Editing Danny Elfman (section)

==Methods==
[[File:Danny Elfman cropped.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Elfman in 2010]]

===Film music===
For his [[film score]]s, Elfman draws musical inspiration almost exclusively from viewing a [[Film editing|cut]] of the film,<ref name="ryzik2015" /> and occasionally from visits to the [[Set construction|set]] while the film is in production (he wrote and orchestrated his theme for ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' on an airplane to Los Angeles after visiting the set in London).<ref name="AV Club" /> While he prefers not to work from script, story or concept, exceptions include ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]'', for which ten songs needed to be written in advance of filmmaking, and ''[[Dumbo (2019 film)|Dumbo]]'', for which he composed the main theme before filming began.<ref name="burlingame2019" />

Once a [[rough cut]] of the film is ready, Elfman and the director have a [[Film score|spotting session]] to decide where to place music in the film, the emotional undercurrents of each scene, and overall tone.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1990/02/23/danny-elfman-rise/|title=Danny Elfman: On the rise|last=Givens|first=Ron|date=February 23, 1990|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> Elfman then spends a few weeks of free composition and experimentation to begin working out thematic material and to develop sounds and the harmonic palette.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/danny-elfman-exclusive-interview-alice-in-wonderland-talks-wolfman-composing-picking-projects-directors-and-so-much-more/|title=Danny Elfman Exclusive Interview ''Alice in Wonderland'' – Talks ''Wolfman'', Composing, More|last=Weintraub|first=Steve|date=March 4, 2010|website=Collider|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref>

When he has received approval on initial material from the filmmakers, Elfman begins to compose anywhere from 60 to 120 minutes of music cue-by-cue. He says two of the most important things to capture at this point are the tone of each scene and editorial rhythm. Next to thematic development, action [[set piece]]s tend to take Elfman the most time given the complexity of timing music to action.

Early in his career, he wrote out his scores using pencil, but has composed largely digitally since the mid-1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emusician.com/artists/dannys-big-adventure|title=Danny's Big Adventure|last=Pedersen|first=Greg|date=May 22, 2006|website=EMusician|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref>

Before recording the score, he demos each cue by mocking orchestral and choral parts on synthesizer to get approval from the director.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Vienna Symphonic Library |date=April 4, 2014 |title=VSL Studio Chat with Danny Elfman |medium=video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=712ntdvBBTg | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/712ntdvBBTg| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=November 6, 2019 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> Once approved, he provides a detailed, multi-line sketch of his composition to his lead orchestrator [[Steve Bartek]], who ensures the sketches are appropriately broken down for sections of the orchestra (i.e. [[String section|string]], [[Brass section|brass]] [[Woodwind section|woodwind]], some [[Percussion section|percussion]]), choir ([[SATB]]) and individual players.

Elfman also typically samples or records his own percussion and guitar playing to overlay with live orchestra. More than half of some scores feature Elfman's performance,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-04-tt-7986-story.html|title=Keeping Score|last=Colker|first=David|date=January 2001|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 14, 2019|quote=I record my own samples, doing my own percussion. Percussion was my first love, and I have a whole warehouse of percussion instruments. When you hear percussion in the movies I do, it's probably me playing.}}</ref> including ''[[Dead Presidents]]'', ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'', ''[[Planet of the Apes (2001 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'', ''[[The Kingdom (2007 film)|The Kingdom]]'', ''[[The Girl on the Train (2016 film)|The Girl on the Train]]'' and ''[[The Circle (2017 film)|The Circle]].''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fangoria.com/original/exclusive-interview-danny-elfman|title=Exclusive Interview: Danny Elfman|last=Gilchrist|first=Todd|date=October 30, 2019|website=[[Fangoria]]|access-date=November 1, 2019|archive-date=November 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102000617/https://www.fangoria.com/original/exclusive-interview-danny-elfman|url-status=dead}}</ref>

To produce the score, Elfman rents a recording studio and hires a conductor and orchestra/choir. He oversees the recording from the [[control booth]] so that he can troubleshoot with the film's director and [[Audio engineer|recording engineers]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.emu.com/artist/d_elfman/elfman_intrview.html|title=Danny Elfman's big adventure continues in Sleepy Hollow|last1=Lanser|first1=Bryan|year=1999|work=E-mu|access-date=October 30, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001213004800/http://www.emu.com/artist/d_elfman/elfman_intrview.html|archive-date=December 13, 2000|last2=Monahan|first2=Kevin|quote=I never conduct because the conductor's job for me is answering many questions all at once as quickly as possible, and then to keep things moving...I'm listening in the booth, which is where I prefer to listen anyway because I am hearing closer to the way it's going to sound.}}</ref> The final recording is given to the film's sound department to mix with dialogue and sound effects for the film's complete soundtrack. Elfman will usually do a separate mix of select cues for an album presentation of the score, and has produced nearly 100 to date.<ref name="monger">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/danny-elfman-mn0000569119/discography|title=Danny Elfman {{!}} Album Discography|last=Monger|first=Christopher|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref>

On the occasion that there are compressed deadlines or in the event he is not available to rescore or adapt his music if there are major edits to the film after the score's completion, Elfman will hire additional composers to work on small cues or sections of cues, adapting his existing material or themes. Examples include [[Jonathan Sheffer]] on ''[[Darkman]]'', [[David Buckley]] on the ''[[Fifty Shades (film series)|Fifty Shades]]'' films, and [[Pinar Toprak]] on ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/backissues/viewissue.cfm?issueID=168|title=Danny Elfman Part 2: Sound Effects Suck|last=Kendall|first=Lukas|date=December 1, 1995|website=[[Film Score Monthly]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226094728/https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/backissues/viewissue.cfm?issueID=168|archive-date=December 26, 2019|access-date=November 1, 2019}} [http://www.boingo.org/articles/FSMarticle2.html Alt URL]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/fifty_shades3.html|title=Editorial Review: Fifty Shades Freed (Danny Elfman)|date=March 4, 2019|website=[[Filmtracks]]|access-date=November 1, 2019|quote=These projects have always been collaborations between Elfman and David Buckley, some of the concept's more memorable music actually the work of the ghostwriter.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/captain-marvel-composer-pinar-toprak-first-female-composer-of-marvel-movie-2019-3|title=Inside the inspiring journey of 'Captain Marvel' composer Pinar Toprak, from moving to America at 17 to becoming the first female composer of a Marvel movie|last=Guerrasio|first=Jason|date=March 13, 2019|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> Since the 1990s, Elfman has occasionally co-composed music or shared music writing credit (e.g.''[[When We Rise]]'', ''[[Spy Kids (film)|Spy Kids]]'', ''[[Avengers: Age of Ultron]]'', ''[[Men in Black: International|Men in Black International]]''), or written themes that are then used or adapted by other composers, including [[Jonathan Sheffer]] (''[[Pure Luck]]''), [[Steve Bartek]] (''[[Novocaine (2001 film)|Novacaine]]''), [[John Debney]] (''[[Heartbreakers (2001 film)|Heartbreakers]]''), [[Deborah Lurie]] (''[[9 (2009 animated film)|9]]''), and [[the Newton Brothers]] (''[[Before I Wake (2016 film)|Before I Wake]]'').<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundtrack.net/album/pure-luck/|title=Pure Luck Soundtrack (1991)|website=[[Soundtrack.Net]]|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://onemoviefiveviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/music-of-9-interview-with-composer.html|title=The Music of 9 – An Interview With Composer Deborah Lurie|last=Corrado|first=E.|date=September 18, 2009|website=One Movie, Five Views|access-date=November 1, 2019|quote=it was decided that Danny [Elfman] would do the themes for the film, and then I would get to take them, elaborate and score the film around them.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://behindtheaudio.com/2015/09/the-newton-brothers/|title=Scoring as a team: The creative approach of The Newton Brothers|last=Ebbinghaus|first=Peter F.|date=September 23, 2019|website=Behind The Audio|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref>

Elfman has only collaborated once with another artist: [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], on the song "[[Face to Face (Siouxsie and the Banshees song)|Face to Face]]" for ''Batman Returns'' in 1992.<ref>{{cite web|first=Sam |last=Davies |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/danny-elfman-bigger-messier-interview-film-music-grim-reaper-1788548 |title=Danny Elfman: 'Somewhere ahead of me is the Grim Reaper' -Interview |work=inews.co.uk |date=August 11, 2022 |access-date=September 20, 2022}}</ref> It was a long-distance collaboration, as the studio needed the song very quickly; Siouxsie created the foundation of the song and sent it to Elfman, who added elements, and the two would send the track back and forth.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sam |last=Davies |url=https://post-punk.com/big-mess-an-interview-with-danny-elfman-and-berit-gilma-on-his-first-solo-album-in-37-years/ |title=Big Mess—An Interview with Danny Elfman and Berit Gilma on his First Solo Album in 37 Years |work=post-punk.com |date=July 29, 2021 |access-date=September 20, 2022}}</ref> Regarding collaboration, Elfman would later state, "I'm not used to collaborating at all with anybody. I did one track with Siouxsie and the Banshees but that's it. I've always been in my own bubble, and that bubble has been very fertile".<ref>{{cite web |first=Gary |last=Graff |url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2022/08/11/danny-elfmans-bigger-messier-5-things-to-know/ |title=Danny Elfman's 'Bigger, Messier,' 5 things to know |work=Theoaklandpress |date=August 11, 2022 |access-date=September 20, 2022}}</ref>

===Concert music===
In the liner notes for the 2006 CD recording of his first concert work ''[[Serenada Schizophrana]]'', Elfman wrote: "I began composing several dozen short improvisational compositions, maybe a minute each. Slowly, some of them began to develop themselves until finally I had six separate movements that, in some abstract, absurd way, felt connected."<ref name=":0"/>

To create the [[cadenza]]s for his violin concerto [[Violin Concerto (Elfman)|''Eleven Eleven'']], Elfman collaborated with soloist Sandy Cameron, for whom the piece was written.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://coloradosymphony.org/Blog/elfman-turned-up-to-eleven-eleven|title=Elfman, Turned Up to "Eleven Eleven"|last=Dobreff|first=Nick|date=April 17, 2019|website=Colorado Symphony|access-date=November 1, 2019|archive-date=November 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101232227/https://coloradosymphony.org/Blog/elfman-turned-up-to-eleven-eleven|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Vocals===
Elfman often incorporates choral or vocal arrangements into his film scores,<ref name="vulture2015" /> notably the use of women's and children's [[choir]]s (''[[Scrooged]]'', ''[[Nightbreed]]'', ''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'', ''[[Batman Returns]]'', ''[[Sleepy Hollow (film)|Sleepy Hollow]]'', ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'', ''[[The Grinch (film)|The Grinch]]''), and solo voice or vocal effects (''[[Beetlejuice]]'', ''[[Mars Attacks!]]'', ''[[Men in Black II]]'', ''[[Flubber (film)|Flubber]]'', ''[[Nacho Libre]]'', ''[[Iris (Cirque du Soleil)|Iris]]'', ''[[Dark Shadows (film)|Dark Shadows]]'', ''[[The Girl on the Train (2016 film)|The Girl on the Train]]''). Evoking the "O Fortuna" from [[Carl Orff]]'s ''[[Carmina Burana (Orff)|Carmina Burana]]'', he set made-up, Latin-sounding text for [[SATB]] choir in standout cue "Descent into Mystery" from ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]''.<ref name="halfyard2004" />{{rp|131}}

Elfman also adds his own vocals into compositions in much the same way he mixes his percussion and guitar performances into orchestral arrangements. Prominent use can be heard in the scores for ''[[To Die For]]'' (sung with director [[Gus Van Sant]], credited to "Little Gus and the Suzettes"),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.soundtrack.net/album/to-die-for/ |title=Soundtrack Information: ''To Die For'' |website=[[Soundtrack.Net]] |access-date=November 5, 2019 }}</ref> ''[[Silver Linings Playbook]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/silver_linings.html |title=Editorial Review: ''Silver Linings Playbook'' |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=December 3, 2012 |website=[[Filmtracks]] |access-date=November 5, 2019 }}</ref> and his music for the [[Hong Kong Disneyland]] ride [[Mystic Manor]].<ref name="napolitano2013" /> He provided the singing voice for characters in ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]'' and ''[[Corpse Bride]]'' in addition to composing the scores and songs, and can be heard singing the "Day-O" call in the style of [[Harry Belafonte]]'s "[[Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)|Banana Boat Song]]" in the first bars of the ''Beetlejuice'' [[main title]].<ref name="bond2015" />{{rp|63}}

For Tim Burton's ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]'', Elfman [[Set to Music|set]] [[Roald Dahl]]'s text for the [[List of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory characters|Oompa-Loompa]] characters as four stylistically distinct songs: the [[Bollywood]]-influenced "Augustus Gloop", the [[funk]]-infused "Violet Beauregarde", the [[psychedelic pop]] stylings of "Veruca Salt" and the [[Baroque pop|baroque rock]] of "Mike Teavee".<ref>{{cite news|last=Hochman|first=Steve|date=July 3, 2005|title=A return to format for Elfman|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-03-ca-popeye3-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=July 3, 2005}}</ref> For all songs in the film, Elfman sang, manipulated and mixed several layers of his vocals to create the singing voices and harmonies of the Oompa Loompas, and incorporated his vocals into non-song score tracks that featured the characters, including "Loompa Land", "Chocolate River", "The Boat Arrives" and "The River Cruise".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Danny Elfman 's Music For A Darkened People: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005) |url=http://elfman.cinemusic.net/films/charlieandthechocolatefactory/index.html |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=elfman.cinemusic.net}}</ref>

===Lyrics===
Elfman typically writes the [[lyrics]] to songs he has composed for movies. He employs [[song structure]]s from [[Tin Pan Alley]] and early musical theatre composers ([[Thirty-two-bar form|32-bar form]]), and pop and rock of the 1950s and 1960s ([[Verse–chorus form|verse-chorus]]). As his songs serve to advance the plot and develop characters, lyrics reflect storylines and imagery specific to the film and express the inner life of characters.

He wrote the lyrics and music for ten songs featured in the [[Stop motion|stop-motion]] musical ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]''. Drawing from Tim Burton's parody poem of ''[[A Visit from St. Nicholas]]'' and concept drawings, Elfman wrote each song in consultation with Burton before the film even had a script.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-danny-elfman-jack-skellington-20151025-story.html|title=Danny Elfman can relate to ''Nightmare Before Christmas'' hero Jack Skellington|last=Ng|first=David|date=October 24, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 14, 2019}}</ref> These include the full-cast songs "This Is Halloween", "Town Meeting Song" and "Making Christmas"; four songs for the main character Jack Skellington, "Jack's Lament", "What's This?", "Jack's Obsession" and "Poor Jack", all sung by Elfman; and the other character songs "Kidnap the Sandy Claws", "Oogie Boogie's Song" and "Sally's Song". An eleventh song, "Finale/Reprise", reworks lyrics from the songs "This Is Halloween", "What's This?" and "Sally's Song" for the film's ending. Though uncredited, Burton contributed some lyrics to ''Nightmare'', including the line "Perhaps it's the head that I found in the lake" in "Town Meeting Song".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/tim-burton|title=Tim Burton|last=Elfman|first=Danny|date=January 11, 2010|website=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]]|access-date=November 5, 2019}}</ref>

Elfman composed five songs for Burton's ''[[Corpse Bride]]'':<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/corpse_bride.html|title=Editorial Review: ''Corpse Bride''|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=June 8, 2011|website=[[Filmtracks]]|access-date=November 4, 2019}}</ref> "According to Plan", with lyrics co-written by screenwriter John August; "Remains of the Day" (which he sung as the character Bonejangles) and "Tears to Shed", both with additional lyrics by August; and "The Wedding Song", credited solely to Elfman. The song "Erased" was not used in the final film.

He wrote the lyrics to "Lullaby" from ''[[Charlotte's Web (2006 film)|Charlotte's Web]]'', the rock track "The Little Things" from ''[[Wanted (2008 film)|Wanted]]'' which he also sang in English and Russian,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2011/07/22/danny-elfman-tim-burton-interview/|title=Danny Elfman on Tim Burton, Gus Van Sant, and why it's so hard to sing in Russian: An EW Q&A|last=Anderson|first=Kyle|date=July 22, 2011|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]]|access-date=November 5, 2019}}</ref> and "Alice's Theme" from ''[[Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)|Alice in Wonderland]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/alice_wonderland.html |title=Editorial Review: ''Alice in Wonderland'' |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=March 9, 2010 |website=[[Filmtracks]] |access-date=November 5, 2019 |quote=Late in the recording process, while stuck during a storm at an airport in London, Elfman decided to write lyrics to his main theme for Alice in Wonderland after recognizing his subconscious earlier choice to make the two final notes of the theme perfectly lend themselves to a performance of the name 'Alice.'}}</ref> Elfman co-wrote the lyrics to "Twice the Love" from ''[[Big Fish]]'' and the "Wonka's Welcome Song" for ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' with John August.

Elfman wrote the lyrics to all of [[Oingo Boingo]]'s original songs 1979–1994<ref name="Prato">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/oingo-boingo-mn0000390532/discography|title=Oingo Boingo {{!}} Album Discography|last=Prato|first=Greg|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> and has made [[Residual (entertainment industry)|residuals]] on the titular two-word opening phrase sung in his [[The Simpsons Theme|''The Simpsons'' theme]] since the series first aired in 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.classicfm.com/composers/elfman/news/the-simpsons-tim-burton/|title=''The Simpsons'': three notes that pay composer Danny Elfman's health insurance|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=January 21, 2015|website=[[Classic FM (UK)|Classic FM]]|publisher=[[Global Media & Entertainment|Global]]|access-date=November 5, 2019|archive-date=November 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106063209/https://www.classicfm.com/composers/elfman/news/the-simpsons-tim-burton/|url-status=dead}}</ref>