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Interview

Cinezik : What is the legacy you think you have received from Alfred Newman ?

David Newman : The training, the commitment to excellence, the beautiful string sound, the balance of the orchestra and the love of music for it’s own sake.

Do you ever feel like you're in competition with Thomas and Randy and what is your vision of their music ?

NO. I really have no vision of their music. They are both wonderful composers but composing seems to me to be a solitary, personal experience – even working in film. So one goes about it in that way and as crazy as things get, it’s about finding your own inner voice. 

About your recent references, where are they from, we think of Jerry Goldsmith or Danny Elfman depending on films ? (without name Stravinsky)

References are a very filmic thing. You are always bombarded with a “temp score” and have to deal with it. Also, films are mostly remakes of other films, genres, styles, so one has to refer to something to make it comprehensible.

Is there a specific job of composing for an animated film and what is your work with Disney ?

Animation is a wonderful genre for film music. It allows one to go a bit further than you normally can because of the ‘unreal” quality of animation. Also, there is always a lot of visual detail in animation which is wonderful for music as one can be a bit more complex with the ideas.

How did you meet Danny DeVito and which was your work on its comedies ?

I met Danny on “Throw Momma from the Train”. He liked a score I did called “Critters” and we got along wonderfully. He is a dream to work for. I love his movies, the look, the style and there is something operatic about his filmic vision which is very insipiring to me.

You have in the landscape of the music for the pictures a relative discretion, how do you explain it?

Not sure I understand the question. Do you mean I tend to ‘understate’? I try to disappear to an extent because I think that music should be part of the fabric of a film, not primary. But sometimes it is really necessary for the music to take a front seat. There should be a lot of give and take in movies with sound, dialogue and music. That isn’t always the case, but in the best mixes (dubs) everyone is involved and becomes primary at some point or another. 

Have you regrets or desires for not still satisfied films ?

NO

One of your first composing projects was Tim Burton's short film “Frankenweenie”, what was this work and why didn’t you continue with this Director ?

He wanted to go another route. One can’t look back and try to control or even understand the past. It’s a “moving ahead” kind of experience.

Speak us about the film "The Spirit" by Frank Miller ...At what moment did you get involved in the project and which were your musical choices ? what could be the comparisons or similarities with “The Phantom” ?

I was involved in postproduction. It was a fantastic experience.  I think because there was a large French Horn melody you might say it’s similar to “The Phantom” but there are a lot of “noir” references as well as “spaghetti western” harmonica type choices as well. The film is very tongue in cheek. We tried to have fun with it. 

You change your style in every kind of film, where from comes to you this adaptability?

Training. My father and mother made sure we were well trained.

Speak to us about your regular collaboration with Stephen Herek, your meeting and work together ?

I love working with Steve. I started with him early in my career and those films were instrumental in helping me move my career along.

What can you tell to us about "Crazy on the Outside (2010)" by Tim Allen?

Tim was great to work with. We had to really flesh out how the music was going to work in the film. It was difficult but very rewarding.

Have you, quite as made Howard Shore, the wish to compose a partition in several acts as an Opera, which could be considered as your “masterpiece” ?

I love opera and would like to be involved in that type of composition, but I leave things to fate as it usually turns out better that way. I am not one to try to control things. Stuff happens…

To work on a TV show has a different musical approach regarding to the cinema but would you be interested in composing for Video Games or even Documentaries ?

See above answer. I am up for anything. I care about the project and the people.

I think that your music transcends lots of films you worked on as “The runestone” “Ducktales the movie” “firebird” “disorganized crime” or even “Paradise”, you really have the ability to give to a movie its “character”. I hope these scores will be released one day. I had an interview with a young unknown composer named Neal Acree who is a very good orchestrator (he works with Joel Goldsmith) but who works, the more often; for low budgets, because he told me that a composer can be easily categorized for certain kind of films…Do you have the same opinion about that facts ?

It’s very hard not to get typecast in Hollywood. However, what is great about the US film industry is ANYTHING can happen. So one can be typecast for one thing, do a different kind of project and then be typecast for something completely different. It’s really crazy, but kind of fun. You should never really give up hope. It’s Hollywood for God’s sake. It’s built on hopes and dreams.

You are a violinist by training, quite as your sister. Which importance give you to this instrument in your compositions ? Do you like, as some other composers did, experimenting new tones or twisting this instrument to give to it a new “language” ?

Playing the violin in orchestras all my life and playing for film and TV in my 20s taught me most of what I learned about music. There is no better way to study music than to sit in an orchestra hour after hour, year after year, playing all that great music.

You recently have done a commentary on the special edition of « The robe » DVD on which we can find the Alfred Newman’s isolated score. What was your contribution to this project ?

I just sat around and talked with the other participants. I am not sure I had much insight, except to rhapsodize about the exquisite playing of the Fox orchestra.  My God what a string sound. Incredible!!! (laugh)

Interview by Xavier Ducamp and Benoit Basirico

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