‘Captain Phillips’ score composer relies on PMC monitors

PMC provided a pair of AML2 speakers to film score composer Henry Jackman for the soundtrack to Tom Hanks’ new film Captain Phillips.

Jackman (pictured) worked closely on the music with director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, United 93) – and made good use of the AML2s, which were the nearfield monitors of choice for his composition studio, along with a pair of three-way PMC IB2s.

The British composer tried out a number of different options when kitting out his personal studio before picking the PMCs, and has stuck with them for several years.

"They’re not the most generous and flattering speakers," Jackman explained, "but that’s exactly why they’re good. They make you really work at a mix. When I’ve used different speakers at other studios, I’ve found that they often make me feel comfortable about a mix quite quickly – but as soon as you take it somewhere else to listen to it, you realise what the flaws are. The PMCs just reproduce what you put in, and if there’s a problem, you soon know about it.

"It’s like lighting a room with candlelight – that can be very flattering to how people look, but in better lighting, they often look very different. With the PMCs, it’s like blowing out the candles and turning on the overhead arc lights. When you need to get forensic on your mixes, they’re what you need."

"Working with Paul was a brilliant experience," he concluded. "People know him for these Hollywood blockbusters like the Bourne movies, but he’s so much more than a creator of entertainment. He’s got a documentary and journalistic background, and I think he’s one of the really interesting film-makers around today."

Jackman has now started work on the score for the first sequel to Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger film, which is due to be released next year.

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