Thomas and Julia Newman: Emmy-Nominated Composers Continue Family Dynasty

Emmy Nomination for "Monsters: The Menendez Story"

• 🏆 Thomas Newman and his daughter, Julia Newman, have received an Emmy nomination for their collaborative score on Netflix's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."
• 📞 Julia described receiving the nomination text from her father while he was at the gym, calling it a "nice text."

A Legacy of Musical Talent

• 🎶 The Newman family boasts a long musical dynasty, with Thomas's grandfather, Alfred Newman, beginning his career in the 1930s.
• 👨‍👧 Julia grew up watching her father, an iconic and legendary composer, and never anticipated working alongside him.

Julia's Path to Composition

• 🌱 Julia Newman started her composing journey with short films to test her instincts and talent.
• 🎓 She pursued formal education by applying to and getting accepted into a program at USC, which she described as a "trial by fire."
• 🚀 After completing her studies, she focused on grabbing opportunities as they arose.

Collaborative Creative Process

• 🤝 Thomas and Julia describe their collaboration on the score as a dynamic back-and-forth, working both together and separately.
• 🎭 They aimed to be respectful of the real-life events of the Menendez murders, focusing on the drama and perception of events rather than making musically insulting statements.
• ✨ Thomas was impressed by Julia's tremendous creative spark and unique sense of harmony, noting she brought ideas he might not have considered.

Crafting the Score

• 💡 The process of scoring is not always tidy; it involves exploring the meaning of psychological horror and how music can evoke specific feelings.
• 🎵 They experiment by putting music against visuals to measure the emotional impact and ensure it complements the drama.
• 🎯 A specific piece, initially an offhand idea from Julia, was recognized by Thomas as a strong concept and became a key part of the score.