CineVue sits down with George Shaw, the composer for the AAIFF’13 trailer, to get to know him, his craft, and his upcoming projects. We first spotted George at the 2013 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. We fell in love with his music. A man of many talents, he is one of the most sought after composers today. We are honored to have worked with him and look for many future collaborations to come.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYw1O5zCGBE[/youtube] AAIFF’13 Trailer. Soundtrack composed by George Shaw.CineVue: We know that you can play a lot of instruments–out of all, which is your favorite & why?
George Shaw: I think it would be the piano, as it’s the one I’ve been playing the longest, and I can play by myself whenever I get in the mood for jamming.
CV: How often do you work on your craft? And what is the process of developing it?
GS: Almost everyday I’m composing or working on music related projects. The sucky days are the ones when I’m dealing with paperwork and emails and don’t have time to make music. I think developing craft comes for a combination of studying other music and gaining experience through doing what you do. If you do nothing, you gain nothing.
CV: Who did you collaborate with in the past, and who would you like to work with?
GS: Most people know me from my collaborations with YouTubers like Wong Fu, Ryan Higa, Kevjumba, Michelle Phan, Fung Brothers, and Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop web series. I have also arranged and conducted songs with David Choi, Clara C, Jason Chen, Abraham Lim, Paul Dateh, and Dawen.
As for YouTubers I haven’t yet worked with, I love what Freddie Wong does with his channel: epic action, fantasy, and video game inspired films. In that same regard, ever since I was a kid, I always dreamed of composing on big blockbuster movies, so I’m hoping to one day work with the next Spielberg or J.J. Abrams!
CV: Who is your favorite filmmaker to collaborate with?
GS: I recently worked with Jeffrey Gee Chin on Lil Tokuo Reporter, a short starring Chris Tashima that was been winning awards at almost every film festival it’s played at. He is a true visionary, but also a wonderful and thoughtful collaborator. We are currently shooting a Star Wars musical that I wrote, and will release the fan film on my YouTube channel at the end of summer (YouTube.com/georgeshawmusic)
CV: Will NYC be a part of your journey?
GS: One of my goals in life is to win an EGOT (for those non 30 Rock fans, it’s Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony), so at some point I’ll have to write a musical for Broadway, but in the meantime I’m focused just on making a name for myself in LA. maybe I’ll write a musical about pizza, since my favorite pizza is NY style!
CV: If you were to be anything other than a composer, what would it be & why?
GS: I can’t imagine being anything other than a composer, but I still think I would be some sort of filmmaker or storyteller, and I actually do really enjoy editing the videos on my YouTube channel, so I could probably see myself as a film or TV editor.
CV: What inspired you to get into composing music?
GS: I was inspired by music and my love for melody. When I was a teenager I would just imagine my own melodies and started writing them down, before I realized it, I was a composer.
CV: And finally, how can people collaborate with you or find out more about your work?
GS: I’m always looking for new collaborations, and I’m easy to find on the internet, despite having a common name and sharing it with a famous British playwright. I’m at GeorgeShawMusic.com, or GeorgeShawMusic on Facebook or Twitter. Or a simple google search for my name will turn up links to my work!
About George Shaw:
George Shaw is a composer, who specializes in orchestral thematic music for film, television, video games and online content. Classically trained at USC’s Thornton School of Music, he has both the skill to craft rich orchestral tapestries and the versatility to produce cutting edge electronic music. YouTube videos featuring George’s music have amassed over 100 million views. Recent collaborations with top-rated YouTube personalities include NigaHiga, Kevjumba, Wong Fu Productions, Michelle Phan, Mystery Guitar Man, and the Fung Brothers. George is scoring the current 2nd season of Tabletop, hosted by Wil Wheaton on Felicia Day’s Geek and Sundry Channel. George also collaborates with musical artists like David Choi, Clara C, Jason Chen, Abraham Lim, Paul Dateh and Dawen who themselves have a strong online presence.