Jeff Danna
Jeff Danna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Burlington, Ontario,Canada |
| Origin | Toronto,Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Film and television scores,Celtic,jazz,ambient,electronic |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Years active | 1989 – present |
| Website | www |
Jeff Dannais a Canadian film composer. He has composed or co-composed scores for a wide range of films and television, includingThe Boondock Saints(1999),Resident Evil: Apocalypse(2004),Silent Hill(2006),The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus(2009),The Good Dinosaur(2015),Storks(2016),The Breadwinner(2017),The Addams Family(2019),Onward(2020),Guillermo Del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia(2019-2021),Nora Twomey’sMy Father’s Dragon(2022) andJulia(2022).[1]
His older brother, composerMychael Danna,is a frequent collaborator, and the two have receivedEmmy nominationsfor their work onCamelot(2011),Tyrant(2014-2016), andAlias Grace(2017). Additionally, Danna has been nominated for sixAnnie Awards,won fiveBMI Film & TV Awards,aGemini Award,aGenie award,twoHollywood Music in Media Awards,and 15SOCAN Awards.[1]
Early life
[edit]Danna was born inBurlington, Ontario,to a musical family active in local theatre and church choir. A reluctant young piano student, Danna found solace in an electric guitar left behind at his home by a friend. Unknowingly following in the path of three generations of Winnipegmandolinplayers, progress came quickly. He began playing professionally at the age of 15 until a hand injury brought his performance career to a halt at 22.[2]
Career
[edit]Danna's first foray intofilm scoringoccurred while recovering from his injury. Unable to play for extended periods of time, his brother, Mychael, suggested that he record the guitar parts on some of Mychael’s first scores, figuring that they could take breaks at intervals as necessitated by his injury. Seeing a way to sustain his music career, Danna turned to film scoring. Subsequently, the brothers' first co-writing venture,Cold Comfort,was nominated for a Genie award and laid the foundation for Jeff’s career in film and many future collaborations with his brother.[2]
After cutting his teeth on independent Canadian features, Danna moved to Los Angeles to begin his work in television, landing jobs on theCBScrime showSweating Bullets,Beverly Hills 90210,and theWarner Brothers'legacy title,Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.A series oftelevision moviesfollowed, notablyShowtime’sMy Own Countryfor directorMira Nair,The Matthew Shepard Story(a Gemini Best Score winner),Ice Bound,andSpinning Borisfor directorRoger Spottiswoode.
Feature filmwork began with the indieUncorked (At Sachem Farm),starringMinnie DriverandRufus Sewell,featuring the on-camerafingerstyle guitarsolo showcase of the influential "Ross' Concert," played in the studio by Danna andDean Parks.This was followed by the cult classicThe Boondock Saints,which featured choral and orchestral elements mixed with electronica, along with "The Blood Of Cu Chulainn,”a Danna brothers' offering from their album,A Celtic Romance.[3]
Following that wasTim Blake Nelson'sO,a modern-day retelling ofShakespeare’sOthello.Danna took the opportunity of the Shakespeare connection to employ avielleand aviola da gambain combination with dark orchestral colors, his first of many uses of early music instruments in his scores.[4]By the timeOwas released in theaters, Danna was at work again with Tim Blake Nelson on his World War II Holocaust dramaThe Grey Zone.Nelson’s desire for an onerous death camp atmosphere meant that there would be no score in the film until the final credits, where Danna composed a dissonant and powerful dirge, merging a small chamber group withKlezmersoloists, using an approach akin to modes of limited transposition to evoke both a terrible beauty and desolation.[5]
2001 brought forth the first of many collaborations with acclaimed filmmakerBrett MorgenonThe Kid Stays in the Picture,a celebrated retelling of producerRobert Evans'book of the same title.
In 2003, Danna was in London working withThe London Philharmoniaon the large-scale score forThe Gospel of John,a medley of which the Philharmonia performed in their summer concert atRoyal Festival Hall.
Resident Evil: Apocalypsefollowed in 2004, earning Danna four SOCAN Awards for International Film Music, and then a reunion with brother Mychael onTerry Gilliam’sTideland,their first time working together since their Celtic albums, seven years prior.
2006 and 2007 found Danna in Toronto, scoring the movie adaptation of the hit video game franchiseSilent Hillfor directorChristophe Gans.Danna followed that with another Brett Morgen collaboration onChicago 10,then legendary directorLord Richard Attenborough’sfinal film,Closing The Ring,and another collaboration with Mychael forFracture,the psychological legal crime thriller starringAnthony HopkinsandRyan Gosling.
The following year, the brothers went on to scoreSony’scrime thrillerLakeview Terrace,starringSamuel Jackson.The duo then collaborated with Terry Gilliam again forThe Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,which was nominated for Best Original Score for a Fantasy Film by theInternational Film Music Critics Awards.Danna's ongoing work with Brett Morgen brought forthNimrod Nation,a30-for-30episode, and the acclaimed documentaryKurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.
In 2014, Jeff and Mychael wrote the original music for theFXseriesTyrant,earning them both a Hollywood Music in Media Award for the Main Title, as well as Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, the same category for which they were previously Emmy-nominated for their work onCamelotin 2011.
In 2015, the brothers composed the score for Disney Pixar'sThe Good Dinosaur,which received a BMI Film and TV Award for Film Music, three SOCAN Awards, a nomination for Best Original Score for an Animated Film by the International Film Music Critics Award, and an Annie nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production. More sibling collaborations followed, notably the original score for Warner Brothers' animated filmStorkswhich won a BMI Film and TV Award for Film Music, andAng Lee’sBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.
In 2017, Jeff and Mychael undertook scoring Nora Twomey’sThe Breadwinner,which had its world premiere at theToronto International Film Festival.The Breadwinnerwas nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production, won the Best Original Music Award from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France and won the Canadian Screen Award for Film Score of the Year. The brothers followed up that effort withAlias GraceforNetflix,for which they were Emmy nominated in 2018 and garnered a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award.
Returning to animation in 2018, Danna wrote the music forGuillermo del Toro’sanimated science-fantasy seriesTales of Arcadia,which includes the titles3Below,Wizards,andRise of the Titansfor Netflix and produced byDreamWorks Animation.
Jeff and Mychael then worked together to score the animated featureThe Addams Family,released in 2019, which earned a BMI Film & TV Award for Film Music, and Disney Pixar’sOscar-nominatedanimated filmOnward,which opened in theaters on March 6, 2020, for which they received an Annie nomination for Best Music for a Feature, a BMI Film & TV Award for Film Music, and an International Film Music Critics Award nomination for Best Original Score for an Animated Film. Following that, he and Mychael wrote the original score for theMGMfeatureThe Addams Family 2,earning them a Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Score for an Animated Film and a BMI Film & TV Award for Film Music.
2021and 2022 saw Danna working forHBO Maxon the acclaimed seriesJulia,based on the life of iconic chefJulia Child,[6]and he reteamed with Mychael andCartoon Saloonco-founder Nora Twomey forMy Father’s Dragon.A reunion with Guillermo del Toro followed as Danna composed the music for the episodeThe Graveyard RatsinGuillermo del Toro’sCabinet of Curiosities.[1]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]1980s-1990s
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Cold Comfort | Vic Sarin | — | Co-composed withMychael Danna |
| 1998 | At Sachem Farm | John Huddles | — | |
| 1999 | The Boondock Saints | Troy Duffy | Franchise Pictures Indican Pictures Brood Syndicate Fried Films Lloyd Segan Company Chris Brinker Productions |
— |
| New Blood | Michael Hurst | Lionsgate Films Screenland Pictures Scanbox International Applecreek Communications Spice Factory Ltd. |
— |
2000s
[edit]2010s
[edit]2020s
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Onward | Dan Scanlon | Walt Disney Pictures Pixar Animation Studios |
Co-composed withMychael Danna |
| 2021 | Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans | Johane Matte Francisco Ruiz Velasco Andrew Schmidt |
Netflix NBCUniversal Syndication Studios Double Dare You Productions DreamWorks Animation Television |
— |
| The Addams Family 2 | Conrad Vernon Greg Tiernan |
Bron Creative Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Cinesite Studios Nitrogen Studios The Jackal Group Glickmania United Artists Releasing(USA) Universal Pictures(International) |
Co-composed withMychael Danna | |
| 2022 | My Father's Dragon | Nora Twomey | Netflix Netflix Animation Mockingbird Pictures Cartoon Saloon |
Co-composed withMychael Danna |
| 2024 | Piece by Piece | Morgan Neville | Focus Features The Lego Group Tremolo Productions I Am Other |
— |
Television
[edit]Television films
[edit]| Year | Title | Director | Studio(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Jud Taylor | Warner Bros. Television | — |
| 1998 | My Own Country | Mira Nair | Sullivan Entertainment | — |
| 2000 | Baby | Robert Allan Ackerman | Sarabande Productions TNT |
— |
| 2002 | The Matthew Shepard Story | Roger Spottiswoode | NBC | Co-composed withMychael Danna |
| 2003 | Mafia Doctor | Alex Chapple | CBS Carlton America Michele Brustin Productions |
— |
| 2003 | Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids | Mike Fallows | Nelvana | — |
| 2007 | Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams | David Block | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment DisneyToon Studios |
— |
Television series
[edit]Video games
[edit]Awards and nominations
[edit]| Association | Year | Work | Category | Result | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2018 | Alias Grace:Part 1 | Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Nominated | Shared withMychael Danna | [7] |
| 2015 | Tyrant | Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | Nominated | |||||
| 2011 | Camelot | Nominated | ||||
| Annecy International Animated Film Festival | 2018 | The Breadwinner | Best Original Music for a Feature Film | Won | [8] | |
| Annie Awards | 2021 | Onward | Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature | Nominated | [9] | |
| 2018 | The Breadwinner | Nominated | [10] | |||
| 2016 | The Good Dinosaur | Nominated | [11] | |||
| BMI Film & TV Awards | 2022 | The Addams Family 2 | Film Music | Won | [12] | |
| 2020 | Onward | Won | [13] | |||
| The Addams Family | Won | |||||
| 2017 | Storks | Won | ||||
| 2016 | The Good Dinosaur | Won | ||||
| Canadian Screen Awards | 2018 | The Breadwinner | Achievement in Music - Original Score | Won | [14] | |
| Alias Grace | Best Original Music, Fiction | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Continuum | Best Original Music Score for a Series | Nominated | For the episode, "A Stitch in Time" | ||
| Fright Meter Awards | 2012 | Silent Hill: Revelation | Best Score | Nominated | Shared withAkira Yamaoka | [15] |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) | 2021 | The Addams Family 2 | Best Original Score - Animated Film | Won | Shared withMychael Danna | [16] |
| 2014 | Tyrant | Main Title - TV Show / Digital Series | Won | |||
| International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA) | 2021 | Onward | Best Original Score for an Animated Film | Nominated | [17] | |
| 2018 | Alias Grace | Best Original Score for Television | Nominated | [18] | ||
| 2016 | The Good Dinosaur | Best Original Score for an Animated Film | Nominated | [19] | ||
| 2010 | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction Film | Nominated | [20] | ||
| SOCAN Awards | 2018 | Storks | International Film Music Award | Won | [21] | |
| Achievement in Feature Film Music | Won | |||||
| The Good Dinosaur | International Film Music Award | Won | ||||
| 2016 | The Good Dinosaur | Achievement in Feature Film Music | Won | |||
| Domestic Feature Film Award | Won | |||||
| 2015 | Erased | Won | — | |||
| 2011 | The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus | International Film Music Award | Won | Shared withMychael Danna | ||
| 2009 | Resident Evil: Apocalypse | Won | — | |||
| 2008 | Won | — | ||||
| Fracture | Domestic Feature Film Award | Won | Shared withMychael Danna | |||
| 2007 | Resident Evil: Apocalypse | International Film Music Award | Won | — | ||
| 2006 | Won | — |
References
[edit]- ^abc"Jeff Danna".IMDb.Retrieved2022-08-23.
- ^ab"Interview with Jeff Danna – Film Music Institute".Retrieved2022-08-23.
- ^"Jeff Danna Biography, Songs, & Albums".AllMusic.Retrieved2022-08-23.
- ^"O".Jeff Danna.Retrieved2022-08-23.
- ^"The Grey Zone".Jeff Danna.Retrieved2022-08-23.
- ^Julia,retrieved2022-08-23
- ^"Jeff Danna".Television Academy.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"Film Index".www.annecy.org.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"49th Annual Annie Awards".annieawards.org.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"49th Annual Annie Awards".annieawards.org.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"49th Annual Annie Awards".annieawards.org.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"2022 BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards".BMI.com.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards 2020".BMI.com.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"Broadcast Gala".Academy.ca.2018-03-11.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"2012 Fright Meter Award Nominees!".Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"HMMA Winners".Hollywood Music In Media Awards.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"2020 IFMCA Awards".IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association.2021-04-02.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"2017 IFMCA Awards".IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association.2020-02-06.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"2015 IFMCA Awards".IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association.2016-11-23.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"IFMCA announces its 2009 nominees for scoring excellence".IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association.2010-01-29.Retrieved2022-07-10.
- ^"2018 SOCAN Awards - Toronto - Winners List".www.newswire.ca.Retrieved2022-07-10.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1964 births
- Animated film score composers
- Best Original Score Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
- Canadian classical composers
- Canadian film score composers
- Canadian male classical composers
- Canadian television composers
- La-La Land Records artists
- Living people
- Canadian male film score composers
- Canadian male television composers
- Musicians from Ontario
- People from Burlington, Ontario
- Pixar people
- Varèse Sarabande Records artists