John Debney
born on 18/8/1956 in Glendale, CA, United States
John Debney
John Debney |
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John C. Debney (born August 18, 1956) is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. He also composed the score for Cutthroat Island, which has been celebrated by music critics as a notable example of swashbuckling film music.[1][2][3][4]
Life and career
The son of Disney Studios producer Louis Debney (Zorro, The Mickey Mouse Club), John was born and raised in nearby Glendale, California, where he began guitar lessons at age six and played in rock bands in college. Debney earned his B.A. degree in Music Composition from the California Institute of Arts in 1979. Two weeks after graduating from CalArts, he got a job at copying department at Disney. One day, Buddy Baker saw him and had him arrange music that would later be used for different pavilions and rides at epcot (at Disney World in Florida).[5] After three years at Disney, he freelanced for television composer Mike Post. Debney furthered his hands-on training by working with Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtin. After this, Debney went on to score television projects as diverse as Disneyland, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, SeaQuest DSV, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, The Cape, The Lazarus Man, Piggsburg Pigs!, The Further Adventures of SuperTed, Doctor Who, Cagney and Lacey, Tiny Toon Adventures, The Young Riders, The New Yogi Bear Show, Nightmare Classics, Police Academy: The Animated Series, Fame, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Dragon's Lair, Freshman Dorm, Pop Quiz and Dink, the Little Dinosaur, for which he won an Emmy for Best Main Title. In the early 1990s, Debney began to score indie films and Disneyland attractions. In 1991, Debney composed the music for Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris. In 1993, he scored his first studio feature, the Disney comedy Hocus Pocus starring Bette Midler.
Debney has since gone on to have a career composing scores for many films including: Iron Man 2, The Passion of the Christ, Bruce Almighty, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Elf, Sin City, Chicken Little, Liar Liar, Spy Kids, The Emperor's New Groove, The Scorpion King, The Princess Diaries[6] and Predators.[7]
Debney has also recorded scores for the video games Lair and The Sims Medieval. In 2010, he composed the theme music for the Nickelodeon television series Supah Ninjas.
Filmography
1990s
Year | Title | Director(s) | Studio(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Jetsons: The Movie | William Hanna Joseph Barbara |
Universal Pictures Hanna-Barbara Productions |
|
The Face of Fear | Farhad Mann | Warner Bros. Television Columbia Broadcast System |
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1993 | I Yabba-Dabba Do! | William Hanna | Hanna-Barbara Productions | |
Jonny's Golden Quest | Don Lusk Paul Sommer |
Hanna-Barbara Productions | ||
Hocus Pocus | Kenny Ortega | Walt Disney Pictures | ||
The Halloween Tree | Mario Piluso | Hanna-Barbara Productions | ||
The Town Santa Forgot | Robert Alvarez | Hanna-Barbara Productions | ||
Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby | William Hanna | Hanna-Barbara Productions | ||
1994 | Gunmen | Deran Sarafian | Dimension Films Davis Entertainment |
|
White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf | Ken Olin | Walt Disney Pictures | ||
Little Giants | Duwayne Dunham | Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Amblin Entertainment |
||
1995 | Houseguest | Randall Miller | Hollywood Pictures Caravan Pictures |
|
Cutthroat Island | Renny Harlin | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Carolco Pictures |
||
Sudden Death | Peter Hyams | Universal Pictures | ||
1996 | Doctor Who | Geoffrey Sax | Universal Studios BBC Films BBC Worldwide 20th Century Fox Fox |
|
Carpool | Arthur Miller | Warner Bros. Regency Enterprises |
||
1997 | The Relic | Peter Hyams | Paramount Pictures PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
|
Liar Liar | Tom Shadyac | Universal Pictures Imagine Entertainment |
||
I Know What You Did Last Summer | Jim Gillespie | Columbia Pictures Mandalay Entertainment |
||
1998 | Paulie | John Roberts | Dreamworks Pictures Mutual Film Company |
|
I'll Be Home for Christmas | Arlene Sanford | Walt Disney Pictures Mandeville Films |
||
1999 | My Favorite Martian | Donald Petrie | Walt Disney Pictures | |
Lost & Found | Jeff Pollack | Warner Bros. Alcon Entertainment |
||
Inspector Gadget | David Kellogg | Walt Disney Pictures Caravan Pictures |
||
Dick | Andrew Fleming | Columbia Pictures Phoenix Pictures |
||
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Gary Halvorson | Columbia Pictures Jim Henson Pictures Children's Television Workshop |
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End of Days | Peter Hyams | Universal Pictures Beacon Pictures |
2000s
Year | Title | Director(s) | Studio(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Relative Values | Eric Styles | Alliance Atlantis Communications Starz Encore Entertainment |
|
G-Saviour | Graeme Campbell | Bandai Visual | ||
Michael Jordan to the Max | James D. Stern, Don Kempf | Giant Screen Films | ||
The Replacements | Howard Deutch | Warner Bros. Dylan Sellers Productions Bel-Air Entertainment |
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The Emperor's New Groove | Mark Dindal | Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Feature Animation |
||
2001 | See Spot Run | John Whitssell | Warner Bros. Pictures Village Roadshow Pictures |
|
Heartbreakers | David Mirkin | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Davis Entertainment Winchester Films |
||
Spy Kids | Robert Rodriguez | Dimension Films Troublemaker Studios |
||
Cats & Dogs | Lawrence Guterman | Warner Bros. Pictures Village Roadshow Pictures |
||
The Princess Diaries | Garry Marshall | Walt Disney Pictures BrownHouse Productions |
||
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | John A. Davis | Paramount Pictures Nickelodeon Movies O Entertainment DNA Productions |
||
2002 | Snow Dogs | Brian Levant | Walt Disney Pictures Kerner Entertainment |
|
Dragonfly | Tom Shadyac | Universal Pictures Spyglass Entertainment Shady Acres Entertainment |
||
The Scorpion King | Chuck Russell | Universal Pictures WWE Studios |
||
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams | Robert Rodriguez | Dimension Films Troublemaker Studios |
with Robert Rodriguez | |
The Tuxedo | Kevin Donovan | Dreamworks Pictures Blue Train Productions |
with Christophe Beck | |
Haunted Mansion Holiday | Steven B. Davidson | |||
The Hot Chick | Tom Brady | Touchstone Pictures Happy Madison Productions |
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2003 | Most | Bobby Garabedian | Eastwind Films Prague Indies Productions |
|
Bruce Almighty | Tom Shadyac | Universal Pictures Spyglass Entertainment |
||
Elf | Jon Favreau | New Line Cinema Mosaic Media Group Guy Walks Into a Bar Productions |
||
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (Additional Music) | Joe Dante | Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Animation Baltmore Spring Creek Productions Goldmann Pictures |
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2004 | Welcome to Mooseport | Donald Petrie | 20th Century Fox | |
The Passion of the Christ | Mel Gibson | Newmarket Films | ||
The Whole Ten Yards | Howard Deutch | Warner Bros. Pictures Morgan Creek Productions |
||
Raising Helen | Garry Marshall | Touchstone Pictures Beacon Pictures Hyde Park Entertainment Mandeville Films |
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Spider-Man 2 (Additional Music) | Sam Raimi | Columbia Pictures Marvel Enterprises |
||
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement | Garry Marshall | Walt Disney Pictures | ||
Christmas with the Kranks | Joe Roth | Columbia Pictures Revolution Studios |
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2005 | The Pacifier | Adam Shankman | Walt Disney Pictures Spyglass Entertainment |
|
Sin City | Robert Rodriguez | Dimension Films Troublemaker Studios |
with Robert Rodriguez and Graeme Revell | |
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D | Robert Rodriguez | Dimension Films Columbia Pictures |
with Robert Rodriguez and Graeme Revell | |
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story | John Gatins | Dreamworks Pictures Hyde Park Entertainment |
||
Chicken Little | Mark Dindal | Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Feature Animation |
||
Zathura | Jon Favreau | Columbia Pictures Radar Pictures |
||
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 | Adam Shankman | 20th Century Fox 21 Laps Entertainment |
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2006 | Keeping Up with the Steins | Scott Marshall | Miramax Films | |
The Ant Bully | John A. Davis | Warner Bros. Pictures Legendary Pictures Playtone DNA Productions |
||
Barnyard | Steve Oedekerk | Paramount Pictures Nickelodeon Movies O Entertainment Omation Animation Studio |
||
Idlewild | Bryan Barber | Universal Pictures | ||
Everyone's Hero | Colin Brady Dan St. Pierre Christopher Reeve |
20th Century Fox IDT Entertainment Arc Productions |
||
2007 | Spider-Man 3 (Additional Music) | Sam Raimi | Columbia Pictures Marvel Enterprises |
|
Georgia Rule | Garry Marshall | Universal Pictures Morgan Creek Productions |
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Evan Almighty | Tom Shadyac | Universal Pictures Spyglass Entertainment Relativity Media Shady Acres Entertainment |
||
Lair (Video Game) | N/A | Factor 5 | ||
2008 | Meet Dave | Brian Robbins | 20th Century Fox Regency Enterprises |
|
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Additional Music) | Rob Cohen | Universal Pictures Relativity Media The Sommers Company |
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Swing Vote | Joshua Michael Stern | Touchstone Pictures Treehouse Films |
||
My Best Friend's Girl | Howard Deutch | Lionsgate | ||
2009 | Hotel for Dogs | Thor Freudenthal | Paramount Pictures Dreamworks Pictures Nickelodeon Movies |
|
Hannah Montana: The Movie | Peter Chelsom | Walt Disney Pictures | ||
The Stoning of Soraya M. | Cyrus Nowrasteh | Roadside Attractions | ||
Aliens in the Attic | John Schultz | 20th Century Fox Regency Enterprises |
||
Old Dogs | Walt Becker | Walt Disney Pictures |
2010s
Year | Title | Director(s) | Studio(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Valentine's Day | Garry Marshall | Warner Bros. Pictures New Line Cinema |
|
Predators | Nimród Antal | 20th Century Fox | ||
Iron Man 2 | Jon Favreau | Paramount Pictures Marvel Studios |
||
Yogi Bear | Eric Brevig | Warner Bros. Pictures | ||
2011 | No Strings Attached | Ivan Reitman | Paramount Pictures | |
The Change-Up | David Dobkin | Universal Pictures | ||
Dream House | Jim Sheridan | Universal Pictures | ||
The Double | Michael Brandt | Image Entertainment | ||
New Year's Eve | Garry Marshall | Warner Bros. Pictures New Line Cinema |
||
2012 | A Thousand Words | Brian Robbins | Paramount Pictures DreamWorks Pictures |
|
The Three Stooges | Farrelly brothers | 20th Century Fox | ||
Alex Cross | Rob Cohen | Summit Entertainment | ||
2013 | The Call | Brad Anderson | TriStar Pictures | |
Jobs | Joshua Michael Stern | Open Road Films | ||
Broken Horses | Vidhu Vinod Chopra | Mandeville Films | ||
2014 | Walk of Shame | Steven Brill | FilmDistrict | |
Eliza Graves | Brad Anderson | Millennium Films | ||
Draft Day[8] | Ivan Reitman | Lionsgate | ||
Mary, Mother of Christ | Alister Grierson | Lionsgate | ||
2015 | SpongeBob SquarePants 2[8] | Paul Tibbitt | Paramount Pictures Nickelodeon Movies Paramount Animation United Plankton Pictures |
|
Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt | Cyrus Nowrasteh | FilmDistrict |
Year | Film | Director |
---|---|---|
1989-PAST |
Welcome to Pooh Corner (episode: "Too Smart For Strangers", as "MUSIC ARRANGED BY") Seven Hours to Judgement (1988) The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck (1988) Not Since Casanova (1988) The Wild Pair (1987) The Day My Kid Went Punk (1987) |
Philip F. Messina Beau Bridges David Keith Brett Thompson Beau Bridges |
Awards
Year | Award | Result |
---|---|---|
2012 | Emmy Award Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score): Hatfields & McCoys: Part 1 (2012) | Nominated |
2005 | Academy Award Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: The Passion of the Christ (2004) | Nominated |
1997 | Emmy Award Outstanding Main Title Theme Music: The Cape (1996) | Nominated |
1997 | Emmy Award Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore): The Cape: Pilot (1996) | Won |
1994 | Emmy Award Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music: SeaQuest DSV (1993) | Won |
1991 | Emmy Award Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore): The Young Riders: Kansas (1989) | Won |
1990 | Emmy Award Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music: The Young Riders (1989) | Nominated |
References
- Cutthroat Island (John Debney). Filmtracks. Retrieved on 2012-02-13.
- Cutthroat Island (John Debney) soundtrack review. ScoreReviews.com (2009-02-28). Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved on 2012-06-23.
- Other reviews by Mike Brennan (2005-05-12). Soundtrack: CutThroat Island (2005). Soundtrack.Net. Retrieved on 2012-02-13.
- Movie Music UK - Cutthroat Island John Debney. MovieMusicUK.us (2010-01-13). Archived from the original on 2010-01-13. Retrieved on 2012-06-23.
- Burlingame, Jon (2009-11-10). Go-to composer grew up in Disney family - Entertainment News, Billion-Dollar Composer: John Debney, Media. Variety. Retrieved on 2012-02-13.
- John Debney to Score 'Predators' Prequel. Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved on 2012-06-23.
- A Peek Behind the Scenes of a Predators Scoring Session. Dreadcentral.com (2010-06-07). Retrieved on 2012-06-23.
- 8.0 8.1 John Debney to Score Ivan Reitmans Draft Day | Film Music Reporter, 25 November 2013. URL accessed on 16 December 2013.
External links
- John Debney at the Internet Movie Database
- John Debney's official website
- John Debney Tribute at Filmtracks.com
This article uses material from the article John Debney from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.