L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano M i c h a e l G i a c c h i - no's music h a s b e c o m e synonymous with some of the most beloved films and franchises of the past two d e c a d e s , f r o m t h e h e a r t - warming melodies of Pixar's Up, Coco, The Incredi- bles, and Ratatouille to t h e h e r o i c t h e m e s o f T h e Batman, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the recent The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Behind these iconic scores lies a personal story steeped in heritage and cul- ture. G i a c c h i n o w a s b o r n i n R i v e r s i d e T o w n s h i p , N e w Jersey, to a family with deep Italian roots: his father's side hails from Sicily, while his m a t e r n a l a n c e s t o r s c o m e from Abruzzo. Surrounded by Italian traditions, family gatherings, and the aromas o f h o m e m a d e c u i s i n e , h e grew up with a strong sense of cultural identity that con- tinues to influence the emo- tional richness of his compo- sitions. I n 2 0 0 9 , G i a c c h i n o claimed Italian citizenship, o f f i c i a l l y c o n n e c t i n g w i t h Italy, the homeland of his grandparents. A few years later, he was honored as an honorary citizen of Caccamo, in the province of Palermo, Sicily, the town where his father's ancestors originated f r o m ( h e r e i s w h e r e h i s paternal great-grandfather, Michele Giacchino, was born i n 1 8 7 6 ) . I n i n t e r v i e w s , Giacchino has often credited this heritage for shaping the way he approaches emotion a n d n a r r a t i v e i n m u s i c . These ties are a source of i n s p i r a t i o n a n d p r i d e , a reminder of the storytelling traditions and musical sensi- b i l i t i e s t h a t I t a l i a n s h a v e cherished for centuries. Since moving to Los Ange- les, Giacchino has become a staple of Hollywood's cre- ative community. He has col- l a b o r a t e d w i t h v i s i o n a r y d i r e c t o r s i n c l u d i n g J . J . A b r a m s , B r a d B i r d , a n d Taika Waititi, across animat- ed features and live-actions. A n i m a t e d f i l m s , h e s a y s , present unique challenges: every moment must be care- fully timed, and the score often conveys what dialogue and visuals alone cannot. After receiving an Acade- my Award nomination for the score of Ratatouille, what gained him his first Oscar as Best Original Score was his soundtrack for Up, the first-ever win for Pixar in that category. Now, Giacchino turns his talents to Disney's highly anticipated Zootopia 2, in t h e a t e r s N o v e m b e r 2 6 , 2025. "The project was an opportunity to expand the m u s i c a l l a n g u a g e o f Zootopia, blending unex- pected genres and styles to match the energy, charm, and emotional depth of its characters," he tells us as we m e e t a t t h e W a l t D i s n e y Studios in Burbank. How do you feel about w o r k i n g o n a n i m a t e d movies? Animation is a godsend. E v e r y t h i n g h a s t o b e planned early, but that gives me stability to write music that lives inside the story instead of just wallpapering it. Live action can feel like a sprint; you're chasing edits and changes. Animation is c a l m e r , m o r e d e l i b e r a t e , and the love for the project is always clear. How did the world of Z o o t o p i a h e l p y o u i n scoring the music? In the world of Zootopia, t h e r e a r e n o r u l e s , s o w e used 70s funk, high-octane a c t i o n , A l p i n e m o u n t a i n climbing music, waltz, even an "evil waltz" for the vil- lains. I like recording with musicians all in the same r o o m . S o m e c o m p o s e r s track parts separately, but I prefer the chemistry of live collaboration. If the direc- tors want a cue sadder or funkier, I can adjust instant- ly, and the musicians can play anything you throw at them. H o w d i d y o u a p p r o a c h t h e c h a r a c - ters? They may be animals, but I t r e a t t h e m a s h u m a n s . Take Gary, our snake. He needed history and feelings. I worked with an incredible flutist, Pedro, who plays all kinds of unusual flutes, even PVC ones. The player's soul comes through in the per- formance. Nick is sly, Judy is earnest, and the music follows them. Everything I do is character-driven; the story comes second. How do you approach an animated film these days? It always starts with the characters. My job is to put myself in their position so the audience can connect with them, too. People often ask if it's different from live action, but honestly, it isn't. Whether through dialogue, story progressions, or visu- a l s , t h e c h a r a c t e r s d r i v e e v e r y t h i n g . M u s i c t h e n works on a more subliminal level; it helps you feel what the characters are feeling. S i n c e a n i m a t e d f i l m s a r e usually around 90 minutes, music becomes essential to make them whole, the same way I would for a live-action film. How does music help convey a feeling? M u s i c c a n c o m p l e t e l y c h a n g e h o w y o u s e e a moment. Imagine the cam- era pushing in on a charac- ter: if I play something sad, the audience immediately senses he's troubled. But if I play polka, it sends them in a completely different direc- tion. That's why music is s u c h a d a n g e r o u s p a r t o f filmmaking: it can either guide the audience perfectly or derail years of work. If you're not in sync with the director, you risk creating emotions that don't belong. What's your process of composing actually like? I u s u a l l y s t a r t a l o n e . Then the filmmakers come to my office, and we watch the cues together. I prepare mock-ups so they can feel the vibe and energy. That's w h e n I l e a r n w h a t w o r k s and what doesn't. I welcome m i s t a k e s ; b e t t e r t o m a k e them early so when we're on t h e s c o r i n g s t a g e , w h e r e time is tight, we can focus on getting it right. What do you do when y o u g e t i n s p i r e d b u t cannot take notes? It happens in the car. I j u s t h o p e I r e m e m b e r i t later. I don't like reading scripts first; it makes me imagine a different movie. I wait to see a cut, then think about the characters: what they want, what's beneath the humor, where the trust issues lie. Then, I sit at the p i a n o , w r i t e a s u i t e o f themes based on that feel- ing, and present it to the directors to see if it matches their vision. W h a t i s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t i n p u t y o u need from a director? W e d o n ' t n e e d t o t a l k about music, we need to talk a b o u t e m o t i o n s . H o w s h o u l d t h e a u d i e n c e f e e l here? That's the key. Direc- tors already think that way when working with actors or storyboard artists. Some- times we'll debate; maybe they want action and fun, but I'll remind them, "No, she's sad because of what j u s t h a p p e n e d . " A s i n g l e note can send things in the wrong direction, so those emotional discussions are everything. W h a t m u s i c d o y o u listen to get inspired? Once I was driving to Dis- neyland with Pete Docter (Pixar's creative director, with whom Giacchino col- laborated for Up, ndr) and I had the soundtrack to The M u p p e t S h o w b l a s t i n g ; Marvin Suggs and his band, not even one of the movies. Pete looked at me and said, "I knew we were going to be good friends." What's your favorite p a r t o f t h e w h o l e process? Being part of the film at every stage. I grew up idoliz- ing the imagineers who built D i s n e y l a n d a n d D i s n e y W o r l d , s o g e t t i n g e v e n a s m a l l g l i m p s e i n t o t h a t world is amazing. The peo- ple you collaborate with are the most creative, fun, and s m a r t y o u ' l l e v e r m e e t . Choosing a film is a "vibe check": do I feel like I'd have h u n g o u t w i t h t h i s t e a m when I was 12? With Disney a n d P i x a r , t h e a n s w e r i s always yes. SILVIA NITTOLI Italian American Oscar winner Michael Giacchino returns to Disney with Zootopia 2 Academy Award winning composer Michael Giacchino. Photo couresy of Silvia Nittoli LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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