Dear Michael Wandmacher would you tell us more about you? 

My background is a little strange compared to most composers. I spent most of my high school and college years playing in metal bands. After graduating with a degree in Journalism, I worked for a few advertising firms. During that time I started moonlighting at a music company doing scores for commercials and infomercials. Eventually, the “side” job became a full-time endeavor and led to bigger budget commercials, short films and independent features. I was in Minneapolis at the time. An early working relationship with Dimension films prompted me to move to Los Angeles in 1998. I’ve been working in Hollywood ever since. Technically, I’m an autodidact. At first I thought it would be a burden, but I actually think it’s an advantage now. 

I’ve been a film score fan since I was a kid and particularly loved the work of Jerry Goldsmith, Dominic Frontiere, Jerry Fielding and Bernard Herrmann. I was influenced heavily by the work of Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard and David Shire. I love film music in general. It’s a wonderful forum for hearing some truly memorable compositions. 

As far as tastes go, I’m pretty much open to anything. I do tend to gravitate towards large-scale orchestral works and expertly programmed electronic scores.

 

How did you come to work on this project, Punisher: War Zone, and how did you approach and treat the Marvel Comics aspect of the film? 

The opportunity to score PWZ came about rather suddenly. I was prepping to work on My Bloody Valentine and Lionsgate approached me about PWZ. After some discussion about schedules we determined that it would be possible to do both scores. After that, I was off and running. 

The Punisher is a character that I have a history with, going all the way back to my days as a kid shopping for comics with my dad. Ever since Frank Castle first showed up in Spider-Man #129 I’ve been following the character through all of his various incarnations and adventures. The chance to put a musical stamp on a character I knew so well was very exciting. It was also really important as a fan of the comics to nail the musical tone and thematic arc of the film in a way that truly captures the spirit of The Punisher.

 

How would you describe your own style, and more especially your score for this film? 

My style changes quite a bit with each score. They’re very customized for each project. In the case of Punisher: War Zone I knew right away that I wanted the character to have a strong thematic focus and some memorable motifs that the audience could become familiar with as the film progresses. Once these were created, I set out to blend the themes into a score that captured both the militaristic, relentless vigilante side of Frank Castle and highlight his inner turmoil and deep sorrow. I ended up using a rather large orchestra comprised of strings and brass coupled with a vast assortment of electronic rhythms and atmospheres. Having the two work in concert allowed the themes to be played with great emotional force or restraint, depending on the situation, and drive the intense action scenes. The audience will definitely get what they expect in terms of action music, but I hope they’ll be pleasantly surprised by the poignant and subtle elements of the score. These moments really bring some humanity to The Punisher and help to focus on his inner struggle as well as the fights he faces out on the city streets.

 How did you work with rest of the team on this film? 

The entire process was fantastic although the schedule was very short. The score was written in a little over three weeks and then we spent 10 days or so recording and mixing. Because of this, my interaction with the filmmakers was limited as there were also visual effects, editing and other finishing touches going on simultaneously. There was a meeting early on to discuss the score in general after which I composed music for the first couple reels of the movie. Once the filmmakers heard that, they knew I was on the right track and let me run with it.

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 How did you approach the score for this, atmospherically and thematically?

 There are key players in the movie aside from the Punisher himself, particularly the bad guys, Jigsaw and his completely insane brother, Looney Bin Jim. I wanted something to set these two apart musically from the more melodic parts of the score and highlight their ruthlessness and horrifying actions. So, I focused on very dissonant atmospheres and string arrangements, along with lots of muted brass and prepared piano to create a general cloud of chaos around them. For the Punisher, there is a solid central theme tied to his character that comes back in many different guises throughout the score. It was composed with great versatility in mind. Played in some instances it sounds heavy, heroic, muscular, even majestic. On other occasions, the theme is wrought with melancholy and sadness.  It was very important to have a melody that could do both because all of these emotions and states are part of The Punisher and are equally important in illustrating how he got to be who he is and why he does what he does.

 You use an orchestra (where, how many musicians...), and electronic sounds. How did you mix them?

The orchestra itself was composed of 70+ players, all strings and brass. Aside from a pretty big string section, the brass section was often sonically textured with lots of different mutes. I also used both a tuba and contrabass trombone in tandem to get a massive, powerful low end. The horn writing is very low range overall, which I found out is actually more work for the players! They played beautifully, though, and the result is a very red-blooded, authoritative style. You can hear a great example in the Main Title cut of the score. Six horns are all blowing in unison, very low. It’s a very forceful sound.

 How would you describe a day of work (method, material…) 

I’m pretty disciplined about my work. I set daily goals, be it an action scene, a couple dramatic scenes, or a number of transitions, and work until that goal is reached. Sometimes it takes until dinnertime, sometimes it takes until 4 AM. I just know that if I keep meeting those goals, the score will get done in time and on budget with no snafus. I might watch a scene a couple times and plot it out whereupon I just start with a pulse or a string line and build it up from there. It’s very organic, but structured at the same time. I didn’t always work this way. It’s taken years to develop a sense of confidence and focus with each score. Everyone has bad days at work. Have I been stuck at 3 AM with no music and a 9AM deadline? Absolutely. But you learn to work through it. Most important, I make sure to sleep! Doing all nighters and marathon work sessions is a fruitless exercise in diminishing returns.

 What about your future projects? If you could choose your next work what would it be, with whom?

 I’ve just come off of 15 straight months of work, no days off. So, I’m going to take a short break and get back into the ring after the new year begins. I have a couple things brewing, but I can’t announce what they are just yet. 

Right now, I’m extremely grateful to have had such a successful year. I’m highly energized and looking forward to whatever comes down the pipe. I don’t really have a particular project or director I’m interested in working with, I’d just like to keep going! I really enjoy my work!

 Can you give our readers some info about your next film, the horror "My Bloody Valentine 3-D," coming out in January? 

My Bloody Valentine is a fantastic movie. It’s a rollercoaster ride from start to finish and I had a blast scoring it. Everything you could want from a scary movie is in there: a great bad guy, lead characters you can root for, a murder mystery, a love story – and tons of mayhem. All in 3-D! I’ve seen most of the recent 3D releases, but I honestly think that horror is one genre that can really benefit from the use of 3D technology. It truly heightens the experience. I can’t explain just how fun this movie is, you have to see it for yourself.

 What did this experience bring to you personally and professionally?

 Every project brings experience and growth as an artist and an individual. You walk out knowing you’ve acquired knowledge you didn’t have going in. It’s very satisfying. In the case The Punisher the process was extra special. Here was a project featuring a character I have basically been following my whole life. And I get to put music to it! The Punisher fan in me was as exuberant about the whole thing as the composer. It was a wonderful experience and, honestly, a dream come true.