Theater and film are essentially the same - just different kinds of storytelling.

A lot of what a composer does has to do with storytelling, and there are different ways of fusing music with picture to express different storytelling ideas.

Hugo' is made in the classical style of the 1940s.

When you see 'Lord of the Rings,' you want to feel like you've been dropped into it and that you're part of it. You don't want to be aware of how it's being done; you just want it to feel really seamless.

My mother was the most creative, fantastic person and would come up with great things for us to do. She'd buy art supplies and all of us would sit around painting. I was lucky.

I really fixated on any time there was any kind of monster in 'Star Wars,' even to the briefest second. As a kid, it really captivated my imagination.

Whether you're in a blockbuster or an art film, you have to be able to adapt.

I was taught to think outside the box. Before my grandfather was one of the original Mad Men, he and a group of other Air Force Intelligence officers formalized brainstorming as a problem solving technique. He taught the concept that creativity can be taught at Buffalo University. My dad invented toys. My mom was a photographer.