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1[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/giacchino_2520.jpg]]
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3Michael Giacchino (born October 10, 1967) is an American composer and director who works in films, video games and television, including seven Creator/{{Pixar}} films. He first gained recognition for ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1''.
4
5Won an Academy Award for ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' and a Emmy for ''Series/{{Lost}}''. Can be seen as a modern-day Music/JohnWilliams, sharing this with fellow composer Joel [=McNeely=] (who is now considered to be the PoorMansSubstitute for blockbuster composer Giacchino himself in recent years), whom Giacchino can also be seen as a next-gen SuperiorSuccessor to along with the late Frank [=DeVol=] due to also their most occasional collaborations with Creator/{{Disney}} sided with their other film and television works outside of the family-friendly company. He can also be seen as the modern day Stu Phillips in the television business due to scoring episodic music for shows whose theme songs were composed by the show's creators ([[Franchise/BattlestarGalactica Glen A.]] [[Series/KnightRider Larson]] for Phillips and Creator/JJAbrams for Giacchino). Also known [[PungeonMaster for naming many of his pieces with awful puns]] and [[ProductionPosse being the usual composer]] for filmmakers Creator/JJAbrams, Creator/BradBird, Creator/MattReeves and Creator/ColinTrevorrow, and for being a frequent composer for projects in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse[[note]]since Phase 3[[/note]].
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7He also created the new fanfare for the [[MilestoneCelebration 100th anniversary]] Creator/{{Paramount}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWb9v8OB8HA logo]], along with the fanfare for the new [[Film/HammerHorror Hammer Films]].
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9Much of his work for Creator/{{Pixar}} can be found on [[AwesomeMusic/{{Pixar}} Pixar's Awesome Music page]].
10----
11!!Michael Giacchino has composed for:
12
13!!![[VideoGame Videogames]]
14* ''Series/{{Alias}}'' (video game)
15* ''VideoGame/DonaldInMauiMallard''
16* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' series
17** ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty1'' (2003)
18** ''Call of Duty: United Offensive''
19** ''Call of Duty: Finest Hour''
20* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' (video game)
21* ''{{VideoGame/The Incredibles|Game}}'' (video game)
22** ''VideoGame/TheIncrediblesRiseOfTheUnderminer''
23* ''VideoGame/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'' (video game)
24** ''VideoGame/WarpathJurassicPark''
25* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' series
26** ''Medal of Honor'' (1999)
27** ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorAlliedAssault''
28** ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorFrontline''
29** ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorVanguard''
30** ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorAirborne''
31* ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}}'' (with Chris Tilton)
32* ''VideoGame/MickeyMania'' (Sega CD and [=PlayStation=])
33* ''VideoGame/MuppetMonsterAdventure''
34* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'' ("Medal of Homer" level music)
35* ''Film/SmallSoldiers'' (video game)
36* ''[[VideoGame/TaiFuWrathOfTheTiger T'ai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger]]''
37
38!!!Live-Action TV
39* ''Series/{{Alias}}''
40* ''Series/{{Lost}}''
41* ''Series/{{Fringe}}''
42* ''Series/{{Undercovers}}''
43
44!!!Films
45* ''Film/{{Phenomenon}} II''
46* ''Film/TheMuppetsWizardOfOz''
47* ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII''
48** ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol''
49* ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}'' (the "ROAR" composition heard during the film's credits)
50* ''Film/SpeedRacer''
51* ''Film/StarTrek2009''
52** ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness''
53** ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''
54* ''Film/LandOfTheLost''
55* ''Film/LetMeIn''
56* ''Film/Super8''
57* ''Film/MonteCarlo2011''
58* ''Film/FiftyFifty2011''
59* ''Film/JohnCarter''
60* ''Film/PlanetOfTheApesCherninSeries''
61** ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes''
62** ''Film/WarForThePlanetOfTheApes''
63* ''Film/ThisIsWhereILeaveYou''
64* ''Film/JurassicWorld''
65** ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom''
66** ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion''
67* ''Film/{{Tomorrowland}}''
68* ''Film/JupiterAscending''
69* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse -- On top of composing [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXRJ7ozUJb0 the opening fanfare for the Marvel Studios opening for most Phase 3 and 4 films and shows]], Giacchino has composed the following movies:
70** ''Film/DoctorStrange2016''
71** ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''
72** ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome''
73** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome''
74** ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder''
75** ''Film/WerewolfByNight2022''
76* ''Film/RogueOne'' [[note]](replaced Music/AlexandreDesplat)[[/note]]
77* ''Film/TheBookOfHenry''
78* ''Film/BadTimesAtTheElRoyale''
79* ''Film/JojoRabbit''
80* ''Film/LetHimGo''
81* ''Film/TheBatman2022''
82* ''Film/TheFamilyStone''
83* ''Film/NextGoalWins2023''
84* ''Film/SocietyOfTheSnow''
85* ''Film/If2024''
86
87!!!WesternAnimation
88* Creator/{{Disney}}
89** "WesternAnimation/HowToHookUpYourHomeTheater"
90** ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}''
91* Creator/{{Pixar}}
92** ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1''
93*** ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2''
94** ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}''
95** ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}''
96** ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}''
97** ''WesternAnimation/ToyStoryOfTerror''
98** ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''
99** ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}''
100** ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}''
101* WesternAnimation/PixarShorts
102** "WesternAnimation/OneManBand"
103** "WesternAnimation/{{Lifted}}"
104** "WesternAnimation/PartlyCloudy"
105** "WesternAnimation/DayAndNight"
106* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'': "The Karateguard"
107* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekProdigy'' (theme only)
108!!!Other Media
109* ''[[Ride/StarTours Star Tours: The Adventures Continue]]'' (pre-shows only)
110* ''Ride/SpaceMountain'' (California, Hong Kong, and Paris versions)
111
112!!Giacchino has also directed the following works:
113* ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' (Short episode “Ephram and Dot”)
114* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
115** ''Film/WerewolfByNight2022''
116
117----
118!!Tropes associated with Michael Giacchino include:
119
120* AuthorAppeal: The man loves his strings and brass sections. Expect to hear one or the other on many of his scores. (Then again, these are pretty much standard issue on most film and TV scores, but Giacchino does admittedly use them more than most).
121** He is heavily influenced by the works of Music/JohnWilliams, as can be heard in his use of strong leitmotifs with complex orchestration. It's even apparent in his incidental music, combining strings with small but precise jabs of flutes to raise tension.
122* BreakthroughHit: It was thanks to his work on the score for ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'' that launched his career into what it is today.
123* ComplexityAddiction: All of his music is intricately composed with many ''many'' layers being brought together. Listen to his fanfare for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXRJ7ozUJb0 Marvel's Phase 3 films]] and hear just how much is going on in 30 seconds of music.
124* DarkerAndEdgier: His collaborations with Creator/MattReeves tend to be this compared to the rest of his work, gloomier and quieter than the John Williams-esque scores that he is more famous for. His score for Reeves' ''Film/{{The Batman|2022}}'' is also this compared to prior Batman film scores, more somber than [[Film/BatmanFilmSeries Danny Elfman]] and [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard]]'s themes and comparatively less bombastic than [[Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse Zimmer and Tom Holkenborg's]], while at the same time serve as a companion piece to Music/JerryGoldsmith's hauntingly harsh and dissonant scores to ''Film/FirstBlood'' and ''Film/{{Outland}}''.
125* FutureMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTfK4snGyf0&feature=channel&list=UL Composed the theme]] for Ride/{{Disneyland}}'s ''Ride/SpaceMountain'' that replaced Creator/DickDale's original theme in 2005.
126* HurricaneOfPuns: His tracks have a serious tendency to be punny (virtually every track title in the ''Film/StarTrek2009'' soundtrack is a pun, usually either on the contents of a scene or on Nero's name). Because of his propensity for punny track names, his soundtracks also tend toward [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil inadvertent spoilers]].
127* {{Leitmotif}}: Giacchino is in love with these. Nearly every score he writes features a few-note theme which plays constantly. In fairness, most film scores are built around leitmotifs, so Giacchino is hardly unusual in that regard.
128* ParodyAssistance: As the regular composer for ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'', he also provides the level music for "Medal of Homer" in ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame''.
129* PsychoStrings: Used constantly.
130* ProductionPosse:
131** He's worked with Chris Tilton (on whom the terrible pun tradition has rubbed off) on both games and television. Inversely he's part of the JJ Abrams and Pixar posses (especially Creator/BradBird) and used to be part of [[Creator/ElectronicArts EA's.]] Amongst his regular musicians is legendary session bassist Abraham Laboriel Sr.
132** He has worked with writer Adam F. Goldberg on the [[Franchise/TheMuppets Muppets]] productions ''Film/TheMuppetsWizardOfOz'' (as a composer) and ''Series/TheMuppetsMayhem'' (producing the score, which was composed by his son Mick).
133* PungeonMaster: At least half of his song titles will feature terrible puns. Rare aversions are ''Film/TheFamilyStone'' and ''Film/RogueOne'', whose titles are sober descriptions just like in the scores by Music/JohnWilliams. (Although Giacchino and his team ''did'' do some for fun, [[http://i.imgur.com/okvYFcC.jpg which appear in the liner notes]] with a LampshadeHanging - [[ExecutiveMeddling it may have been at the behest of Lucasfilm]]).
134* {{Reconstruction}}: His music is this of the upbeat, exciting LighterAndSofter orchestral music scoring that relates to composers that he grew up with such as Music/JohnWilliams, Music/JerryGoldsmith, Music/LaloSchifrin, Music/AlanSilvestri and Music/JamesHorner (right down to using veteran orchestrator Jack Hayes in his past works such as ''Film/StarTrek2009'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'' until Hayes' death), especially in the intense, brooding DarkerAndEdgier Music/HansZimmer-dominated movie music world that some audiophile listeners could need a break from. The only difference between Giacchino and the aformentioned upbeat composers is that Giacchino needed another conductor to conduct his music, while the said composers usually conducted their own scores.
135* RecycledSoundtrack: Numerous themes get recycled throughout his works, leading to the same theme popping up in ''Star Trek'', ''LOST'', ''The Incredibles'', ''Up'', or ''Ratatouille'' with only a slight change to fit the theme.
136* RunningGag: "World's Worst..."
137** "[[Film/{{Super 8}} ...Road Trip]]"
138** "[[Series/{{Lost}} ...Beach Party]]"
139** "[[Series/{{Lost}} ...Landscaping]]"
140** "[[Series/{{Lost}} ...Car Crash]]"
141** "[[Film/SpeedRacer ...Road Rage]]"
142** "[[Film/MissionImpossibleIII ...Last Four Minutes to Live]]"
143** "[[Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol ...Parking Valet]]"
144** "[[WesternAnimation/ToyStoryOfTerror ...Curtain Call]]"
145** "[[Film/{{Tomorrowland}} ...Shop Keepers]]"
146** "[[WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}} ...Animal Shelter]]"
147** "[[Film/RogueOne ...Vacation Destination]]"
148** "[[Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom ...Bedtime Storyteller]]"
149** "[[WesternAnimation/Incredibles2 ...Babysitters]]"
150** "[[Film/SpiderManFarFromHome ...Water Feature]]"
151** "[[Film/LetHimGo ...Rideshare]]"
152** "[[Film/SpiderManNoWayHome ...Friendly Neighbor]]"
153** "[[Film/TheBatman2022 ...Translator]]"
154** "[[WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}} ...Self-Destruct Sequence]]"
155** "[[Film/WerewolfByNight2022 ...Makeover]]"
156** ...[[Film/StarTrek2009 "Galaxy's Worst Sushi Bar"]]
157** ...[[Film/StarTrekBeyond "Scotland’s Worst Cliffhanger"]]
158** ...[[Film/DoctorStrange2016 "Astral World's Worst Killer"]].
159** There are also [[Film/{{Mercenaries}} "World's Best Carpool Lane"]] ...And
160** [[Film/SpeedRacer "World's Best Autopia"]]
161* SuperiorSuccessor: While's his musical work are a SpiritualSuccessor to Williams, [=McNeely=], [=DeVol=] and Phillips as noted above, he can be considered this too as they can be seen as a next-gen {{Reconstruction}} of the latter four's own past work.
162* UncommonTime: Shows up sometimes. "Escape from Muntz Mountain" on the ''Up'' soundtrack is in 5/4.

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