O.J.: How Composer Gary Lionelli Crafted the Emmy Nominated ScoreMade in America:
With 6 Emmy nominations, ESPN’s Oscar winning documentary O.J.: Made in America continues to fascinate viewers, especially with the news that the fallen sports star is going to be released on parole in the fall. With one of the Emmy nominations being for Gary Lionelli’s captivating score, we decided to speak with him about the project.
has become an Oscar winning documentary. Were you blown away by this? How does it feel to have contributed to a project like this?O.J.: Made in America
As I was working on the project it became more and more apparent to me how great an undertaking it was as a film. The breadth and depth of it, as conceived by director Ezra Edelman, was something most viewers had not anticipated. Nonetheless, I wasn’t sure if it would resonate with the public after all this time, but apparently it did—and in a big way! As far as my contribution, once I got locked into the rhythm and DNA of the film, ideas started to flow. I consciously tried to insure that the film would never take an over-sensationalized tone, and I purposely focused on the larger issues at hand, such as race in America, police brutality, and the justice system. I felt it was my job to keep the narrative on track.
How would you describe your score?O.J.
We were lucky enough to have a large enough music budget to record here in town. We had a 40-piece string orchestra recorded at the Eastwood Scoring Stage, and a group of wonderful soloists performing on cello, oboe, and trumpet, etc. Another element of the score was sound manipulation of acoustic instruments with electronics and effects. Using this combined palette of orchestra and manipulated sounds, I took a subtle thematic approach to the score, and focused on the overall tragedy and subtext of the events for the tone. I also tried to keep the score clear and sparse as a general rule of thumb.
You have scored both scripted projects and non-scripted documentaries. Is one harder to score than the other?
I don’t see either as being any harder than the other.
Do you approach the different mediums the same?
I do. Documentary filmmaking is in a golden age right now, and it has reached tremendous creative heights. This affords composers with great opportunities to be creative in finding new ways of scoring. I find that my scores for narrative and documentary films are cut of the same cloth, and I don’t even think about there being any differences. Everything I’ve scored, whether it’s a narrative film or a documentary, comes from the same place in terms of raw feeling and emotion.
From one of your first films in 1989, , to now, how do you think you have changed as a composer?Wild Man
Wow, I was a kid when I scored that! I had just completed the film scoring program at UCLA when I started scoring that film. Strangely enough, when I look back at some of those older films and TV shows, I can still see the connectivity to how I’m scoring today. I think most composers have a style, and I trace some of the threads all the way back to those early projects. If I’ve changed in any way, I think it’s easier for me now to cut through the clutter and distill the film’s emotions. I’m finding that less is most always more, and that I can be more effective with a cue when it’s stripped down to its most basic elements.
When looking for projects to work on, what is something that stands out to you that becomes the determining factor?
The talent of the director is most important factor for me. And I absolutely want to feel excited about the project. If both those elements are there, I feel I’ll be off to a great start. If the project is well conceived and executed, it makes my music that much more effective.
What in your background inspired to pursue a career in film/television composing?
I’ve always been aware of music in films and TV shows for almost as long as I can remember, so the interest was there for a long time. I majored in music in college, and afterwards played in a series of rock bands, but I don’t think that any one thing in my musical background inspired me to go into scoring. It wasn’t even really much of a conscious decision; it just sort of happened automatically, kind of like following some inner calling.
What is your personal favorite style of music?
I’ve always loved the Beatles, and how some of their songs are so beautifully melodic and sometimes so intricately constructed, such as I Am the Walrus. I feel like I’m always finding new things to learn when I listen to the Beatles.
Has there been a recent film/television score that has particularly stuck out to you in the past year?
I’m a huge fan of Ennio Morricone, and I was thrilled by his recent score for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. He is such a master.
About Gary Lionelli:
Three-time Emmy-winning composer Gary Lionelli has earned critical acclaim for his epic score for the 2017 Academy Award winning film "O.J.: Made in America," directed by Ezra Edelman, and has received a 2017 Primetime Emmy nomination for the score. Gary Lionelli's intensely dramatic melodies and textures set the perfect tone for this haunting saga, depicting the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson from football legend to murder suspect.
In addition to "O.J.: Made in America," Gary Lionelli has captured the attention of the film and television industry with his unforgettable compositions for director Rory Kennedy's 2015 Academy Award nominated film "Last Days in Vietnam" and HBO's dramatic series "LUCK," helmed by Michael Mann and David Milch and starring Dustin Hoffman. Lionelli is currently composing the score to HBO’s upcoming documentary on Ben Bradlee, the editor of the Washington Post during the infamous Watergate era, and PBS’ 6-part series Chasing the Moon.
Lionelli performs on his scores with a large variety of acoustic instruments he has in his collection--from a grand piano, marimba, harp, vibraphone, cello, violin, guitars, and percussion, to some very odd instruments such as the Array Mbira, a GuitarViol, a Guitaret, a keyboard blown flute, a cumbus, hang drums, and so forth. Lionelli likes to use these real instruments almost exclusively over digitally generated electronic samples played on a keyboard.
Gary Lionelli currently resides in Los Angeles, CA
