Producers influence

[Sherief83]

hey John,
Thanks for taking time to share your knowledge with us. Hopefully you don't remember me (my space):D i have two questions for you.

My first question is on producer's influence when scoring. There is this word going on that film producers of big or small Hollywood budgets always have some sort of a say or control in scoring a film. That topic always makes me feel that i should expect some monster of a producer or a director the deeper i get into the business. How influential are they in your scores? Your scores lately have been too brilliant so i'm not sure you would face such a think since you proved your self? but I'm sure you have in your earlier days. would love to hear your experience on the subject.

My second question is on the future of film music style and where you see it eventually going? You are very brilliant with mixing electronics with classical orchestral elements and a very complex and catchy Rhythms. There is absolutely a lot of possibilities with the forms you developed. But i feel the demand for orchestral based music is starting to die and shifting toward electronic/rock only scores. How do you feel about it?

Thanks again for coming!

sherief

[John Powell]

I think you have a slightly darker view of what a "Producer" is. In my experience they are film makers in the truest sense, and are sometimes more responsible for the creative vision of a film than anyone. But it is true that can be many many people who have brought a film into being and they sometimes all have a view on the music. It is your job to hear all these ideas and synthesize a score that makes sense for the film.
Film music seems to me to be heading in the same direction it always was. There is some great music being made and used in wonderful ways and there is lots of music that is there because that is what was in the temp track. If they temp loads of non-orchestral music into a film then that will tend to be the sound of the score. If you love the sound of great orchestral music, there is plenty of the original sources from which the golden age of film scoring was stolen....