New Moon Composer Alexandre Desplat Interview

Soundtracks Examiner. Mark Morton

It’s not every day that you get an opportunity to speak with an Academy Award nominee, let alone one who recently was the recipient of two World Soundtrack Awards. But for all his accolades, French film music composer Alexandre Desplat is a true artist, devoted wholly to his craft. If he is publicly acknowledged for his work, so be it. He accepts it humbly, and keeps his head buried in whatever project he undertakes.

With the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon - The Score  however, Desplat may find himself unintentionally metamorphosing from workhorse to rock star. Having delivered a score that ignites imagination and passion from its listeners, surely many more honors are in the cards.

He completed seven scores this year (Chéri, Coco avant Chanel, Un prophète, L'armée du crime, Julie & Julia, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, and the aforementioned New Moon) and he’s already got three in production for 2010…so far. How can someone possibly concentrate on such a work load when he is consistently offered awards?

It is here where our conversation begins…

It’s funny; I thought I would get better at it when I go up on stage to grab whatever award it is. But as I look out into the audience, I see people like Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Robert DeNiro, and Charlize Theron, I get so impressed and I ask myself, “What am I doing here???” I’m very humbled by it and very happy at the same time.

Do they affect you as a creative energy and the projects you take on?

The main thing there is to be inspired by film. That’s what drives me; that’s what I like; that’s my life. The rest is just an accident. You get an award or you don’t get an award, who cares? But if you make a great film, it’s fantastic, and it’s the best thing you could do if you find a great relationship with a director. Of course, the great thing about awards is that your name becomes more exposed. But I think the body of work that’s behind you is most important. Because if I did bad work and provided bad music for movies, I’m not sure I would get another call.

Have you ever been confused or concerned about receiving accolades for certain projects, when there might be another project you feel stronger about and SHOULD be recognized?

Honestly, it’s really out of my hands. Each project I commit my entirety to. I spend my life doing it, with long hours every day and night. So I don’t really see any difference, whether it be a movie with an hour and a half of music, like New Moon , or a French movie likeL'armée du crime, where there is only 40 minutes of music with an orchestra. To me, both have the same level of difficulty and challenge.

One of the truly remarkable traits of your soundtracks is that when listening to it, the audience participant easily loses himself/herself within the atmosphere you created. And I think that is due to your seemingly innate ability to find the “voice” of the movie. What is your process for becoming so connected to your projects? Do you receive a copy of the movie that you watch over and over until the pattern emerges?

Yes, that’s exactly it. I have copies of each movie. I write movie soundtracks because I want to write movie soundtracks. It is no accident or a business that I wanted to have. I could be selling soap if I wanted a business. I do it because I am fascinated by the process of creating music for films. I never wanted to be a concert composer, either. When I watch a movie, I have a strange intuitive chemistry that drives me along. So it is great to actually have the movie to watch again and again. Sometimes I find the right path right away, but even if I do, I choose not to get excited about it and explore other pathways. I circle around the movie for a long time, so I can be sure that what I am throwing at the picture definitely belongs with it.

It’s funny; sometimes when I am offered a movie to score, I receive a copy with my music from previous scores on the temp track. And the directors say, “Oh, it works so well!” But I don’t see it at all; it definitely doesn’t work at all. It’s the wrong pitch, the wrong color. It’s a new body of work I have to invent; it’s a new challenge. It’s not just the melodies; it’s the sound, the texture…it’s like a new fabric I have to design.

Which leads me to ask; many times you will have multiple films being released in the same year, so how do you give each film its proper attention, so there is no crossover in sound design? Most composers who take on mass quantities of begin to sound similar or unintentionally repeat stylistic elements. How do you avoid that trap?

Well, there are two keys to that. Key #1 is not to do the same type of movie over and over. If I was to do only love stories or dramas or just thrillers, I would be doing the same music, because I would be in a niche. And there is only so much you can do in a niche. If you look at my body of work for any given year, you will see that there are no two types of movies that are the same in that year. And the second one is to just use your brain three times more than you did before – push every cell in your brain during the day and during the night to find ideas and working with an obsessed passion.

So, how did come to get the New Moon score project? Was this something you actively sought out, or did it fall into your lap?

I was actually very lucky to know Chris Weitz, with whom I worked on The Golden Compass. He called me and offered the film, and I said, “Sure Chris, I would love to work with you again.” It was a great experience working with Chris. He loves music, speaks French, and we have a nice relationship.

Did you listen to Carter Burwell’s score for the first Twilight film when you accepted New Moon?

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Shaui, I heart you. Thanks for this. And the answer is No. He didn't listen to Carter Burwell's score, didn't watch the movie. He avoided it altogether for fear that it might influence his work. Which is a surprise for me because the first time I heard "The Meadow" I knew there was a Bella's Lullaby in there somewhere or was it just my imagination. Hahaha. Both themes started with minor seconds though.