"The hardest thing in scoring is to know when to start and when to stop" with author Tim Greiving | The Movie Racket
Summary
Michael Phillips hosts Tim Grieving, author of *John Williams, A Composer's Life*, to discuss the evolution of film scoring. They contrast the operatic, music-heavy styles of Max Steiner and John Williams with the sparse, judicious approaches of Jerry Goldsmith and Bernard Herrmann. The conversation explores how directors like Christopher Nolan and Jordan Peele are revitalizing the art form by integrating composers early in the creative process.
Topics discussed
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Introduction: The importance of film music and John Williams
Max Steiner and the operatic tradition in King Kong
Erich Korngold and the swashbuckling score style
John Williams' diverse career before Star Wars and Jaws
Debate: Heavy scoring vs. sparse, realistic approaches
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Analyzing Patton, Chinatown, and the role of under-dialogue
Jerry Goldsmith's versatility and the Chinatown score
Guest Tim Griego's experience writing a book on John Williams
The future of film scoring: Modern composers and director partnerships
Outro and final sponsor messages
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