Newman and Lasseter: Buddies

The Los Angeles Times talks about the friendship between composer Randy Newman and director John Lasseter:

Lasseter first met Newman when he began work on "Toy Story."

"At first we even thought about not having songs at all," Lasseter recalls. "But [Disney music executive] Chris Montan convinced me of the value of songs to tell the story. I loved Randy's scores — I used to listen to his music from 'The Natural' and 'Avalon' driving in my car. And he appealed to me because he could not only write emotional music but music with a sense of humor."

Composers and filmmakers speak a very different language. So the challenge for the two men was to find a means of communication. Composers often find it difficult to understand what a director wants from them, especially when the director's idea of helpful advice is something like, "I want the music to be more powerful!"

Newman says he asks Lasseter to give him adjectives to describe what feeling he's looking for. "My songs are usually exactly like the instructions I've received," he says. "John will tell me he wants something to feel cheerful and friendly, and I end up with 'You've Got a Friend in Me.' "

Be sure to read the rest of the article at this link.

Photo: Gary Friedman / LATimes