Michael Giacchino

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Giacchino (born in Riverside, New Jersey) is an American soundtrack composer who has composed several multi-award winning scores for many popular movies, television series and video games.<ref name="IMDB.com>IMDB.com - Michael Giacchino</ref> His scores are notable for their usage of brass. He is an alumnus of the Juilliard School and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he acquired a degree in film production and a minor degree in History.<ref name=Mackie.com>Mackie.com</ref>

[edit] Compositions

[edit] In videogames

Giacchino's first major composition was for the DreamWorks video game adaptation of the 1997 movie, The Lost World: Jurassic Park.<ref name=MichaelGiacchino.com>Michael Giacchino.com -Biography</ref> The video game was the first PlayStation-only console title to be recorded with an original live orchestral score. Giacchino has since continued his relationship with DreamWorks, providing full orchestral scores for many of their popular videogames. Giacchino's award-winning compositions covers the entire Medal of Honor series, (Underground, Allied Assault and Frontline), and also the scores for several other World War II-related video games like Secret Weapons Over Normandy, Call of Duty and Call of Duty: Finest Hour.<ref name=MichaelGiacchino>Michael Giacchino.com - Wors</ref> Additionally, Giacchino composed themes for The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer, and co-wrote the theme of Black with composer Chris Tilton.<ref name=ChrisTilton.co,>Chris Tilton.com - Black</ref>

[edit] In film and television

Giacchino's work on the various video games led to his first work on television. In 2001, J.J. Abrams, producer of the television series Alias, discovered Giacchino through his work on the video games and tapped Giacchino to provide the new show's soundtrack.<ref name=IMDB>IMDB.com - Alias - Full Credits</ref> The soundtrack featured a mix of full orchestral pieces, often mixed with upbeat electronic music, a departure from much of his previous work. Giacchino would also provide the score for J.J. Abrams's next project, the 2004 television series, Lost<ref name=Amazon.com>Amazon - Lost Soundtrack</ref>, which was an acclaimed soundtrack that used a unique process of using spare pieces of a plane fuselage for the percussions. His score for Lost is notable for a signature thematic motif - a brass fall-off at the end of certain themes.<ref name=TheLogBook>The Log Book - Lost</ref> In 2004, Giacchino was given his first big feature film composition, when he was called on to provide the soundtrack for the Pixar film, The Incredibles.<ref name=Cinemusic.net>Cinemusic - The Incredibles</ref> Director Brad Bird had heard Giacchino's work on Alias and asked him to work on the soundtrack for the new movie. The upbeat jazz orchestral sound was a departure in sound not only for Giacchino but for Pixar, who had previously relied on the works of Randy and Thomas Newman for all of their previous films. Brad Bird had originally sought out John Barry, who was best known for composing many of the early James Bond movie soundtracks, to compose the music, but was reportedly unable to write music that fit his old James Bond style. Giacchino was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2005 for his work The Incredibles: Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media and Best Instrumental Composition.<ref name=Mlscmusic.com>Grammy Nominations 2005 - PDF</ref> Giacchino also composed scores for the 2005 films, Sky High and The Family Stone, and the television movie, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. Most recently, Giacchino composed the score for the movie Mission: Impossible III, directed by J.J. Abrams, which was released on May 5 2006.<ref name=CDUniverse.com>CDUniverse - M:I - III</ref> Following the announcement that Incredibles director Brad Bird would be directing the next Pixar film, Ratatouille, it was announced that Giacchino, who has a history with Bird, will be providing the score.

[edit] Additional compositions

In addition to his long list of soundtracks, in 2005 Giacchino collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering in creating two new soundtracks for the updated versions of Space Mountain at Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland.<ref name=Allearsnet.com>Space Mountain</ref> Giacchino was also contracted by Sarah Vowell, who played character Violet in The Incredibles, to compose the score to the audio version of her book Assassination Vacation.

[edit] Awards and nominations

In 2004, Giacchino won the award of "Excellence in Audio" in the Game Developers Choice Awards for work on the video game, Call of Duty. Giacchino was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2005 for his work on The Incredibles: Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media and Best Instrumental Composition.<ref name=IMDB.co.uk>Michael Giacchino Awards</ref> Cited by the New Yorker music critic Alex Ross as "some of the most compelling film music of the past year,"<ref name=Newyorker.com>NewYorker.com - SOUND AND VISION</ref> Giacchino's work on Lost won him the 2005 Emmy for Music Composition For A Series (Dramatic Underscore).<ref name=ASCAP.com>Emmy Award Winners</ref>

[edit] Partial composer filmography