Music From The Motion Picture

Music by
MICHAEL GIACCHINO
 A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
We had each lived our lives, for nearly three decades, as strangers. But when I met Michael
Giacchino, there was an odd feeling that we had shared a childhood.
The year was 2000 (which still sounds futuristic to me, but is now eleven years past). I was
about to direct the pilot episode of Alias, the script for which I had written, blasting the synth
score from Run Lola Run in my headphones — alternating that awesome soundtrack with works
of iconic composers like John Williams and Ennio Morricone. So who in the world was going to
write a score to give the pilot the scope and energy and emotion it needed? A score that was,
at turns, synthetic and orchestral? It was around this time that I came across some brilliant music
written for a video game called Medal of Honor; the score was as engrossing as the game itself.
I emailed the composer, one Mr. Michael Giacchino, and asked if he was at all interested in
scoring for TV. I later learned that Michael had been hired for Medal of Honor by the game’s
creator (and our mutual hero) Steven Spielberg. At the time, I could have only dreamed that
one day we might all collaborate on a project.
When Michael and I met, we hit it off instantly. But it was more than a friendly meeting —
there was that uncanny feeling that we had somehow grown up together. Though we had been
raised on opposite coasts of the United States, he in New Jersey, me in Los Angeles, in different
cultures and climates, it was as if we had been friends, as boys, all along. There were many
points of similarity, but possibly the most profound was that of Super 8 film; Michael and I had
both grown up making movies as kids. We both shared dreams of epic adventures that we
attempted (and, of course, consistently failed) to realize on screen. We recruited friends. We
blew things up, applied monster makeup, choreographed fight and battle scenes, and filmed it
all. We found many of our happiest younger days behind those cameras.
Michael scored the Alias pilot and, luckily for me, everything I have directed since. Those
scores — and his work on a number of other films — represent some of the most affecting,
compelling and moving music I have ever heard. But I had never been so excited to collaborate
with Michael than I was with Super 8. I knew this was going to be a revisiting, for both of us, to
a time and place that we both treasured.
Of course Michael wasn’t the only collaborator here who shared this early love of making films;
Steven Spielberg famously made movies on 8mm film as a boy. Our Director of Photography,
Larry Fong, made Super 8 films when he was a teen — in fact I met Larry when I was thirteen
years old, both of us making movies in the neighborhood. But what I was aching to hear was
the score that Michael would create as he recalled those early years. I knew this soundtrack
would be especially personal for him. Not just because of the subject matter, but because of
the spirit with which the movie was being made; Super 8 was not just a film in love with the idea
of being a kid, it was a film in love with the idea of being a kid in love with movies. It was as
much about the influence of the films of our youth as it was about being young and geeky. It
was a reminder of why we were inspired to try and get into the movie business in the first place.
As always, Michael is a storyteller. He writes his scores from the inside out; he understands
the math of the structure of the story (often suggesting notes which greatly improve it), but then
finds the brilliant inspiration to create musical themes and motifs which emphasize or illuminate
the heart of the moment. He turns scenes into emotional experiences, making them more
exciting or heartbreaking or suspenseful or terrifying. And there are some scary bits (after all,
there’s a monster in this movie too; it is a cocktail of many genres and Michael handles them all
with his usual flair and artistry).
But, with this score, Michael did something else. He remembered that time. The purity of the
age. The sense of optimism, curiosity and fear and uncertainty and romanticism of being a boy
and looking forward to all that is ahead. He remembered that time, felt it, and found a way,
using his remarkable gift, to turn it into music.
I’m grateful to Michael for so much here. The foreboding theme of the mysterious creature,
the glorious evacuation theme, the bus attack and tunnel sequences — wonderful, powerful
cues and just what the doctor ordered. But it was always Joe’s family theme and the Alice love
theme that mattered most. This was the heart of the movie. This was the kids’ point of view
and, if that didn’t work, nothing else would have mattered.
When we were on the scoring stage, listening to the one-hundred-plus piece orchestra
(extraordinary musicians, all) perform the suite to Super 8, I was standing beside Michael.
The music was beautiful and transportive and emotional as hell and, just about mid-way through,
my eyes started to fill with tears and I was so embarrassed I just kept looking forward.
I wasn’t going to cry! I wasn’t going to cry!
But the score just mercilessly continued
and, as one of the passages swelled,
I couldn’t help but turn to my friend,
the composer, in gratitude. And there
he was, eyes wet. And he laughed.
“Doesn’t that sound like our childhood?”
he asked. And it certainly did. It was.
A childhood shared, three thousand miles
apart.
— J.J. Abrams, Paris, 2011
 Music by HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SYMPHONY
MICHAEL GIACCHINO
Violin Viola Flute Trombone
Soundtrack Album Produced by Michael Giacchino Clayton Haslop Darrin McCann Bobby Shulgold Alex Iles (principal)
(concertmaster) (principal) (principal) Alan Kaplan
Executive Soundtrack Album Producers: Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams & Bryan Burk Ken Yerke (principal 2nd) Karie Prescott Dick Mitchell Steven Holtman
Executive in Charge of Music for Paramount Pictures: Randy Spendlove Belinda Broughton Harry Shirinian Steve Kujala Bill Reichenbach
Executive Soundtrack Album Producer for Varèse Sarabande: Robert Townson Vladimir Polimatidi Richard Rintoul
Tiffany Hu Marda Todd Oboe Tuba
Soundtrack Album Coordinator: Jason Richmond John Yoakum John Van Houten
Jim Sitterly Caroline Buckman
Music Performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony Rebecca Bunnell Evan Wilson (principal) (principal)
Music Orchestrated and Conducted by Tim Simonec Joel Derouin Jorge Moraga Joseph Stone Douglas Tornquist
Music Recorded & Mixed by Dan Wallin • Score Coordinator: Andrea Datzman John Wittenberg Pam Goldsmith
Clarinet Harp
Peter Kent Alan Busteed
Orchestra Contractor: Reggie Wilson • Music Preparation: Booker White Mark Robertson Karen Elaine
Michael Vaccaro Gayle Levant
Additional Orchestrations by Ira Hearshen, Brad Dechter, Cameron Patrick, (principal) (principal)
Ron Clark Maria Newman
Don Markese Eleanor Choate
Chris Tilton, Andrea Datzman, Larry Kenton, Mark Gasbarro, Charles Bisharat Jennie Hansen
John Mitchell
Norman Ludwin, Peter Boyer, Marshall Bowen Sid Page Denyse Buffum Guitar
Music Mixer Assistant: Michael Aarvold • Assistant to Michael Giacchino: Dave Martina Tereza Stanislav Bassoon George Doering
Barbra Porter Cello
Rose Corrigan
Supervising Music Editor: Alex Levy, M.P.S.E. • Music Editor: Paul Apelgren, M.P.S.E. Alan Grunfeld Steve Richards Piano/Celeste
(principal)
Music Supervisor: George Drakoulias Josefina Vergara (principal) Mark Gasbarro
Andrew Radford
Cameron Patrick Victor Lawrence
Music Recorded and Mixed at Eastwood Scoring Stage, Warner Bros. Studio Allen Savedoff
Darius Campo Alexander Zhiroff B3 Organ/Synth
and Newman Scoring Stage, 20th Century Fox Studios Suzie Katayama Mark Le Vang
Alexandr Shlifer French Horn
Recordists: Tim Lauber, Tom Hardisty • Protools Operator: Vincent Cirilli Shalini Vijayan Timothy Landauer Rick Todd (principal)
Percussion
Scoring Stage Engineers: Denis St. Armand and Ryan Robinson Shari Zippert Stefanie Fife Brian O’Connor
Richard Naill Dan Greco (principal)
Scoring Stage Managers: Tom Steel, Greg Dennen, Jamie Olvera, Richard Wheeler Norman Hughes John Reynolds
Kevan Torfeh Emil Radocchia
Alyssa Park Joe Meyer
Scoring Stage Assistant: Mick Giacchino • Mastered by Erick Labson Vahe Hayrikyan Alex Neciosup-Acuna
Haim Shtrum Steven Becknell
Music Published by Paramount Allegra Music (ASCAP) Dane Little Bernie Dresel
Terry Glenny Steven Durnin
John Acosta Walter Rodriguez
Projecting Super Special Thanks to: My Music Crew and Orchestra, your talent, Sungil Lee Brad Warnaar
professionalism and friendship are no small part of the contents of this and every score I write. Galina Golovin Mark Adams Timpani
Bryan Burk, your unerring support, honesty and friendship is appreciated more then you know. String Bass
Miran Kojian Don Williams
Steven Spielberg, you gave me my start and for that there are not enough “thank you’s” in the world. Dave Stone (principal) Trumpet
Anatoly Rosinsky
J.J. Abrams, making movies with you is like being 10 years old again. Best gift in the world. Thank you! Karl Vincent Rick Baptist (principal)
Larry Greenfield
My Mick, Gracie and Griffy, you guys keep me sane through insanity. Norman Ludwin Jeff Bunnell
Carolyn Osborn
Charles Nenneker Jon Lewis
Paramount thanks: Dasmarie Alvino, Mary Jo Braun, Julie Butchko, Dan Butler, Eric Caldwell, Sheryl Carlin, Razdan Kuyumjian
Peter Doubrovsky Paul Salvo
Denise Carver, Jennifer Cornett, Jayne Edwards, Adam Ehrlich, Robert Gasper, Jeremy Geltzer, David Gueringer, Rafael Rishik
Tim Emmons Larry Hall
Sonia Jauregui, Denise Luiso, Steven Lundy, Elise Mann, Liz McNicoll, Aron Pinsky, Jeannie Pool, Jennifer Schiller, Armen Anassian
Richard Feves
Kim Seiniger, Susan Siering, Linda Springer, Hallie Volman, Linda Wohl, Eric Ybanez Marina Manukian
Nick Rosen
www.VareseSarabande.com

1.Super 8 (1:44) 2. Family Matters (:28) 3. Model Painting (:39) 4. Acting Chops (:40) 5. Aftermath Class (5:52)
6. Thoughts Of Cubism (:48) 7. We’ll Fix It In Post-Haste (:43) 8. Productions Woes (:34) 9. Train Of Thought (:35)
10. Circle Gets The Cube (1:05) 11. Breen There, Ate That (1:11) 12. Dead Over Heels (:48) 13. Gas And Go (1:33)
14. Looking For Lucy (:48) 15. Radio Haze (1:06) 16. Mom’s Necklace* (1:33) 17. Shootus Interuptus (2:33)
18. Thoughts Of Mom (1:40) 19. Woodward Bites It (1:53) 20. Alice Projects On Joe (2:28) 21. Neighborhood
Watch - Fail (4:44) 22. The Evacuation Of Lillian (3:39) 23. A Truckload Of Trouble (:57) 24. Lambs On
The Lam (2:39) 25. Woodward’s Home Movies (2:39) 26. Spotted Lambs (1:35) 27. Air Force HQ Or Bust (1:03)
28. World’s Worst Field Trip (3:35) 29. The Seige Of Lillian (2:56) 30. Creature Comforts (10:07) 31. Letting Go (5:15)
32. Super 8 Suite (5:51) Bonus Track: 33. THE CASE Original music from the film by Charles Kaznyk (3:28)

Music by MICHAEL GIACCHINO

Soundtrack Album Produced by Michael Giacchino
Executive Soundtrack Album Producers: Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams & Bryan Burk
Executive in Charge of Music for Paramount Pictures: Randy Spendlove
Executive Soundtrack Album Producer for Varèse Sarabande: Robert Townson
Performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony
*Not contained in film
2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Motion Picture Artwork & Photos 훿2011 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
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