Today Michael Giacchino, the composer of the JJ Abrams Star Trek, has been nominated for an Academy Award for his score of the Disney animated film Ratatouille. The composer has already picked up an Emmy, but this is his first Oscar nomination. He may be following in the footsteps of previous Trek composers Leonard Rosenman, James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith who all have won Oscars.
More Trek Connection Nominations
Giacchino is not the only Trek alum to be nominated for Ratatouille; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock sound effects man Randy Thom is nominated for mixing and editing the film’s sound effects. Many other Trek alumni have been nominated this year, as well. Robert Elswit (an effects photographer for ST:TMP) was nominated for Best Cinematography for There Will Be Blood. TMP makeup artist Ve Neill and veteran Trek effects man John Knoll both received nominations for their work on Pirates of the Cairbbean: At World’s End. And Mike Fink, who created props and miniatures for TMP, was nominated for his visual effects work on The Golden Compass.
The blockbuster Transformers movie written by Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci picked up three nominations (sound editing, sound mixing, and visual effects). Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country sound mixer Greg P. Russell and veteran Trek effects man Scott Farrar are among those nominated for Transformer‘s sound mixing and visual effects, respectively. Sharing the sound mixing nomination with Russell is Peter J. Devlin, who is credited on IMDB as the sound mixer for the new Trek film. Although he was nominated for a Golden Globe, previous Oscar-winner and Star Trek Nemesis scribe John Logan did not get a nod from the Academy for his Sweeney Todd script.
For a full list of nominees go to Oscar.com
I would LOVE for John Williams to score Star Trek just once.
Congratulations to all. The 30-minute Oscars telecast should be very exciting this year.
Our soundtrack is in good hands!
Sounds like the music is in good hands.
I hope Michael Giacchino wins he’s a good composer, it’s great that he’s doing STAR TREK.
Roar! was the best part of Cloverfield!
Rats! Oh, I mean that in a good way.
I’ve heard his name before.What has He done besides Ratatoille?I’d like to familiarize myself with his work before His Trek score comes out.Anyone?Thank You.
Fantastic score for “The Incredibles”, very John Barry/Classic Bond with a jazz shot…I absolutely love the score for “The Incredibles” and equally was impressed with “Rattatouille”, Trek is definitely in superb hands…..
He DESERVES an Oscar. He’s one of the most creative composers in film today, if not THE most.
The LAST thing that Trek needs is a John Williams score.
He wrote the music for MI3 and scores Lost. His Lost CD’s are awesome driving music.
He is kind of like John Williams to JJ’s Spielberg.
Great composers work well with specific directors; the develop great (or at least effective) working relationships.
When will the oscars be announced?
Selected Giacchnino Score Credits:
– Alias (I think)
– Lost
– M:I:III
– Medal of Honot Games
– The Incredibles
– Call Of Duty games
This is a composer to watch.
As a music teacher, I’m thinking my trained ears are hearing this correctly: I’m pretty sure that the music in the teaser trailer is an all new arrangement. Is it the familiar old theme towards the end? Of course. But, there are some intriguing cues and instrumentation throughout the trailer. Frankly, the trailer wouldn’t work without the music. I have a good feeling about this guy, even though I was a huge “Goldsmith fan!” It was time for something new, and since Jerry has passed on, why not go this route? Congrats to the new composer of Star Trek XI music!!!!!
#8 Giacchino has scored CLOVERFIELD and M:I:III (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3).
Seeing that his score is the only one (in the series of “Mission: Impossible” films) that utilized what sounded like the original arrangement of the “Mission: Impossible” theme, I think it’s a safe bet to think that he would use a similar approach to scoring this new STAR TREK. That he would keep intact the original theme and build on it.
Congrats!
Will Giacchino do Trek music for the movie like how they had that new composer do John Williams music for SuperMan: Returns?
Actually, Elswit isn’t the only other Trek alum on the list besides Giacchino. Ve Neill (TMP makeup artist) was nominated for her makeup work on Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End; Randy Thom (ST III sound effects man) has been nominated for mixing and editing the sound of Ratatouille; Greg P. Russell (ST VI sound mixer) and Trek effects vet Scott Farrar are up for their sound mixing and visual effect, respectively, on Transformers; Mike Fink (TMP props and miniatures) got a nod for his effects work on The Golden Compass; and Trek vet John Knoll shares a nomination for the visual effects of Pirates 3.
Yes, I am that much of a dork. ;)
Having said the above, congratulations to Mr. Giacchino and everyone else who was nominated.
The man can write some music. After seeing the Incredibles, I can’t wait to see what he brings to Trek. I hope it gets far away from generic, “orhestra” sounds of latter day Trek and goes back to similar style, cues and themes from TOS, just on a much grander scale.
Talented guy, I hope he takes home the Oscar.
Arrrr…
Sure he’ll do a fine job… but can I start an argument about why the blazes Shatner was not even asked to compose and perform the music?
Ah, you’ll boot me out if dunna do that…
20. Charles Trotter
Dork or not. I’m impressed!
I’M PRETTY SURE I’M NOT ALONE…
…in stating that, no matter HOW you feel about STAR TREK XI, whether it’s the new cast, no Shatner, time travel, new Enterprise, Abrams, Orci, what-have-you…
…the piece of the puzzle that inspires 100% CONFIDENCE will be the score by Micahel Giacchino. His soundtrack for THE INCREDIBLES is one of my favorite scores of the past 10 years, and his work on “Lost” gives me chills each week.
I think the only TREK scores that EVERYONE can agree on as being the best-ever soundtracks would be Goldsmith’s TMP and Horner’s TWOK. Since 1982, sadly, it’s been slim-pickin’s. I have NO DOUBT that Giacchino will knock this one out of the park. CANNOT WAIT!!!
He will do a wonderful job I’m sure! I love all of his scores. Especially LOST and The Incredibles :)
Finally. About three years late, but better late than never. I still think he should have won for The Incredibles. You know, a couple of years back, when Goldsmith passed on, I thought that meant the end of that big music sound that people like him just simply got, then a couple months later, The Incredibles came out, and I knew that the film score didn’t die with Mr. Goldsmith.
But, definitly glad he’s nominated this year. Maybe he might win back to back oscars for Ratatouille and Star Trek?
Congrats Mr. Giacchino, it’s very well deserved.
I have replaced my article with a better one from Chuck who alerted me to the thing in the first place. He is much better than I at this kind of thing. No one could ever beat him at ‘six degrees of star trek’
#15:
I wondered the same thing on one of the early trailer threads, but couldn’t find an answer. I’d love to hear if Giacchino was involved with the teaser’s music. The new arrangement was indeed stirring, and added heavily to the goosebump factor. I’m really looking forward to his Trek score.
one of the only things i actually liked about Generations was its soundtrack… it was ok.
however, for me, music and star trek are made for each other… when i installed my old game Star Trek: Bridge Commander the other day, the very first mod i made was to add all the soundtracks from each of the films etc, it made the game more trekkie to me and made my insides happy.
dont know what anyone else thinks…
Great news for a great talent!
I remember being flamed by someone in the early days for this site for saying how much I was looking forward to a Michael Giacchino score. That poster accused me of talking about ‘trivia’ while he was trying to ‘save’ Trek from ‘destruction’ (yeah, it was one of those whinging knuckle-draggers who doesn’t want a new Kirk/Spock/McCoy film !)
For me, the music has always been a vital part of Star Trek, be it in TOS or the movies. Indeed, the biggest initial criticism I came out with every week about TNG and other Berman Treks was how drab the incidental music was! Ron Jones was the only ‘modern Trek’ show composer to show any real talent beyond the generic slush the other composers churned out every week! And look what happened to him!
TOS has wild, flamboyant, often rather psychadelic music. TMP was majestic, and imposing, if a little self-important for my taste! TWOK’s score fitted like a glove, even if a lot of it borrowed heavily from Battle Beyond the Stars and was subsequently self-plagiarised by Horner in his later 1980s films!
Giacchino’s incidentals for Alias were particularly attention grabbing and I was delighted pick up the CDs from that show. If anyone can capture the mix of wonder, thrills and melodrama that makes real Star Trek work, it’s Giacchino!
Italians do it better
27 Anthony — “No one could ever beat him at ’six degrees of star trek’”
LOL!! Not to sound high and mighty or anything, but that might not be far from the truth. It’s definitely something I’m notorious for at Memory Alpha, where they refer to it as “Six Degress of Patrick Stewart.”
But, hey, it’s fun. I love seeing how Trek people connect outside of Trek.
I am dork. Hear me roar. :-P
I hope he keeps the trek motive thru out the score and doesn’t lose site of how important the themes are. I agree that James Horner did a fantastic job with TWOK even though it was a new theme it was strong, heroic and touching.
Jerry Goldsmith could do amazing things but his later Trek scores sucked because he resorted to standard action movie cues.
I hate to say it, but Goldsmith pretty much resorted to churning it out in his later Treks. The best cues in ST:FC were his son Joel’s, by all accounts.
Dennis McCarthy was never my favourite Trek composer, being the longest-standing supplier of drab incidentals in Trek shows. STIV:TVH had a fun score and STVI had a suitably low-key one for a bittersweet farewell to the original cast. Horner’s compositions haven’t excited me for years.
There has never been a better time for new blood in Trek. I’m also assuming that the teaser trailer’s (very effective) music is a new Giacchino composition.
#19
And you’re absolutely adorkable! :-)
(I think Iowagirl gets props for coining that word)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Big congrats to him. His treatment for just the teaser has been playing on a loop in my head over and over and is just perfect the way it leads into Courage’s fanfare.
If Trek turns out to be half as good a fantasy film (to cite the most inclusive category both films would belong to) as RATATOUILLE, I’ll be a happy man. :-)
I hope the score will be remembered for decades… just like the Pirates score is in everyone’s mind all the time, or the Imperial March
#8
He also scored Alias and he does not do Call of Duty but Medal of Honor. The familiar trumpet blast for the Medal of Honor theme is classic Giacchino.
Actually Michael Did compose the music for the first Call of Duty game. there are other composers for the others.(I think that Joel Goldsmith did compose the third Call of Duty music.)
I have to admit, while I have no doubt that Giacchino will do AMAZING work with ST XI, I would like to see what John Williams could whip up. Either that or Hans Zimmer (Pirates).
Giacchino’s work with The Incredibles was undoubtedly awesome. It was both inspiring and fun.
With a good composer at the helm, everything will come together. As long as he keeps some of the original melodies that we all know so well.
His nomination certainly was a pleasent surprise! Although his filmwork doesn’t always impress me (M:I III was a bit underwhelming), Giacchino has written some excellent work for games like Call of Duty, Semper Fi and so on. I recommand you to take a peak at the soundclips on http://www.michaelgiacchino.com
I reckon the new music for the trailer is also Giacchino’s. By the looks of that and considering Giacchino portfolio so far, we’ll get a different sound this time around. Where Goldsmith’s later works where a bit ‘polished’ and Horner’s more opratic, Giacchino’s work could be more raw action, a more percussion and rythmn-driven score. I reckon this score will be closer to Ron Jones’ excellent work on TNG than anything else. Or even Fried’s Ancient Battle :)
I just love the whole FEEL of the teaser. From the music to the sound effects, it just had a very rich and atmospheric feel to it that reminded me of the early TOS movies.
I really hope that carries over to the new movie itself.
The soundtrack to LOST is total shit, but that isn’t his fault–it’s the “direction” making it weird and atonal and a lot of shit banging around. Giacchino has enormous talent, and when allowed to express itself in non-banal ways, it soars–Secret Weapons over Normandy, the Incredibles, Medal of Honor…all fantastic.
I can’t wait to see what he does with Star Trek–just please, lay off the stupid-ass percussion.
Worst Trek soundtrack: and the winner is… Dennis McCarthy in Generations. What a dull and uninspired work. Sounded like a remix of the boring DS9 fanfare.
I think it is unfair to blame Dennis McCarthy for the banality of most TNG/DS9/VOY music, it was probably the heavy hand of the producers which supressed what he was capable of. There are some decent cues in TNG before it was Bermaned and the DS9 theme remix was inspiring, I think even Generations had a neat theme that was smothered until the horseback scenes and the end credits. Star Trek music given the subject matter needs to “Soar” and the better tracks have that boldness.
Incidentally Ron Jones now scores Family Guy and often has some really great cues very early TNG, even when it was not specifically lifted ala Best of Both Worlds Cliffhanger reference.
Ron Jones was awesome. Just another example of Berman’s “dweebiness”. Is that a word? If it’s in the dictionary, I bet his picture is with it!
#47
If so, wouldn’t that make him just the opposite ;)
Good to see more people praise Ron Jones TNG scores. Now that’s music that should be on cd!
I am very much looking forward to Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack for Star Trek. I loved the music for The Incredibles. I hope he gives it a lot of that retro effect like in The Incredibles. I hope he borrows some from the original TOS music. Some of that TOS Fred Steiner music was good even if it was overrecycled for budget reasons.
As for the worst Star Trek music, you cannot get any worse than those last seasons of TNG: it was random atonal crap. Seriously, no musical structure, just random notes, it was really bad. B&B Bad.
I loved Ratatouille’s music!!