Danny Elfman: An In-Depth Interview | Film Music Foundation's Legends Series
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- An interview with composer Danny Elfman in conversation with Jon Burlingame. Recorded July 30, 2014 at Danny Elfman’s studio in Los Angeles, California by The Film Music Foundation.
- Chapters -
0:00:00 Introduction // Early Life and Family
0:03:11 Early Film Influences // Composer Bernard Herrmann and director Ray Harryhausen
0:07:49 Picking Up the Violin at Age 18 and Performing in France
0:13:11 Traveling Africa and Returning to America
0:18:06 The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo
0:21:10 Introduction to Writing Music
0:24:31 Oingo Boingo // Ska Influences
0:27:41 "Forbidden Zone" // First Experience with Music in Film
0:29:13 The Beginning of Oingo Boingo’s Success
0:33:08 First Collaboration with Tim Burton // "Pee-wee’s Big Adventure"
0:36:37 Writing for Full Orchestra // Influence of Nino Rota’s Music
0:43:32 Splitting Time Between Composing for Film and Oingo Boingo
0:46:11 Orchestrating with Steve Bartek
0:47:09 Collaborating with Tim Burton and Martin Brest
0:49:37 Composing for "Batman"
1:00:46 Composing for "Edward Scissorhands"
1:04:40 The Importance of a Theme
1:07:32 Elfman’s Writing Process
1:08:59 On "Milk", "Mars Attack", "The Hulk"
1:11:59 Meeting Gus Van Sant and Sam Raimi
1:14:31 Composing for "A Simple Plan"
1:15:24 Composing for "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
1:19:34 "The Nightmare Before Christmas" getting a second life
1:22:19 Composing "The Simpsons" Theme
1:27:24 Winning an Emmy Award // Oscar Nominations
1:29:24 Discussion on musician’s credibility in Hollywood
1:34:13 Finding A “Voice” in Music
1:35:58 Being Hired for "Chicago"
1:36:55 Composing for Superhero Films: "Spider-Man"
1:41:05 Scoring for Documentaries // "Standard Operating Procedure", "The Unknown Known"
1:42:38 Non-film Commissions // "Rabbit and Rogue", "Iris"
1:46:46 Collaborating with David O. Russell // "Silver Linings Playbook", "American Hustle"
1:50:39 Re-Composing Classical Material
1:52:27 Elfman’s Proudest Achievement
1:54:55 Advice to Aspiring Film Composers
1:57:45 Career If He Weren’t A Film Composer
1:59:37 Musicals for Broadway
2:02:23 How Elfman Would Like To Be Remembered
- Biography -
Danny Elfman (born Daniel Robert Elfman) is an award-winning composer, singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. A native of Los Angeles, Elfman began his musical career as a violinist in Jérôme Savary’s “Le Grand Magic Circus” alongside his brother, Richard. He travelled the world, learning from different musical cultures and styles. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Elfman worked as the musical director of “The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo,” a performance art troupe established by Richard. His first scoring credit was for Richard’s 1979 film Forbidden Zone (1979, dir. by Richard Elfman). After his brother departed The Mystic Knights, Elfman became the lead singer-songwriter and transformed the group into the band Oingo Boingo. The group went on to release eight albums between 1981 and 1994 including Dead Man’s Party (1985) and Dark at the End of the Tunnel (1990).
In tandem with his career with Oingo Boingo, Elfman continued scoring films after Forbidden Zone. He was approached by Tim Burton and Paul Reubens in 1985 to score Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985, dir. by Tim Burton), which established Elfman’s collaborative relationship with Burton; Elfman would go on to score nearly all of Burton’s major studio releases including Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Elfman has also frequently collaborated with directors Sam Raimi (Darkman, 1990; Spider-Man, 2002) and Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, 1997; Milk, 2008) and worked with many others on films like Dick Tracy (1990, dir. by Warren Beatty) and the Men in Black franchise (1997-present, dir. by Barry Sonnenfeld). Alongside his scoring career, Elfman continues to compose concert and incidental music for works including Twyla Tharp’s ballet Rabbit and Rogue (2008) and Cirque Du Soleil’s show Iris (2011).
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Watched the entire interview. His work has inspired the imaginations of an entire generation. Thank you for all of your work Mr Elfman!
This man and his music have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I'm pushing 60 and was hooked on him from the very early 80's. It all started with Forbidden Zone, a bag of mushrooms and a whole bunch of GREAT music! Thank you, Danny; you DO have your own "voice"; I can pick a score of yours a mile away if it's come from your mind. Thank you for sharing your life's work with me! Halloween 1995, in the mash pit of the last Oingo Boingo show was one of the highlights of my life! When you watch the video, it's like the camera man followed me around all night! Then to get backstage and meet you and Rick and the rest of the band was just the pinnacle! So many great memories! This interview is 10 years old already! The farewell concert nearly 30; where has the time gone? Truly one the most brilliant composers of our time; thank you Danny, thank you! Stay healthy!
As far as I’m concerned, Danny is just as much a cornerstone to all of us millennials who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and were mesmerized by his work as a part of our childhood as John Williams was. I wish there were more film composers like him working in film today who have a definitive voice like he does. Phenomenal interview.
Growing up in the 70's and 80's I was very familiar with Oingo Boingo and loved their music. I had no idea till Nightmare Before Christmas that Danny Elfman did all these other movies. I just never really looked at who composed the music of films, I knew I liked the music in many of these films, just had no idea Danny Elfman was behind it all. I find it so fascinating how a person had like no musical talent growing up, picked up his first instrument when he was 18, no formal training, couldn't read music and failed music classes, yet was able to break down music note by note? Only a Genius can do what Danny Elfman does with the background he had. What an amazing person. Loved this interview. Thank You 👍
I got turned onto Oingo Boingo around '81 and loved the music. Danny Elfman's emotive expressions and lack of any arrogance, combined with his attraction to darker themes in life and mushc have always resonated with me. He's extremely well spoken nad very insightful. It's been a joy watching his career and all the twists and turns it has taken all these years. He really is an American Treasure, though I'm sure he'd rather be considered anything but that.
A HUGE American treasure and you're right, he'd hate that!
Couldn’t agree more
I like Danny Elfman’s voice.
I am a musician, I never learn music, I self-learn for 30+ years. Batman Theme 1989 changed my music life. So much influence until today.
Thank you Master Danny elfman. Thank you Film Music Foundation for uploading this!
Amazing journey (so far, I’m half way through). I’m inspired. Amazing yet it’s merely the journey of a person whose skills are discovered by opportunity, continued by indulging passion and independence, validated by friends, fueled by adrenaline, with routine feedback from audiences (every day at first).
Music is best taught by…listening - a LOT. (Somehow that point is lost way too much.) Eventually, once armed with just a little knowledge Danny put it to use. Rinse, repeat.
The risk taking - no, the “F it” or throw fear to the side attitude and at least accumulate experience - is inspiring to me.
I’m a quarter in and I’m blown away
Amazing career with no signs of stopping.
Simpson's theme...
"I wrote the whole thing on the way home."
F you Danny, god damn musical genius 😂
Incredibly impressive career (and still going!), but for all his many successes and achievements ... nothing tops Oingo Boingo for me!!! Just the BEST music!
This is so fascinating! Always been a fan and always had such a crush on him (still do). I can understand what he saying. My problem is hearing a song and then adding my own touches in my head or change some music around. And it DRIVES.ME.NUTS. Still need to learn to write music.
I've had the hots for this man for 40 years!
Thank you FMF for releasing these wonderful videos.
Our pleasure!
Amazingly brilliant man. Ahead of his time.
51:51 "I don't like ships..."
This is hilarious to imagine. 😅
Utterly fascinating interview with an incredibly talented man ❤
I was playing with a street troop, breathing fire playing trombone, playing guitar only in the '70s, only in the '70s.
Whata positive bloke..
the way he explains the process sometimes, the hopping on the train at top of the hill...fabulous.
10:55 "No propensity for music"
Wow 😆
I couldn't believe that when he said it. He doesn't seem to recall it in a self-pitying way that you usually see in most people who tell similar stories of being doubted by their peers/teachers. Interesting.
Awesome
wonderful
Absolutely fascinating
Silverlinings was You?!!! Loved that movie
Very talented guy !!!!
Fantastic ‼️
Loved Oingo Bingo music, songs, lyrics. Was able to see farewell concert San Diego maybe 1995? Wasn't that impressive to watch! Fun.
Gong show once, right? Then hearing the scores in movies... Danny Elfman is a genius
Funny he mentions not plagiarizing Oz yet he put the witch bike riding music in for Pee Wee. That was hilarious in the film.
Wife Bridget Fonda?
Whoa! Cool...