EXCLUSIVE: Interview With ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN Composer Kevin Manthei
Ultimate Spider-Man and Generator Rex composer Kevin Manthei took some time to answer a few questions about working in the business and creating the various scores for many television/film/video games. Click the jump to read the full interview.
What was it that made you realize you wanted to be a composer for television/film/video games/etc.? It was the Star Wars record that my dad bought for me! It was the first time I connected music with film and it dawned on me at that early age that music was being written specifically for film and television. I also remember watching many of the great 70’s & 80’s television shows and purposely listening to the music. I just started to notice it. Around the same time as the Star Wars record I started piano lessons and from that grew a great love for capturing moods on the piano. I was interested in the emotions and feelings the piano could conjure when played various ways. The idea of actually composing for a living in film/TV/games was a slower process. I knew I wanted to study music and compose for a living but I wasn’t sure exactly the avenue I needed to go down. I got accepted in the music program at the University of Minnesota and sometime while I was there I heard about the scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program at the University of Southern California. I applied and was accepted and during that program got to study with Jerry Goldsmith. After completing the School of Hard Knocks (along with various extension courses in the School of Hard Knocks), I began my career. The rest as they say is history. How do you come up with the various scores for different characters and series? I find that the character themes come to me almost like the character is knocking on my studio door. What I have to do to get that Character theme to come knocking is to immerse myself into the world of the project. Learn about the projects background and back story, talk to the creators of the show and get any ideas they have for the music. I also listen to their input regarding their ideas for music for the project and we have some good discussion regarding that.
One of the more interesting theme stories I have took place with Generator Rex (Cartoon Network animated series). I wrote a theme that I thought would work great for the character Six. I brought it to my spotting session with the producer John Fang and played it for him. He loved the track and then told me he thought it would work much better for the main villain of the show – Van Kleiss. I was happy he liked the piece and thought about it for a bit and it was like a light bulb went off – yes the piece would work better for the villain versus one of the main good guys. I was surprised at how that worked out. John also loved my theme for Rex, which I used all over the series.
The theme for Ultimate Spider-Man just popped out of thin air and came to me really quickly. I actually played it for the producer Eric Radomski on my iPhone piano app in a meeting. It might be hard to believe, but he instantly liked it and could recognize that with the right instrumentation would work great. I don’t recommend playing themes to producers on your iPhone but it worked for me! What's your favorite part of creating music for a project? I like the initial rush of composing the first few episodes (TV) or cues (film/games) – you’re in a creative space where you’re free to experiment and try new things while also keeping within the parameters the producers and you have agreed upon. I find that when I look back at my overall catalog of music from a particular project, I relate and like the best of the music composed early on in the project. In the beginning you’re mostly on edge, nervous, excited but ultimately most creative.
I also like the feeling of being in the middle of a project – you know you have accomplished a good deal already but you have an equal amount left to conquer. You feel accomplished yet you have more to prove. By this time you have worked out any kinks with the producers and they are on your side and you don’t have to worry about getting lots of notes from them. It’s a great place to be.
Finally at the end of the project there are usually epic endings and such in the project, which require epic amounts of great music so I turn it on again full speed and end big. A lot of my personal favorite cues from Generator Rex (Cartoon Network animated series) came during the last few episodes.
So based on my answer it appears I like it all. Yes, I like it all… 
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