The Struggle Behind the Soundtrack

Do you want to pick up a light saber whenever you hear John Williams' Star Wars theme? Do you get the urge to ride into the desert and face down steely-eyed desperados to the refrain of Ennio Morricone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Does Hans Zimmer's Pirates of the Caribbean score have you suddenly talking like Jack Sparrow? From the Westerns of the 1960s to 21st century blockbusters, composers for both film and television have faced new challenges and opportunities-evermore elaborate sound design, temp tracks, test audiences and working with companies that invest in film score recordings all have led to creative sparks, as well as frustrations. Drawing on exclusive interviews with more than 40 notable composers, this book gives an in-depth analysis of the industry and reveals the creative process behind the work of such artists as Klaus Badelt, Mychael Danna, Abel Korzeniowski, Walter Murchm, Rachel Portman, Alan Silvestri, Randy Thom and others.