Oscar-winning composer Volker Bertelmann (CONCLAVE, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT) explains his unique approach to creating analog textures, themes, and layered complexity. How a church piano led him to a breakout hip hop album in Germany, and then into his own musical experimentation with “prepared piano” — including albums and live performances with ping pong balls in pianos.

How his prepared piano techniques create sounds many believe are synths, but are actually recorded sounds carefully crafted. How his collaboration with director Edward Berger has led to a new exploration of sound. And why you should always prepare (even for an Oscars speech!) but be ready to go with the flow of the moment as a musician.

Special thanks to Nate Gold and Soundbite Studios in Los Angeles. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

For exclusive and 4K footage inside studios of your favorite composers, follow Score on YouTube Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.

Check out Vienna Symphonic Library’s collection of innovating libraries and samples at http://vsl.co.at — including their flagship Synchron Series, recorded at Vienna Synchron Stage, where hit films and shows for HBO, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Bear McCreary’s score to Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video, and many more are recorded. Check out the free sample player, freebie libraries and demos at http://vsl.co.at

To learn more about recording at Vienna Synchron Stage, visit http://synchronstage.com

Score: The Podcast is a presentation of Epicleff Media and is produced by Holmes Productions.

Score: The Podcast returns for a sixth season with in-person interviews filmed in 4K, and new original footage inside composers’ studios. Presented by Vienna Symphonic Library

In this season premiere episode, Benjamin Wallfisch breaks down his explosive blockbuster summer with TWISTERS and ALIEN: ROMULUS becoming sensations. The inside scoop on whether Glen Powell’s romantic ending in TWISTERS was intended to have a kiss (which became a social media firestorm), and how Benjamin channeled Danny Elfman’s iconic BATMAN theme in Michael Keaton’s masked return in THE FLASH. Plus, how the score for the hit ALIEN sequel broke new ground with themes echoing sunlight in darkness and an experimental DNA strain that appropriate mutates the score for a powerfully haunting emotional reaction from audiences.

Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

For exclusive and 4K footage inside studios of your favorite composers, follow Score on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X.

Check our Vienna Symphonic Library’s collection of innovating libraries and samples at vsl.co.at — including their flagship Synchron Series, recorded at Vienna Synchron Stage, where hit films and shows for HBO, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, Bear McCreary’s score to Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video, and many more are recorded. Use code ScoreVienna through December 18 for 20% off five Synchron Duality Strings libraries, or check out the free sample player, freebie libraries and demos at vsl.co.at

To learn more about recording at Vienna Synchron Stage, visit synchronstage.com

Score: The Podcast is a presentation of Epicleff Media and is produced by Holmes Productions.

Robert Kraft reunites with the talented Jessica Weiss to talk about her path from ballet to Hollywood film scoring. In 2012, Jessica was invited to join the Remote Control Productions team and worked with Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, Junkie XL and others on films. Then, she landed a job as a music editor working with Mychael Danna, and has continued on to score the recent Camila Cabello film Cinderella.

In Score’s season 5 finale, composer Rob Simonsen talks about having the #1 and #2 films in the world on the same weekend (DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE; IT ENDS WITH US), and how one film led to the other being done inside of one month — the biggest time crunch he’s ever had. Plus, what is was like working with Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, poking fun at Marvel in the sound booth with Kevin Feige during recordings, and what’s next with his scoring a major upcoming Pixar release. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Robert Kraft.

Breakout composer Andrea Datzman (INSIDE OUT 2) talks about her initial rejection from film scoring industry, and what led her to persevere. How her struggle with Lyme disease threatened to upend her initial breakthrough with Michael Giacchino on INSIDE OUT, and led to a surprising new revelation about her own brain and neuropsychology. She also discusses her experience learning from Michael Giacchino as a student, during the scoring sessions for ABC’s LOST. Interview by Robert Kraft and Kenny Holmes.

Composer Andrew Lockington (ATLAS, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN) joins SCORE to talk about Toronto, working with and under the tutelage of fellow Canadian Mychael Danna after wanting to start a rock band, and how his interest in orchestration led to his composing breakthroughs. Plus, working with Jennifer Lopez, creating “suites” of music, what makes temps so tricky to work with, and how he’s built a relationship with director Brad Peyton across multiple big-budget action films. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Robert Kraft.

We catch up with composer extraordinaire Christophe Beck (UNFROSTED, ROAD HOUSE) for the first time in six years! Christophe shares how early piano lessons led to dreams of making his own album (now in the works). Plus, how years leading a composer team on major films refreshed his love of teaching and sharing, his creative rapport with director Doug Liman, and working with comedy icon Jerry Seinfeld in his directorial debut on the Netflix satire/“Pop Tart biopic” UNFROSTED. Interview by Kenny Holmes, Matt Schrader, and Robert Kraft.

Composer Chris Benstead talks about being Guy Ritchies’ musical maestro on multiple projects, including THE GENTLEMEN on Netflix and THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE. How his musical education led him into music mixing and eventually working in the “sound” departments on major projects, before his work with Patrick Doyle, Steven Price, Alan Menken and Hans Zimmer brought him back into the “composer” role for Guy Ritchie. Why Guy sometimes asks him to be “braver” with a cue, and how to delegate (aka “let go”) of certain parts of the music composition process that you’re good at. Interview by Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader.

YouTuber Rudy Mancuso has been following SCORE for years, as a musician and composer in his own right. He joins Kenny Holmes and Matt Schrader to discuss his breakout hit film from SxSW ‘MÚSICA’ out now on Prime Video — a semi-autobiographic film, years in the making, that pushes musical possibilities to refreshingly brilliant musical storytelling. Directed as only a composer could, MÚSICA (also starring Camila Mendes and J.B. Smoove) is an exploration of synesthesia, in which Rudy experiences real life in semi-musical form. Rudy discusses how his content creator life was the perfect practice for navigating his own feature film, why puppets (yes, puppets) are so integral to his film, and why he never had any doubt he would direct AND compose the music himself.