Danny Elfman

If you know more information about Danny Elfman help us to improve this page

Birthday:

29 May 1953, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name:

Daniel Robert Elfman

Height:

178 cm

As Danny Elfman was growing up in the Los Angeles area, he was largely unaware of his talent for composing. It wasn't until the early 1970s that Danny and his older brother Richard Elfman started a musical troupe while in Paris; the group "Mystic Knights of Oingo-Boingo" was created for Richard's directorial debut, Forbidden Zone (1980) (now considered a cult classic by Elfman fans). The group's name went through many incarnations over the years, beginning with "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo" and eventually just Oingo Boingo. While continuing to compose eclectic, intelligent rock music for his L.A.-based band (some of which had been used in various film soundtracks, e.g. Weird Science (1985)), Danny formed a friendship with young director Tim Burton, who was then a fan of Oingo Boingo. Danny went on to score the soundtrack of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Danny's first orchestral film score. The Elfman-Burton partnership continued (most notably through the hugely-successful "Batman" flicks) and opened doors of opportunity for Danny, who has been referred to as "Hollywood's hottest film composer". Show less «

I get drawn to things that don't make any sense, and I learned early on not to resist that.

I've known Sam [Raimi] for almost 15 years. Spider-Man 2 was my fifth movie with him and all I can say is that the person who was there at t...Show more »

I've known Sam [Raimi] for almost 15 years. Spider-Man 2 was my fifth movie with him and all I can say is that the person who was there at the end of Spider-Man 2 was not Sam. I don't know who it was, but it wasn't Sam. It was as close to living out Invasion of the Body Snatchers as I've ever experienced. To see such a profound negative change in a human being was almost enough to make me feel like I didn't want to make films anymore. It was really disheartening and sad to see the way it ended up. Show less «

It all depends on the directors. Working closely with a director is the main job of a film composer. Interpreting what he perceives as a col...Show more »

It all depends on the directors. Working closely with a director is the main job of a film composer. Interpreting what he perceives as a color, an emotion or mood is very abstract. A director tells you something he wants and then you have to run back to your music and respond with, "I think he meant something like this." Show less «

I don't think there's a trademark Danny Elfman element that has been consistent in my work. I don't hear many similarities in what I do and ...Show more »

I don't think there's a trademark Danny Elfman element that has been consistent in my work. I don't hear many similarities in what I do and I don't think it's necessary that I have a particular style. Having a particular style is not bad, but I prefer to push myself in the direction of being a composer who you never know what he's doing next. Show less «

The Oingo is still there. It just got lost off of our current album cover. Since then, however, it was found by my daughter in between the c...Show more »

The Oingo is still there. It just got lost off of our current album cover. Since then, however, it was found by my daughter in between the cushions of our couch. Although it's a bit sticky it will undoubtedly find its way back on our next album. The horn section I'm sorry to say succumbed to the terrible flesh-eating bacteria that I'm sure you read so much about. I wish I could say that they died quietly in their sleep, as opposed to screaming in agony as was the case. However who am I to question such things in the great cosmic scheme... Show less «

[on composing scores for Tim Burton films] People expect us to have some invisible shorthand. But it never gets any easier. Tim is just as c...Show more »

[on composing scores for Tim Burton films] People expect us to have some invisible shorthand. But it never gets any easier. Tim is just as complex now, maybe more so. Every time I play music for him I'm as nervous as I was that first occasion. Countless times, I've played something and watched him put his head in his hands and start pulling at his hair. I've never been unhappy with where we ended up, but most of the time we've had to spiral around quite a bit to get there. You have to be half-composer, half-psychiatrist. Show less «