Interview with Danny Elfman
AOL, 1997.01
OnlineHost: Your emcees this evening are Melanie
(AOLiveMC1) and Lisa (AOLiveMC9).
AOLiveMC1: Hello and welcome, Danny Elfman! It is a thrill
to have you with us this evening!
DElfmn: Thank you.
AOLiveMC1: Are you ready to answer some questions, Mr.
Elfman?
DElfmn: No. :)
AOLiveMC1: LOL! Here's our first audience question:
AOLiveMC1: NOSPLBOO wants to know:
Question: I hope this gets through to Mr. Elfman..I was
wondering, if Oingo Boingo will get back for some small shows. I
would like to see them play just one show a year. A annual Halloween
show would be great. I am such a fan of the music and style. email me
back.
DElfmn: That will not be the case. Farewell means farewell,
and as we performed our "farewell" tour a year ago last Halloween, it
would be hypocritical of us to announce more shows. I wish I could
tell you otherwise, but, alas, that's the way it is. Please check out
the live video, as it's the closest we'll ever be to performing live
again.
AOLiveMC1: Jim007bon has a question:
Question: What do you think are the key elements that a
great film score should possess?
DElfmn: It completely depends on the film. There's no one
type of score that works for every film. In general however, I
believe a great score should leave you with something memorable, as
well as serving the film's needs, i.e., a melody or some type of
rhythmic figure that gets under your skin.
AOLiveMC1: JasonDS48 asks:
Question: Danny, Do you see yourself ever directing a movie
you make music for?
DElfmn: I hope so. I've written and sold 3 scripts. 2 of
them are still alive, and I hope to see at least one of them, if not
both of them, come to fruition in the near future. I'm devoting
myself starting in spring of this year to working on these projects.
AOLiveMC1: Jim007bon asks:
Question: Do you feel that to be effective a piece of film
music must underscore a scene without calling attention to itself?
DElfmn: Of course not! If that were true, we'd never have
any great film scores like Lawrence of Arabia, or Star Wars, or
Citizen Kane, or The Day the Earth Stood Still, or Vertigo,
not to mention my favorite, Psycho. The music for Psycho could
not have worked better for the film and it, at least to my ears, called glorious
attention to itself, every time it played. I'm thankful for that, or I probably
would not be a film composer right now.
AOLiveMC1: Oops. Sorry about that little interruption!
AOLiveMC1: Fixit agi wants to know.
Question: Hi Danny, I'm a big fan, which is more
fulfilling, doing a soundtrack, or a record?
DElfmn: I assume that you mean by "soundtrack" and "record"
a film recording versus a non-film recording, since e both of them
end up on records (CDs). So, assuming that's what you meant, they're
both fulfilling in very different ways. A film score has unique
challenges and I love hearing the orchestra playing my music.
However, doing a non- orchestral recording (i.e. Oingo Boingo, or a
solo project) I have freedom that I would never have on a film. I
hope to keep both types of recording projects alive during my career,
however short that may be.
AOLiveMC1: Ephraim01 asks:
Question: Does Steve Bartek or John Avila work with you
anymore?
DElfmn: Steve Bartek (Oingo Boingo's guitarist) has worked
with me on practically all my films as my primary orchestrator. And I
hope to work with him regularly in the future, if I'm lucky. John
Avila (Oingo Boingo's bass player) is a great bass player and I hope
I'll work with him in the future as well. As a trivia note, John
played bass on the soundtrack for the movie "To Die For."
AOLiveMC1: Atruji683 asks a long one.
Question: People usually complain that music is so
ambiguous, that it leaves them in such doubt as to what they are
supposed to think, whereas words can be understood by everyone. But
to me it seems exactly the opposite. How do you feel Mr. Elfman ?
DElfmn: What makes you think that we're ever "supposed" to
think anything?
AOLiveMC1: CmmandoGr asks:
Question: I had heard that there was to be a project with
the L.A. Philharmonic where various composers are going to be scoring
works of animation. Are you going to have any part in this?
DElfmn: The project is not for animation but for silent
film, which could be live-action or animation. I hope to be part of
it. They announced that Tim Burton and myself would collaborate on
such a project, but Tim has to make the movie first, before I can
score it! And that may take a little time.
AOLiveMC1: Good4soul asks:
Question: Mr. Elfman, an intriguing thing about your music
is the use of your unique percussion instruments in it. What are the
names of some of these? If you can a brief description please. If not
I understand due to time and other questions.
DElfmn: Mostly it involves banging on just about everything
an anything. That ranges from microphone stands to trash cans, to
West African Balafons, to my own head. No one is safe when I'm
carrying drumsticks.
AOLiveMC1: CmmandoGr wants to know:
Question: What directors would you like to work with in the
future?
DElfmn: Good ones.
AOLiveMC1: SBIGS wants to know.
Question: Will the older albums be released again on CD?
DElfmn: I have no idea. Those types of things are
completely out of my control. It's entirely up to the record
companies, who own those albums. BUT...I hope so.
AOLiveMC1: EStarkey has an interesting question:
Question: *Really* stupid question.
Are you an atheist?
DElfmn: Absolutely not. I believe in Dog.
AOLiveMC1: RSotelo10 asks:
Question: Are you doing the score to Batman and Robin?
DElfmn: You must be kidding. After being so publicly uninvited
to Batman Forever I believe that they prefer the newer, themeless, almost-Batman
score to the little ditty that I gave them originally.
AOLiveMC1: Boy, my fingers! Sorry!
AOLiveMC1: Good4soul has another Question:
Question: Mr. Elfman, When it comes to recording your music
do you use digital samples, orchestra, or both? -Rebecca
DElfmn: It depends on the score. Batman was almost
100% orchestra, but a movie like Dead Presidents, it's about 50-50, combining
my own digitally sampled percussion instruments with live orchestra instruments.
AOLiveMC1: That is so interesting. :D
AOLiveMC1: BeeKind1 asks:
Question: Danny, at what age did you know that you could
write music?
DElfmn: I'm still not sure that I can.
AOLiveMC1: LKPerez asks:
Question: A socialist friend of mine swears that your song
"Capitalism" is satire, but I believe it's serious. Which is it?
DElfmn: You're both right. It's serious satire.
AOLiveMC1: Swimmerbo asks:
Question: Your scores for Batman and Beetlejuice
are magnificent. How long does it take to come up with the scores for such movies.
And please don't stop.
DElfmn: To write a film score can take between three weeks
and three months, depending on the complexity of the job at hand and
what type of desperate measures the filmmakers are being subjected to
(release dates, etc.) but, whenever possible, I like to have at least
6 weeks.
AOLiveMC1: DBlues48 asks:
Question: What are you working on now?
DElfmn: I just started work on a movie called "Men in
Black" which should be out next summer.
AOLiveMC1: Dingbelle would like some advice:
Question: Danny, I am considering film scoring as my major,
and I was wondering what your advice would be to a young student?
DElfmn: God help you.
AOLiveMC1: Russ619 asks:
Question: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
DElfmn: Anywhere but six feet under.
AOLiveMC1: Amphigor asks:
Question: What was the last costume you wore for Halloween?
What's the next costume you'll wear for Halloween?
DElfmn: Last Halloween I was a giant penis. Next Halloween,
I'm disguising myself as a tiny one.
AOLiveMC1: LOL!
AOLiveMC1: Designwc wants to know:
Question: What role did you play in the visual design of
"Nightmare Before X-mas?"
DElfmn: None, really. I was involved with just about
everything *but* that, but the visuals belong completely to Tim,
Henry, and his talented crew.
AOLiveMC1: DCGorka asks:
Question: When we use your music for scratch tracks, many
times we send a rough cut to a music company that "rips off" your
work. Does this bother you as an artist?
DElfmn: Sometimes, but I suppose that, in an offhanded way,
it's a form of compliment.
AOLiveMC1: OingoFrea wants to know:
Question: When is or is Mars Attacks going to be released?
I am about to bring a tape recorder to the movies to get the damn
soundtrack? Can we write anybody?
DElfmn: Thank you for asking. I sincerely hope Mars
Attacks gets released; I'm told that it will. I have a particular fondness
for that score, so I'd really like to see it happen. I suppose it can't hurt
to write Warner Brothers, who released the movie, and give then a nudge, but
I do believe they're trying.
AOLiveMC1: OINGOFREA asks:
Question: Are you still planning on creating your own
record label?
DElfmn: It will happen someday, but unless I can figure out
how to clone myself, it's not going to happen right away.
AOLiveMC1: WHunger41 asks:
Question: Danny your awesome, how about doing work with
Quentin Tarantino?
DElfmn: I love Quentin's work, but he generally works
without the aid of a composer, using only songs instead, which, in
his movies, seems to work just fine. However, should he call.
AOLiveMC1: SweynWor1 asks:
Question: What do you feel is the most important skill for
a film composer to have?
DElfmn: To understand film.
AOLiveMC1: Beawr asks:
Question: What is your opinion of current popular music -
has it gotten better or worse?
DElfmn: I don't think it's better or worse. It's always a
matter of waiting for the next, new surprise.
AOLiveMC1: Nienzus08 wants to know:
Question: Where do you see your orchestral compositions
going? I mean are you going to move into say, ambient, etc.
DElfmn: All I've ever really wanted to do is elevator
music. So, maybe I'll get my shot someday. P.S. - Dentist's offices
would be nice, too.
AOLiveMC1: ELForman wants to know:
Question: Are there any films you were offered and turned
down that you wish you had taken?
DElfmn: Citizen Kane
AOLiveMC1: PatsClark asks:
Question: Danny, how do you chose your projects? What's
your criteria?
DElfmn: I type the names of every film going into
production that year on small pieces of paper, tape them to the wall,
and throw darts. Isn't it obvious?
AOLiveMC1: DGerard96 asks:
Question: Will you be releasing an album of all the sound
tracks for movies that you have scored?
DElfmn: I've already done that, if I understand your question.
"Music for a Darkened Theater: Volume I" covered pieces from my first 5 or 6
years of film scoring, and "Music for a Darkened Theater II", which just came
out, takes us from Edward Scissorhands to Mission Impossible.
I hope I get a chance to do a Volume III in another 5 or 6 years.
AOLiveMC1: Kyle42sin wants to know:
Question: I particularly like your use of low brass
instruments like the tuba and trombone. What section of instruments
do you most like to write for and why?
DElfmn: I don't have a favorite section of instruments.
It's just whatever seems appropriate for that particular scene, or
that particular score, seems to call out for themselves whether it be
low brass or winds. I know that doesn't make much sense, but that's
kind of how it works.
AOLiveMC1: Oh, it makes sense to musicians!
AOLiveMC1: BLUR154 asks:
Question: Danny: Did you ever imagine you would be writing
movie/TV scores when you first started out with Oingo Boingo?
DElfmn: No way.
AOLiveMC1: Max tao asks:
Question: What were you like in high school?
DElfmn: Quietly psychotic.
AOLiveMC1: And Zombyclow asks:
Question: Mr. Elfman, I heard that a CD was going to be
released with unheard Oingo Boingo songs such as "Vultures," "Water"
and others (A boxed set). Is this true?
DElfmn: Not that I've heard of.
AOLiveMC1: Huffed asks:
Question: Danny, assuming you have at least some spare
time, what interests do you pursue away from music?
DElfmn: I'm a Photoshop bug.
AOLiveMC1: Macca 515 asks:
Question: Hi , were you influenced by the band XTC?
DElfmn: Yes. XTC, The Specials, Madness, and PIL all caught
my attention and caught me quite off-guard, when they first came out
around the same time.
AOLiveMC1: The time has really slipped by! Only enough for
one final question.
AOLiveMC1: ARogantwr asks:
Question: How do you feel about people moshing to the "Pee
Wee" theme, Mr. Elfman?
DElfmn: I'm a huge Primus fan and so, as you can imagine,
if you've ever been to a Primus show, I was more than shocked when I
heard the "Pee Wee" theme playing before they came out. To see people
moshing to that absurd bit of music brought tears to my eyes. Not
exactly what I expected when I wrote it.
AOLiveMC1: Thank you so much for dropping by and answering
our questions, Mr. Elfman!
DElfmn: My pleasure. I'd love to do it again sometime.
Again, my apologies to all those Boingo fans who keep hoping for some
signs of life. Thanks and good-bye.
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