Pulp Features

Gary Koftinoff grew up studying piano and guitar and from an early age was compelled by the power of film score.

After gaining a recording engineer certificate, and while still holding down a full time job in the corporate world, Gary began scoring small films and documentaries as well as studying harmony and composition privately at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Ten years later Gary has just won his first Gemini Award for Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series for his work on the TV series Dark Oracle.

And he has kindly agreed to talk to Dale Pierce about film and TV scores, past, present and future.

Dale You’re based out of Canada and are kept fairly busy with the film industry here. What have been some of your film scores?
Gary: My last feature score was a film called “The Good Shepherd” with Christrian Slater and Stephen Rea. Because of budget restraints, most of the score was done in-house with added live instruments like guitar (acoustic and electric) and a stringed instrument from Madagascar called a Valiha. This instrument is usually plucked with the fingers but in this case was played with small mallets striking the strings, somewhat like a Dulcimer.

My last TV movies was a film called “Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story”, which is a true story about a high school student in British Columbia who prevents the destruction of the endangered white ‘Kermode’ bear. I’ve also just finished a TV series called “Life with Derek” which is now running on the Disney Channel in the US.

Dale: In some of your films, particularly the ones done for Cloud Ten, there is a bit of Ennio Morricone and Bernard Hermann styled music. Did you study the works of these people and incorporate some of their traits into these scores or was it just a coincidence?
Gary: I think when I find it’s appropriate my music can be quite dramatic and passionate, rather large and sweeping in scale, like the opening theme that I did for Cloud Ten on their film “Judgment”. Perhaps that’s why you see similarities there. I’ve certainly heard a number of scores from both of these incredible composers, but I can’t say that I’ve studied them in any detail. I think that I just try to do what I would like to hear. I will try to get the most ‘emotion’ out of my scores that I think is appropriate for the film I’m working on. I think that’s what I appreciate the most when I hear a score…something in the music that stirs my emotions, be it joy, sadness, fear, whatever works for the film. I absolutely love it when a film and it’s score can get a tear out of me!

Dale: On this line what other film composers from the past or present do you admire?
Gary: Well there’s the obvious choices like Thomas Newman, James Newton Howard, John Williams, James Horner. They’re some of the popular composers who seem to touch me on an emotional level. There’s so many others that I admire as well like Elfman, Sylvestri, Goldsmith, Barry…. and on and on. Each has his/her own particular style that they bring to the films they do.

Dale: Where did you study music or did you?
Gary: I studied theory privately though the Royal Conservatory in Toronto where I learned a great deal. I also studied the Gordon Delamont system with a private teacher and did a lot of studying on my own. However, I think most of my learning about film scoring has come from watching and listening to films and scores and trial and error. A certain amount of theory is necessary of course, but no one can teach you how to write a melody for a film. That comes from hard work and I think it’s either something you feel or you don’t.

Dale: Did you have an intention of being a film composer early on or did it just happen as the opportunity arose?
Gary: It was kind of a round-about way. I didn’t start noticing film scores until I was around 25. I studied recording engineering for two years in Toronto, then worked at a technical job in film post production. I became more and more drawn to music that I was hearing from films and soundtracks and realized that I wanted to see if I could do it. Someone at the company I was working for hooked me up with a film-maker who was also in the same company (he was a film timer who produced documentaries on the side) who had this short film of footage shot in the country. No dialogue, just sfx. I knew two guys who had a studio which I could use at night and I gave it a go. I used acoustic guitar, a synth bass, and a drum machine for the most part, but it worked out OK. It made me see that I could write a melody. I then worked as a client rep for the same company and met a lot of people in the business and got a chance to watch a lot of film as it was being shot. This while doing student films, low-budget features and more documentaries on the side. I eventually went freelance and did music full-time. I’ve now been at if for 15 years.

Dale: When you compose for films, do most directors and producers tell you outright what they want for a score or do you go with your own compositions and initiatives?
Gary: It varies, but usually you get at least a sense of what kind of score they’re after. That could mean simply discussing ideas about music or having a temp track that they’ve put together from various other scores that’s already on a cut of the film. You then go off and do a scene or two and bounce it off them. From there you see if you’re either totally off, not far off and you need to make slight adjustments, or they love what you’re doing.

Dale: In your opinion what makes a good film score?
Gary: I think there are certain common qualities that make a good film score. First, the music has to somehow heighten whatever emotional element(s) the film is trying to get across. Of course this can vary from scene to scene, but there should be a unifying quality to the overall score. Second, the music should do this without distracting the viewer from the film. It should do this subliminally (most of the time. In some instances I think the music does take over and it’s OK). If the music can stand up on it’s own, without the visuals, I think it helps as well. It’s great when you can enjoy listening to a score while it takes you back to the film and helps you re-live it.

Dale: And a bad one?
Gary: I go back and listen to some of my first scores and I think they’re pretty bad! But you just do your best with what you have and what you know at the time. This is actually a hard question to answer because there is no right o r wrong. The scores I hear that usually don’t do anything for me are the ones that don’t have some kind of unique or recognizable theme or progression. If the music seems inappropriate for the film or if it is badly orchestrated or recorded, that can certainly do damage.

Dale: In many cases it seems like film soundtracks are becoming a dying art as big companies use vocal rock from big bands and artists, to increase their CD sales for background music. Do you think this is a trend that will continue or do you see a shift back to music in the tradition of Morricone, Tiompkin or whatever, which more closely fits the action or the individual characters on the screen?
Gary: I think both songs from various artists or original score can work if used properly in the right situations but usually if it’s just done to sell something, without any vision, I think the audience can see through that and the film suffers. It all comes down to taste and quality. Zen and the Art of Film Composing if you like.

Dale: To date what do you consider your best score or the one that defines your style best a composer?
Gary: I’m quite proud of what I just did on “Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story”. I like the ‘bear theme’ that I came up with and I think I was able to use the themes that I came up with in a fairly good manner. Although maybe a little too much at some points, I also was quite happy with my orchestral score on Judgment.

Dale: How do you determine composition, I mean deciding what would make a good piece fort his scene or that?
Gary: I think it all comes down to how the music makes you react emotionally and what it is that you want to achieve for a particular scene.

Dale: What might you suggest for aspiring composers out there who want to get into film music?
Gary: Watch a lot of films. Look at what you think works and doesn’t work. Search out small student films and experimental projects that you can cut your teeth on and keep going from there. Get out there and talk to anyone you can find in the business and let them know what your doing. Oh yes, and work at it for a long time and get better and better!

Dale: What about personal life away from the screen? Hobbies, likes and dislikes, etc?
Gary: Well, the thing about film scoring, or probably any other artistic Endeavour that you want to achieve as a profession, is that you won’t have a lot of money to do a lot in your ‘spare time’. That’s the sacrifice part. Fortunately now I’m making good money and do have some spare time to enjoy things. I just went to Jamaica and got my scuba diving license which was just amazing. I love the sun. I want to try surfing as well. I also love skiing and I usually go to Whistler once a year.

Dale: Any new jobs coming up?
Gary: I’m just starting the second season on “Dark Oracle” and then the second season of “Life with Derek”, so I’ll be busy for a little while.

Dale: Closing comments?
Gary: Thank you and thanks for listening!

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