My process begins with watching the film from beginning to end. That also means the score might react to the film rather than lead the film. That is, I want to reflect where I think the audience should be focusing their attention. I try to score films from the point of view of the audience. Just about every other composer scores action. What they’re thinking and feeling as well as what they’re doing. To my way of thinking, John Williams composes for characters. My own view of composers has a lot to do with their approach. Shore in particular writes music that seems to please modern directors’ desire to avoid histrionics while at the same time allowing some level of compositional detail into the score.

I have enjoyed Giancchino’s work, especially on Lost, but any resemblance to him is coincidental. Other inspirations include Jerry Goldsmith, David Shire, Elmer Bernstein, Bernard Hermann, and Howard Shore. All I can think is that we both rip off the same Brahmsian gestures. I have noticed a tendency to sound like John Barry as well, but believe it or not, that is entirely accidental. I listen to and study his scores more than any other composers. Of course, John Williams tops the list for me. I wanted to know, first of all, about his influences. Kraemer agreed to answer some questions recently. What comes through is Kraemer’s ideas, his thinking, and I was curious about a few things. But the sound is really all Kraemer, and his work is a breath of fresh air in a film-music environment that sounds very much the same from composer to composer.

The score, which is available from La-La Land Records, is darkly melodic, and one can hear, now and then, the influences of John Williams, John Barry, and Michael Giacchino. Now he’s returned to the big screen with JACK REACHER, the new Tom Cruise movie. He composed the music for THE WAY OF THE GUN some years back, then did a lot of television and documentary work. Joe Kraemer has been teasing the film business for years with his moody, melodic scores. An Interview with Joe Kraemer by Tony Buchsbaum

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