Zimmer Soundtrack.net interview "Breaking the Rules&quo

[QMM 4]

Crazy!

It's an interesting interview, part 1 of 2.

Here's a little snippet

There was one another review about Pirates, about my woodwind writing, or rather my lack of woodwind writing. Well, guess what guys, that's a deliberate choice! I make deliberate choices, there are no accidents in these scores! The lack of woodwind writing is historical in Jerry Bruckheimer movies other than Pearl Harbor as it just never fits into his scores. Crimson Tide is not your 'let's have the flute and bassoon going on' kind of film.

The whole point about the Pirates score was that it was trying to reinvent the whole genre, and it was so much fun just dashing out these tunes on the first one and going 'okay, fine, I've done my homework, I've reinvented the genre,' for better or for worse. But on the second film I had to go back and really come to grips with what those tunes were, and I kept thinking, 'gosh, I wish I'd had one more day on the first one because I wouldn't have written myself into this corner!'

[Frosty 0]

This guy actually believes he did something intelligent?

What is the world coming to?

The Febonacci Sequence? oh, please...

Frosty, the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer. I would rather of had Horner do it...

[QMM 4]

Before this goes any further I might as well say that I'm not a hater of Zimmer. I enjoy his small film work a lot more than his bombast-y stuff although I did like the DaVinci Code score.

[Frosty 0]

Before this goes any further I might as well say that I'm not a hater of Zimmer. I enjoy his small film work a lot more than his bombast-y stuff although I did like the DaVinci Code score.

I respect that.

It just that Zimmer when he says this stuff comes out sounding dumber than before I read the article. I can't say anything about Da Vinci code because I never saw it. About the only Zimmer score I can stomach is Crimson Tide, even then only barely. I just don't buy what he says because I don't believe a word of it.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

That was an interesting read.

I don't think anyone's really claimed that he's an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. He knows what's he's doing, and the fact that he keeps doing it tends to piss puritans off.

And I for one applaud him for it, life would be a boring world if all scored like John Williams, even though he may be the best alive right now.

Frosty, the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer. I would rather of had Horner do it...

For a man who implyingly claims to be arbiter of intellegince, this Frosty fellow sure picks some unintelligent reasons to miss a movie.

[Frosty 0]

Frosty, the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer. I would rather of had Horner do it...

For a man who implyingly claims to be arbiter of intellegince, this Frosty fellow sure picks some unintelligent reasons to miss a movie.

Let me clarify, Zimmer was just the last nail in the coffin. Although I like Tom Hanks, I didn't think he was right for the title role, being a fan of Ron Howard, I don't think he was right for it. These may not be the most thought out excuses, but I didn't think that Williams was right to score it either.

But who cares, I'll see it eventually...

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Frosty, the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer. I would rather of had Horner do it...

For a man who implyingly claims to be arbiter of intellegince, this Frosty fellow sure picks some unintelligent reasons to miss a movie.

Let me clarify, Zimmer was just the last nail in the coffin. Although I like Tom Hanks, I didn't think he was right for the title role, being a fan of Ron Howard, I don't think he was right for it. These may not be the most thought out excuses, but I didn't think that Williams was right to score it either.

But who cares, I'll see it eventually...

Uh-huh.

[David Coscina 4]

I wouldn't just want Williams scoring everything but I would sure like more Ed Shearmur, Gabriel Yared, David Shire, Howard Shore, Lalo Schiffrin, Bruce Broughton scores than the proliferation of Media Ventures poop that seems to be inundating multiplexes these days. that's my wish Ray Kinsella, that's my wish....

[Ollie 1,059]

I agree.

[pi 0]

http://northernsounds.com/forum/showthread...ighlight=zimmer

lots of zimmer before the orchestra and samples only demos. check emm out very interesting.

[Frosty 0]

Frosty, the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer. I would rather of had Horner do it...

For a man who implyingly claims to be arbiter of intellegince, this Frosty fellow sure picks some unintelligent reasons to miss a movie.

Let me clarify, Zimmer was just the last nail in the coffin. Although I like Tom Hanks, I didn't think he was right for the title role, being a fan of Ron Howard, I don't think he was right for it. These may not be the most thought out excuses, but I didn't think that Williams was right to score it either.

But who cares, I'll see it eventually...

Uh-huh.

beerchug

[Neimoidian 14]

Frosty, the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer.

The only reason I saw DVC was Zimmer's score which I had found really impressive.

[Luke Skywalker 1,796]

They wanted to reinvent the pirate movie genre with POTC.

Well, ri¡uined it, they mean, IMHO...

[bondo 33]

Indeed. I wish we could go back to the good ol quality days of pirate films, like Cutthroat Island.............

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Perhaps Williams could learn from Zimmer's wisdom:

On Batman Begins, for instance, which James [Newton Howard] and I did together, I knew we were going to have a car chase, but I knew it wasn't going to be the stereotypical car chase, absolutely no way. But Chris [Nolan] hadn't really attacked that scene yet, and hadn't really figured it out. So I wrote the car chase music as a kind of Lego set, since I knew he was going to move the picture around like crazy. And it's a car chase, so we're not really concerted with the integrity of a beautiful melody here! In fact, if there's anything more boring to write than a car chase, I can't think of it right now. So it just became this Lego set, and as Chris was moving chunks of car chase around, it was very easy to adjust.

... and prequel editing no more.

[David Coscina 4]

This week could most aptly be described as Bonfire of the Vanities between this interview with Zimmer and Horner's infamous interview. Mind you, Horner at least can describe his work in real musical terms and not this gibberish that Zimmer spouts.

[gkgyver 1,646]

8O 8O

...

This interview should be preserved for many generations to come as proof that Zimmer is indeed, without a doubt, a hack. A successful hack that is appealing to the masses, but a hack nonetheless.

The whole point about the Pirates score was that it was trying to reinvent the whole genre, and it was so much fun just dashing out these tunes on the first one and going 'okay, fine, I've done my homework, I've reinvented the genre,' for better or for worse. But on the second film I had to go back and really come to grips with what those tunes were, and I kept thinking, 'gosh, I wish I'd had one more day on the first one because I wouldn't have written myself into this corner!'

If I didn't want to respond to this, I'd faint right now at the sheer stupidity of this statement.

Wow, he surely takes his responsibilities seriously, doesn't he? "I've written myself into a corner" ... a clearer statement of failure I've never seen. Had he tackled the feel and the characters of the first film in the first place, he wouldn't have had to wreck his brain about how to use them in the second one.

It's so utterly frightening that the highest-paid composer in the world associates "reinventing the genre" with "dashing out tunes" and then going "alright, I've reinvented the genre, for better or worse".

He reinvents nothing, he just slaps his droning style over every movie he gets his hands on.

I don't even want to comment on his absurd statement on woodwinds, otherwise I'd rip somebody's head off in pure rage.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

Well, I find that Zimmer has a much better way of expressing himself without pissing other people off.

And hey, for all no-matter-what Zimmer bashers here, at least he admits to do the things people accuse him of, unlike Horner who straight out lies about certain matters (like copying himself). Take one thing that Zimmer said in the tv interview: "My style hasn't changed much. The people used to hate it, and then one day, they liked it! It's not I that have changed... the world has changed". Though that last part is expressed a bit over the top, at least he doesn't pretend to have evolved to never-before-reached heights and won over the masses with that.

[Jacck 23]

My GOD... I've always disliked Zimmer's music, but I didn't realise he was such an arrogant, ignorant idiot. He has no right to be big-headed when everything he produces is so mind numbingly shite.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

Where in the interview does he come across as arrogant?

[MAG-SI 10]

I can not stand 10 sec of that 30 seconds preview on TrackSounds of POTC. The world has changed. He got that right!

[Ollie 1,059]

Zimmer has always come across as a nice guy, his music just sucks.

[ChrisAfonso 186]

some of it.

[gkgyver 1,646]

Where he's arrogant? Well, for instance in the very first answer: "Let's talk about the summer blockbuster ..." "Which one?"

Or

I'm digressing, but it was really interesting to read reviews about both the score on Pirates, and the score on, for instance, The Da Vinci Code. I think if you go on Amazon.com and start reading what people write, on the whole they really like it. But then you get the one guy who sort of seems to know it all, and of course knows nothing. I spend a lot of time thinking about my scores really hard. On The Da Vinci Code I got a lot of books out of the library, I studied the Fibonacci sequence, I did everything! And they think I make mistakes just causally and randomly, as opposed to that these are hard earned choices.

Of course those who like it are fine, and the ones who don't know nothing. So, essentially, he goes to the library, studies books, studies scientific researches and then, after wrecking his brain and scrutinizing every note, comes to the conclusion that his usual sound will do just fine and that woodwinds aren't appropriate at all throughout a 100 minutes score.

I can't help but cringe when HANS ZIMMER talks about musical themes, where they would lead, and how he wants to deconstruct them.

[Quintus 5,399]

the only reason I didn't see Da Vinci Code was because of Zimmer.

Well thats just downright sad. The film may be pretty crap, but only someone who knows nothing about film would avoid a movie purely because they didn't like the composer who scored it. Pathetic.

My advice: Stick to your favourite soundtracks.

[superman 0]

I think Zimmer is an extremely likeable guy who happens to write pretty good music too, whereas Horner is just an asshole. Between the two of them I much prefer Zimmer's output.

[gkgyver 1,646]

I prefer none of them.

But if I had to pick one for lunch, I'd take Zimmer, but only because I wouldn't have to talk English.

[Neimoidian 14]

I found this interview really interesting. I like very much when composers talk about their work, their ideas while writing a score (even though I disagree with some of them) and so on.

I didn't have the impression that HZ's responses were arrogant, especially after this Horner's ones. It is normal- I think - that any author may feel somehow disappointed when one puts his effort into work and other people don't appreciate (even if they are right not to appreciate it - like in Pirates case IMO).

When we compare those composers to such people like John Williams, we must consider that John is much older and much more experienced. He is like Yoda in Empire compared to younger Yoda in TPM for example He has more distance to his work and people's opinions.

Overall, it was a fine interview. I am looking forward to the second part.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Where he's arrogant? Well, for instance in the very first answer: "Let's talk about the summer blockbuster ..." "Which one?"

Or

I'm digressing, but it was really interesting to read reviews about both the score on Pirates, and the score on, for instance, The Da Vinci Code. I think if you go on Amazon.com and start reading what people write, on the whole they really like it. But then you get the one guy who sort of seems to know it all, and of course knows nothing. I spend a lot of time thinking about my scores really hard. On The Da Vinci Code I got a lot of books out of the library, I studied the Fibonacci sequence, I did everything! And they think I make mistakes just causally and randomly, as opposed to that these are hard earned choices.

Of course those who like it are fine, and the ones who don't know nothing. So, essentially, he goes to the library, studies books, studies scientific researches and then, after wrecking his brain and scrutinizing every note, comes to the conclusion that his usual sound will do just fine and that woodwinds aren't appropriate at all throughout a 100 minutes score.

I can't help but cringe when HANS ZIMMER talks about musical themes, where they would lead, and how he wants to deconstruct them.

He's saying that here and there there is always a person who pretends to be a know it all and bashes him for "being ignorant" "not knowing what he's doing" "not researching any background" for making "mistakes" "not thinking about decisions" and obviously because he [Zimmer] does think about what he's doing before doing it, the person saying all those things is talking out of their ass, and knows nothing...and honestly they don't.

Where is the arrogance in that? Or is your anti-Zimmer bias so blinding that you have to call a beautiful sunny day a dark and stormy night because Zimmer happens to be present during it?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Were is Roald?

[Richard Penna 3,696]

I agree with Blumenkohl - I think Zimmer was just trying to defend himself against those 'know-it-all' guys on Amazon who claim he knows nothing about the music process.

While I'm not a fan by any means, I do like a lot of his music (and as I've said before, Gladiator helped get me into scores). Horner on the other hand - I like a lot of his music too, but I have pretty much no respect for him after what he said in that interview - that he considered himself so good and knowledgeable, that not only was Yared's music 'atrocious', but that in a rushed autopilot mode he would be able to write a better score in 1/52 of the time Yared had.....

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I haven't read the full interview, but I seem to recall the lack of woodwinds has always been a request by Bruckheimer for those films Zimmer's scored. If that's the case, it seems to be a bit illogical that Zimmer gets the full blast for it.

[pi 0]

Zimmer is so unassuming. I like that quality of him. His music is there soley to serve the film. You can see it in the interview.

[QMM 4]

I'd like to point out this section for a minute

Here's the thing. If I come up with an idea like the Thin Red Line thing, for instance, it's not finished when I finish that piece: it's just a jumping-off point to try to get better at that. So I've been going back to that idea because I think, as a composer, you have a duty to develop. It's evolutionary, not necessarily revolutionary always. So the idea of these patterns and these things building on top of each other is really just minimalist music taken to a romantic level.

I do agree with him on this a bit. With the little composing I've done, if I come up with a pretty good motif for one piece, I probably wouldn't be satisfied using it in that one piece. I'd probably want to see how far I could develop it and see what different "evolutions" I could take it through. This is of course my opinion and I don't know the application to film and whatnot but whatever...it's late

[QMM 4]

Part 2 is up

[Romão 2,274]

"Well, once I've done the next Batman movie, which will finish in early 2008 "

Damn. I was hoping for a James Newton Howard solo effort.

[Ollie 1,059]

I was hoping for a completely new composer.

[bondo 33]

Wish in one hand...

[Red 75]

I'm not too excited by Zimmer scoring TDK, but oh well. I didn't think that he did a particulary heinous job with Begins, so I hope for the best.

[bondo 33]

He hasn't scored too many sequels, and I enjoyed what he did with POTC 2, so I'll be looking forward to the next Batman film and score.