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Brief list of credits
Ransom, Crossing Lines, The Man With the Iron Heart, Outcast, The Connection
Tell us a little bit and how you got your start as a composer?
My grandfather was a composer, I always grew up with music around me. I composed my first piece around the age of 10 on the piano. A year later I got a Roland E35 for Christmas. It was a life changer for me, I started composing with the built-in Sequencer, without GS/GM sounds. I haven’t stopped since!
What programs do you find yourself using most with Ransom?
Every time I start a project I like to discover new libraries that seem to fit to the show or film. Sometimes I even come across old products and use those. It’s always fun to spend some time browsing and playing with new toys. There are so many sound developers I like, I can’t enumerate them. UVI, Spitfire, Soudiron, Heavy-O-City. I don’t usually work with synths, I am more of a “samples” guy.
Each episode do you come up with a completely new palette of sounds for the show? Have any of the themes become reoccurring?
I have a sound palette for the series since we spent a lot of time with the team deciding what it should be. A lot of sounds reoccur and I try to have new sounds for each episode as we discover the “bad guy(s)”. There is a short tune I composed for the Main Title that will play more as we get thru the season. Since this tune has a more heroic vibe, it is easier to play as the team gets more cohesive and their relationships grow.
You have scored both feature films and television shows. What are the main differences between the two, musically?
Picture on a huge screen is more information to process for the audience, and usually the music has to be less intrusive. On the other hand, TV has to be catchier since the audience has the power of changing the channel. Those are very generic parameters, but that’s what goes into consideration at some point and it does influence the music quite a lot.
What has been the most challenging part of scoring Ransom?
The most challenging part was combining everyone’s inputs into one version of the music. There are a lot of producers, broadcasters and a show runner, all from different countries. Even if the formats all over the world are getting standard, there are differences between a French, American or Canadian show. So the challenge was to understand the needs of everyone and find the music that was not conflicting with anyone.
You have scored a lot of dramas. What other types of genres would you enjoy scoring?
I would love to score animation movies. Animation projects give the composer a unique chance to write full and rich orchestral music and have a candidness in the storytelling that I like more and more. Comedy is also another style I like very much. I did a lot comedies in France, they are always refreshing.
You are located in France. When you are scoring an American project does the distance make it more difficult? What is your process like?
Actually, I am located in Santa Monica at Remote Control. I also have a studio in Paris in case I need to meet with people there. So, it depends on the projects really. And, with the internet everything is pretty easy these days! On Ransom, the producers are based in France and Toronto, but the show runner is in London and Paris. So we do a lot over the internet. Even if it works great, sometimes I do miss in person meetings on a project.
What advice do you have for someone looking to get in the business?
I think the most important thing is to do it for the right reasons. This job is a very demanding job, so it is better to really enjoy what you are doing.
If you are naturally excited about what you do, people will naturally be excited about what you do. There is a positive energy that helps a lot. Then, work very hard, study as much as you can, and you will do great!