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 JERIC 
Fleet Admiral (Proprietor)
Joined: Feb 12, 2002
Member#: 1
Posts: 4939
Location: Richmond, VA
     
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 Posted:
Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:07 pm Post subject: Interview: Craig Armstrong |
 
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We have an opportunity to interview Craig Armstrong who scored "Moulin Rouge" and "Ray," and is scoring Oliver Stone's controversial film "World Trade Center." This is the first time the two have worked together. The score album will be released by Sony Classical on August 8th.
Please post any questions you would like to see asked. If we get enough submissions we will go forward with the interview.
Thanks!
_________________
"Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?." -Maximus
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Last edited by JERIC on Sun Aug 06, 2006 2:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jackkerouac127
Lieutenant
Joined: Nov 04, 2003
Member#: 3569
Posts: 143
Location: Long Beach, CA
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Posted:
Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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I would like to know where he went to school to learn his craft. |
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 j2brown
Commodore
Joined: Feb 22, 2002
Member#: 9
Posts: 3188
Location: Sterling, VA
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Posted:
Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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A few obvious questions (so somebody needs to make sure they're not already out there):
What is your favorite score and why?
How/why did you get into doing scores?
If you could (re)score any movie, which would you do and how would it be different?
jeff
sdg |
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Obi-son
Captain
Joined: Sep 10, 2002
Member#: 211
Posts: 1897
Location: Winchester,Va, USA
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Posted:
Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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What was the most challenging score to work on and why?
How do you choose on the type of instruments to use on a score?
_________________
If you have it you don't need it. If you need it you don't have it. You need it to get it and you certainly need it to get more of it. Which means you don't have it to begin with people just know. |
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 arlingirl
Lieutenant
Joined: Jun 03, 2005
Member#: 10439
Posts: 101
Location: Texas
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Posted:
Fri Jul 14, 2006 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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Why (for God's sake) did they not release a full score for Love Actually, when he did such a brilliant job on that movie. Also, can you tell him I'll marry him. 
_________________
"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection." ~Michaelangelo
http://www.bellereveportraitdesign.com |
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Asriana
Commander
Joined: Aug 10, 2005
Member#: 11184
Posts: 945
Location: Michigan, USA
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Posted:
Fri Jul 14, 2006 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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Moulin Rouge is such a beautiful movie. How did you figure out what kind've music to use in it? The mix between comedy, drama and love is perfect!
_________________
"Diaper backward spells repaid. Think about it." ~ Marshall McLuhan |
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 Muriel
Admiral (Administrator)
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Member#: 333
Posts: 712
Location: Norway
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Posted:
Sat Jul 15, 2006 4:27 am Post subject: |
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What is your typical workflow when scoring a movie?
What was/is the biggest challenge of scoring "World Trade Center", an event that's such a big part of the American consciousness?
And a little elaboration on J2's question:
Which of your own scores are your favorite and why?
_________________
"Anything one man can imagine,
other men can make real."
- Jules Verne |
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 Alchemist
Vice Admiral (Moderator)
Joined: Dec 30, 2003
Member#: 4272
Posts: 1621
Location: Annecy
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Posted:
Sat Jul 15, 2006 5:16 am Post subject: |
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Great!
Some classic questions:
Who are your favorites composers? Did you get influenced by them?
_________________
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe" - Blade Runner |
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 Albi
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Mar 21, 2004
Member#: 5692
Posts: 340
Location: The Netherlands
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Posted:
Sat Jul 15, 2006 5:54 am Post subject: |
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I would like to know if he can watch a movie and/or series and not pay attention to the technical/composing aspects of the accompanying score |
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zirael
Commander
Joined: Feb 05, 2004
Member#: 4924
Posts: 795
Location: North Carolina
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Posted:
Sun Jul 16, 2006 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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I noticed that you seem comfortable blending electronic and orchestral elements in your scores like Plunkett & Macleane and you even composed some tracks for Massive Attack. What prompted your interest in electronic music?
I really liked the haunting Vietnamese vocals that heightened the emotion in The Quiet American and the solo gospel vocals in Ray. What kind of preparation did you do for these two films to be able to compose in the different performance styles?
On World Trade Center, what kind of direction did Oliver Stone give you while you were composing the score?
How do you think you've evolved as a composer over time? For instance, what do you think your latest work, World Trade Center, offers as compared to your earlier works?
Was there an experience that you've had on a particular film that significantly changed your approach to scoring?
What are you working on next?
Last edited by zirael on Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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AK-Mal_Owner
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Jan 07, 2004
Member#: 4415
Posts: 292
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Posted:
Mon Jul 17, 2006 10:52 am Post subject: |
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Going off of zirael's question of direction from Stone:
Have you ever had to deal with meddling directors? Who was the toughest to work with and why? And who has been the easiest to work with and why?
When dealing with a new score, how do you approach it? Blank canvas? of are there any preconcieved ideas when you come into the project? |
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molossus
Admiral (Administrator)
Joined: Aug 09, 2005
Member#: 11167
Posts: 3308
Location: Warsaw & once in a blue moon Szczecin (Poland)
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Posted:
Mon Jul 17, 2006 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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Do you have any special way of finding new ideas for the music (any special place you go to, any special routine you go through while writing notes etc.)?
How do you check up if melody you've just created wasn't accidentally copyrighted before by some other composer. Is it composer's job at all?
Do you have constant set of musical instruments you consider using in your works or do you look for some new additions every time? If you look for them - how do you do it? Can you name any musical instrument you discovered during your career that gave you especially a lot of fun, joy and satisfaction after you used it for the first time in your work?
_________________
<i>"The piano keys are black and white,
But they sound like a million colors in your mind"</i>
(from "Spider's Web" by <a href="http://katiemelua.com/music/#KatieMelua">Katie Melua</a>)
Avatar is from work of art by Drew Struzan |
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BhelPuri
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Feb 11, 2004
Member#: 5034
Posts: 296
Location: USA
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Posted:
Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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What's your favorite breakfast cereal?
Naah j/k! 
What do you think of the state of film music today, and of the current generation of composers (anyone you're fond of/admire?) ?
Do you keep up with new cd (film music) releases?
Is there a particular genre of film that you most enjoy scoring for?
What kind of non-film music do you listen to?
_________________
"If I spent all that time in Hollywood, I'd lose my inspiration."
~Ennio Morricone, in Variety [June 4, 2006] |
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 bpewien
Captain
Joined: Feb 01, 2006
Member#: 13275
Posts: 1334
Location: Vienna, Austria
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Posted:
Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:25 pm Post subject: |
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Do you find time to compose for your own purpose, like concert works besides your film scoring?
Are you currently working on some?
If so, what kind of style do you use? |
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 TheSnowLeopard
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Mar 18, 2006
Member#: 13799
Posts: 347
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Posted:
Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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I read that you are releasing a classical CD this year. What is your opinion on the contentious view that film music is the "poor cousin" to classical music? Why do you think this view persists? What are the different challenges in composing for film as opposed to say, concert music? Are there different rewards for you, personally and creatively, when composing film music or classical music?
_________________
"After dark all cats are leopards." - Native American Proverb |
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