Lucas Vidal talks about scoring “Fast & Furious 6”

If you are a fan of film scores, then you are going to want to keep an eye out for Lucas Vidal. At the young age of 28, Lucas is taking over Hollywood with his fantastic talent. Last year, he scored the film “The Raven” with John Cusack and this year he took on the score for one of the biggest films of the year “Fast & Furious 6”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Lucas about taking over this franchise and his work on the film.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how you got attached to score “Fast & Furious 6”?
Lucas Vidal: Universal called me and said they wanted me to meet for the film. So I went for the meeting and sent them a couple of tracks from my other films and they really liked them. So that was how it started. This was going back to last year about eight months ago.

MG: How much time does it take for you to prepare for a film of this scale?
LV: Oh, a lot of time. I had to watch all the previous films, analyze them and also their scores. I had to study the sound of the franchise. It took me about a month at least just to make sure that I was ready.

MG: You became one of the youngest composer to ever score a major studio picture of this scale; how does that feel and does it compare with its own pressures?
LV: There is a little pressure yes, since now people are looking closely at my career. But I am good and I am very happy with it. The most important thing is to stay focused and keep working. The best thing is that I am learning from some really talented people, like the best orchestrators, music editors etc in the business. So that is the best part. Yes,  am young but I am learning a lot in the process.

MG: How was it following great artists like Brian Tyler, David Arnold and BT?
LV: They are all really good composers. I just tried to do my best, while also respecting their work as well. I was very fortunate to be able to be a part of this franchise. I respect them a lot and for me it was like a privilege. It was an honor.

MG: How do you feel that “Fast & Furious 6” differs from the past films in the series?
LV: It is similar to the others, yet still different. This one has a certain European feel to it. There is also a lot of electronic music.

MG: Tell us about your biggest challenge on this score?
LV: I had to also respect the theme song from the past films, as well. So that to me was the biggest challenge. I was doing something new but at the same time respecting the franchise.

MG: What was the timeline on this project from beginning to end?
LV: I think it was at least six months. It was pretty intense. There were five film editors involved, so there was a lot of people working on the film and the picture was constantly changing.

MG: After “Fast & Furious 6”, what do you have planned next?
LV: I am scoring a film called “Mindscape” and I have a project for the Boston Ballet. Then I have about three or four other films coming up as well. So I am going to be busy, man!