Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman at ComicCon 2010 promoting The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box.
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Robert Elfman
Born	May 29, 1953 (1953-05-29) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	New Wave, alternative rock, film music
Occupations	composer, singer, record producer, actor, voice actor
Years active	1972–present
Associated acts	Oingo Boingo, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo

Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American composer, best known for scoring music for television and film and creating The Simpsons main title theme as well as the 1989 Batman movie theme. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Oingo Boingo, from 1976 to 1995. He has scored the majority of the films for his long-time friend Tim Burton.

Born in Los Angeles, he entered the film industry in 1976, initially as an actor. He made his film scoring début in in 1980 for the film Forbidden Zone directed by his older brother Richard Elfman. He has since been nominated for four Academy Awards and won a Grammy Award for Tim Burton's Batman and an Emmy Award for his Desperate Housewives theme. Elfman was honored with the prestigious Richard Kirk award at the 2002 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.

Early life and career

Elfman, who is Jewish, was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Blossom Elfman (née Bernstein), a writer and teacher, and Milton Elfman, a teacher who was in the Air Force. Elfman grew up in a racially mixed community in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. He spent much of his time in the local movie theatre, adoring the music of such film composers as Bernard Herrmann and Franz Waxman.

Stating that he hung out with the "band nerds" in high school, he started a ska band. After dropping out of high school, he followed his brother Richard to France, where he performed with Le Grand Magic Circus, an avant-garde musical theater group. Violin in tow, Elfman next journeyed to Africa where he traveled through Ghana, Mali, and Upper Volta, absorbing new musical styles, including the Ghanaian highlife genre which would eventually influence his own music.^{[citation needed]} Elfman contracted malaria during his one-year stay and was often sick. Eventually he returned home to the United States, where he began to take Balinese music lessons at the CalArts. During this time, he was romantically involved with Kim Gordon, who would later go on to form Sonic Youth. He was never officially a student at the institute, nonetheless, the instructor encouraged him to continue learning. Elfman stated, "He just laughed, and said, 'Sit. Play.' I continued to sit and play for a couple years." At this time, his brother was forming a new musical theater group, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The group performed the music for Richard's debut feature film, Forbidden Zone. Danny Elfman composed his first score for the film and played the role of Satan. By the time the movie was completed, they had taken the name Oingo Boingo and begun recording and touring as a rock group.

Elfman and Tim Burton

In 1985, Tim Burton and Paul Reubens invited Elfman to write the score for their first feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Elfman was apprehensive at first because of his lack of formal training, but with orchestration assistance from Oingo Boingo guitarist and arranger Steve Bartek, he achieved his goal of emulating the mood of such composers as Nino Rota and Bernard Herrmann. In the booklet for the first volume of Music for a Darkened Theatre, Elfman described the first time he heard his music played by a full orchestra as one of the most thrilling experiences of his life.^{[citation needed]} Elfman immediately developed a rapport with Burton and has gone on to score all but two of Burton's major studio releases: Ed Wood which was under production while Elfman and Burton were having a fight, and Sweeney Todd.

Burton has said of his relationship with Elfman: "We don't even have to talk about the music. We don't even have to intellectualize – which is good for both of us, we're both similar that way. We're very lucky to connect" (Breskin, 1997).

Musical influences

He recalls that the first time he became aware of film music was in his youth during a screening of The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise, 1951). The music was by Bernard Herrmann, and that, he has said, was where his love of film music began (Russell and Young, 2000). Elfman purposefully nodded towards Herrmann's The Day the Earth Stood Still score in Tim Burton's science fiction spoof Mars Attacks!

Other film composers have also proven to be influential, such as Nino Rota and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, the former in Elfman's playful music for Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the latter in his much grander work, Batman. Sometimes his music has a distinctly Russian feel, inspired by the likes of Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky’s ballet music. Jazz and rock influences from his earlier career are evident in such films as Chicago and To Die For. Elfman also cited Philip Glass as a major influence in his score for Alice in Wonderland, mainly known for "Alice's Theme".^{[citation needed]}

Hearing damage

When asked during a 2007 phone-in interview on XETRA-FM if he ever had any notions of performing in an Oingo Boingo reunion, Elfman immediately rejected the idea and stated that in the last few years with the band he had begun to develop significant and irreversible hearing damage as a result of his continuous exposure to the high noise levels involved in performing in a rock band. He went on to say that he believes his hearing damage is partially due to a genetic predisposition to hearing loss, and that he will never return to the stage for fear of worsening not only his condition but also that of his band mates.

Recent works

Elfman has recently composed the music for the Cirque Du Soleil Show, IRIS, which is being performed at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The production began its year-long run on July 21st 2011, but it is predicted that it may run for the coming decade. This is Elfman's most notable non-film work (although IRIS is based upon the history of the film industry) since he composed Serenada Schizophrana for the American Composers Orchestra. It was conducted by John Mauceri on its recording and by Steven Sloane at its premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 23, 2005. After its premiere, it was recorded in studio and released onto SACD on October 3, 2006. The meeting with Mauceri proved fruitful as the composer was encouraged then to write a new concert piece for Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Elfman composed an "overture to a nonexistent musical" and called the piece "The Overeager Overture." He also continues to compose his film scores in addition to these other projects.

In November 2010, it was reported that Danny Elfman is writing the music for a planned musical based on the life of Houdini.

Personal life

Elfman has three children: Lola, born in 1979; Mali, born in 1984; and Oliver, born in 2005. On November 29, 2003, Elfman married film actress Bridget Fonda. In 1997 he scored A Simple Plan - his only score for one of her films to date (although he did compose a cue for the film Army of Darkness, in which Fonda has a cameo). He is the uncle of actor Bodhi Elfman who is married to actress Jenna Elfman, known most notably in her role as Dharma in the TV series Dharma and Greg.

Filmography

Appearances by Elfman as an actor, or as a member of Oingo Boingo:

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1977	I Never Promised You a Rose Garden	Yri drummer	Also featured Richard Elfman
1980	Forbidden Zone	Satan	Directed by Richard Elfman
1981	Urgh! A Music War	Himself	Part of Oingo Boingo
1984	Good Morning, Mr. Orwell	Himself	Part of Oingo Boingo
1986	Back to School	Himself	Part of Oingo Boingo
1987	Face Like A Frog	Lizard	Directed by Sally Cruikshank
1993	Nightmare Before Christmas, TheThe Nightmare Before Christmas	Jack Skellington (singing), Barrel, The Clown with the Tear-Away Face	Voice only
2000	Gift, TheThe Gift	Tommy Lee Ballard	Directed by Sam Raimi, cameo
2005	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	Oompa-Loompas (singing), Puppets	Voice only
2005	Corpse Bride	Bonejangles	Voice only
2006	Finding Kraftland	Himself	Documentary directed by Elfman's agent, Richard Kraft
2011	Looney Tunes Show, TheThe Looney Tunes Show	Owl Jolson (singing)	Voice only on TV

This is a list of films with scores composed by Elfman:

Year	Film	Director	Film Score/Soundtrack
1982	Forbidden Zone	Richard Elfman	Soundtrack (soundtrack with The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo)
1985	Pee-wee's Big Adventure	Tim Burton	Soundtrack (film score, rerecording paired with Back to School)
1986	Back to School	Alan Metter	Soundtrack (film score, rerecording paired with Pee-wee's Big Adventure)
1987	Summer School	Carl Reiner	Soundtrack (includes one Elfman song; no score)
1987	Wisdom	Emilio Estevez, Robert Wise	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1988	Beetlejuice	Tim Burton	Soundtrack
1988	Midnight Run	Martin Brest	Soundtrack released by MCA
1988	Big Top Pee-wee	Randal Kleiser	Soundtrack (including dialogue) released by Arista, reissued by PEG
1988	Hot to Trot	Michael Dinner	Suite included on Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 1
1988	Scrooged	Richard Donner	Suite included on Music for a Darkened Theatre, Vol. 1; complete score released by La-La Land Records
1989	Batman	Tim Burton	Soundtrack (re-released with complete score from La-La Land Records); Nominated for 32nd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
1990	Nightbreed	Clive Barker	Soundtrack released by MCA
1990	Dick Tracy	Warren Beatty	Soundtrack; Nominated for 33rd Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
1990	Darkman	Sam Raimi	Soundtrack
1990	Edward Scissorhands	Tim Burton	Soundtrack; Nominated for 34th Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
1992	Article 99	Howard Deutch	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1992	Batman Returns	Tim Burton	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records; re-released with complete score from La-La Land Records
1993	Sommersby	Jon Amiel	Soundtrack released by Elektra
1993	Army of Darkness	Sam Raimi	"March of the Dead" theme by Danny Elfman, rest of the score by Joseph LoDuca
1993	Nightmare Before Christmas, TheThe Nightmare Before Christmas	Henry Selick	Soundtrack; Written, composed and produced by Tim Burton; released by Walt Disney Records
1994	Black Beauty	Caroline Thompson	Soundtrack
1995	Dolores Claiborne	Taylor Hackford	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1995	Dead Presidents	Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes	Soundtrack (one Elfman track; suite also included on Music for a Darkened Theatre Vol. 2)
1995	To Die For	Gus Van Sant	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande (score + songs)
1996	Mission: Impossible	Brian De Palma	Soundtrack (songs + three brief Elfman suites); Score album
1996	Frighteners, TheThe Frighteners	Peter Jackson	Soundtrack
1996	Freeway	Matthew Bright	Suite included on Music for a Darkened Theatre Vol. 2
1996	Extreme Measures	Michael Apted	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
1996	Mars Attacks!	Tim Burton	Soundtrack released by Atlantic; expanded edition released by La-La Land Records
1997	Men in Black	Barry Sonnenfeld	Soundtrack (two Elfman cues); Score album; Nominated for 70th Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score & for 40th Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
1997	Flubber	Les Mayfield	Soundtrack released by Walt Disney Records
1997	Good Will Hunting	Gus Van Sant	Soundtrack (two Elfman cues); Nominated for 70th Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score
1998	Simple Plan, AA Simple Plan	Sam Raimi	Soundtrack released by Compass III
1998	Civil Action, AA Civil Action	Steven Zaillian	Soundtrack
1999	Instinct	Jon Turteltaub	Soundtrack
1999	Anywhere But Here	Wayne Wang	Soundtrack released by Atlantic (includes one score suite)
1999	Sleepy Hollow	Tim Burton	Soundtrack released by Hollywood Records
2000	Proof of Life	Taylor Hackford	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2000	Family Man, TheThe Family Man	Brett Ratner	Soundtrack released by Sire Records (two Elfman cues)
2001	Planet of the Apes	Tim Burton	Soundtrack released by SME
2002	Spider-Man	Sam Raimi	Score album; Song album; Nominated for 45th Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2002	Men in Black II	Barry Sonnenfeld	Soundtrack released by Columbia Records
2002	Red Dragon	Brett Ratner	Soundtrack released by Decca Records
2002	Chicago	Rob Marshall	Soundtrack (two Elfman tracks)
2003	Hulk	Ang Lee	Soundtrack released by Columbia Records
2003	Big Fish	Tim Burton	Soundtrack; Nominated for 76th Academy Award for Best Original Score, for 61st Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score & for 47th Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2004	Spider-Man 2	Sam Raimi	Soundtrack; Score album
2005	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	Tim Burton	Soundtrack; Nominated for 48th Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Wonka's Welcome Song)
2005	Corpse Bride	Tim Burton	Soundtrack
2006	Deep Sea 3D	Howard Hall	Serenada Schizophrana
2006	Nacho Libre	Jared Hess	Soundtrack (score suite)
2006	Charlotte's Web	Gary Winick	Soundtrack
2007	Meet the Robinsons	Stephen Anderson	Soundtrack
2007	Kingdom, TheThe Kingdom	Peter Berg	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2008	Standard Operating Procedure	Errol Morris	Soundtrack
2008	Wanted	Timur Bekmambetov	Soundtrack
2008	Hellboy II: The Golden Army	Guillermo del Toro	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2008	Milk	Gus Van Sant	Soundtrack released by Decca Records; Nominated for 81st Academy Award for Best Original Score & for 52nd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2009	Notorious	George Tillman, Jr.	Soundtrack (one Elfman track)
2009	Terminator Salvation	McG	Soundtrack released by Warner Bros. Records
2009	Taking Woodstock	Ang Lee	Song soundtrack on Rhino Records with four Elfman cues; score album on La-La Land Records
2009	9	Shane Acker	Soundtrack with Deborah Lurie and produced by Tim Burton; Nominated for Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association for Best Animated Film & for Producers Guild of America Awards for Producer of the Year in Animated Motion Picture
2010	Wolfman, TheThe Wolfman	Joe Johnston	Soundtrack released by Varèse Sarabande
2010	Alice in Wonderland	Tim Burton	Soundtrack released by Walt Disney Records; Nominated for 68th Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score & for 53rd Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
2010	Next Three Days, TheThe Next Three Days	Paul Haggis	Soundtrack released by Lionsgate
2011	Restless	Gus Van Sant
2011	Real Steel	Shawn Levy	Song album on Interscope with one Elfman cut; score album released by Varèse Sarabande
2012	Dark Shadows	Tim Burton	Soundtrack
2012	Men In Black III	Barry Sonnenfeld	Soundtrack
2012	Frankenweenie	Tim Burton	Soundtrack
2013	Oz, The Great and Powerful	Sam Raimi	Soundtrack

In addition, he has supplied thematic material - except where noted - for movies scored by others (names in brackets):

• 1985: Weird Science: title song (Ira Newborn)
• 1991: Pure Luck (Jonathan Sheffer)
• 1992: Army of Darkness: "March Of The Dead" (Joseph LoDuca)
• 1994: Shrunken Heads (Richard Band)
• 1997: Scream 2: "Cassandra Aria" and "Cassandra Aria Reprise" (Marco Beltrami)
• 1998: Modern Vampires (Michael Wandmacher)
• 1999: My Favorite Martian: "Uncle Martin's Theme" (John Debney)
• 2001: Heartbreakers (John Debney)
• 2001: Spy Kids (Chris Boardman, John Debney, Gavin Greenaway, Harry Gregson-Williams, Heitor Pereira, Marcel Rodriguez and Robert Rodriguez)
• 2001: Novocaine (Steve Bartek)
• 2007: Spider-Man 3 (Christopher Young, John Debney and Deborah Lurie; also includes material composed by Elfman for the first two films)
• 2010: Kick-Ass: "Walk to Rasul's" (John Murphy, Henry Jackman, Marius de Vries, and Ilan Eshkeri)
• 2011: Rango: "Finale from The Kingdom" (Hans Zimmer; not featured on the official soundtrack)

Elfman also composed the music for the Hollywood Pictures logo (an excerpt from his main title for Sommersby was subsequently used as the logo music for Regency, the company that made it).

He has also written the theme music and occasional episodic scores for several television series, including:

• 1985: The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "The Jar" (directed by Tim Burton)
• 1985: Amazing Stories: "Mummy, Daddy" and "The Family Dog" (with Steve Bartek)
• 1986: Pee-wee's Playhouse (episodes: "Moster", "Cowboy and Cowtess", "Store", and "Pee-Wee Catches A Cold")
• 1986: Sledge Hammer!
• 1989: Tales from the Crypt
• 1989: Beetlejuice
• 1989: The Simpsons (theme only)
• 1990: The Flash (theme only)
• 1992: Batman: The Animated Series (theme only)
• 1997: Perversions of Science (theme only)
• 1999: Dilbert (theme only)
• 2004: Desperate Housewives (theme only)
• 2005: Point Pleasant (theme only)

His other work includes:

• 2004: The opening title theme of the 2004 video game Fable.
• 2008: Soundtrack to the 2008 video game Lego Batman: The Videogame (various tracks from the soundtrack of the movie: Batman).
• 2008: The opening title theme as well as major themes of the 2008 video game Fable II.
• 2009: The opening title theme as well as major themes and soundtrack of the 2009 video game Wanted: Weapons of Fate.
• 2010: The opening title theme as well as major themes of the 2010 video game Fable III.
• 2013: Music for the upcoming Hong Kong Disneyland attraction Mystic Manor.

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Danny Elfman

Award	Wins	Nominations
Academy Awards	0	4
Annie Awards	0	1
BMI Film & Television Awards	24	24
British Academy Film Awards	0	1
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	0	2
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	0	4
Emmy Awards	1	2
Golden Globe Awards	0	3
Grammy Awards	1	13
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards	0	1
Satellite Awards	1	6
Saturn Awards	5	12
Sierra Awards	1	2
World Soundtrack Awards	0	4
Total	33	79

American Film Institute

Elfman's scores for Batman and Edward Scissorhands were nominated for AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores:

External links

• Danny Elfman at the Internet Movie Database
• Danny Elfman at Allmusic
• Danny Elfman discography at Discogs
• Danny Elfman discography at MusicBrainz
• Danny Elfman's Music For A Darkened People
• The official Oingo Boingo website
• Danny Elfman podcast interview from Synthesis (magazine)
• Danny Elfman Interview With Entertainment Weekly