# John Powell Interview



## bobulusbillman (Apr 9, 2013)

Pretty interesting!

http://www.spitfireaudio.com/john-powell-exclusive-qa.html


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## dcoscina (Apr 9, 2013)

What a waste of time. If I wanted to read a one dimensional, expletive riddled article I would have opened up a copy of Playboy. I thought he was incredibly unprofessional and disrespectful to the Spitfire gent who did pose some pretty incite full questions. There is absolutely nothing substantive about this "interview" except that Powell loves VW's 5th Symphony. 

I did some film music journalism and interviewed Gabriel Yared, Christopher Gordon and James Peterson and they were all decent, patient interviewees. They didn't act like sarcastic post adolescents. I respect Powell as a composer but have lost some for him as a person.


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## Casey Edwards (Apr 9, 2013)

It made me laugh. Take it for what it is man, a light hearted joke. If you take life too seriously you might not make it out alive... ~o)


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## rpaillot (Apr 9, 2013)

Honestly I had a good laugh reading this interview. :D


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## Guy Rowland (Apr 9, 2013)

I dunno, made me smile a coupla times. If he ever posted at VI-C, I shudder to think of the consequences....


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## Kralc (Apr 9, 2013)

Powell and Spitfire, nice! I can see him posting on V.I..... :| 

Think there's a John Powell signature lib down the line for SF?


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## Lex (Apr 9, 2013)

One of the best interviews I read in a while. 

alex


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## dinerdog (Apr 9, 2013)

f-ing excellent.


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## Brobdingnagian (Apr 9, 2013)

Quite possibly my favourite interview...ever.


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## Christof (Apr 9, 2013)

I guess he just lost a tie break on the tennis court and was quite pissed off to give an interview.
His tone is annoyed, arrogant and uninspired.
I must say that I am disappointed.

But hey, his music is gorgeous!


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## Rctec (Apr 10, 2013)

It's very John. I've known him for 25 years. He takes music very seriously, but has a wicked streak of pythonesque humor. I read it hearing the sound of his voice in my head. The tone just doesnt come across in print. Honestly, he is one of the most serious and sincere people I know, with strong convictions and a solid moral compass. But the inevitable irony of even being asked about something as mundane as film-music, let alone the ickiness of having to comment on his own music - which, in all humbleness will make him squirm and take refuge in schoolboy wit - will lead him to taking the piss of most answers. There is no hubris. This, after all, is the man who wrote a concert piece (performed!) for two tubas and beach ball...
I'll forward him this link. I hope he'll take up the pen. That's putting the cat amongst the pigeons - beware of what you wish for, my little pigeons 
-Hz-


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## Christof (Apr 10, 2013)

Yes, I must say I was quite astonished by his attitude, but if you read it under a humorous aspect it is very entertaining.
I will not edit my earlier post, that would be unfair.Let the cat out!

Come on, I am an austrian!

-little pigeon from Vienna-


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## Per Lichtman (Apr 10, 2013)

While there were a couple questions I would have enjoyed more serious answers to, I can't help but admit how much I enjoyed many of the irreverent ones.

I definitely enjoyed his response to "What would be your advice on improving working relationships with directors? Is there anything that you have found that short-circuits common problems?"

The whole thing reminded me slightly of the tone of Johannes' interview and story in American Short Fiction back in 2010. http://www.americanshortfiction.org/blog/?p=4135


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## Tatu (Apr 10, 2013)

Funny how things translate through text. To me it seemed like someone being tired of answering the same (stupid-) questions for the 1001'st time.

Favorite part: The score to “Symphony Number 5 by Ralph Vaughn Williams” :D


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## Resoded (Apr 10, 2013)

I just love the contrast, childrens/family movies and then this interview.


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## mchastney (Apr 10, 2013)

Great interview and very funny, it may be a British thing but I could identify his sense of humour in the interview straight away. His work speaks for itself and displays how serious he truly takes things.


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## MCS (Apr 10, 2013)

Christof @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> Come on, I am an austrian!



lol :D


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## impressions (Apr 10, 2013)

Randy Edelman told us at a workshop "you want to be a film composer because you want a job that doesn't feel like work"
What he actually meant, after myself venturing this and understanding his cynic, was that its actually the most stressful job on the friggin planet, serves you right!


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## Waywyn (Apr 10, 2013)

Great interview!!
Everyone who "doesn't get it" apparently forgets the human emotions which you simply can't read and see in THIS interview.

I mean, you read all those interviews and these questions about "secret weapons" or "what's your setup" and people come up with the wildest intellectual stuff, ... but in the end JP is absolutely down to earth. In the end isn't it true?? At the end of the day, everyone is cooking with water!


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## Christof (Apr 10, 2013)

> Everyone who "doesn't get it" apparently forgets the human emotions which you simply can't read and see in THIS interview.


I definitely didn't get it :wink:


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## dcoscina (Apr 10, 2013)

I thought after the first few questions whether he was being sly because I've heard other interviews with him and I know he's got that dry sense of humor. But when it continued throughout the interview it seemed like he was annoyed at being questioned. Perhaps the a a spitfire audio guy could chime in and confirm that it was all in good fun. Powell gave a terrific interview a couple years back to I think FsM (an audio interview that I have saved on my iPod because it is so incisive but candid too) so I was hoping he'd have responded to this interviewer in the same manner. But hey, if both he and the interviewer were having fun with this, who the hell am I to say anything then?

The one thing he did say that I agree with is stop listening to film music. Right on the money! And the VW comment of course.


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## Markus S (Apr 10, 2013)

Well, as far as he is the one interviewed, I can't see in any way, why he wouldn't reply the way he feels is right. The answers are what they are.

It does seem to tell between the lines, that even in the position he is in (that I am sure many people on this forum aim for), you do not find necessarily self satisfaction.


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## stevenson-again (Apr 10, 2013)

I thought it was a brilliant interview - made me laugh. I think some here are missing some cultural context, the effect of which was alluded to by Hans. If you ask me, it would be pretty typical response from one of my pommy mates, to recoil from having to respond seriously to questions about themselves and their success. It's not done, don't you know? If you spent some time here in the UK drinking with some locals, you'd be laughing too and completely unconcerned. It's not arrogant or annoyed or flippant - it's just a determination not to take oneself too seriously - its a quality I love about people from this country.

There were some take away points for those who were paying attention:

- there is no secret ingredient in your secret ingredient soup - he uses the same stuff as we do.
- orchestrations and mockups are pretty detailed these days.
- every project feels squeezing the last toothpaste from the tube.
- take the music very seriously - but not yourself.
- don't always listen to film music. that's pretty good advice if you ask me. Personally I probably listen to way too much film music - and I have a background in concert music. Good inspiration to make sure I keep my horizons broad.
- I thought the delegation of the orchestration was interesting. Much as how I have done it, but I always seem to encounter issues....I probably need to get better pixies...

Buy the man a pint and relax.....


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## cc64 (Apr 10, 2013)

Loved the interview, quite refreshing in fact. 

I really took it as 2 blokes(can i say Bloke even if i'm not english myself, hope it's not like the N word...) having a pint or two at the local pub and maybe some of that inspirational stuff JP talks about. BTW don't know what he is alluding to but i'd like to order 2 "18 wheelers" of that stuff! Hey Spitfire, when you do the definitive JP kazoo library, maybe you could include some of that stuff for those who pre-order?

And regarding Spitfire chiming in on this, even if we composers and/or devellopers are a self-depreciating masochistic bunch, i don't think they would have dedicated a whole page on their website if they felt ridiculed by JP in the interview. But i can't speak for them...

Keep up the good work Paul and Christian!

Best,

Claude


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Apr 10, 2013)

Nice balls, Spitfire! I just absolutely loved JP's very refreshingly-frank replies.


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## Inductance (Apr 10, 2013)

Haha... It seems to me that this interview was done in writing, and not in person (unless the emoticon  was inserted in there by the person that typed the interview, that is). If so, it makes more sense that he received the interview questions, and just had some fun answering them. It reminds me of some the responses I used to give to "surveys" that would be passed around on Myspace or Facebook.

This was my favorite answer:

SA What is your proudest/most exciting moment as a film composer?

JP Pride cometh before a fall so I’m very nervous of that particular feeling. I realised my place in films on my very first film “Face/Off”. I was treated to my first limo ride to the premiere, and as I got out onto the red carpet, the audible sound of disappointment from the crowd as they realised I wasn’t John Travolta snapped everything into place.


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## EastWest Lurker (Apr 10, 2013)

I love this guy, not to mention his scores.

Best line is the last:"But don’t take yourself too seriously. After all, you are just sitting there at a computer, ripping off the temp. It’s not exactly art now, is it. For fucks sake you’re a “film” composer…"


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## FriFlo (Apr 10, 2013)

I completely like the sarcasm here, as, from a artistic point of view one really has to take all of that film business not to seriously. Otherwise, you would have to be free of artistic ambitions ...


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## Christof (Apr 10, 2013)

> I'll forward him this link. I hope he'll take up the pen. That's putting the cat amongst the pigeons - beware of what you wish for, my little pigeons



well, I guess now the authenticity and spontaneity of honest comments has disappeared unless someone doesn't fear cats.

(oh man, was this a correct english phrase?)


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## Synesthesia (Apr 10, 2013)

Just for the record! We loved JP's answers - he's a very funny chap and Hans explained it far better than I can.

Anyone for whom the phrase "Its just a flesh wound!" has resonance will get it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4


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## dcoscina (Apr 10, 2013)

I guess there really are some cultural things that don't come off as well in print and will leave it at that. I re-read the interview and, admittedly, there are some good things in there. Perhaps it was the vernacular that turned me off more than what was being said. I will re-iterate that Powell has always commanded my respect as far as his music goes. Right from Faceoff, I took note of his sense of harmony. He's never been stuck on those predictable diatonic traps that so many scores fall into the trap of. 

I had my ipod on shuffle this morning in the car on the way to work and listened to Test Flight from HTTYD and it still sends shivers down the spine when those horns come in with the thematic statement. Epic. 

It was decent of Hans Z to chime in and explain a bit (I had a thought that he might). 

PS- what is your favorite color? Blue?


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## Greg (Apr 10, 2013)

"SA And here’s for the most uninspired question, but the one everyone at our site will analyse the deepest. What’s your set up, can you tell us about the kit you have? What are your favorites, both hard and soft…?
JP I use exactly the same shit everyone has and I do exactly the same things that everyone else does… It didn’t use to be that way… but now everyone can get great gear and incredible sounds. We have all been “equalized” so no one has any excuse for sounding shitty."

Lol! My favorite gem from this interview.


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## germancomponist (Apr 10, 2013)

Lex @ Tue Apr 09 said:


> One of the best interviews I read in a while.
> 
> alex



+1

Absolutely!


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## Ian Dorsch (Apr 10, 2013)

I thought it was great. Made me respect the guy even more. :D


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## germancomponist (Apr 10, 2013)

Rctec @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> ... but has a wicked streak of pythonesque humor. I read it hearing the sound of his voice in my head. The tone just doesnt come across in print. ...



Yeah, this sometimes seems to be a problem more than enough. 

I for myself gave up it to write in my "special" art of humor here... .


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## dgburns (Apr 10, 2013)

funny funny interview.

"Get that man a Ruddles!"


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## stevenson-again (Apr 10, 2013)

> Best line is the last:"But don’t take yourself too seriously. After all, you are just sitting there at a computer, ripping off the temp. It’s not exactly art now, is it. For fucks sake you’re a “film” composer…"



LOL...actually that's the one bit I didn't really agree with....at least, I agree with the sentiment, but honestly some of the best bits of music I have ever heard have been film music. But if you start thinking down that road, it will inevitably lead you up your own arse - no doubt about it.


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## Guy Rowland (Apr 10, 2013)

stevenson-again @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> > Best line is the last:"But don’t take yourself too seriously. After all, you are just sitting there at a computer, ripping off the temp. It’s not exactly art now, is it. For fucks sake you’re a “film” composer…"
> 
> 
> 
> LOL...actually that's the one bit I didn't really agree with....at least, I agree with the sentiment, but honestly some of the best bits of music I have ever heard have been film music. But if you start thinking down that road, it will inevitably lead you up your own arse - no doubt about it.



Yeah, me too - I was enjoying it til then! But maybe for a different reason... I love film music, but what I love more than anything is to score to picture, cos I'm storytelling... my real passion. I love film and music pretty much equally, to score a film is a wonderful thing (he said, promptly disappearing up his own arse...


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## Ryan Scully (Apr 10, 2013)

Agree with all the positive responses here! What a great read and a refreshing perspective on a man whose work I admire to the utmost degree.




Ryan :D


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## IFM (Apr 10, 2013)

I laughed out loud several times...loved it!


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## Andreas Moisa (Apr 11, 2013)

Awesome! :-D I can only imagine what it felt like stepping out of that limo  "Who's this?" ... "It's nobody..just the composer...." :-D


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## guydoingmusic (Apr 11, 2013)

If you can't find the humor in that... Jeez!! That was hilarious!


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## nickhmusic (Apr 11, 2013)

I'm two parts >8o and three parts o=? 

so the latter wins and I therefore liked the article.


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## PMortise (Apr 11, 2013)

Synesthesia @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4








"Alright, we'll call it a draw." :lol:


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## sin(x) (Apr 21, 2013)

I can't tell you how much I loved that interview. I swear if I read another “sincere” composer interview in the vein of “Q: Do you have any advice for budding composers?” – “A: Put yourself out there, make contacts, never stop writing!”, I'm gonna kick a puppy in the face.


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## Ed (Apr 21, 2013)

stevenson-again @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> > Best line is the last:"But don’t take yourself too seriously. After all, you are just sitting there at a computer, ripping off the temp. It’s not exactly art now, is it. For fucks sake you’re a “film” composer…"
> 
> 
> 
> LOL...actually that's the one bit I didn't really agree with....at least, I agree with the sentiment, but honestly some of the best bits of music I have ever heard have been film music. But if you start thinking down that road, it will inevitably lead you up your own arse - no doubt about it.



Its sad he doesnt think much of his own music, considering how its so damn good, but oh well.

So it turns out these guys are normal guys and not gods. I'll have to consider taking down my shrine...


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