Michael Giacchino (2017)

Hello Mr. Giacchino! I’m a huge fan of your work. Was it intimidating being the only composer other than John Williams to work on a Star Wars film? Did you work closely with him on the score for Rogue One? What was the process like?

Appreciate you taking the time to answer these!

I am currently scoring a short film (my first film!) and the director told me a specific scene needed music. However, it’s more of a neutral scene and I’m not feeling any sort of emotional response towards it. And I have no idea what to write! Has this ever happened to you and if so, any helpful tips?

Michael, how is it possible to write ALL the movie scores AND still be such the nicest guy possible!?

I'm making a low budget erotic sci-fi romance movie that's like 50 Shades of Grey meets Star Wars and Zootopia. Would you be interested in scoring it for me? My budget is $13.

And have you ever cried while scoring anything? Specifically Coco or Up?

Hello Mr. Giacchino, my introduction to your amazing music was on LOST. I loved how each character had their own theme, Ben’s and Sayid’s were my favourite, and in a sense the music became a character in its own right. My question is; Which character theme did you personally like the most?

oh oh! please answer! ive been a follower of your work since jurassic park the lost world on playstation! when you scored jurassic world did you sneak some of that score into the raptor chase scene?
also medal of honor and underground rocked!

Hi Michael,

For my money you are as close to an heir to John Williams as any composer today. There is a "brightness" to your scores that I really only ever hear in Williams' work. What is the extent of your relationship with John Williams, and have you had conversations with Disney about further work on the Star Wars series?

Vanilla or Chocolate?
p.s. See you at band practice
Alex

You have scored a couple Disney Parks attractions over the years. If you were given your pick from the higher-ups to re-score anything, what attraction would you like to work on?

Also, thank you for taking the time to talk to my fiancee at D23 while you were signing for her. We're excited to dance to Married Life in April!

Is it true you scored Rogue One in only four weeks? Why so short a time? And how did you DO that?

Hi, Mr. Giacchino!

I have to say that the Incredibles soundtrack is probably my favorite selection from you (though it's hard to really pick a favorite), but as a huge James Bond fan, I can't help but hear the various Bond-esque inspiration within the soundtrack. How did you decide to take that route, and if MGM/EON ever approached you for a Bond soundtrack, would you do it?

I love the (bowed metal?) sound from Rogue One. How was that sound made?

From his website: “Juh-key-no”

http://michaelgiacchino.com/biography/

Hey Mr. Giacchino!

I love your work, especially on films like the Incredibles, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes, but the one score I love most from you is one that I don’t think gets nearly enough appreciation – that being your score for Jupiter Ascending.

I’m curious what the process of writing that was like, since from what I understand you wrote a good chunk of it before shooting had even started at the request of the Wachowskis. Was it more challenging? Less? Just different? What were you given to go on when it came to developing a tone and themes? How much of your original score made it into the film, and is there a chance of the unused stuff getting a release?

Thanks.

Hey Michael, Big fan! Thank you for doing this.

What goes into composing your iconic motifs? The Incredibles, Up, Star
Trek... I can't even name them all.

Hello Mr. Giacchino, I've been a huge fan since you scored Medal of Honor: Frontline! That score is truly a soothing and mesmerizing theme that elevates the game. "Arhnem" is a masterpiece.

I'd love to know what was your inspiration to Medal of Honor's score?

Please tell us you are scoring Incredibles 2, that's half the reason I'm eager to see it.

Did John Williams ever say anything to you about your Rogue One score?

Have you talked to Rian Johnson yet about his trilogy?

I'm assuming that John Williams will retire after Episode IX and you will be the new SW music guy.

Love your work! I just found out about this AMA seconds after you tweeted it.

Who is your favorite composer? What is your favorite movie score/soundtrack?

Hi Mr. Giacchino, I'm a huge fan of yours. I remember watching Star Trek for the first time and being completely overwhelmed with emotions when Labor of Love played. Absolutely the most beautiful music I've heard. Was there anything that influenced you while you composed it?

Hi Michael,

It blows my mind how you go from a piano composed piece to a fully orchestrated score, what is that process? Do you personally orchestrate the music for each instrument? Collaborate with others etc?

Thanks,
Dave

PS 50th Birthday Gala was utterly incredible :)

Will you write a song about net neutrality? please.

Michael, I love the piece Married Life from Up so much that I brought myself to learn the piano to play it. Was there a piece of music that gave you the motivation to play music?

Mr. Giacchino,
First let me say thank you for all the fantastic audial memories and emotional musical journeys you have brought to every ear that your compositions touch. I think you're a fantastic composer and cannot wait to hear your future works.

For just a bit of backstory, since I started playing Trombone (6th grade), I've always thought about what it would be like to play in the recording of a film score. Although this is not the direction I have taken in my career path (just obtained my Bachelor's in Instrumental Music Education), I would still love to accomplish this dream someday. This is where my questions are coming from.

1. How are members of the ensemble selected? (Is it usually just a prejoined ensemble, such as the New York Philharmonic, or does the Studio usually have a list of musicians on call?)\ If most studios only use preexisting ensembles, which ones get chosen the most, or if they hire individual musicians: (next 2 questions)

2. How would a single musician get onto the call list\into the business of recording film soundtracks?

3. Do you conduct the ensembles recording your compositions, or does someone else conduct them? If not you, then do you pick the conductor, or does the Studio?

And this is just because I'm curious:
4. What was it like to play a Stormtrooper in The Force Awakens?

have you ever worn womens clothing? me and my buddy have a little bet going on....

Michael, you won't remember me - we use to email one another way back when you were working with Peter at Dreamworks Interactive, I think I sent you a cassette or a CD once? - but I wanted to say thank you for all the music you've created since then, most especially for your work with the Wachowskis. Speed Racer is one of my very favorite movies ever and a large part of that is because of your music.

I guess I only have one question: Way back when your website first went up, you had sheet music from the first two MOH games on there (the title to the first game and Under The City from ). Is there any chance you can get them (or other cues!) reposted? I've always wanted to try my hand at transcribing your MOH stuff to solo piano.

Thank you so much again.

Justin

Huge fan! Always excited to see your name come up in the credits when I'm starting a film or tv show. May be a dumb question, but as someone curious about the politics of entertainment, who reaches out to you and requests your work on their project? Is it one of the creative-types involved or is it an executive-type, or does it always differ? That being asked, who first approached you to work on Lost?

What type of piano do you have in your home studio?

• Peanut Butter: Creamy or Crunchy?

Michael, over the last decade you have quickly become one of my favorite film composers out there! You've crafted so many fantastic scores with so many fun, memorable themes.

Here are 2 questions I have for you:

1. What can you tease about the score for Incredibles 2? Other than the main theme, what else might carry over and return musically from the first film? What new material might we look forward to? Having thought you would be fired from the first film, I'd like to hear what excites you about the new film.

2. More importantly, what has been your favorite pun-filled title that you and you music editors have come up with over the years? I absolutely LOVE them, but was wondering if you have a favorite(s).

Thank you for your incredible music (no pun intended), cant wait to hear what the future has in store for you!

How many messages do you get from couples saying they used the score from the opening scene in UP (The Carl and Ellie montage) as their wedding song?

What movie score do think has has the biggest impact on the industry?

What is your personal favorite?

Big fan of your work..I honestly believe your Star Trek theme is one the greatest themes ever made. That said. What was your favorite movie to score or tv show to score?

You’re my favorite composer ever! Would you come to my wedding?

Hello Mr. Giacchino,

I have been pondering this question for some time now and I believe you may be able to help. What is the best way to cook eggs for breakfast to start your musical days off the right way? I have tried sunny side up and scrambled by neither quite do the trick for me. Do you have any recommendations?

Do you tear up at the first 5 minutes of Up like the rest of us do?

As someone who loves all of Pixar's original songs (especially Le Festin, which is how I chose my username) and can't wait to see Coco, I just want to know, has Pixar considered making more musicals? Thank you so much for doing this AMA and for being one of the best composers working today.

Loved your Spider-Man homecoming score! Will you back for the sequel and do you ha e anything planned for it yet?

Being a composer, when you watch a film are you more tuned into the score? Does it ever distract you from the big picture so to speak?

Your music is so wonderful. It's my dream to play French horn on movie soundtracks. Any advice on how to get started? I can already play anything put in front of me.

Michael, I am such a fan and have been following your career as you soar from amazing project to amazing project. I am a composer myself and am wondering if you’d be willing to share what your writing process is like.

1. Do you work alone on a piece from start to finish in a DAW at your home studio, or do you have an office/workspace that you go to write?

2. How much of your writing is “playing around” with melodies and experimentation and how much is a focused approach with a clear direction in your mind?

Hi mate, love from Northern Ireland.

How many scores on average do you do per year?...and is it tough to start from scratch on a new project?

Cheers, keep up the good work

Hey, Mr. Giacchino, how does it feel to doing score for Darth Vader in action scenes?

Hey Michael!

Big fan here (duh!) and I have a few quick questions that I hope you can help me with for a project I'm working on about the pilot of LOST.

1.) When JJ, Damon, Mary Jo and their crew were working on the pilot to create a version to present it to the network they used temp music from other movies by composers like Morricone, Carpenter or Zimmer. Those songs created such a different feeling for the pilot - it's really fascinating in comparison to your score.

I still got a copy of that version and I could make out that they used the opening theme from Blade Runner, the song "Silence" from The Thin Red Line and "Queen to Bishop" from Aliens. Do you know who chose those songs? Was it maybe you? Or haven't you been involved with that part of the process?

2.) Do you by any chance remember when you began writing the score for the pilot?

3.) Do you still know when you were done working on the pilot? The scoring for part 1 of the pilot was done/started August 24 2004 and part 2 was done/started, as far as I know, September 7 2004. I'm just curious, because this feels pretty late (just 2 weeks before the show went on air) when there were over 3 months in between.

4.) Has there been something/someone special that inspired your music for the pilot?

5.) Would you be willing to share some sheet music from the pilot? That would be very very cool!

That's all!

-Stefan

Hey Mr Giacchino, big fan of your work The Incredibles soundtrack is one of my all time favourites.

Just want to ask who's idea was it to do the orchestral tv Spiderman theme for the beginning of Homecoming?

What is your favourite piece you've ever created?

What's your favorite instrument? Why?

Hello Mr. Giacchino,
My name is Jonathan. Sorry for the long story but I wanted to take a moment to tell you thank you!
In early 2010 I went to a church camp retreat and one night they played UP(never seen it before) for the movie night. I was not a very popular kid, being the really awkward fat kid I used to be. I sat away from the group and began to watch the film. Well we all known that opening scene of the film by now because I surely do. I remember watching that scene for the first time there and I remember seeing how the music was affecting everyone. I saw the church leaders, all the kids, and all the camp leaders go from expressing happy, to laughter, to sadness, to just in tears. To me it was one of the most beautiful memories I will always remember in my life! I felt it and seeing how the music itself was in a way screwing with the audience emotions, I thought that was the most amazing thing I have ever experience and I knew that is what I want to do. Everything I am was back that boy made that decision that night and I am happy with how far I’ve come. I’m proud of my work even though I am a 22 year old college student still learning and desperate to learn as much as I can. It all happened because I saw the movie and listened to the score. Will I make it? Who knows but all I know that my passion for composing and my love for film scores is because of that one moment, that one scene with your piece “Married Life”, that was one of those life changing moments that I just could not pass the opportunity to share with you how much your work has inspired and meant to me. Of course to also say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

My question: I love the MCU, been a fan since May 2nd 2008 Iron man, like huge nerd! So when I heard you were composing for Doctor Strange I lost my mind! Then when it was announced you were working on Spider-man: Homecoming, I honestly felt like this movie was made for me. Cause you got to see it in my point of view, my childhood superhero in the whole wide world who is the sole reason I love comics and everything related, he is finally in the MCU, and it is going to be composed by my idol. It is without a doubt my favorite film from the writing, costume, sets, cinematography, makeup, and of course the music! So I wanted to ask you, if Doctor Strange and Spider-man were to team up and you again were at helms to write the music. How would you approach that? A mix of both their themes or just start from scratch? Also if you have time, in an interview you said you asked Kevin Feige if you could write for Spider-man, besides him and Doctor Strange, which other marvel character would you like to write for? Just a real nerdy music question!

Thank you and I hope you have a safe day!

Thank you for the AMA! I loved your scoring of Rouge One and thought you did a tremendous job stepping into the huge shoes of John Williams!

What sort of training do you think one needs in order to scoring films? How reliant are you on common practice composition standards in your writing and how important do you think these are in educating contemporary composers? What advice would you give aspiring film composers?

Currently tearing up just thinking about the “Oceanic Six”
How did you and JJ Abrams start collaborating ?
I’ve been a fan since Alias ( which btw is severely under estimated )

Hello Mr. Giacchino, big fan also here. Do you prefer, if you have a preference of course, working on a movie or a tv show?

How does it feel once you've completed a score and it finally gets recorded? Is there a sense of "Aha, that's it"! Do you ever feel like it was what you expected?

Where do you look for inspiration when you score for animated movies? Has Joe Hisaishi been an influence on your work? Really proud that someone from South Jersey is doing great things - all the best!

Hey, Michael.

A few years ago, I saw you at the Houston Symphony when Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek: Into Darkness were played with the symphony playing your music. It was amazing and I hadn't realized how incredible your score was until I heard it live in symphony.

I guess my question is, how on Earth do you have time to do things like you did at the Houston Symphony and write the iconic music that you're known for?

P.S. Do you plan on ever coming back? That was an amazing night for me and my girlfriend.

I just saw Coco and noticed your little cameo. Was it a surprise to you, or did you know about it beforehand?

What is your favorite score that you have ever made?

Edit: and i also wanted to ask you what inspired you to go into this field and do what you do?

Thank you so much for doing this it is incredibly cool to hear from you!

Hello Mr. Giacchino, is there any piece that you wrote for any medal of honor that didn't make it to the game?, and what did inspire you when writing "North Africa" for MOH: Allied Assault? cheers from Chile!