“The Minions Do the Actual Writing”: The Ugly Truth of How Movie Scores Are Made

[Monterey Jack]

Film music has been garbage since roughly 2005. The Zimmer Model killed it dead.

[-JKR-]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Film music has been garbage since roughly 2005. The Zimmer Model killed it dead.

I like many of Hans Zimmer's (team's) scores, yet I agree 100%.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Film music has been garbage since roughly 2005. The Zimmer Model killed it dead.

I have hundreds of soundtracks on CD, only a handful of those are 21st century ones.

[BudBaxter]

Originally Posted by monterey jack

film music has been garbage since roughly 2005. The zimmer model killed it dead.

bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam!

[BaronVH]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Film music has been garbage since roughly 2005. The Zimmer Model killed it dead.

I have to completely agree. When was the last time you left a movie humming its theme? Of course I will age myself, but I clearly recall humming the themes to Superman, Raiders, and even Flash Gordon after leaving the theater. The movie Flash Gordon is bad, but it is such wonderfully amazingly entertaining because of the soundtrack. A lot of people hate on the MCU. I enjoy it for what it is, but there is not one good soundtrack in it. Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy may be exceptions, but they are filled with popular songs (and they have unique directors). The Dune soundtrack was good, but it is more mood relating than relatable. I think there have been some directors unfairly maligned for sacking composers over the years, and I bet this is the root cause.

[AnimalCMan]

If some composers are trying to take credit for the work of others that’s messed up, but that should not apply to Zimmer. He’s always been upfront about the work of others on his scores and if they’re not getting the credit they deserve that fault lies at the feet of the industry where they fail to credit a lot of people. This has been an issue for screenwriters since the dawn of Hollywood.

However, Zimmer went out of his way to help a lot of guys who wouldn’t have a career without his help. One instance that springs to mind was on the recent Arrow release of True Romance it was mentioned how Zimmer was approached to score Speed based on a cue in True Romance that Mark Mancina wrote, he informed Jan DeBont of this and Mancina was subsequently hired, and Speed basically gave Mancina the career he enjoyed for the rest of the 90s. And that’s just one example, every time Zimmer has been busy he’s recommended someone else, most recently with Tenet and his recommendation of Ludwig.

So if you don’t like Zimmer’s music or his influence on the industry that’s fine, but don’t try and make him out to be some phoney who made his career off the backs of others who went unnoticed.

[Doc Samson]

Originally Posted by BaronVH

lot of people hate on the MCU. I enjoy it for what it is, but there is not one good soundtrack in it.

Alan Silvestri's Avenger's theme is pretty great and memorable. I think it will stand the test of time as a recognized piece of music.

[slumcat]

Originally Posted by Bugg

So Hans Zimmer is the James Patterson of film scores?

He's worse.

Originally Posted by Poya

Too bad Christopher Nolan thinks Zimmer's the greatest composer of all time.

Maybe try the opinion of a good director. It might have more weight.

Originally Posted by unberechenbar

I was thinking of making a thread asking why Zimmer gets so much hate.

Because he mostly churns out gutter trash garbage.

Originally Posted by AnimalCMan

If some composers are trying to take credit for the work of others that’s messed up, but that should not apply to Zimmer. He’s always been upfront about the work of others on his scores and if they’re not getting the credit they deserve that fault lies at the feet of the industry where they fail to credit a lot of people. This has been an issue for screenwriters since the dawn of Hollywood.

However, Zimmer went out of his way to help a lot of guys who wouldn’t have a career without his help. One instance that springs to mind was on the recent Arrow release of True Romance it was mentioned how Zimmer was approached to score Speed based on a cue in True Romance that Mark Mancina wrote, he informed Jan DeBont of this and Mancina was subsequently hired, and Speed basically gave Mancina the career he enjoyed for the rest of the 90s. And that’s just one example, every time Zimmer has been busy he’s recommended someone else, most recently with Tenet and his recommendation of Ludwig.

So if you don’t like Zimmer’s music or his influence on the industry that’s fine, but don’t try and make him out to be some phoney who made his career off the backs of others who went unnoticed.

On the contrary, Zimmer's a thief who has built his career on the backs of the little guy.

Zimmer should not receive a single award nomination of any kind, he should have 10 other people credited. If he goes on the stage to accept oscar for scoring Dune, a crowd of 20 people should follow him.

All his album covers should have a list of people who composed the score. His millions should be split 20-30 ways.

And for all that, for having so many minions do his work - his work is still barely adequate and often terrible.