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EXTRAS - BACKSTAGE - INTERVIEW WITH FREDERIK WIEDMANN

The World's Finest caught up with composer Frederik Wiedmann, whose recent work included Batman Versus Robin, Beware The Batman and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, to discuss his work on the DC Universe Animated Original Movie Justice League: Gods and Monsters. A darker twist on the Justice League, Justice League: Gods and Monsters provided Wiedmann with the opportunity to create a new sound for the iconic heroes, resulting in a more mature, layered score for the animated film. Continue below as Wiedmann discusses his work on Justice League: Gods and Monsters and other project past, present and future!

The World's Finest: As someone who's worked on these DC Comics' animated projects for awhile, and usually each story has dealt with the traditional (though updated) portrayal of DC Comics' top heroes, what were your thoughts when you were first approached to score Justice League: Gods and Monsters? What did you think of the concept?

Frederik Wiedmann: When I first saw the footage I was blown away by how different everything is. Nothing was like I expected, so I immediately thought that music can be more provocative as well. I thought Justice League: Gods and Monsters was a brilliant concept, fresh and unique. It was really great to work on something like this.

WF: Can you describe your approach to creating new themes for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman? These are all-new characters, so is it safe to assume you started over from scratch?

FW: All three main heroes in our film have a very dark and almost tragic past. So thematically speaking, their "themes" are very much on the emotional side, not necessarily heroic. There really isn't a heroic theme for them individually, but a Justice League theme, which has epic and heroic elements. The themes for Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman needed to serve more their back-story than their current situation.

WF: Is there anything different you tried with Justice League: Gods and Monsters? Giving the background for the film, this seems like a good opportunity to really take some risks or two.

FW: Yes, absolutely. I immediately felt that this film was rather modern, contemporary. So Bruce and I discussed incorporating more electronic/ambient elements than we usually do in these films. The first third of the film benefits from this the most, I think. Once we get to the big action sequences, we needed a lot of help from the orchestra. For the Main Title, we decided not to go "heroic," but more dark and more Rock-based. I think it was a great choice, as it immediately sets the audience up slightly differently.

WF: What type of resources did you have on hand for Justice League: Gods and Monsters? Is it safe to assume you had a bit of a budget to get in a real orchestra? How much more flexibility do you have for something like the DC animated movies as opposed to one of the TV series, like Beware The Batman?

FW: We were able to record a wonderful 30-piece orchestra in Los Angeles. They really added a nice live touch to the score, a much needed component, especially for the emotional segments. TV shows like Beware the Batman or Green Lantern: The Animated Series generally do not record live orchestras, but on these type of film we do some live recording.

WF: When scoring for a movie like this, or any project for that matter, how involved are the film's producers? Are there certain marks you need to hit for each project? How collaborative is it?

FW: It's a very collaborative environment. It’s really quite wonderful how several ideas flow together and become one. Bruce Timm is very involved in these films. He has a very clear vision, yet I feel I have plenty of creative freedom to accomplish the given concepts, which is a great place to start as a composer. My job is to interpret the ideas of the film makers and turn it into my score, which is a challenging but also incredibly rewarding task.

WF: Is there an appeal to scoring these DC Comics-based animated features? You're become quite the regular on these over the past few years. I assume that each title being essentially different from the one before helps keep things from being stale.

FW: Oh, I love the material. I’ve always loved superhero movies and scores for that matter, so now being able to contribute to this genre is a dream come true. I feel incredibly grateful that WB Animation has trusted me several of their films and shows at this point. It’s really a treat for me to work on these.

WF: After a few years, you've amassed a wealth of DC Comics animation scores under your belt, from the DC Universe Animated Original Movie titles to Beware the Batman to Green Lantern: The Animated Series. Do you have a particular favorite experience, or perhaps a secret to share, from either of these three different experiences? What did you learn from them and how do you apply that forward, given how fundamentally different each project is.

FW: I think Green Lantern: The Animated Series will always hold a very special place in my heart, probably because it was a pivotal job for me. It was my very first job in the superhero world, as well as in animation. As you can see from my credits, it was the beginning of a wave of amazing animation projects, and I think that’s why Green Lantern: The Animated Series will always be very special to me. And, since Green Lantern: The Animated Series was my first expedience with superheroes, I think I learned the most during that time. After the first season - and 500 + minutes of score - I had my chops down and was ready for more.

I always try to bring something new to each of these projects. I feel there is always room to make something more unique and special. If it’s an exotic instrument, electronics, thematic material etc, I try hard to make each project distinct, so it can stand by itself.

WF: Has scoring these DC projects given you more affinity and respect for the source material? How has your opinion on these type of action cartoons and comic characters changed after being so involved with them for so many years?

FW: When I was growing up in Germany, I was exposed more to European comics - like Lucky Luke, Asterix and Obelix, etc. - and not as much the DC Comics or Marvel world.. I did get to read some DC Comics later on, but now that I get to work on these films and shows, I am learning so much about the source material. Each project has story lines and characters that I am not so familiar with, so I learn about them as I go. The more I work on these, the more I realize how amazing and enormous the DC Universe is. It's really incredible.

WF: You've done work outside the DC Animated titles of course. Do you have a favorite type of genre to write for? You've done horror, sci-fi, action ... there must be some aspects of some you prefer over the other. And I assume each allows you to flex different writing muscles, yes? How so?

FW: I’ve been very blessed with many different projects in my career so far. I feel incredibly fortunate to have such variety in my resume. I find each new project exiting, regardless of the genre. I think if I was doing only one genre all the time it would wear itself out, but I never feel that way with my work. Once in a while I get a very unique project, like most recently the Civil War drama Field of Lost Shoes. Those types of films are rare these days so that makes it very special to work on.

WF: As we slowly start to wrap this up, can you fill us in on upcoming projects? Will you be scoring the upcoming Batman: Bad Blood animated movie, and perhaps more DC projects beyond that? Any chance of a Beware The Batman soundtrack? Fill us in if you can!

FW: I can tell you that I am involved in some upcoming DC movies, but I am not at liberty to say which ones. There is more coming, though! Also coming out soon is a great home-invasion thriller called Shut In, starring Beth Riesgraf, and a really beautiful documentary called Spectrum, which is out now on Vimeo. And if you have Netflix, you can always see new episodes of my show All Hail King Julein and Miles from Tomorrowland on Disney Junior.

WF: Lastly, can you recommend some choice cuts from the Justice League: Gods and Monsters soundtrack for fans to pick up when the CD goes up for sale through La-La Land Records?

FW: I think my favorites are:

-Main Title
-In Another Life (Wonder Woman’s backstory)
-Superman’s Legacy (Superman meets Lex)

WF: One final question - If people want to find more about you and your work, where should we point them to?

FW: I am on Facebook and love interactive discussions with fans, so feel free to ask me anything! You can also find me on Twitter and on my website.

WF: As always, it's a pleasure to get to toss some questions at you. You've produced some fantastic music for the DC's animated projects over the years and, hopefully, you'll do plenty more. Thanks for your time!

FW: Thank you very much for having me. Always a pleasure!

Further details on the "Justice League: Gods and Monsters - Music From The DC Universe Animated Original Movie" soundtrack can be found on the official La-La Land Records website and here at The World's Finest.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters and related characters and indicia are property of DC Comics and WB, starting 2001.
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