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AE: How does it differ from other types of musical composition?
RU: That's a big question! Generally speaking, film music composition differs from pure music composition the way Richard Wagner's "music drama" music differs from other classical music. As they reflect modern psychological phenomena, both film music and Wagner's music are essentially more melodramatic than abstract, more "emotional" than "ideal." Film music supports and follows drama that's already set in motion. It doesn't generate its own dynamics, it mirrors a dynamic already set in motion, and whose end is already determined, by the intellectual content and visuals of acting, scenery, costumes, and plot.

Interestingly, much film music--especially music from Hollywood’s golden age, the 20s up thru the 50s--is Wagnerian in style. Lots of chromatic shifting, nervous tension, "melodrama." Film music is more motif-laden. Musical themes are good at representing different and recurring characters and their emotions in film. The opening and closing credits of a film are often the only place a composer can really "compose" some pure music. It's no small coincidence that the overtures/preludes/finales of Wagner's operas contain his best music.

AE: How many film scores have you done?
RU: I believe there are six or seven full films I've scored. I've also contributed songs to several video and documentary film projects.

AE: Are there any more forthcoming?
RU: There are two new Robert Urban CDs in the works: one will be all instrumental music and one a "live" album comprised of different concerts I've played. I'm currently recording the debut CD for gay singer/songwriter Roger Kuhn, and producing the opening track "The Muffin Song" for queer rocker Scott Free's upcoming CD release. When the smoke clears this fall, I'll be able to consider another film scoring project. I'm working on the screen play for an original film about my mother's life, so my next film composing job might just be for my own film.

AE: You mentioned Scott Free. “Zombies,” the song that plays over the closing credits, was written and performed by Scott. Can you say something about that song?
RU: Singer songwriter/rock poet extraordinaire Scott Free and I have collaborated on film soundtracks before. Scott composed the title song to the 2002 gay slasher film Dead Guys, for which I also contributed music score and songs. When I began scoring Zombies, I contacted Scott to inquire if he might have any songs I could use. By sheer coincidence, it turned out Scott had just written a song called “Zombies” for his own upcoming CD release. It was perfect. We ended up using Scott's song (without words) as incidental background music in one scene and saved the full song with words for the final closing credits, to great effect.

When I'm working on a film score, I sometimes put out a request to songwriters for a type of song I feel might work particularly well in a film. For example, when I scored the gay vampire film Das Hause, I put out feelers to gay songwriters for any songs on a vampire theme, or that used words like "vampire," "blood," "death," etc. I found several. You'd be amazed how there's always someone out there who's written a song for whatever subject you need.

AE: Zombies is getting some film festival play. What does that mean to you?
RU: First off, it means I get to go enjoy the film, and experience my music at a real movie theater with a real audience and be part of the whole "movie-going experience". Film fests and premieres are also where I get to finally meet the film actors in person, and it's always fun to network with all involved. Sometimes I perform live at the screenings or receptions, or participate in panel discussions on music for films. Zombies premiered at the GLBT Indie-Outties Film Fest in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 25, 2004, and had its NYC screening at the New Filmmakers Festival at the Anthology Film Archives Theater, on September 29, 2004.

AE: As a member of Outmusic, and a past Outmusic Award Nominee, would you like there to be a category for film scores and soundtracks?
RU: Yes. Whenever I compose music for a gay film, I also work hard to lobby the film producers to use songs and music by gay musical artists. I have so far been successful with the three films I've scored for Dead Guys Cinema. Zombies, Das Hause and Dead Guys all contain soundtracks of songs and music by 100% out gay artists. Thus, these soundtracks should meet whatever requirement Outmusic might have for their OMA categories. Since my own next CD release will be an all-instrumental CD of music I've composed for films, I hope there's a category for it at the OMAs.

The Zombies DVD, which was released in late 2004,
is available via mail order at deadguyscinema.com

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