Backstage - Christopher
Drake Interview (#2)
 Since
we’ve previously interviewed you, let’s jump right to
it! What are your thoughts on your score to Wonder
Woman finally seeing a release (as both a digital
download and on compact disc)?
It's just
great to finally have it released - period! I'm really
happy that its getting an actual "hold it in your hand"
CD release, with cool liner notes... I appreciate the
fantastic work from the good people at LaLaLand Records,
who just wanted the best presentation for the score
album.
Were you involved in the
production of the compact disc release? If so, in what
capacity? Also, is there a preference between compact
disc and a digital download?
I worked
for a bit with James Nelson who engineered the remaster
for the CD. My scores are mixed a bit more neutral for
use in the actual movie, so its not fighting for low
frequency against the sound FX. James basically gave
everything a nice polish, and sonic continuity to all
the tracks.
As for preference? Compact Disc
all the way! It's a really nice presentation. Also,
personally its important for me, that I have give a
credit in the booklet to all the people who helped and
supported me throughout the score.
When
looking back at the feature, and your work produced for
it, is there anything you’d consider changing, or wish
you approached differently?
Of course...
I would be the George Lucas of film scores, if I had
more time to tinker with it. I am my biggest critic, so
I'm never completely satisfied with the end result.
Also, I've heard this music a billion times, so it
usually takes a bit of time and distance for me to
really evaluate my work, Having said that, I'm really
happy with how "The Battle/Origins" and the WW theme
turned out.
What type of limitations are
you faced with when scoring for an animated feature on a
limited budget? Is there anything you wanted to do when
scoring Wonder Woman, but could not due to
restrictions?
Well the biggest is the
lack of a real orchestra performing your music. I have
to do three times as much work to make the synths, sound
like the real deal. Also for i>Wonder Woman time was really tough, I
only had about three and a half weeks to score the picture.
 What were your influences when creating the
character theme for Wonder Woman? I imagine there’s
plenty to consider, giving her rich media history, so
what did you look to make your theme stand out?
I didn't really draw on anything from Wonder Woman's history
in past mediums. I felt our story was something that
hadn't really been presented before on screen.
I
felt pretty free to do my own original Wonder Woman
theme, unlike with Batman, for instance who has a very
"dark" musical template that audiences would expect,
with the long musical lineage of Elfman, Walker, and
Zimmer.
Is there a specific draw to this
character? Did you seek out Wonder Woman or were
you offered to work on it?
No, Bruce
offered me for the gig right after Batman: Gotham Knight.
You scored Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies, as well. What is it like to step from an
epic story like Wonder Woman to a political
superhero team-up adventures like Superman/Batman:
Public Enemies? I can only imagine the approach
taken to create the score to Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies was considerably different than to Wonder
Woman.
Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies was intended
to just be a fun, non stop action thrill ride compared
to the more epic, and operatic music landscape for
Wonder Woman, which was about gods and monsters.. The
direction from Bruce, Michael, and Sam was to treat Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies
as a fun action score, so It's really a pastiche and
homage to my favorite 80's action composers and scores.
The main titles for Superman/Batman: Public
Enemies is my tribute to my
composer idol Jerry Goldsmith.
To briefly
touch upon it, your work is also featured in the
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths animated
feature, as providing “additional themes.” Can you
perhaps go into detail on what that type of work is, and
how it blends with the score work of James Venable?
I was originally hired to be the composer for
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Unfortunately as I started
production on the score my best friend was coming to the
end of a long battle with brain cancer. I needed to be a
human being, and spend some time to deal with that, so I
asked my good friend Jim Venable if he could finish
where I left off.
At the time I left, I had
finished writing the opening of the film and main titles
all the way to Luthor on the Watchtower telling the
Justice League about his Crime Syndicate problem. Jim
picked up with a couple of my sketches for themes, and
cues I was working on, and then pretty much did his
thing for the rest of the movie.
I am forever
grateful for Jim's help, he's a brilliant composer, and
great human being. it was an honor to have the project
transition to his skilled hands. I think the score and
the film turned out pretty amazing!
 So,
as we head into the home stretch, why should fans plunk
down their hard-earned cash to pick up the score release
of Wonder Woman either on compact disc or as an
iTunes download? Convince them!
Well, I
think its great that there's both options. Some people
just want the big battle music from the beginning, or
the end title Wonder Woman theme, and that's cool that
they can just download what they want.
For fans,
and collectors there's the limited edition compact disc
that has different "variant" art work from the download,
as well as liner notes by noted film music commentator
Dan Goldwasser. I'll be autographing a limited number of
the compact discs, which will be available for order
directly from LaLaLand online.
Personally, I'm
just really appreciative that people have enjoyed the
score, and that there's been so much positive interest
in a score release..
Lalaland is a great label,
that's been bringing us some fantastic film score
releases, like Jerry Goldsmith's Inner Space, and
Shirley Walker's Flash, and Batman animated scores.. if
your a fan of film music, buying direct from them
supports a great company, that keeps bringing us such
treasured soundtrack releases.
So, as we
bring this to a conclusion, any hints as to where we’ll
see your work, in the DC Universe and beyond?
I should be starting a live action psychological
thriller later this spring, but I just started Batman: Under the Red Hood, which is an amazing Dark Knight
detective movie... darker than any animated Batman story
I've seen!
The World's Finest would like to thank Christopher
Drake for his participation in this interview.
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