Chris Lott
So I recently had the honor of sitting down and talking with Composer and all around Renaissance Man, Chris Lott.
I came to know Chris and his work after watching Jeffrey Reddick's short film 'Good Samaritan'. Chris had composed the score for 'Good Samaritan' and it had really piqued my interest, so I decided to learn more about him and his work. After getting to know Chris, I realized that not only is he very talented, but he is also quite a nice guy.
I had originally planned on blogging a review of his album 'Into Madness' which is available on Bandcamp, and which is amazing by the way. But then I thought, why stop there? Why not go ahead and get to know the man behind the madness? So that's exactly what I did. I asked Chris a series of questions:
---Interview with Chris Lott---
D. R. Acula: Why do you compose, and what drives you to create?
What is the fuel for your passion?
Chris Lott: To create a landscape within music, to be able
to help tell a film's story better than the visuals. That to me is fun to do. I
love being able to create something new and original.
D. R. Acula: I just listened to 'Into Madness' - it's a concept
album that tells a story. What influenced you to write such an album, and how did
it come about?
Chris Lott: I will sit down just about everyday and make new
songs or sounds, about three years ago I made a song I was really proud of.
Unfortuantely I was not working on any films at the time, so the piece was just
sitting there. I came up with the idea of making an album where it tells a
story through the music. Kind of like a soundtrack, only there is no movie.
It took three years because around that time I
started getting more films in to score. So, the project had to be shelved for a
little while. Then last year, I felt it was time to finally finish it and bring
it. The response has been great about it.
D. R. Acula: Any future projects that you are working on? If
so, care to divulge any info about it?
Chris Lott: Well, I do have another album I just
finished. It should release sometime in February on Bandcamp. I have a World
War II documentary that I am going to score, that should be interesting because
that is outside of my normal genre.
I am also finishing up a short film directed by
Ruben Pla (actor in Chemical Peel, and Big Ass Spider!)
D. R. Acula: How long have you been composing?
Chris Lott: I have been doing this for over 11 years
now....I feel old.
D. R. Acula: How many projects have you worked on, and would
you care to mention each one?
Chris Lott: Yeah that is too many to count haha. You can
go to my IMDb page and look there:
D. R. Acula: Of all your compositions, which one is your
absolute favorite and why?
Chris Lott: They are all my favorites. Each one has it's
own reason why I love it. Dark Tales was
great because it was a anthology film that director Gerald J. Godbout III and I
created. I was able to create four different styles of score for each of the
films.
Chemical Peel was great because I finally got to
work with a longtime friend and some of my compositions were recorded by truly
talented violinists. That was great.
Good Samaritan was great because not only did I
get to work outside of my normal style, I got to work with Jeffrey Reddick
(creator of Final Destination and Tamara) and the film had Rainn Wilson in it.
So each film I have scored I love. I love the
people I work with.
D. R. Acula: What software is your canvas to create your
compositions?
Chris Lott: I use FL Studio 11. For my big orchestrations I
use my Complete Composers Collection from East West. I also have a HUGE
selection of sounds I have gathered and made myself over the years. So 11 years
worth of sounds hahah.
D. R. Acula: What is a non-music influence for you?
Chris Lott: Stories or books would be the best answer for
that.
D. R. Acula: What are your musical influences?
Chris Lott: Different film composers are my influences.
Their music will strive me to create something new and different. To think
outside of the box. I will hear a new style and then I will think...time for me
to try and top that.
Plus, I will listen to other people's music and
will give me inspiration to write a screenplay. I am working on a horror script
now and I am listening to the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer score by
John Frizzell. Fanstastic and haunting score by him. Really underrated.
D. R. Acula: When you compose, how do you get
in the mindset to do so? Does it happen naturally, can you just jump right in,
or do you have to prepare yourself in a certain way?
Chris Lott: It really depends on the project. I have worked
on alot of films where the director and I have long phone conversations about
the style of music and will run through different kinds of music before I get
the film. Then there are times when as soon as I get the film I know exactly
what the story needs.
D. R. Acula: What are some other ways you channel your
creativity besides music?
Chris Lott: I like to write. I'm not the greatest at it, but
I like to write screenplays or stories. I have a novel I have been working on
for a while now, that I am kind of stuck on hahaha.
D. R. Acula: I recently watched a music video you made that
involved stop motion and gaming consoles. What influenced you to create that?
Chris Lott: I was sitting around one night and made a sort
of upbeat dance/alternative track. I got the idea in my head for a music video
to put on YouTube of an 8-bit animation. Sadly, I cannot do animation. So, I
started asking around to some of my friends and they also did not know how to
do that style of animation.
I sat there trying to think of a way to do a
music video and I looked over at my game collection and then at my iPad and
remembered I had a stop motion app on there. Then the idea struck me, make a
stop motion video.
D. R. Acula: Creating stop motion is a trial of patience.
How long did it take you to create the video?
Chris Lott: The song itself was made in one night. The
video however took only two days to film. I sat up stairs in my office for
several hours playing with the controllers and creating this elaborate story of
the Wii Remote bully. It was fun.
D. R. Acula: What hobbies or pursuits do you partake in that
don't involve creativity?
Chris Lott: I enjoy working out and going to the gym. I LOVE
playing video games. I will sit down and play the old 8-bit NES from time to
time.
I also collect model Christmas villages. I have
been doing it for a long time now and it has grown into quite a little town.
D. R. Acula: What food or dish is your favorite?
Chris Lott: Now that is a question that is hard to answer. I
dont really have a favorite. I really like alot of different foods. One of my
more favorite dishes is my fiancee's pizza rolls. She hand makes them with egg
roll wraps. When she first made and I saw these things I turned my nose up at
them, until I ate and man is it good.
Tacos are also up there hahaha.
D. R. Acula: If you're going to turn the TV on, what will you
more than likely watch?
Chris Lott: I'm really diverse when it comes to T.V. I have
alot of stuff on my DVR right now. I recently watched Backstrom and fell in
love with it. I have the show Supernatural. Just got into Sons of Anarchy. I
also have the Matt Damon drama Promised Land on my DVR. I could even sit down
and watch Milo and Otis for the hundreth time.
D. R. Acula: Patriots or Seahawks?
Chris Lott: Neither..I like the commercials.
---End of Interview---
I want to thank Chris for doing this, and I must applaud his work on the 'Into Madness' Album.
There are many ways to connect with Chris, or explore his realm of art.
You can listen to and buy 'Into Madness' on Bandcamp:
You can find Chris' SoundCloud page here:
Check out the YouTube page for Chris:
The IMDB page for Chris:
You can follow Chris on Twitter:
You can 'Like' Chris on Facebook:
