Take a ‘Sneak Peek’ At Star Trek Movie Scoring Session

One of the most highly anticipated elements of the new Star Trek movie is the score by Oscar-nominee Michael Giacchino. While we will have to wait until next year to learn and hear more about the new music of Trek, ScoringSessions.com has put up an interesting ‘sneak peek’ of their visit with Giacchino and the Hollywood Studio Symphony.  

 

See Trek’s new music being recorded – courtroom style

Due to the NDAs and secrecy of the Star Trek movie, ScoringSession is not allowed to release their full set of photos from this Fall’s Star Trek recording at Sony Scoring Stage until next spring. However, Trek composer Michael Giacchino suggested they could recreate some of the photos now, using ‘courtroom style’ sketches, which they put online today.


Composer Michael Giacchino, scoring mixer Dan Wallin, additional orchestrator Chad Seiter and orchestra contractor Reggie Wilson


Director J.J. Abrams, score coordinator Andrea Datzman and composer Michael Giacchino

Visit ScoringSessions.com for more images and larger sizes.

Dan Goldwasser of ScoringSessions tells TrekMovie he hopes to have the full story up ‘Marchish.’ Dan also confirmed that everyone on the ‘crew’ (the people in the booth) were wearing Star Trek uniform shirts on the day of the shoot.

Jeff Bond’s take
Geek Magazine editor Jeff Bond (also author of "The Music of Star Trek" and contributor to Film Score Monthly as well as TrekMovie), was at the same scoring session and he will be reporting on it this Spring as well. Regarding what he has heard so far, Jeff tells TrekMovie "it looks like we will be getting another great Giacchino score, and another great Star Trek score.”

Giacchino’s Oscar turn
Earlier this year Michael Giacchino was nominated for his "Ratatouille" score, but didn’t take home an Oscar. However, he will be getting a consolation prize. Recently it was announced that Giacchino has been selected to be the music director for the upcoming Oscar ceremony on February 22nd. So the next time someone runs long in their acceptance speech, it will be Giacchino in the pit conducting the orchestra playing them off. Regarding his selection the composer told AP:

I anticipate it being different but having a lot of fun doing it. I also anticipate it being very tense and counting every second. At the same time, it’s always like that when you’re scoring because you’re constantly watching the clock, checking to see if you’re on time and making sure you’re on budget, so it may not be that different.

In addition to his Oscar work and Trek, Giacchino for two additional feature films in 2009, "Up" and "The Land of the Lost" and that is in addition to his work on "Lost" and "Fringe." So it is a big year for Giacchino and his fans.

125 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I guarantee this will be, at the very least, the Third Greatest TREK Soundtrack of All Time (after TMP and TWOK, of course).

But judging from Giacchino’s work on “Lost” and THE INCREDIBLES, it has the potential to be THE best!

Glad to hear that Giacchino will be handling the music for the Oscars. Bill Conti’s music was really starting to sound tired and dated.

Hopefully we’ll be hearing Alexander Courage’s classic Star Trek “opening credits” music in the new film.

first? Giacchino is awesome. I loved his score for ‘The Incredibles’ I’m sure his ‘Trek’ score will be amazing!

Very much looking forward to this movie!!!

The really important question is: Are those real T-shirts and if so will they be commercially available?

My score order:

I
V
X
IX
II
III
VIII
VII
IV

I really hope he uses Goldsmith’s Enterprise theme.

Did they REALLY wear trek t-shirts?

I do believe I see an Apple computer! Smart people they got there ;-)

#6

Where’s the love for VI? You didn’t even give it an honorable mention! ;)

VI is actually my second favorite score behind II & III (really the same score just rearranged).

@7 I am Kurok: The article says they did

TMP and TWOK are great. But I’ve always been a big fan of First Contact, and VI.

My score order:

II > III > VI > IX > VIII > I > IV > V > VII > X

First Contact and The Undiscovered Country have always been my two favorite scores. I also liked the score to Nemesis, even if the movie was a bit iffy.

Oh, and the all time best piece of Star Trek music is hands down “Stealing the Enterprise” by Horner, followed by the Opening theme of Undiscovered Country by Eidelman.

Wow, that drawing looks nothing like JJ.

Wow. We’re going to complain about the drawings of the people who were present at the scoring session. This is a disaster.

Our journey is nearly complete.

Hope they finish the score quickly. Wallin and Seiter are wearing red shirts, which means they’ll be dead shortly.

#14—“…the all time best piece of Star Trek music is hands down “Stealing the Enterprise” by Horner”

That is a great one, but I like the music in TOS the absolute best. Its placement was sometimes questionable, but when it was on cue—-it was fantastic!

#17—Lmao!

LOVE the drawings.

hah, Chad Fryes drawings totally rock :))

My score order:

I > V > VI > IV > VII > VIII > II > X > III > IX

I’d say this new film has a good chance of getting into the top 3!

They had better have some real good themes & cues on this score. There’s been very few scores the last 5 years that had any good themes in them and used them effectively. Even Goldsmiths work on Nemesis, Insurrection and first contact was a shadow of what he could do prior to that. Outside of him, James Horner & John Williams there’s no one out there that really excites me.

having said that, the trailer music was OUTSTANDING and I know it was ripped off from Children of Dune, but it really did build excitement, epic-ness and brutally strong theme which this film needs. PLEASE DONT GIVE US A WEAK SCORE………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#23. Mike Jones stated: having said that, the trailer music was OUTSTANDING and I know it was ripped off from Children of Dune, but it really did build excitement, epic-ness and brutally strong theme which this film needs. PLEASE DONT GIVE US A WEAK SCORE………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
——–

Quoted for truth, brutha! There’s been a trend in film lately for scores to be more atmospheric and less lyrical. I’m hoping Giacchino gives us a powerful and memorable score. The kind that gets stuck in your head, humming the themes for weeks.

@23…
what about Hans Zimmer, Mike?

I should say ‘2 steps from Hells’ version of the children of dune music..btw how DO they get away with virtually copying music like that and no copyright issues???!?

Oh yea Zimmer ok..him too:))

What also matters is what they choose to stick on the soundtrack CD. I’d love it if they could do a Lord-of-the-Rings-style “every-f***ing-thing we recorded” CD, assuming the score is any good.
Which I think it will be. Just bought the Ratatouille score!

Sneak peak? At what and why?
Looks like something straight out
a stoners dream after watching them
in their so called concert.
This belongs in MAD magazine not here.
It’s so utterly laughable that its shameful.

I have nothing but faith in Giacchino, after ‘Lost’, ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Ratatouille’. The man is great. He’s not Goldsmith (at least, not yet), but I could see him giving Horner a run for his money. The music should be fantastic.

the closing credits to undiscovered country. the signing of their names is probably the coolest end credits ive ever seen, great send off plus the ST theme kicks in just as bill signs his name… awesome. also 8,9 and 10 soundtracks are cool i loved jerry goldsmiths scores for trek

But I just dont find myself going back to his music that often, I loved the Gladiator but I wore out on it eventually. Batman was great but theres very little to hold onto when most of it is atmospheric, schizophrenic (works great in the movie) not so good at home. I never get bored of the 1st 3 trek soundtracks or some of their other works (horner, goldsmith & williams)
like wine they get better the more one listens?

That trailer music was really really good though…the trumpets especially so exciting

Undiscovered Country music..frankly sucked. The theme was pretty poor and just didnt grab ME..

So, who is the real killer according to these sketches?

30: thats what worrys me, Incredibles & Ratatouille where nice but not a real action movie on the scale of trek..I hope he didn’t forget that!

I keep seeing Giacchino mentioned for his scores for Lost, MI3, the Incredibles……and there’s been some debate in past threads about his capabilities and talents……I think that his score for Incredibles was fantastic for the style called for by the movie. But having heard his scores for PC games, especially the Medal Of Honor series (hear it….you’ll love it,) I do believe we may be in for the best score Star Trek has ever seen. Giacchino’s own words about listening to Horner and Goldsmith are encouraging. And he’s had tracks so far that sound as good as anything from James Horner and even the best years of John Williams.

Giacchino is probably my current favorite film score composer so I’m very pleased he’s in the captain’s chair on this one. Tastes have changed dramatically over the past decade and I felt the last few Goldsmith scores were leftover relics from times past. Gone are the days when scores overpower the film. Don’t get me wrong, I love Goldsmith, Williams, Elfman and Morricone but nowadays it simply isn’t neccessary to overpower the filmgoer with bombastic, melody-driven film music. Goldsmith and company filled a neccessary function in the pre-cgi days — painting an emotional musical vista to fill in for most sci-fi films’ special effects and budgetary shortcomings. It’s no surprise to me then that more subtle composers like Giacchino and Hans Zimmer are being utilized more and more. As much as I *hate* Rick Berman’s stranglehold on his TV show composers and his dictum that the music be less cinematic and less melodic (with their budgets TNG through ENT could’ve benefitted from this sort of musical padding) he ends up being kind of right — ENT’s cornball opening ‘song’ notwithstanding, of course — the music should merely convey mood, not tell its’ own competing story.

Just watched (and I’m sure I’m not the only one here) The Dark Knight followed by Tim Burton’s Batman and the musical contrast was stunning. Danny Elfman’s descriptive, operatic score now smacks me over the head while Zimmer’s accentuates and never overwhelms. I can’t, however, imagine simply listening to a Zimmer or Giacchino score on its’ own. Not like the scores of those I mention above. The new approach is more toward synesthesia — a perfect balance of all the arts involed in filmmaking as opposed to the old style where the composer forcefully imprints his mark on the sum total of the package.

Giacchino’s work on Lost is superlative. Can’t wait to feel the complete experience of this new film.

Not even close to that…yet..

“best years of John Williams.”

37: I agree with you to a point, but I still think there NEEDS to be some well developed themes the audience can relate/hook into..it WORKS and works well if done right..I feel like there’s something missing if I dont hear that in a movie score. Danny Elfmans stuff does tend to whack you over the head with his style, but I think Horner Goldsmith and Williams have been able to strike that balance on occasions in the past.
If the music is just so-so or bad it can really ruin a movie.

Jerry Garcia is doing the Trek score?

Another fantastic piece of work by Giacchino is the sole piece of music from “Cloverfield,” “Roar! (Cloverfield Overture).” It’s the only piece of soundtrack music from the film, and it plays over the closing credits. An extended length version is on iTunes.

It is a fantastic and just so PERFECT homage to classic giant monster movie scores like the old Godzilla themes. Just outstanding.

I’m not worried about Giacchino at all. His score will be outstanding.

41. wow that does sound like an old school monster movie, a bit over the top and there’s no real ‘theme’ just meanders on..

I cant imagine myself humming that tune walking out of the theater..thats the trick…;)

#37

I gotta have a stand-alone score I can listen to a million million times over on the train to work! It would be nice if it could make me cry too.

No pressure MG

As I’ve said, to all those people hoping for or expecting a 1980s-era loud, hummable, melody-driven score, I don’t think it’s gonna happen. I don’t think it SHOULD happen. Rewatching movies from the 80s is still fun but boy those filmscores are overpowering. We don’t “need” the music to pick us up and carry us anymore. I also loved Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings scores but even they feel overblown to me now (though I’ll forgive them because of the operatic nature of the film’s source material).

No, The Dark Knight and Lost are excellent examples. It isn’t neccessary for filmmusic to pummel us to death like James Horner’s Titanic score or even Morricone’s excellent-yet-overpowering Untouchables score.

A good story, compelling characters and believable visuals preclude any need for excessive musical landscape painting. I’d rather have the whole cinematic package come together nicely than have an overwhelming DUM-DUM-DUM! musical score bitch-smacking me in my theatre seat.

42 – I don’t know, there are several themes used in the Cloverfield track. There’s the big & brash deep horn theme, the subtler Japanese-ish portion, etc.

And there’s nothing wrong with the theme from a giant monster movie being a little over the top. :)

41. Kevin Buchanan –
“Another fantastic piece of work by Giacchino is the sole piece of music from “Cloverfield,” “Roar! (Cloverfield Overture).” It’s the only piece of soundtrack music from the film, and it plays over the closing credits. An extended length version is on iTunes.
It is a fantastic and just so PERFECT homage to classic giant monster movie scores like the old Godzilla themes. Just outstanding.”

I agree with you on that. I have been a huge fan of Akira Ifikube, the composer responsible for many Godzilla and Japanese sci fi films, and Giacchino’s endcredit music for Cloverfield is an impressive homage to his style. I think he’ll do a great job.

@26:

Copyright laws allow up to 45 seconds for sampling of music which is one reason you always hear famous songs in lame car commercials, but in the case of the trailer music; ‘Two Steps from Hell’ is a group who does music specifically for movie trailers. I believe it says that on their website, so they most likely got paid for the production of the music. Whether or not they get royalties is another question.

44. ucdom –
“#37
I gotta have a stand-alone score I can listen to a million million times over on the train to work! It would be nice if it could make me cry too.”

Giacchino’s work on Lost has brought me to tears many times. Of course the tight storytelling, well-cast actors and rich characters go a long way to helping that happen as well.

#49

Sure, that’s partly what I mean – listening to the score brings to life the movie and recreates the story and acting. I have to admit – though you may not like it – that the Titanic score did that for me quite well.

Plus, with Trek, there’s just *something* about THE fanfare, it’s almost like a character. We’ve heard it done so many different ways, and I’m looking forward to hearing a new rendition.