Actually, I thought of not quoting from conversations I've had with other composers, to sort of keep it focused and not really paraphrase their experiences. But, no, it's not just my personal story. It's John Powell, it's James Newton Howard, it's Tom Newman and, importantly Danny Elfman. And I can go on and on...

That doesn't mean that neither of us had the odd creative explosion and disagreement. But - if you work with a strong director - that was strictly between the director and the composer. Not the studio and the executives and the composer.



Each situation has of course its own dynamic. But amongst the "A" list composers there is a lot of trust given by the executives to us.

You are right. I'm talking only about the ones that work with strong, communicative directors. Or that are in the "A" team. Curiously, I can't think of anyone in the "A" team that got there by compromising their music... can you?

I don't really socialize and I know you're trying to bate me into saying something through your sarcasm. But I socialize with my film-making friends, my musician friend... I do press at premieres and walk through the party as quickly as I can. So, no, they don't hire me because I'm fun at parties. They hire me for my work.

I'm not understand your sentence. Maybe write it in German. But I'm telling you - there was no producer interference and he doesn't listen to the temp track. Danny would not stand for that, nor his director.

Actually, it didn't feel like you where commenting. It felt like you had first-hand knowledge of The Facts. But I agree with you. This is a forum where we can share facts. And all I was trying to do is descibe the facts to you and ask you where you got your counter-facts from. Because to me it read not as an opinion, but that you where stating facts about the creative process in this town.



Actually, I'll probably not listen to the theme. I've listened to enough "Batman and Superman" for two life-times! Here is a side-note for you: most film composers don't listen to film music! There is too much great other music out there - from Bach to Pink Floyd and Charlie Parker, Stravinsky to Kraftwerk (fill in your own favorites!)





I know you're not concerned with the truth or the facts, You mistake opinion for first-hand knowledge. But I have right now one "musical" assistant, while everybody else works autonomously on their own projects. That's what RCP is about. Sharing infrastructure, technology and knowledge. And I'm very honorable in not pulling them off their projects "as a favor". Shit - I could do with Ramin or Henry Jackman occasionally! But that's how someone new gets a chance to become the next John Powell. I think Ben Wallfisch is well on his way...

I'm most certainly not ignorant of all the gossip you seem to have taken as gospel to embrace a very narrow view of a very tiny world. It is a very small community, the composer community in Hollywood. Just as chatty and tattle-tailing as anyone else. But we are honest with each other.

I try not to represent a false and better picture of Hollywood. Yes, when there is a creative breakdown between the Director and the Composer (something that the studio wants to avoid - because it gets really expensive), people get fired and another composer gets hired. And sometimes that truly is because - with the best intentions - younrealize too late that the movie You where trying to make, that worked so well on paper, isn't the movie that should be made. And everybody has the freedom to say that they are capable of changing direction mid-stream.

You know, that's exactly what I hear from every other composer I know: they just want to get better at writing music. They want to learn and explore, be excited about someone giving them an opportunity to just write, write, write. They don't look for fame, they look for acknowledgment from their peers and their audience - but finally, they are most concerned with their own standards and opinion about their work. Money - and this is a personal thought, I don't know about anyone else - is not inspiring to me. It doesn't buy you a good idea or help you write a theme you can be proud off. And the only reason we are still in the studio on a Sunday at 5:00 am is because the joy we can get of making music.

You can always meet a deadline. You can always make the score for however tiny the budget is. And you can always clock off at 5:00 pm. But those that are truly passionate are here all night. And no money can come close to the satisfaction of feeling you are maybe onto a good and new idea, or a good tune...or just a cool adventure.



All my best to you, and please... don't be vague. Tell us what sources formed your didactic opinion.



-Hz-

Allright, Thank you Hans for telling and hearing here your very personal story. And I totally believe you that, but is that representative for the majority of other composers?really...do you want to tell me that, or do you just want to share your experience? If second, you can stop reading here right now. If first ,then I guess no, you can´t mean that honestly, right. Or do you want to tell me and all the others here too that this is it like?Sure you can say that you have your freedom ("We get hired because by giving us the autonomy to create", and that is nice indeed. Maybe it is because you create what they want. So thank you for letting the others know it. By telling your experience here it does reveal and evaluate YOUR very own experience but it is not a representative statement of how it is working there for the other majority of composers, designers etc, or even the end of food chain composers who are even saying amen to ghostwriting.And in the end I can understand that you defend your WB after party friends there because you work for them and they pay truely good, right.You respect Danny, right. Great. Did I say something that I disrespect him? No..I said his theme for this movie is painfully FOR ME to listen to when knowing what he could do when there would no.. and I have to say it: no ignorant producer team as it seems to me so telling him to temptrack others devices to death.Why they do hire him? In order to reduce him to a Parrot to speak with your voice? Or at least a shitty impression of it. And this work and maintheme sounds painfully like that. And it makes no sense to me. And so I comment, you know? I mean Hollywood makes often no sense to me, like that they spent trillions of dollars on shitty forgetable bad scripted movies, bad actors, hilarous story telling through computer generated images, and last but not least soundtrack that do sound foremost all the same when analyzing their devices, but that´s the times and every period in film history has had its peaks and lows of artistry.You know in case of that movie here I thought it would be like firing John Williams scoring SW, hiring then you Hans to score SW and then telling you to temptrack John Williams cues. I guess that will not happen, But heya ho haio pai, you know what..it is all opinions and therefore we have that forum to share experience, opinions. And thank you for yours. The diversity in the Herde makes it lively and reminds me of that we are not yet dead, even here.A side note: Probably you take a listen to that theme because it makes otherwise no sense to talk about it. And yes thanks for reminding me what my name is..and that without any misstypo. it shows dedication to detail.And no, no buttslap on my sources..And Hans..taking your experience and example is somehow...interesting to hear, but not realisitic at all for me, you know you present the kind of extreme side of the food chain case here. You are having your million dollar 24/7 factory bunker there with your 30+ support composers and you are in a very established position in hollywood so your word weighs a lot more than the word from many other composers there and because of your role you have more freedom in doing what you want and demand. But this is not an A-typical case and surely not represenative for many others working there. But calling that all a myth is either totally ignorant on purpose or just defenisve in order to present a better picture of working in L.A.I mean just to prevent any missinterpretation of my posts here: I am neither jealous nor a grumpy cat. I know a lot of people here dream of working in hollywood on those big movies and though I can understand that, I don´t feel the same about it. I know it is maybe hard to understand why someone thinks like that but like I say: We all have different goals in our lifes and so the motivation is different. While some of you dream of the walk of fame and money the other guy like me just thinks: Damn I would love just to become a great composer having enjoyment in creating the music, what I truely love and even if it is just for myself.