Interview with German Composer Lars Deutsch
German native Lars Deutsch has been working successfully as a music composer for film and business projects in Berlin for years. While he was working in Berlin, the Hollywood industry started noticing him. Film music as well as audio branding are Lars’ specialties. In just a few months, Lars seems to have conquered the Hollywood crowd and is busy working for top names in the business. What are Lars’ ambitions when it comes to a German composer working in Los Angeles? And does living in the Californian metropolis affect his sound? Lars Deutsch answered these and other questions in an exclusive interview with grenniMEDIA.
Composer Lars Deutsch, copyright: Lars Deutsch
Nina Grenningloh: Lars, you are successful as a composer for film, video games and business projects in Germany. What do you expect from a move to Los Angeles?
Lars Deutsch: I have a long long list of exciting projects and offers here in LA, and I guess I will be pretty busy. It will be much easier to handle those projects efficiently in LA rather than flying back and forth between Germany and the US. It’s also great to escape the German winters. I guess the biggest surprise was for me how many great people I met - so I truly expect to have a great time in LA.
NG: What, in your opinion, has the American entertainment industry to offer that a professional like you would not find in Germany?
LD: There is no place like Hollywood. And if you write music for movies, the movie pretty much decides before you start working on it if you have a chance to do something exciting. So it’s natural that you want to sign on with the best possible film to be able to do your best possible work. Just like any ambitious athlete wants to be in the best possible team. I also like the attitude of the people. They want to entertain and get stuff done, which seems kind of obvious, but is by no means common in Europe.
NG: Can you tell us about some of the projects you are currently working on in Hollywood?
LD: I am currently composing for a US comedy show called “Getting By” featuring Kate Micucci (from “When in Rome”). I have recently finished an exciting project called “Lostbox” starring Joseph Fiennes and Sir Ian McKellen. And there are other great projects on the horizon, which I cannot talk about yet…
NG: You already tested the waters in LA - in how far is your sound influenced by the American experience?
LD: There is certainly an influence. After I wrote music for a US animated film a couple of years back for the first time, I have adjusted a little. American projects do sound different and some of my European stuff would not work in an American production. However, I think part of my success is due to the fact that I do not sound like everybody else and that I do not recycle film music clichés. In a way, I needed to adjust my music to keep it as “out there” as it is in Europe, but for the US.
Lars Deutsch - photo by SuiradO
NG: Part of what you offer is the creation of sound logos and audio branding in general. Do you see differences in the way sound is used for product or company branding in Germany and the US?
LD: This is a very exciting field, especially in a city like a LA where there are so many media companies. Nowadays, I think it is a little weird if you are doing business in media and you do not have an audio logo. I think there are minor differences for any company that wants to sound modern. A green tech company will be looking for a similar effect regardless whether it is from the US or Germany.
However, if you want to go for traditional values associated with a particular industry the differences can be huge. However, I think the differences lie more in the companies and their message than in their location. I wonder how many people actually know that competitors Adidas and Puma are practical neighbors. Sometimes you see funny clashes of old and new. I personally love the old Hollywood sound. However, when I’m sitting in a state-of-the-art cinema in LA watching their modern visual logo but hearing fanfares from the 50s I feel somebody has not done his job properly.
NG: Thanks, Lars, for this interview and good luck!
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