Composer Christopher Lennertz
Laughing Until it Lennertz - Page 2

CC: So you have a new music partnership with TIMOTHY WYNN.

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Actually its a very old partnership. Tim and I were actually partners at USC. We both studied there under Elmer Bernstein. At the beginning of the program we had to take partners and one would compose a piece while the other orchestrated and produced it...and then you'd switch. So Tim was my partner in school for that. We've been buddies ever since. I was actually the best man in his wedding and he in mine. Then he started making a great living doing music for a lot of commercials, like for the Super Bowl and all that.

CC: So how did you start working together after school?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Well, I started getting really busy with movies and SUPERNATURAL and he's a really big video game fan, so I introduced him to a couple of people. I was at a point where I just couldn't do it all myself, so for projects like WARHAWK and THE SIMPSONS GAME, he was brought on to collaborate with me. We've done two or three collaborative works and its worked out very well.

CC: What was the arrangement on WARHAWK? DID you write the main themes and then he compose the rest?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Yes...I did the main themes on that one and was hired to actually do the entire score at first. Later, the producers accelerated the schedule, so it was at that point that I introduced them to Tim. They thought he was great, so they brought him on with the idea of splitting the music between us. In the end, we split the music about 50/50.

CC: Do you have more projects together coming up?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Yes, we have another EA project called TIBERIUM, which just got announced. So we'll be working on that together and I think it will be out for Christmas this year.

CC: Now that is EA's spinoff game from the popular COMMAND AND CONQUER series.  Can you talk about what direction you'll take for THE TIBERIUM?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: We're really excited about it. We are doing a lot of programming for it - a lot of electronics. It's going to be this intense half-orchestra-half-electronic-score. With Timothy's experience with electronic music we should end up with a pretty intriguing and original sound for that one.

CC: Are you moving away from doing video game scores - as a solo composer?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Not necessarily. I think that's just how things have worked out with the TV shows and things like that. I actually love doing video game scores. As long there are the types of games out there that I like to do (games that can have the big orchestras), then I certainly want to continue doing them. I still have a great relationship with EA and Activision. I'd say it's definitely not the end of my video game career! It's just that there is only so much time in a day...and with ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS out, I think there will be more things like that for me in the future.

CC: But with the writer's strike happening, you might have more free time on your hands.

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Exactly! I could be getting really bored in the Fall if they don't get this thing settled.

CC: That's certainly an advantage that you composers have - being able to move to video game scores while television or film is slow.

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: That's the great thing about this business. I've been so very lucky. While I might not be quite up to his level, there are really only a couple of us who have really made it into theatrical movies, TV, and games, all at the same time that being myself and Michael Giacchino. It's great that being able to do all three creates such steady work, but I enjoy it also because they are all so different. You get to flex some different muscles for each of those types of projects.

CC: Just a final question or two. You've released quite a bit of your music on iTunes such as: WARHAWK and THE COMEBACKS, how do you, as a composer, see these new digital-download outlets affect on the market?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: I think the days of a lot of CD releases are numbered for everyone, but especially for film music since it is such a niche genre. Unless you have that rare TITANIC sort of breakout hit, you're never going to sell hundreds of thousands of copies. Once in a great while that will happen, but that's all. So I think these new avenues are great opportunities for people to get our music. It does kill me a little bit that it's not CD-quality and that they have to be mp3s, but its better that than nothing. I do feel that the more opportunities people have to hear and buy film music, the better. I think these venues will help a lot of composers get their music out there. Its just great that people can have that sort of "instance access" to the music.

CC: Now do you have any say on whether or not your music is released on iTunes or AmazonMp3 and the like?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Actually, it's not my decision at all. It's completely up to the studios: Fox, Sony, and EA.

CC: Are there some scores of yours that you would like to have released but have not been yet?

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Yes. There are a few but I just cannot get them there. The studios just haven't signed off on it. GUN is one that is killing me, because I think it is one of the best things I've ever done. There is just something about it that the studio just isn't interested in.

CC: It's been great speaking with you today and all the best with your baby on the way and your upcoming projects.

CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ: Thank you and let's keep in touch.
 

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*Special Thanks to Tom Kidd  (Costa Communications)