For me, the Film Music Festival is an unmissable annual celebration, says composer and music producer Paweł Górniak.
You won the FMF Young Talent Award in 2017, getting you a foothold in Hollywood. How has your career developed since?
With each passing year, I tell myself it has been the best year of my career. This has been going for so long, I think it’s time to admit that I am on an upward curve. And I certainly mustn’t grumble about last year! I won the FMF Young Talent Award, worked on the music for major Polish productions Belfer and Letters to Santa 3, wrote ads for Decathlon and LG, composed the soundtrack for the Overflight videogame released recently on Oculus Go – and those are just some of my projects from 2017. I’ve also made some valuable contacts and started working on several projects abroad.
Tell us something about the challenges you find most satisfying. Can you devote a lot of your time to them, or is that not a luxury you can afford?
The luxury levels vary, mainly depending on the type of production. The work on Overflight took around two or three months, so I had plenty of time to work with instrumentalists and to experiment. But sometimes the phone rings on Friday evening and the client wants results first thing on Monday morning. It’s standard in our industry. I give my everything to each project, so there is always a deep sense of satisfaction when I am putting the finishing touches to my music. I also love working at my new studio in Warsaw where I moved to early last year. I have several rooms for recording and sound engineering, and a huge selection of instruments. It’s a pure pleasure to arrive in the morning, have a coffee and then focus exclusively on music. On days like that I really feel like my dreams have come true.
You composed the music for the advertising spot for this year’s FMF. Which element did you want to bring out – the leading theme, the individual concerts, the emotions?
Probably a bit of everything. I also really wanted to show my own vision of the 11th FMF stressing the importance of music in videogames. If audiences experience at least some of the emotions I feel while composing this music, it would probably be the best invitation to the festival I could give. There is the intertwining of orchestral and electronic sounds, typical of games, and a sense of a major event overflowing with emotion, elated audiences and a great musical adventure. Finally, there is a victorious note – having a festival of this kind in our country is something to be proud of! And we feel the power of the event stepping into its next decade with a confidence on a truly Hollywood scale.
The main gala of this year’s FMF is dedicated to music from videogames. What do you think about this idea?
Many games are being developed in Poland, and their quality is appreciated the world over. And I’m delighted that the FMF is ready to showcase the musical aspects of the genre. It’s a fantastic feeling when the music we write is performed live by incredible artists and heard by audiences immersed in a festival atmosphere.
Beauty and the Beast and Casino Royale with a live accompaniment – which one gets your vote?
I’ve always been a huge Bond fan, although – like most composers – I’m still a child at heart, so I’m sure I’ll go to both!
Since last year, the FMF has held events under the banner Dance2Cinema. Can you have fun while listening to film music?
We should remember that “film music” is just a label for all kinds of music telling myriad stories accompanied by moving images. I think films use every genre of music in existence. Last year’s Dance2Cinema showed that it’s an excellent concept. Personally, I can’t wait for a dance party with the suite from Star Wars and the Imperial March. 🙂
Do you feel a part of the FMF community?
But of course! You can’t help but feel it, even if you’ve only visited it once. For me, the FMF is an unmissable annual celebration.
Interviewed by Igor Kuranda
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