Trent Reznor on finding the right notes for the 'Social Network' score: 'I saw a story about a guy who needs to prove himself'
There was no shortage of critical accolades heaped upon the score to "The Social Network," yet the work was far from conventional. In other words, the composition from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, which is heavy on electronic atmospheres and forgoes the use of an orchestra, was not typical Academy Awards fare.
Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails fame, and his frequent collaborator Ross stood out in an Oscar field that contained film composer veterans. Among the pair's competitors Sunday night at the Academy Awards were Hans Zimmer, whose booming work in "Inception" was hard to ignore; A.R. Rahman, who brought a Western-leaning rock 'n' roll slickness to "127 Hours"; and Alexandre Desplat, who used an orchestra with minimalist grace in "The King's Speech."
Once an early favorite for best picture, David Fincher's legal drama "The Social Network," which takes its inspiration from the battle over Facebook and focuses on the company's enigmatic young leader Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), is action-less and heavy on the dialogue.
Reznor and Ross spoke with Pop & Hiss about composing the music for the film in late 2010. Now that the pair are Oscar winners ("To be standing up here in this company is humbling and flattering beyond words," Reznor said from the stage), Pop & Hiss presents the full, unedited transcript of the interview.