HERMAN WITKAM - COMPOSER
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1. What's your name and how long have you been involved in DVXFest?
Herman Witkam. I've been involved since HeroFest in 2006. Jack Daniel Stanley sent me a PM after I posted a topic in the fest collaboration forum. I had scored only one or two short films at that time. I scored his film Bone Hand, which came in 1st. That was my first DVXUser Fest experience.
2. What DVXFest films have you worked on?
'Bone Hand' - Jack Daniel Stanley
'Bloody Mary' - Mark Harris
'Rekindled' - Jack Daniel Stanley
'Into the Darkness' - Brandon Rice
'At the Park' - Jeremy Tuttle
'Threading the Needle' - Ted Arabian / Mark Johnson
'Another Day' - Kyle Stebbins
'Katrina' - Mark Harris
'Refill' - Benjamin Sliker
'My Granddad is a Hitman' - James Hutchings
'Schittekatter' - Jack Daniel Stanley
'Without Provocation' - Norm Sanders
'A Little Mouth to Feed' - Jack Daniel Stanley
'In Pieces' - Benjamin Sliker
'Remember When' - Jason Ramsey
'Constance' - Mark Harris
'Bedtime Story' - DJ Lewis
'Love' - Ted Arabian
'The Music Box' - Michael Anthony Horrigan
'Vicis' - Tomas Riuka
'John Abbott Mitchell' - Benjamin Sliker
'The Five Worst Days in the Life of Bartholomew Saxton' - Jason Johnson-Spinos
'The Small Multiple' - Daniel Piatt
'Aetas' - Shawn Nelson
'Cold Calls' - Jack Daniel Stanley
'The Watchman' - Michael Anthony Horrigan
'Falling' - Simon Höfer
'I Would Rather' - Shawn Nelson / Teresa Decher
'Calls From the Führerbunker' - Michael Anthony Horrigan
'Developed' - Alicia Rocha / Justin Aguirre
'Time in a Bottle' - Robbie Comeau
'Ossian' - Shawn Nelson
'The Things Between Us' - Eric Meisner
'One Saved Message' - Chris Messineo
'Placebo' - Daniel Piatt
'Chasing Kangaroos' - Noel Evans
'Learning to Prey' - Shawn Nelson
'One Percent' - Michael Anthony Horrigan
I may have forgotten one or two films. If so, I apologize : )
3. Which DVXFest film has been your favorite so far?
It's hard to name just one, but a few films that stood out for me are RPDM, Broadcast and I poo pooing Hate You.
4. Are the directors in DVXFest easy to work with? Who's been your favorite so far?
It's hard to name only one favorite director. There've been one or two negative experiences over the last 4 years, but most of the people I've worked with are professionals who I have no doubt could be directing feature films if they'd want, and could get the funding for it. There's also a few directors I've gotten into contact with via DVXUser that I have scored feature films for. So I am very grateful for its existence, and the fests that have helped me grow as a composer.
One of my favorite films to work on was A Little Mouth to Feed, even though I only had a few days to work on it. I loved the sense of quirkiness to it, even though it's a horror/suspense film. I got to try out some experimental ideas, like using a violin bow on a bass guitar, and at the same time there were sync points that were comedy-like. I had my dad perform some violin FX, which I then edited and included into the score.
Another one was Katrina, which screened out of competition, and was a chance for me to depart from the orchestral genre. I started out with a drumbeat, added a bass riff, and out of that the main theme with the saxophone evolved, which later in the film turns into a free jazz frenzy. One of the most interesting things about the fest collaborations has been the diversity of the styles and people I got to work with.
5. Do you do this kind of work on a professional level? How long have you been doing it?
Yep - I've been composing music for film as a day job since my graduation from music college, and during it I had already worked on around 20 films, including feature and short fiction films and documentaries.
6. Are you working on any films for Betrayalfest? Which ones?
I was going to work on the new Noel Evans and Michael Anthony Horrigan films, but both had to drop out of the fest. I have to say that I don't really mind that much, as I have 3 feature films going on right now. That doesn't mean however that I'm not available for BetrayalFest and future fests. And I hope to be working with both Noel and Mike again in the future.
7. How does a director get you involved on a project? Any criteria you need before you even consider being involved?
I'm into a compelling storyline and acting, but good production values (location audio, lighting, cinematography, production design) are definitely a plus for me. I don't have a preference towards a certain genre. I can enjoy working on a realistic documentary-like film just as much as a heavily stylized action piece.
8. Your work has a very definite style to it, something very recognizable. Who are your influences and how do you bring those to bear on a project?
To name just a few, classic film composers like Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith and Tōru Takemitsu have been a great inspiration, along with modern composers like Thomas Newman, Howard Shore, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alexandre Desplat. But I don't get my inspiration from just film music. I enjoy anything from Frou Frou to Charles Mingus to Huun Huur-Tu. I have an interest in ethnic musical instruments, like the Armenian duduk and the Japanese shakuhachi, which I perform myself and include in my scores whenever I can. My music productions for DVXUser shorts are often a hybrid between live instruments, virtual orchestra and electronic sounds. And when I get the chance, a full orchestra.
There's some conceptualizing before I start to score a film, but a lot of the influence is unconscious. I consider myself an instinctive composer, relating more to emotion and improvisation than over-rationalization and schematic methods of composing.
9. What's in the future for you?
I hope to be working as a film composer for many years to come, and to collaborate with many creative people.
10. Do you ever look back at your old work and think of how differently you could have done something? Perhaps something that bugs you?
There's always something that could've been done better, and I'm definitely a perfectionist. But at some point perfectionism can become obsessive, and it can be hard to let go and release the work to a public. I usually think I could have produced or mixed my old stuff better. But you realize that you keep learning and move on.
11. Any words of advice?
I've been working as a composer and sound designer on most DVXUser Fest films over a great distance. When you don't meet someone face-to-face, it can become an obstacle during the collaboration. Try to keep an open mind. Communicate. Talk to people on the phone if communication with your collaborator doesn't seem to work well. Compromise. Be a good collaborator. Let go of your ego a little bit every once in a while, but do hold true to your aesthetic principles. Think positive and try to solve problems. Trust your first instincts.
-Herman Witkam