David Fleming is an American composer. He works in the production of music for films, television, and interactive media. He has worked with composers Atli Örvarsson and Hans Zimmer. He won the ASCAP Screen Music Award for Television Score of the Year in 2024 for his work on The Last of Us. Some of his credits include Blue Planet II, Hillbilly Elegy, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
David Fleming | |
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Origin | New York, United States |
Genres | Film score, electronic, ambient, Piano |
Occupation | Film composer |
Years active | 2012–present |
Website | www |
Career
editEarly career
editDavid Fleming studied musical composition at State University of New York at Purchase. From there he started his career in New York advertising companies, creating music for ringtones and liquor commercials. He won the BMI Foundation's Pete Carpenter Fellowship and moved to Los Angeles where he began writing music for major films.[1]
2017–present
editIn 2017, Fleming co-composed the BBC series Blue Planet II (2017) alongside Hans Zimmer, starting a collaborative relationship that saw Fleming contribute to films like The Lion King (2019), Dune (2021), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and co-compose films together such as Hillbilly Elegy, The Unforgivable, and The Night Logan Woke Up.[2] Their work on Blue Planet II earned the score award nominations with the Jerry Goldsmith Awards and the International Film Music Critics Awards.[3][4]
Fleming co-composed the original score for the television series The Last of Us (2023–present) with Gustavo Santaolalla. Fleming's work was inspired by real-world sounds within a decayed civilization.[5] He largely worked on action-heavy music for the series, such as a large action sequence in the fifth episode. Like Santaolalla, he wanted to keep his score minimalistic and exercised restraint to match series co-creator Craig Mazin's goal of "having the viewer feel that they're part of the scene rather than be observing the scene".[6] He selected specific instruments that paired appropriately with Santaolalla's work; rather than using a generic drum, he wanted one with "personality, whether it be a rusty barrel or like cracking wood or bowing, rusty metal".[6]
In 2024, Fleming scored projects including Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Jim Henson Idea Man, for which he was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series and Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special, respectively.[7] On June 7, 2024, Fleming performed his work to Mr. & Mrs. Smith at the Deadline Sound & Screen TV Event at Royce Hall at UCLA. Lead actor Donald Glover guided Fleming's score to focus on trust and the relationship between the characters.[8] For Jim Henson Idea Man, Fleming wanted to carry the spirit of Jim Henson through the score.[9] He also composed music for the film Damsel (2024).[10]
Filmography
editFilm
editYear | Title | Director(s) | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Revenge for Jolly! | Chad Harbold | ||
2015 | The Perfect Guy | David M. Rosenthal | Composed with Atli Orvarsson | |
2020 | Hillbilly Elegy | Ron Howard | Composed with Hans Zimmer | [11] |
2021 | South of Heaven | Aharon Keshales | ||
The Unforgivable | Nora Fingscheidt | Composed with Hans Zimmer | [12] | |
2023 | Americana | Tony Tost | [13] | |
2024 | Damsel | Juan Carlos Fresnadillo | [10] | |
Jim Henson Idea Man | Ron Howard | [14] | ||
Bando Stone and the New World | Donald Glover | [15] | ||
2025 | Alto Knights | Barry Levinson | [16] |
Television
editYear | Title | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Blue Planet II | 7 episodes | |
2022 | The Night Logan Woke Up | 5 episodes; with Hans Zimmer | [17] |
2023 | The Last of Us | 9 episodes; with Gustavo Santaolalla | [5] |
2024 | Mr and Mrs Smith | 8 episodes | [18] |
Other Credits
editYear | Title | Role | Composer(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2012–2023 | Chicago Fire | additional music | Atli Orvarsson |
2013 | Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters | additional music | Atli Orvarsson |
A Single Shot | additional music | Atli Orvarsson | |
Evidence | additional music | Atli Orvarsson | |
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones | additional music | Atli Orvarsson | |
2014–2015 | Chicago P.D. | additional music | Atli Orvarsson |
2014 | Son of God | additional music | Hans Zimmer & Lorne Balfe |
Divergent | additional music | Tom Holkenborg | |
Transformers: Age of Extinction | additional music | Steve Jablonsky | |
2015 | Last Knights | additional music | Satnam Ramgotra and Martin Tillman |
2016 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows | additional music | Steve Jablonsky |
2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | additional music | Steve Jablonsky |
What Happened to Monday | additional music | Christian Wibe | |
2018 | Believer | additional music | Hans Zimmer |
2019 | X-Men: Dark Phoenix | additional music | Hans Zimmer |
The Lion King | Arranger "Never Too Late", Producer "Be Prepared" | Hans Zimmer | |
2020 | Wonder Woman 1984 | additional music | Hans Zimmer |
2021 | Dune: Part One | additional music | Hans Zimmer |
2022 | Top Gun: Maverick | additional music | Harold Faltermeyer, Lady Gaga, and Hans Zimmer |
The Son | additional music | Hans Zimmer | |
2023 | Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret | additional music | Hans Zimmer |
2024 | Dune: Part Two | additional music | Hans Zimmer |
Awards and nominations
editAward | Year | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IFMCA Awards | 2017 | Best Original Score for a Documentary Film | Blue Planet II | Nominated | [3] |
Jerry Goldsmith Awards | 2018 | Best Documentary Score | Nominated | [4] | |
ASCAP Screen Music Awards | 2024 | Composers' Choice: Television Score of the Year | The Last of Us | Won | [19] |
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) | Mr. & Mrs. Smith (for "First Date") | Nominated | [20] |
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Jim Henson Idea Man | Won |
References
edit- ^ Palrowitz, Darren (February 2, 2024). "Composer David Fleming On "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," Hans Zimmer & More — "Paltrocast" Exclusive". Medium.com.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Sundance 2023 Composer Spotlight: David Fleming". ASCAP.com. January 1, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "2017 IFMCA Awards".
- ^ a b "XIII Jerry Goldsmith Awards – Winners".
- ^ a b Minsker, Evan (February 27, 2023). "HBO's New The Last of Us Season 1 Soundtrack Released: Listen". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Shachat, Sarah (March 14, 2023). "'The Last of Us' Score Finds Meaning in Silence". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (July 17, 2024). "Creative Arts Emmys Music Nominations: Hans Zimmer Lands Three Nods, Pasek & Paul Inch Closer to EGOT". Variety. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Jackson, Destiny (June 10, 2024). "'Mr. & Mrs. Smith's David Fleming Says Just One Word Became Foundation For Series' Musical Theme – Sound & Screen TV". Deadline.com.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Richlin, Harrison (May 29, 2024). "Watch Ron Howard and Team Behind 'Jim Henson Idea Man' Discuss the 'Genius' Behind 'The Muppets' and 'Sesame Street'". Indiewire.com.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Danoff, Owen (March 21, 2024). "Damsel Composer David Fleming On Medieval Horns, Dragons & Dune Memes". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (December 11, 2020). "Hans Zimmer and David Fleming on Scoring 'Hillbilly Elegy' Under Lockdown (and After Zimmer Caught COVID-19)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "Hans Zimmer & David Fleming Scoring Nora Fingscheidt's 'The Unforgivable'". Film Music Reporter. October 26, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "David Fleming Scoring Tony Tost's 'Americana'". Film Music Reporter. March 15, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "David Fleming Scoring Ron Howard's Disney+ Documentary 'Jim Henson Idea Man'". Film Music Reporter. April 11, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Magat, Katrina (July 14, 2024). "7 Things Things You Need To Know About Childish Gambino's Mysterious IMAX Movie, 'Bando Stone and the New World'". Collider. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "David Fleming to Score Barry Levinson's 'Alto Knights'". Film Music Reporter. February 6, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "'The Night Logan Woke Up' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. March 16, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Jackson, Destiny (June 10, 2024). "'Mr. & Mrs. Smith's David Fleming Says Just One Word Became Foundation For Series' Musical Theme – Sound & Screen TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (May 9, 2024). "Scores for 'Spider-Man,' 'Last of Us,' 'Only Murders' Win the Composers' Choice Vote at ASCAP Screen Music Awards". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "David Fleming". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.