Danny Elfman Research Paper Outline

752 Words2 Pages

Ryan Homan
Danny Elfman
For my research paper I have chosen to outline the life and career of Danny Elfman. From his start as a street performer, to his days of rock stardom with the band Oingo Boingo, and his composing career in Hollywood teaming up with the likes of Tim Burton, Spielberg, and beyond. Danny Elfman was born in 1953 in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California. Elfman is self-taught with no formal training. When Danny was 18 he obtained his first taste for preforming arts. It was with a French theatrical trope called “Le Grand Magic Circus”. A year later he began to preform in musical theater on the streets of California with his brother Richard Elfman. After a few …show more content…

With a sound of new wave, ska, alternative rock, and electronica the band was a fan favorite. The band began as a comedy troupe in Los Angeles. But by 1979 the band morphed into the band we know today. In a ten-year span the band and their genre moved away from the synthesizers and matured into a more guitar driven rock band. The bands most notable and popular album was in 1985 called “Dead man’s party”. Not only was it well received by their fans but also became their biggest commercial hit. Having songs off the album being used in “Fast times at Ridgemont High”, and the title song for the John Holms classic film “weird science”. In 1995 the band played a farewell concert on Halloween in L.A. He was asked in 2007 on a phone in interview if he would consider doing an Oingo Boingo reunion, he immediately rejected the idea. Citing that in the later part of the bands career he began to develop significant and irreversible hearing …show more content…

He has a Grammy win for his work in the film “Batman.” He has an Emmy for his work on the television show “Desperate Housewives.” He also has an Annie award and 24 BMI film and television awards. Elfman has never won an Academy Award but has been nominated four different times.

Elfman’s musical influences come from the first time he became aware of film music. The score to the 1951 film “The Day the Earth Stood Still” composed by Bernard Herrmann. Elfman’s other films such as “Peewee’s big Adventure” were influenced greatly by Nino Rota. Because of his background in Rock n Roll the scores for the films “Chicago” and “To Die For” prove that he still has an ear for what good rock music could and should sound like.

Along with his illustrious movie career, he is also very well known for his works in television. In 1983 Matt Groening enlisted the help of the Batman composer to create a theme song for his new television show “The Simpsons”. Since then Elfman has written numerous numbers for the television show, and introductions for shows such as Desperate

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