All posts by Michael A. Levine

Composer and Songwriter for TV, Film, Games & Concert Music. Credits include Cold Case, Star Wars Detours and the Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST with Lorde’s cover version of “Everybody Wants to Rule The World”.

Branded

Philip Glass said, “The real issue is not how do you find your voice – it’s how to get rid of the damn thing!”

/ 5th February 2018

Nice Folks Finish First

The fall of Harvey Weinstein has illuminated some of the longstanding practices of sexual exploitation in Hollywood. People also mention how he and his brother were bullies, routinely yelling and...

/ 14th November 2017
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Stopping Bullets: Accomplishing the Impossible

My wife, Mirette, and I re-watched The Matrix recently after not seeing it for many years. I’m glad to say the film mostly holds up well, especially the outstanding score...

/ 30th October 2016

Rhymes and The Greatest F You Song Ever Written

Most people know me as a film and television composer, but I started out as a songwriter. In fact, a jingle I wrote (with Ken Shuldman), the Kit Kat Gimme...

/ 23rd May 2016

Hans Zimmer’s Journey to the Line: Asymmetry and The Forbidden Cue

In pop music, most phrases come in groups of 2 or 4 which, in turn, are 4 or 8 bars in length. The utter predictability of this often lends a...

/ 16th April 2016

What is Perfect Pitch anyway?

Perfect pitch is a term used by non-musicians to mean “pretty good ability to stay in tune.” As in, “You should hear my daughter sing – she has perfect pitch!”...

/ 17th November 2015

The 5 best ways to get and keep a job as a Hollywood Composer Assistant (or anything else)

Over the years, I have hired several dozen full-time employees and hundreds of musicians, singers, engineers, and other session personnel. Here is a list of principles to consider when job-seeking...

/ 20th October 2013

Fear, Failure…and The Twilight Zone

Last year I did some leadership training. One night we were asked, “What would you do if failure were not an option?” The exercise is designed to heighten our awareness...

/ 21st July 2013

Why Hans Zimmer Got The Job You Wanted (And You Didn’t)

I worked for Hans Zimmer for about 8 years, 5 of which were in a studio at Remote Control, his facility in Santa Monica. Since leaving Remote, many people have...

/ 12th July 2013