Hello reddit! Thank you again for the wonderful experience on my previous AMA last year. I'm back once again to take your questions. Since we last spoke, I have been working on the scores for RUSH, The Lone Ranger, 12 Years A Slave, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. It's been busy!

I have also been supporting Not On Our Watch, an incredible organization that's dedicated to putting an end to mass atrocities around the world, and generates lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection. I am doing a campaign with them where I am offering anyone who donates the chance to fly to LA with a friend and be my guest at an exclusive scoring session of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where you will get to hear the score and see clips from the film before anyone else, and you'll also get a tour of my studio. Here is the link!

Ask me anything!

Proof: https://twitter.com/RealHansZimmer/status/423228471104372736

UPDATE: Thanks for the questions everyone - I've got to get back to a scoring session. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to the next one.

Comments: 3961 • Responses: 51  • Date: 

Phantomass2187 karma

Do you ever look at a scene in a film and tell the director that "I think this scene works better without music"

realhanszimmer2923 karma

All the time. Music is as much about silence as it is about notes, and storytelling is as much about letting a scene breathe as it is about cluttering it up with notes.

Myrat88mph1404 karma

I just want to say your studio is pretty awesome. Maybe I can visit there?

realhanszimmer1836 karma

I’m offering you the chance to do just that. We are raising money for Not On Our Watch, which is a great charity that help victims of war crimes. And when you contribute to them, you earn the chance to fly out to LA and sit with me as I score Amazing Spider-man 2 and tour my studio. Here’s the link if you’re interested. http://www.omaze.com/experiences/amazingspider-man-2

dracip_picard1352 karma

What is the most unconventional noise you've utilized in one of your scores?

realhanszimmer2515 karma

Destroying a piano in an underground car park for Sherlock Holmes with a big sledgehammer.

christian10811121 karma

What film score in the past decade has stood out to you the most and why?

realhanszimmer2324 karma

There Will Be Blood, cause it's recklessly, crazily beautiful.

23Heart23988 karma

Re: Daft Punk's OST for Tron Legacy:

You were thanked in the record's liner notes. A lot of people have noted your influence on its sound, and if I'm not wrong it was partly recorded or mixed at your studio. Were you personally much involved in the creation of the record?

realhanszimmer1581 karma

I tried to stay as far away from them as possible and give them as much room as I could. I think they just thanked me because I didn't interfere. In fact I didn't hear a note until the movie came out.

highmrk967 karma

What experience with drugs do you have?

realhanszimmer2606 karma

Good experiences! My brain is still functioning.

saxmanatee798 karma

What's your favourite beverage and why?

realhanszimmer2415 karma

Terrible confession...sometimes I think the greatest American invention is Coca-Cola. But just so you know, it's better everywhere else in the world than it is in the US. "Mexican Coke" is way better. It's got real sugar in it.

ContinuumGuy754 karma

Hans, you've worked on so many things, but I'm wondering: is it "easier" to score completely new things (like Inception) or for established franchises/characters like Spidey, Batman, Superman and, dare I say it, perhaps the Justice League one day?

realhanszimmer1201 karma

For me it's much harder to follow in the footsteps of preexisting great composers like John Williams and Danny Elfman. It's much nicer to start with a clean slate.

iamthetlc470 karma

What was the hardest movie to write a score for?

realhanszimmer1414 karma

Writing scores is a bit like surgery, you never remember the pain. I keep talking about how much fun I had on inception, and the rest of my team reminds me that I nearly killed myself. They seem to get harder and harder.

brenswen738 karma

What is your favorite solo instrument?

realhanszimmer1814 karma

The cello. It's got the most soul for me. Plus I keep writing for it.

minarth680 karma

Hi Hans! What is your favorite snack to eat while watching movies?

realhanszimmer1455 karma

Hazelnut gelato. I can be very specific about this!

nxm9670 karma

Just seen all those skulls in your studio. Are they real? What do they mean for you?

realhanszimmer1739 karma

Each one signifies a discarded score.

Zeustehgod616 karma

If you didn't score movies what do you think you'd be doing today?

realhanszimmer1163 karma

Thinking about new technology for music. If I hadn’t become a musician, I would’ve become a scientist.

suenami611 karma

Hola, Hans! Mexican girl here. Someone told me that you were a tad disappointed that last time you visited people were too respectful and they didn't really ask ANYTHING. So here it goes: What was the single most embarrassing moment of your life? (PS, will donate more than the one dollar I contributed one time to your endeavors. Promise.).

realhanszimmer1671 karma

The most embarrassing moment of my professional life was when I was in a script meeting and I hadn't read the script and I kept talking about how the two heroes are going to ride off into the sunset and describing the glorious music in great scene at the end and how beautiful it was going to be. Then the producer said "you haven't read the script have you?" I said "yes I have." He then said "One of the heroes dies."

chezzycz585 karma

What are your 5 favourite movie soundtracks of all time?

realhanszimmer1146 karma

Once Upon a Time in America, Avalon, Midnight Express, Close Encounters, and Hannah.

sjhill516 karma

What's your favourite piece of music and why?

realhanszimmer1153 karma

Beethoven's 5th, because any kid could have come up with the first 3 notes, but it takes genius and inventiveness to do what he did with them. I'm always astonished by how brilliant something can become from something so simple.

iamthetlc261 karma

Are any of your scores consciously influenced by Beethoven's 5th? If so, which ones?

realhanszimmer577 karma

None of them are influenced by the music itself, but I had an amazing day a few years back, where I went to Beethoven's house in Bonn, and we were looking at his work, and it was such a good reminder about work ethic and inventiveness. I'm more interested in developing my own style, but I take the work very seriously, as he did. But I'll never be as good as that.

bsievers483 karma

What's the most embarrassing album in your personal collection?

realhanszimmer1328 karma

All the Abba albums that I have, and I have them all.

DARTH_HODOR481 karma

Hi Mr. Zimmer! If you could pick one composer to do the soundtrack for your life, who would it be and why?

Bonus question: What is your single favorite piece (if possible) of cinematic music that you did not compose?

realhanszimmer1075 karma

Pharrell Williams. He knows me so well. And whenever I'm being a dark German he says the word happy to me.

WarpedWinky478 karma

What music do you listen to the most in your free time? Are you a fan of metal at all?

realhanszimmer1417 karma

I don't have any free time, but I used to know all of the guys in Motorhead and would go and get my ears ripped off going to rehearsals and leave with bleeding eyeballs and no enamel left on my teeth. I loved it.

Bficiur475 karma

What was it like on The Lion King taking the music of Elton John and making it into a more African piece?

realhanszimmer978 karma

At first terrifying because I changed all the chords in his songs, and then wonderful because he loved what I had done. He is an incredibly generous spirit, and man can he sing. But I refused to play the piano in front of him.

scianczyk467 karma

Who's your favourite character from DC universe?

realhanszimmer1261 karma

It is, actually, Batman. Because he's the darkest.

Therealblufall316 karma

And who is your favorite villain?

realhanszimmer1269 karma

Hannibal Lector because he's an excellent chef and knows his Dante.

Koala_of_Camelot417 karma

Hello Mr Zimmer. Thanks for doing this AMA! Do you feel that there's a distinct lack of female composers in film? If so, what do you think of this?

realhanszimmer996 karma

I think there is a disgustingly terrible lack of female composers in films. I don't know why it is, and I wish the balance was addressed. I used to work with Shirley Walker, and at one point I fired her from being my orchestrator so she would have to compose. I knew she wouldn't have the courage to go compose as long as she could make a living as my orchestrator.

TheWorldIsAhead337 karma

When releasing a soundtrack to the public, how do you feel about mixing the cues into suites versus releasing them as they were cut in the film?

realhanszimmer596 karma

Important question...I always try to have the music stand on its own two feet separate from the movie. So sometimes I try to change the order to create suites that flow. But my main dilemma with soundtracks is that they are in stereo while everything we do is composed in surround, so by doing stereo you take away half of my world. So we create an app called z+ that is free download so allows you to listen to music in surround. Here it is if you want to use: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/z+-music/id656392290?mt=8

Raholuos312 karma

Did you like working on music for game Crisis? Was it much different than composing theme for a movie?

realhanszimmer709 karma

For me the difference in scoring a game is that in a movie I know who the main protagonist is. In a game, I don’t know who the protagonist is, because I don’t know you. I’m imagining who you are. Its very difficult to have a point of view if I don’t know your point of view.

skoldy11293 karma

What was your inspiration behind the Inception soundtrack?

realhanszimmer473 karma

Chris. The work with Chris is absolutely collaborative. He is as much involved in the music as I am. So Chris is the inspiration.

Iama914280 karma

Mr. Zimmer, how did you go to the point where you are in your career today? I am really interested in your profession and I hope I could do what you do one day.

realhanszimmer498 karma

Luck and the support of all the musicians and directors I've ever worked with. But mainly luck.

GabrielBonilla221 karma

Hans Zimmer, are you proud of the sacrifices you made in your lifetime? Also what movie soundtrack are you most proud of?

realhanszimmer459 karma

I don't think I've made any sacrifices. I'm a musician. It's an honor and a pleasure to be a musician. At the the end of my life I can say it has been a blast. My hero is the English comedian Tommy Cooper who dropped dead on stage. People thought it was part of the act, and I think that's a good way to go. You can find the clip it on youtube.

Daredizzle204 karma

What's the strangest place or moment that a great musical idea has come to you?

realhanszimmer481 karma

I dreamt what ended up being part of the Dark Knight Rises score. I very rarely dream music or remember it and it was very experimental so I went to Warner Brothers and asked them if I had earned the right yet to get a really really big orchestra to just try an experiment for two days, and if it all went horribly wrong, that they weren’t going to turn around and tell me I blew the whole budget on nonsense, but it actually turned out alright, and was a completely different way of working with the orchestra. It was a 25 minute piece called the Bane Suite.

CheeseheaDuke204 karma

Bach, Mozart, Brahms, or Beethoven?

realhanszimmer486 karma

Any composer other than Bruckner will do. As Stravinsky said, "you can either like music of Bruckner."

Verenom203 karma

What would you say is the most inspiring thing someone has ever told you?

realhanszimmer397 karma

Oh god good question. "Don't ever take no for an answer." Nic Roeg told me that at the beginning of my career.

parmaser191 karma

What score do you consider your best?

realhanszimmer829 karma

Haven't written it yet. They all could do with a little improvement. That's why I don't sleep at night.

helena_sa163 karma

I use Reason and Cubase to make music, what is a hint you can give me to make orchestral sounds, especially strings sound more life-like?

realhanszimmer308 karma

This is a subject you can go on for seven days. If I could sum up, I would say, the first thing is learn how to listen to real orchestras and try to translate that into your programming. I'll also say, I've been doing it 30 years and am still trying to get better at it.

DarkHumorAnimation140 karma

I would do ANYTHING if you were wish me luck on my date tonight!

Or any advice on how to impress the lady! I already told her all about you last weekend on our first date when we talked about music!

realhanszimmer411 karma

Well, good luck! I'd play her "You're So Cool" from True Romance. And if you can learn how to play an instrument that helps. As a teenager, while all the other kids at school we're trying to chat the girls, I just started playing the piano...

MrLeHah135 karma

How would you say your approach to the new Spiderman will differ from the previous James Horner's installment?

realhanszimmer306 karma

Completely and utterly different. I have a wonderful band including Johnny Marr, Pharrell Williams, Mike Einziger, Ann Marie Calhoun, Arturo Sandoval, it goes on.

fabled_one131 karma

Who's your archenemy in the business?

realhanszimmer374 karma

I can think of a couple of producers...

Zavalus130 karma

How did you get your first commision for a soundtrack?

realhanszimmer219 karma

I was an assistant to another composer named Stanley Myers, who taught me everything I know about film. There was a movie he couldn't do, so I ended up doing it. My first big break I owe to Diana Levinson, Barry Levinson's wife who bought him the soundtrack to A World Apart which he listened to while directing Rain Man. So he had to hire an unknown to score a major Hollywood movie.

iAmLegion3614119 karma

Is there a certain Director/Producer you have yet to work with but would love the chance to collaborate with?

realhanszimmer226 karma

There are always new directors coming up that are exciting. Working with Steve McQueen was exciting because, to me, seeing Hunger, I felt there was a new voice in the world of cinema, and you want to work with the ones that have a voice and a point of view.

stinglover777118 karma

How is it working with Lisa Gerrard and the process of brainstorming when a singer is involved in a soundtrack?

realhanszimmer214 karma

Lisa and I just sit down and jam. We don't really talk. We don't have to talk. It just works by telepathy with her. One leads the other follows, you know its the magic of music. It's a world less conversation. You just have to be in the same room and it happens.

mohamed-chahrour100 karma

hey hans! ich hoffe dir gehts gut :) bist du noch manchmal in deutschland? villeicht sogar in berlin?

realhanszimmer185 karma

I love going back to Germany and especially Berlin, but these days I never seem to get a chance to go.

hacky2297 karma

What is your favourite thing about working on a new project?

realhanszimmer186 karma

The people: the musicians, the director... the adventure.

Zoejet96 karma

Hi Hans. Do you ever feel like you don't have enough motivation? If so, what do you do in times like that? I really appreciate that you take the time to do this. Thank you. - Zoe

realhanszimmer286 karma

Think of the deadline. As Ridley Scott once said to me, "Fear is a great motivator."

bschmalz89 karma

How did you get started with music? Did you play before you composed? Compose before you played!?

realhanszimmer161 karma

I started like most musicians, when I was 5-years-old, and it was just interesting making noises and torturing a piano and it just became a great refuge and a great distraction and a great source of entertainment to me.

ItachiCat74 karma

Are there any movies that you wanted to work on the Scores for but never got the chance to? If so, which ones?

realhanszimmer177 karma

No. If I was excited about them, I was just as excited to see them when they are finished. One of the problems about working on a movie is, is that you never get to experience it the way the audience experience it. And I'm a fan of movies!

hiddenjewel71 karma

How did you get involved with Not On Our Watch?

realhanszimmer119 karma

I got involved with John Prendergast, the founder of Not On Our Watch, with Bonnie Abauanza when she was at Amnesty International. I met John and we just instantly hit it off. I saw an extraordinary man who has just an incredible sense of adventure. Except the difference is that everything he does is for the good of man kind. The work he's doing for the people of South Sudan is incredible. I feel so small and insignificant that I just write music. I will do anything and everything to help John make this world a better place. He is the future.

spacekim35 karma

Hello, sir!

On the upcoming Spider-Man score, how did you approach the music to differentiate it from what you´ve done for The Dark Knight-movies and Man of Steel? And will you reference James Horner´s theme from the first movie in any way?

Thanks a lot!

realhanszimmer86 karma

I try to approach it from the character's point of view. The character is a lot younger than any of those other superheroes and he's not as dark. I was thinking, how does a college graduate deal with their emotion? And I thought it wouldn't be Wagnarian Hans and slushy strings, but more of a post-rock approach.

OfficialAdamR10 karma

Of all the films you've worked on, which was the most challenging?

realhanszimmer33 karma

They're are equally challenging because the blank page is the blank page, and it just seems to get harder, not easier.

matthewfisher4 karma

What is the best possible advice you can give to an aspiring film composer like myself?

  • Matthew Fisher

realhanszimmer17 karma

I go back to "Don't take no for an answer." And write every day. Really learn about storytelling. This isn't concert music, this is storytelling.

salmonx4 karma

What's your favorite cigarette brand? I like Marlboro.

realhanszimmer32 karma

Ahhh so do I. I'm smoking one right now. But you should quit while you can.

json10203 karma

Hello Mr. Zimmer, I am a huge fan of your work. What soundtrack are you most proud of?

realhanszimmer16 karma

I don't know, it's still to be written. There are a few that I nearly like: Inception, Hannibal (because Ridley let me write an absurdist comedy) Thin Red Line, and The Dark Knight (because I think we changed the way people perceive film music.)