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Craig Armstrong
Interview
Craig Armstrong is a man of many talents and is releasing Film Works 1995-2005, a musical biography of his work in the world of film.
His many film scores include Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, for which he won a Bafta and an Ivor Novello, and Moulin Rouge for which he won a Golden Globe Ivor Novello and American Film Institute Award. Armstrong won a third Ivor Novello for his music for Phillip Noyce’s The Quiet American. He also scored The Bone Collector and the Oscar-winning One Day In September.
From what age have you being playing instruments?
Probably from the age of about nine.
What instruments do you play?
Piano, guitar and violin.
How did you get into the job of being a film composer?
It’s a funny sort of thing – the way that my career went. I started doing music for theatre and then doing arrangements for the likes of Massive Attack and lot of different bands. This progressed to doing the title scenes for films such as James Bond Goldeneye and Mission Impossible and then my first film was Romeo and Juliet.
You are quite an elusive character; as in that you chose don’t shine in the limelight like the scores that you compose. Why is that?
I think it is different in different countries. In France I am better known as making film music is quite a big thing but genuinely in Britain people know the music but they are not so interested in who made the film music. I think it is more of a cultural thing rather than personal choice.
How do you go about scoring a piece of music for a film?
A lot of the time you get the picture sent to you. With Moulin Rouge we were in Australia and the film that they had filmed the day before we would receive on our desks the next day and you would just compose music to it. A lot of the songs had to be written before filming. Every director works it quite a different way. Many will keep changing the film right up until the last day and you have to keep changing the film music with it – which is a nightmare! Whilst other film makers will give you what is called a ‘locked film’ where the film will not change – which is much easier!
How long do you find it takes you?
“Every film is different. Mainly a couple of months to three months. Others can be a lot quicker such as I think the Ray Charles picture was only about a month but films like Moulin Rouge took a lot longer – about a year! It depends how much music there is in a film.”
What has been your most enjoyable film to compose for?
I liked working with Baz Luhrmann, he is a nice guy. I also did a film called The Quiet Americans with Michael Caine which I really enjoyed and Love Actually was quite fun and Richard Curtis is a nice guy. I have done quite a lot haven’t I?! I have been working too hard!
What has been the most difficult one?
That’s a good question. I think Love Actually probably, as it was a comedy and it was quite different to what I had done before so lots of new challenges. It was also quite a complicated film because there are lots of storylines in it.
What would be your ideal film to compose for?
Ooohh! I would like to work with Baz (Luhrmann) again and I would quite like to do a science-fiction film! You tend to get quite typecast and I tend to do quite a lot of dramatic music and so I would really like to do a good science-fiction film. Plus I like those films! I suppose it would be a challenge to, as I haven’t done anything like that before.
Was it more exciting/rewarding to win a Golden Globe, Ivor Novello or a Bafta and why?
I am going to cop out of that question and say they were all rewarding and exciting to win in their own way. It is nice to get rewarded for what you do. I have got two Bafta’s, three Ivor Novello’s and one golden globe. I think I should go for an Oscar next! I think that would win them all.
You have collaborated with the likes of Madonna, Massive Attack and U2 – which has been your favourite to collaborate with?
I worked with Massive Attack for a long, long time and we became close. So I would have to say them. I got on great with U2. With Madonna I didn’t really meet her that much for her track Frozen so I couldn’t really say I knew her.
What do you think of Madonna’s new single Hung Up?
I have to make a terrible confession! I haven’t really followed Madonna’s career after the track. I wasn’t a big fan of the new stuff. I don’t even know what the new single is!
Is there anyone that you would like to collaborate with but as yet have not?
I like the singer Jem and she did one of the scenes form Love Actually. I am also a bit of a closet Depeche Mode fan!
What do you think of today’s charts and the word of reality television pop acts?
Luckily it’s not really part of my world but a lot of kids seem to get a lot out of it.
By Natalie Edwards
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