About
"The secret is being effective... if you pick up your guitar and make me cry, I'm sorry; you're as good as it gets. If you can do that, if you know how to do that, if you can get better doing that, and if you can find someone that trusts you with his emotions in his movie - if it can make you cry, then you can work."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Bill Conti discusses his family's talent for music and his early start playing piano gigs. He talks of studying music at Louisiana State University on a bassoon scholarship and then attending Juilliard to further his studies. He recalls his time in Rome, ghost-writing for composers and working in clubs, and then describes how he first got into composing for film. Conti details his work composing the score for the feature films Bloom in Love and Rocky, and chronicles his long association as the conductor for the Academy Awards. He recounts the process of playing someone off when an acceptance speech goes long, and talks of playing off Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Julia Roberts. He then discusses his work composing for television, including creating the theme/main titles for Dynasty, Cagney & Lacey, and Falcon Crest. He explains the process of scoring the miniseries North and South, and offers advice to aspiring composers. Jon Burlingame conducted the interview on September 20, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Bill Conti on playing Julia Roberts off when her speech went long at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on composing the theme for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest
Bill Conti on composing for the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" and creating the title song
Bill Conti on composing the main titles for Cagney & Lacey
Bill Conti on composing for "Rocky"
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his childhood and early influences; on his parents' talent for playing piano and his start playing piano; on attending Louisiana State University on a bassoon scholarship
On attending Juilliard; on wanting to write dramatic music; on moving to Rome; on becoming music supervisor on the film "Bloom in Love"
On returning to the U.S.; on ghost-writing for Italian composers; on recording sessions at Burbank Studios and scoring "Harry and Tonto" in 1974
On composing for "Rocky"; on being asked to conduct and be music director for the Academy Awards; on playing someone off when their acceptance speech goes long
Chapter 2
On being music director for the Academy Awards
On his work for television; on writing the theme/main title to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
On composing the theme for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest; on differences between composing for film and television
On composing the main title theme to Cagney & Lacey; on the Dynasty spin-off, The Colbys
On writing music for news programs
On composing for sports programs and the New York City Marathon
On composing for producer David L. Wolper's miniseries North and South; on how composing for the second and third installments differed from the first
On themes he wrote for short-lived television shows and for television movies
On composing the title song for the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only"
Chapter 3
On winning an Oscar for scoring "The Right Stuff"; on scoring "The Karate Kid" movies
On his memories of television as a kid; on then-current projects (2010) and advice for composers
On his proudest career achievements, his biggest regret, and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Academy Awards, The
Bill Conti on being asked to conduct and be music director for the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on memorable collaborations during his time as music director for the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on the technical processes in place for conducting the orchestra at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on his first time conducting the orchestra at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on playing someone off when their acceptance speech goes long at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on playing Cuba Gooding, Jr. off when his speech went long at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on playing Julia Roberts off when her speech went long at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on being music director for the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on the enormous viewership of the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on interacting with hosts of the Academy Awards
Cagney & Lacey
Bill Conti on composing the main titles for Cagney & Lacey
Bill Conti on composing the main title theme to Cagney & Lacey
Dynasty
Bill Conti on writing the theme/main title to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
Emerald Point, N.A.S.
Bill Conti on composing for Emerald Point, NAS
Falcon Crest
Bill Conti on composing the theme for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest
Merv Griffin Show, The
Bill Conti on playing his themes on The Merv Griffin Show
Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story
Bill Conti on composing for the TV movie Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story
North and South
Bill Conti on composing for producer David L. Wolper's miniseries North and South; on how composing for the second and third installments differed from the first
Topics
Memorable Moments on Television
Bill Conti on playing Julia Roberts off when her speech went long at the Academy Awards
Pop Culture
Bill Conti on writing the theme/main title to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
Bill Conti on the main title theme for Dynasty
Bill Conti on composing the theme for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest
Bill Conti on composing the main title theme to Cagney & Lacey
Bill Conti on composing for the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" and creating the title song
Technological Innovation
Bill Conti on the technical processes in place for conducting the orchestra at the Academy Awards
TV Theme Songs
Bill Conti on writing the theme/main title to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
Bill Conti on the main title theme for Dynasty
Bill Conti on composing the theme for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest
Bill Conti on composing the main title theme to Cagney & Lacey
Bill Conti on composing for the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only" and creating the title song
Professions
Composer
Bill Conti on wanting to write dramatic music
Bill Conti on differences between composing for film and television
Bill Conti on how composing for second and third installments of miniseries, (or for sequels) differs from composing for the first
Bill Conti on the best advice he ever received about composing
Bill Conti on advice to aspiring composers
Music Director
Bill Conti on being asked to conduct and be music director for the Academy Awards
Music Professionals
Bill Conti on wanting to write dramatic music
Bill Conti on being asked to conduct and be music director for the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on differences between composing for film and television
Bill Conti on how composing for second and third installments of miniseries, (or for sequels) differs from composing for the first
Bill Conti on the best advice he ever received about composing
Bill Conti on advice to aspiring composers
Genres
Awards Shows
Bill Conti on the technical processes in place for conducting the orchestra at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on being asked to conduct and be music director for the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on playing someone off when their acceptance speech goes long at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on playing Julia Roberts off when her speech went long at the Academy Awards
Bill Conti on being music director for the Academy Awards
Drama Series
Bill Conti on composing the theme and pilot music for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest
News and Documentary
Bill Conti on writing music for ABC News and expected music cues
Bill Conti on what news programs should sound like
Bill Conti on contributing music to Nightline, Our World, and World News Tonight
Sports
Bill Conti on composing for sports programs and the New York City Marathon
People
Gilbert Cates
Bill Conti on working with producer Gil Cates on the Academy Awards
Billy Crystal
Bill Conti on interacting with hosts of the Academy Awards
William Friedkin
Bill Conti on meeting with producer William Friedkin about conducting the Academy Awards
Merv Griffin
Bill Conti on playing his themes on The Merv Griffin Show
Earl Hamner, Jr.
Bill Conti on composing the theme and pilot music for Earl Hamner, Jr.'s Falcon Crest
Steve Martin
Bill Conti on interacting with hosts of the Academy Awards
Pat Morita
Bill Conti on composing the theme for Pat Morita's Ohara
George Peppard
Bill Conti on writing the theme to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
Julia Roberts
Bill Conti on playing Julia Roberts off when her speech went long at the Academy Awards
Barney Rosenzweig
Bill Conti on composing main titles for Cagney & Lacey
Bill Conti on composing the main title theme to Cagney & Lacey
Esther Shapiro
Bill Conti on writing the theme to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
Richard Shapiro
Bill Conti on writing the theme to an Esther and Richard Shapiro script called Oil, later known as Dynasty
Aaron Spelling
Bill Conti on interacting with producer Aaron Spelling on Dynasty
Patrick Stewart
Bill Conti on interacting with hosts of the Academy Awards
David L. Wolper
Bill Conti on composing for producer David L. Wolper's miniseries North and South