I'm writing this message to all of you because I've started toying with an idea that’s lurking in my mind from some days, but 'til now I've never found the proper time to lay down it in a concrete way. It's an idea for trying to realize something real to celebrate, in the best way, one of best, if not THE best, film composer of all time and his music: John Williams.

I've noticed that the film music community over the internet is now quite large community and a very well organized one. And maybe it's arrived the time to use this appreciationship in the best and productive way we can.

I was chatting with my brother about John Williams the other day and suddenly I realized this: so far, NOBODY tried to realize a long, well-made film documentary about John Williams and his art. Nothing exists like this. We're talking about one of the greatest, most-famous composer of our time, probably the most famous one, the author of countless great film scores and maybe the real "Number One" of film music.

With the advent of the DVD format, things started to change. Now we can see and hear Williams interviewed in many documentaries and featurettes. But they're always scant 5-6 minute interviews, sometimes less or sometimes more. How cool and great would be to see a 2-hour long documentary that shows all the creative process of the Maestro, from the spotting sessions with the director, to the writing and orchestration, to the final scoring sessions, all this intercut with an interview with him? How cool and great would be to see some archival material from old scoring sessions, to see Williams at work with directors and musicians, intercut with clips from films he scored? How cool and great would be to see a well-made, career-retrospective interview with Williams? I think that all John Williams fans and all film music aficionados would kill to see something like this.

When I saw that great BBC documentary on Williams during the recording sessions of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, I immediately thought "God, how great would it be to see something like this, only longer and maybe even better!". Steven Spielberg said in an interview that he shot with his Super8/camcorder all of the scoring sessions of his movies. And I only imagine how much archival footage exists in some Hollywood vaults about Williams... maybe not a big load, but I'm sure there are many things very interesting.

So, my idea is this: let’s start a petition/proposal about it and launch the gauntlet! Let hear to the people who counts that a DVD Documentary on John Williams HAS to be made!

Now I’m using this Message Board to explain this idea to you, beacuse I want to know your thoughts and comments about it. I posted the same message on various film music forums around the ‘net and I want to send it also to Williams-cross related websites like SpielbergFilms.com, TheForce.Net etc. The real great thing would be to form a “joint venture” of all film music websites, with support and association with other type of websites related and also with support from film music record labels like Varèse Sarabande, Intrada… maybe asking also the help of people like Nick Redman, Robert Townson and Mike Matessino. It’s important to find as much subscription and support as possible and make it very strong.

And then turn this idea/petition to the people who can realize such an idea and that are close to Williams' camp, like Sony Classical, DreamWorks, LucasFilm, the John Williams’ agency, maybe Steven Spielberg himself... can you imagine a Spielberg-directed documentary on Williams?

Yes, I know these are HUGE corporate companies and almost unreachable personalities. But we can try, we could reach a person like Laurent Bouzereau (Spielberg's documentarian), maybe he's the right man to do a thing like this. Realizing a documentary like the one we dream would cost a lot of money, a lot of time for research and it's not an easy task to do. And I think that only companies and personalities like these have the means and the money to do it.

What I think is very important is trying to sensibilize people that it's so important to do such a tribute to John Williams while he's still alive and well. It would be very sad to see something like this only when the Maestro will be no longer with us.

The JW Fan community and the film music fans community in general are quite big now and would be amazing if we use our "power" trying to do something like this. It's also using the strength of the internet. Do you remember all the “Episode I Ultimate Edition Soundtrack” fuss? It's evident that Sony realized through the internet how profitable could be such a realization. Too bad it turned out in a horrible, bad-made release.

I know... maybe I'm mad, maybe I'm only a dreamer. I know also that it's quite a daunting task to realize. But let me said this to you: thanks to the internet and to the will of iron of some of us, I knew some wonderful people (whom now I can call friends) and started to do something that seemed impossbile at first: we founded the first and lonely Italian film music magazine, COLONNE SONORE. We have realized and printed four issues so far, the things are going well and seem to grow. Sometimes things are less impossible and unreachable that we could imagine.

I’m convinced that realizing a documentary about John Williams is not only a way to celebrate the Maestro, but also it’s a great testament for future generations of film music and cinema lovers. And it would be an amazing contribute to film history and literature.

I think it's time to honor and pay tribute to John Williams and his music as fans and a documentary would be a great thing. Trying to gather some interest in it would cost us nothing, maybe only some of our spare time. And this is the bare minimum we can do to pay tribute to a man that gave us such wonderful emotions.

I would be grateful if all of you will share your thoughts and maybe will have some ideas about it. Then I’ll try to write a petition and -- I hope with the help of all the people who want to support this idea – I’ll start to spread the word wherever it could be heard.

Thank you for reading, guys!!

Sincerely,
Maurizio Caschetto
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After all, John Williams is more famous than John Lennon.... at least according to BMI. Check out the top logo of BMI's website:
http://www.bmi.com/images/header_blue_neon.jpg

Everyone in the picture gets a first name, and when two Johns showed up, Maestro Williams was labelled with his first name, John Lennon got the second-rate last name.

There are many pieces by him I think are really great. Here are some favs:

1. Midway-opening cue
2. Fury and Dracula cues in both
3. 7 years in Tibet
4. Cowboys-several cues
5. scherzo from third Indiana Jones film-love that
6. some of his olympic music-several of those
7. Patriot
8. many more

You will certainly not get very far with your idea if you act too fawning and fannish. Yes, Williams is an excellent composer, but put things in a little perspective:

Korngold was by far the more gifted musician.

Herrmann and North and many others were more innovative.

Waxman was at least as versatile and probably moreso.

Bernstein and Goldsmith are at least as prolific, talented, and capable.

Steiner was more influential.

Friedhofer had a better sense of drama.

I could go on...

The problem I have with Williams at times is that his music "covers" many of the films he does. It doesn't become a part of the film the way some of the greatest film composers used music. It sometimes sits on the film and calls attention to itself, taking you out of the drama.

Besides, you definitely need luck in this endeavour. I know a person who has done business with Jerry Goldsmith and still has NEVER had the chance to talk with John Williams. So, you definitely need luck.

Korngold: 2, Waxman: 2, North: 0, Herrmann:1, Friedhofer: 1, Bernstein: 1,
Goldsmith: 1 and Steiner: 3.

Williams: 5.

quote:

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Originally posted by firefox:
Korngold was by far the more gifted musician.

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Really? Just because Gustav Mahler was impressed? It doesn't mean anyth... oh wait... it does mean a lot when Mahler likes your music...

quote:

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Steiner was more influential.

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quote:

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I could go on...

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Please do. (A.) Newman? Rozsa?

quote:

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The problem I have with Williams at times is that his music "covers" many of the films he does. It doesn't become a part of the film the way some of the greatest film composers used music. It sometimes sits on the film and calls attention to itself, taking you out of the drama.

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quote:

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Originally posted by scored for life:
Let's see.........

Korngold: 2, Waxman: 2, North: 0, Herrmann:1, Friedhofer: 1, Bernstein: 1, Goldsmith: 1 and Steiner: 3.

Williams: 5.

I guess Oscar speaks for itself.

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Oh please, the number of Oscars somebody has won is a poor metric to use to judge greatness, especially when it comes to film scores. (I'm not saying that Williams isn't a great composer, but I think there are composers who surpass his greatness.)

NP: Obsession (This didn't win an Oscar, so I guess it's a pile of ****?)

I want to inform you that a petition for making a JW Documentary is up at PetitionOnLine.com!

Go to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/jw79mc32/petition.html

Sign the petition and spread the word!

Hope all of you will support it! Thanks!

SIGN THE PETITION @ http://www.PetitionOnline.com/jw79mc32/petition.html

It's free and safe!

If all of you will sign, you'll make this thing possible!!

Thanks,
Maurizio
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