Nicholas Britell (Composer: Vice | If Beale Street Could Talk)

[Watch the video interview on our YouTube Channel]

In this All Access we are joined by Academy Award nominated composer, Nicholas Britell. Based out of New York, Nicholas has quickly garnered critical acclaim after he found himself thrust into the world of film composing.

Through some chance meetings and introductions, Nicholas found himself scoring for amazing directing talents such as Natalie Portman, Steve McQueen, Adam McKay and Barry Jenkins. These collaborations led to scores such as A Tale Of Love And Darkness, 12 Years A Slave, The Big Short, Moonlight, and recently Vice and If Beale Street Could Talk.

In this All Access we dive into Nicholas's path to becoming a composer, and what the turning point was for him to make a career out of his passion. We discuss working with directors like Steve McQueen, Adam McKay and Barry Jenkins. Nicholas breaks down his approach on scores like The Big Short, Moonlight, Vice, and If Beale Street Could Talk. We also look at how Nicholas wrote all the diegetic music for 12 Years A Slave, and how different that process was compared to writing the actual score which was done by Hans Zimmer.

We cover a whole slew of other great topics that pick apart the composing process and how Nicholas learned to build new ways of collaborating with filmmakers to truly find what is best for the scene. Nicholas is one of the most talented and in-demand voices in the industry, and it was a joy to finally have him as a guest.

Interview Produced & Presented By: Kaya Savas

Special Thanks: Nicholas Britell, Asenath Nakayama, Jeff Sanderson, Ray Costa, Annapurna Pictures, Chasen & Company, Costa Communications