Meet Marcello De Francisci: Composer & Recording Producer for Film, Television, Video Games, Trailers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcello De Francisci and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcello, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I came to Los Angeles to pursue a career in musical composition for the film industry. I have a profound passion-love for this work and the idea of doing it full time would always exhilarate me. Prior to making a living as a film composer I went into a business with the strict pursuit to make money in order to finance my career moreover acquire all the necessary tools, resources to perfect my craft. It took a few years of a Monday to Friday – nine to five schedule accompanied with sleepless nights but eventually that moment came to take a leap of faith and trust I could pull it off. I have not looked back yet…

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started out as a visual artist studying fine arts in Spain. My family resided in that region for a number of years. After burning out from listening to every album I could get my hands on, I decided to start creating and recording my own musical compositions to inspire while I painted. A friend lent me a Casio keyboard; four-track tape recorder and a pair of headphones and there I was off to the races. I found it a total trip to get lost and transported in the realm of sound to the point it had to become a daily routine – part of my life, which ultimately ended up overshadowing painting. In recent years more so than just composing music I have learned how to engineer my own soundtrack scores because in today’s listening environment it’s all about the way tracks are recorded, mixed and mastered. Sculpting sound frequencies and the usage of effects to reinvent instruments from orchestras that have existed for centuries is what drives me frankly. It’s all in the presentation and what gets directors excited about hiring me in particular. I find it comparable to experiencing a gourmet meal cooked by a renowned chef when one can easily pay much less for the same ingredients purchased at a local grocery store. At this point what drives me personally is vision and the care one puts into whatever one does to create signature work in all fields. Now for the question of challenges, having worked in different industries taught me that every business has its pros and cons but the most successful people I know do something that instills passion and joy in them regardless of the outcome. Just being able to feel great about what one does, persistence and showing up everyday with a great attitude resolves a great number of challenges.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
What a question… Los Angeles is an extraordinary place. I personally love to drive on Sunset Blvd from Beverly Hills all the way to Malibu village and have often shown this to visitors. Stopping by any local restaurant in the Pacific Palisades for lunch and having afternoon cocktails at Geoffrey’s Malibu or Moonshadows overlooking the ocean is a nice plan. I am a resident of Pasadena so I enjoy the Old Town area a lot and the historic Langham Hotel at the end of Lake Street. Sierra Madre is a charming little town just east of Pasadena at the foothills of the mountains that is a jewel as well to relax with its local restaurants, hiking trails, lovely and friendly people, etc. Now for the more eclectic / diverse I often go to the mid Wilshire Korea Town district area as well. East Los Angeles on Cesar Chavez and the 710 freeway is where one can find authentic Mexican food I have not even experienced in Mexico. That whole area is very cool too. It helps if you are fluent in Spanish as I am but everyone speaks English as well obviously and is super friendly. I could go on and on but this is a good starting point for now.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If you just listen one can learn from so many people in life but to name someone I have admired throughout my career more so than any composer these days is mixing engineer Alan Meyerson who has worked on dozens of blockbuster soundtrack scores. His sensibility has influenced my work greatly. He is a really nice person as well. I also have enjoyed Carlos Castaneda’s books on how to find inner strength & discipline in the light of challenges one goes through as an artist and individual in general.

Website: http://www.marcellodefrancisci.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdf5717934/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcFHuLQiRJefbUP7nR1MhA

Image Credits
Marcello De Francisci – Film Composer