted comedy score is getting such a robust release at all. I think Varese should be applauded for knocking this one out, considering that the film looks tailor made to just have a disc of pop tracks.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

good, the inclussion of bonus tracks and short tracks means that probably the score is complete

that short theme could be a piano demo.

PD: God i hope nobody sees me buying this score....

[Ollie 1,059]

That's why you order it from Varese / online so only you and the shipping dept. see it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

This is the sort of CD you want deliver in a brown envelope, and after ripping it you don't put in in your CD collection, you hide it under a mound of porn mags!

[Ollie 1,059]

I will have it on display for everyone to see.

I believe this will be the first teenage / young chick flick film score I've ever bought.

[crocodile 8,012]

That's brave, Mark.

Karol

[David Coscina 3]

Wonderful article. Burlingame has also said on his Facebook page that Super 8 is probably Giacchino's best score so far. Can't wait!

after listening to it again on the website, I am really warming to this theme. It's deceptively simple but its orchestration is pretty involved. Was hoping iTunes would have it up today. No such luck.

[Taikomochi 1,136]

I'm gonna guess that's a typo. IIRC, there've been one or two other track length typos in other Giacchino releases.

Not necessarily. There are one or two tracks that short on the Lost Season 3 album, I believe. Also, there's something like a 6 second track on the Up Cast & Crew. I realize those aren't themes, but this could just be a short, single statement.

[Jay 37,364]

Agreed. It's probably either a cue from the film that moved to the end of the CD to make a better listening experience for the main score, or something bonus they recorded just for the CD.

[Jay 37,364]

Looks like Mr. Giacchino will have not 5 scores this year........ but 6!!!

That's right. We know about Monte Carlo, Super 8, Cars 2, Mission: Impossible 4, and 50/50. Well, according to the official Gorfaine/Schwartz website, he's also scoring a movie in 2011 called "Arthur Christmas"

According to wikipedia, Arthur Christmas is some kind of animated Aardman/Studio co-collaboration that has been in production for 2 years! I wonder if Gia actually wrote the score a while ago?

That means his 2011 is thus:

June 10: Super 8

June 24: Cars 2

July 1: Monte Carlo

Sep 30: 50/50 [which apparently used to be called "I'm With Cancer" according to the G/S PDF]

Nov 23: Arthur Christmas

December 13: Mission Impossible 4

Wow!

[Faleel 5,348]

Agreed. It's probably either a cue from the film that moved to the end of the CD to make a better listening experience for the main score, or something bonus they recorded just for the CD.

Or it could be like "The Vikings have their tea" (which I do not think was used) and the end of "Coming Back around" from HTTYD and is only for transitions between "tracked" music

[Jay 37,364]

Well I found a teaser trailer for Arthur Christmas: http://www.ambienceo...thur-christmas/

And this article from MARCH OF 2010 saying he will be scoring it that we somehow all missed lol

http://filmmusicrepo...thur-christmas/

I wonder if he already wrote the score sometime last year. I mean, he probably has time to write both this and MI:4 between now and October/November, but if he hasn't written 50/50 yet either then he's got a lot of work cut out for him in a short time!

[QMM 4]

I emailed the Hammer museum asking whether they'll put the Abrams/Giacchino convo online, as I might not be able to make it. They're thinking about making it a podcast, but they're still getting permissions.

[Jay 37,364]

Yes as a reminder to everyone, that is this Sunday, June 12th

http://hammer.ucla.e.../program_id/857

[QMM 4]

That talk at Hammer is going to be posted online later this week on their website for those interested.

[TownerFan 4,983]

That talk at Hammer is going to be posted online later this week on their website for those interested.

A short excerpt is available here:

http://filmmusicreporter.com/2011/06/13/michael-giacchino-j-j-abrams-a-conversation/

[TownerFan 4,983]

A couple of interesting short interviews with Giacchino, mainly about Cars 2:

http://www.pixartalk.com/2011/06/exclusive-a-candid-conversation-with-cars-2-composer-michael-giacchino-2/

http://pixartimes.com/2011/06/02/exclusive-composer-michael-giacchino-talks-cars-2-the-incredibles-lost-inspirations/

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Gia talks about scoring Star Trek!

“Not only did I have everyone else’s expectations, but I had my own expectations because I grew up watching Star Trek,” he said. “I love the old series more than anything. I watched the movies of course. I went and saw all of those. So there was this huge thing where I felt, ‘Oh, this is totally wrong. I should not be doing this. Why am I doing this? This was a bad idea.’”

http://www.trektoday.com/content/2011/06/giacchino-would-return-to-trek/

I'm glad I wasn't the only one.

[Ollie 1,059]

In the end he did a great job.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

He did a decent job.

I prefer Star Trek Generations.

[Neimoidian 14]

He did a decent job.

[Jay 37,364]

Mr. Tilton had this to say about the score to Monte Carlo:

It was recorded last year. I won't spoil what it sounds like, but what I heard sounded really cool! The movie looked good from what I saw. The trailer seems like pure marketing for a specific audience. The actual film feels a lot more more old school, despite the young cast. To me anyway. I'm glad they pushed it from February to summer. It'll make good counter programming to big blockbuster sequel stuff. It probably won't be a good portion of this board's cup of tea, and I understand the reaction given this particular trailer. You should give it a shot though if you are getting tired of Michael Bay explosions.

Source: http://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=78145

So that explains how Giacchino has SO many scores this year - he wrote Monte Carlo BEFORE both Super 8 and Cars 2. Wouldn't be surprised if he wrote 50/50 last year as well

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I'm gonna have to disagree with Chris and say that Monte Carlo isn't cool

It sounds exactly how the movie looks. A Disney Channel production with soft guitar and melodramatic underscore.

It's a 48-minute album with 40 tracks...

[Smeagol 0]

Ran into this today. Not sure if it's around but it's a fun watch.

Giacchino and Abrams talk music, films and other fun stuff

http://www.epicsound.com/blog/2011/07/composer-michael-giacchino-jj-abrams-talk-music-movies/