Report by Henning Lohner
Transcribed by Thomas Lentz
Translated by Thomas Lentz & Brian Tieman


A REPORT ABOUT HANS ZIMMER


Hans Zimmmer was interviewed some days before the Oscar-Night 1998. He had an Oscar-Nomination for "As Good As It Gets".

Zimmer plays on his key a theme of "As Good As It Gets" into the Cubase-Sequencer.

Lohner:
"Zimmer left for 10 years the "Hessische Kronberg", to search after his luck. The unusual kind of sounds that he creats, let him become to one of the biggest composers in Hollywood.
He made the music for such films like Rain Man, Green Card, Thelma & Louise & the new comedy As Good As It Gets."

(They show a scene with Jack Nicholson & Helen Hunter)

Zimmer:"Its very hard to find the right music for a comedy.
Because, you have to find the light tone without to be ordinary.
You have always to look, that you donīt overdo or to cover the jokes
with your music. The eternaly question is how I can support the
emotional flow of the movie without to destroy the īpointeī
and when it is on the other hand nessecary to destroy the īpointeī.

(They show another scene with Jack Nicholson & Helen Hunt)

Zimmer:"Composing is a eternaly search after the right tone,
the exactly expression, the meaning-multiple that are behind of
the pictures. Comedies are very hard to make, because indeed they are
in a distorted kind and way very realistic while action-movies are
unrealistic comedies."

Lohner:"Today, Zimmer is 40 years old and is one of the new generation
of musicians which are not distinguish between serious and light-music. Which also can work as good with orchestras as with digital instruments and that all with a moderation":

Zimmer:"Yes, I didnīt want to be nominated last year. I think that was 
a fault. I also didnīt understand this. I really didnīt write anything thats good. I came back  to the result again, that I want to compose
just for myself and writing things that I like.
I often fighted with Jim about this movie, because I tried to write the whole time things that I like and indeed to help the movie.
Of course, there are allways fights between the director and the
composer when they talk about whatīs good for the movie -
sometimes also the director isnīt good for the movie."

(They show Zimmer with some Media-Ventureres around a mixing-pult.
Then Zimmer goes through the rooms of Media Ventures and explains
something.)

Lohner: "Zimmers firm Media Ventures is a kind of modern composer-cooperation. There work 9 composers on their filmmusic-projects that are being supported  from 70 fellow workers in the musical, technical
and administratival part.
This creative surrounding is very important for Hans Zimmer.
He often works there up to 18 hours per day."

(Zimmer goes into the next room and says:"The Confi-Room")

Zimmer: "When I had the idea to make this studio, I had also the
thought to bring musicians together which in the age of the computer are working really completely  isolated before themself.
Today, its usually that the composer is sitting in his small room, to talk with nobody - every day...
But, directly the composing was in the past a cooperation with musicians. There, I want to create again this atmosphere and communication.
(Zimmer is standing next to Jeff Rona and one grins more than the
other one.)
Hollywood is a hard way and I got myself the chance, because Barry
Levinson wanted me as a composer for Rain Man.
He could get every composer, but he placed on an unknown horse.
I also want to be a bit like at the Olymiqu-Games, to give the flame
to other talented composers, that they have a chance."

(Zimmer composes now on his key the Cello-Staccato-Theme of the
"As Good As It Gets"- 1st track of the Soundtrack.)

Lohner:"At last, we want to know the secret of Zimmers compositions
and he will tell exclusively for us his Oscar-Secret."

Zimmer:"I composed on this children-piano "The Lion King".
Itīs very important for me, because I played with this keys to my
first Oscar."

(Zimmer plays strange things on it while he jumps to the music.)