Interview with Chris Field – X-Ray Dog 作曲家专访
Author: Gergely Vilaghy
Chris Field 是一名 X-Ray Dog 作曲家，他创作了几首标志性歌曲，包括《指环王》预告片中的“哥特式风暴” 。
预告片音乐新闻：您是如何进入预告片音乐行业的？
Chris Field：我是一名吉他手，在洛杉矶附近演出，遇到了同样是吉他手的 Mitch Lijewski。我们都开始涉足电影音乐，而技术真正开始让我们能够创作这种音乐。我从 Roland X-p50 开始。一天，米奇接到蒂姆·斯蒂瑟姆 (Tim Stithem) 的电话，他是一名鼓手，一直担任电影/电视编辑，要创办一家专门制作电影预告片音乐的音乐公司。当时，这是在 1990 年代中期，周围并没有很多这种音乐，蒂姆作为一名编辑可以看到对这种音乐的需求。Mitch 问我是否愿意为第一张 CD 创作音乐，所以我就这样开始了。
TMN：“X-Ray Dog”这个名字背后的故事是什么？
CF： “X-Ray Dog”是 Mitch 和 Tim 选的，我认为这是第三个名字选择，但它是一家出版公司可用的名字。我认为其他名称之一是“焦企鹅”！想象一下 30 张 CD 之后的艺术作品！
TMN：作为制作音乐公司 X-Ray Dog 的经理，你打算公开发布一些预告片音乐吗？（例如 Immediate music 是用Trailerhead做的）
CF： X-Ray Dog 是一个电影和广告音乐库，我们为此创作音乐。我们很高兴拥有音乐的粉丝，并收到很多关于我们音乐的积极电子邮件。也许有一天我们可以做类似的事情，但目前无法购买。
TMN：你在创作预告片音乐方面最好的经历是什么？
CF： 我有很多很棒的经历。我对我写的所有音乐都尽力而为。一些音乐在很多预告片中被反复使用，而另一些则没有那么多。我的第一个预告片是为 Full Monty 制作的，是我和我的朋友 Mark Griskey 一起制作的冲浪吉他作品，他也是一位 X-Ray Dog 作曲家。“哥特式力量”也被用于指环王预告片中，这真的很酷。本·斯蒂勒 (Ben Stiller) 甚至在电影中角色的电影预告片中使用了他的电影《热带惊雷》中的主题。有一段名为“The Vision”的片段我非常喜欢，它被用于Atonement预告片。是预告片结尾的弦乐。制作加勒比海盗预告片也很有趣。
TMN：你是如何开始创作一首新的预告片歌曲的？
CF： 当我们开始一个新项目时，我们已经有了 CD 的主题。它可能是戏剧、动作、恐怖等。所以如果是戏剧，我会开始在键盘上即兴创作，并在一两周内想出几个想法，然后为米奇和蒂姆演奏 ruff 的想法，让他们退费。很高兴有这些人倾听，因为他们总是就如何保持拖车友好性提出很好的建议。然后我用配器填充音乐并混合它。
TMN：人们对你的专辑Sub-concious感兴趣吗 ？
CF： 是的。我在 Itunes 等数字销售方面很幸运。
TMN：您是否考虑进行其他公开发布？
CF： 是的。我现在正在制作另一张专辑。
TMN：你有什么理想吗？WHO？
CF： 是的，我真的受到各种音乐的启发。有古典作曲家和电影作曲家，甚至还有比赛。看到预告片音乐发展成为今天的样子很有趣。它开始是因为需要充满活力的鼓舞人心的音乐，可以在短时间内引起您的注意，因此它几乎就像一首歌，而不是长长的电影提示或交响乐。它为古典音乐带来了现代元素，增加了力量和律动，我认为它影响了电视广告、电影配乐甚至流行专辑。当我们开始的时候，这种音乐并不多，但现在有很多人在做，而且它有了自己的生命。
TMN：你会给那些希望有一天为预告片作曲的人什么建议？
CF： 我认为每个人的故事都有点不同，所以我很难给出建议，但在音乐层面上，它是关于磨练你作为作曲家/制作人的技能，然后尝试将你自己的东西融入其中，至少是这样我想做什么。
TMN：为什么预告片音乐比其他类型的音乐更吸引你？可以？
CF： 我喜欢创作预告片音乐。创作戏剧性的音乐对我来说很自然，而且音乐中有很多变化。我也喜欢做其他项目。它使事物保持新鲜。
TMN：一个棘手的问题，你最喜欢你工作的哪一部分？
CF： 最初的灵感，然后有一天坐在电影院或看电视，看到里面有音乐的预告片。这总是有益的。
TMN：你现在在做什么，你对未来有什么计划？
CF： 我正在更新我的工作室，获得一些新东西并学习一些新软件。我也在研究一些歌曲和预告片提示。
TMN：克里斯，非常感谢你接受采访。祝您身体健康，万事如意。节日快乐！
Chris Field is an X-Ray Dog composer who did several iconic songs, including “Gothic Storm”, featured in the Lord of the Rings trailers.
Trailer Music News: How did you get in the trailer music industry?
Chris Field: I was a guitar player and was playing gigs around L.A. and had met Mitch Lijewski,also a guitar player. We were both getting into film music and technology was really starting to make it possible for us to create this kind of music. I started with the Roland X-p50. One day Mitch got a call from Tim Stithem who was a drummer and had been working as a film/t.v. editor to start a music company that specialized in film trailer music. At the time, this was in the mid 1990’s there wasn’t a lot of this kind of music around and Tim being an editor could see a need for this music. Mitch asked me if I would be into writing music for the first cd and so thats how I started.
TMN: What is the story behind the name “X-Ray Dog”?
CF: “X-Ray Dog” was picked by Mitch and Tim and I think it was a third choice for a name but it was the one that was available for a publishing company. I think one of the other names was “Parched Penguin”! Imagine the art work for that after 30 CD’s!
TMN: As a manager for the production music company X-Ray Dog, do you plan to make a public release of some trailer music? (e.g. Immediate music did it with Trailerhead)
CF: X-Ray Dog is a film and advertising music library and we create music for that purpose. We are happy to have fans of the music and receive lots of positive emails about our music. Maybe someday We can do something like that but for now it is not available for purchase.
TMN: What is your best experience in composing trailer music?
CF: I have had lots of great experiences. I try my best with all the music I write. Some music gets used over and over in a lot of trailers and others not so much. My first trailer was for the Full Monty and was a surf guitar piece that I did with my friend Mark Griskey, also an X-Ray Dog composer. Also “Gothic Power” got used in the Lord of the Rings trailers and that was really cool. Ben Stiller even used the theme in his movie Tropic Thunder during his character’s film trailer in the movie. There’s a piece called “The Vision” that I really like that was used for the Atonement trailer. It is the string music at the end of the trailer. Also working on the Pirates of the Caribbean trailers was a lot of fun.
TMN: How do you start composing a new trailer song?
CF: When we start a new project we already have a theme for the CD. It might be drama, action, horror etc. So if it is drama I will start to improvise on my keyboard and come up with several ideas over the course of a week or two and then play the ruff ideas for Mitch and Tim and get their feedback. It is great to have these guys listen because they always give great suggestions on how to keep it trailer friendly. Then I fill in the music with orchestration and mix it.
TMN: Are people interested in your album Sub-concious ?
CF: Yes. I have had luck with digital sales such as Itunes.
TMN: Do you consider doing other public releases?
CF: Yes. I am working on another album right now.
TMN: Do you have any ideal? Who?
CF: Yes I really get inspired by all kinds of music. There’s the classical composers and film composers and even the competition. It has been interesting seeing trailer music grow into what it is today. It started for a need for energetic inspiring music that could get your attention in a short amount of time so it iss almost like a song rather than a long film cue or symphony. It has brought modern elements to classical music adding power and groove and I think has influenced TV commercials, film scores and even pop albums. When we started there wasn’t a lot of this music but now there are a lot of people doing it and it is taken on a life of it’s own.
TMN: Which advice would you give to someone hoping to compose for trailers someday?
CF: I think everyone’s story is a little different and so it’s hard for me to give advise but on a musical level its about honing your skills as a composer/producer and then trying to put something of your own into it, at least that is what I try to do.
TMN: Why does the trailer music genre appeal to you more, rather than other types of music? Does it?
CF: I love creating trailer music. It’s natural for me to create dramatic music and there is a lot of variety in the music. I also like to do other projects as well. It keeps things fresh.
TMN: A tough question, what is your favorite part about your job?
CF: The initial inspiration and then someday sitting in a movie theatre or watching TV and seeing a trailer with the music in there. That is always rewarding.
TMN: What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future?
CF: I am updating my studio a bit, getting some new stuff and learning some new software. I also am working on some songs as well as trailer cues.
TMN: Chris, thank you very much for the interview. We wish you good health and luck. And Happy Holidays!
