Special Report: Music Editor Ben Schor

Special Report: Music Editor Ben Schor

August 28, 2026 · 36 min · Season 1 · Episode 743

About this episode

Mike interviews Emmy-winning music editor Ben Schor about the craft of music editing in film and television.

Music can build suspense, reveal emotion, and reshape a scene—but who ensures that it works in harmony with the picture? Mike talks with Emmy-winning music editor Ben Schor about the often-invisible craft of guiding a production’s score from the earliest temp tracks through recording and the final mix. Schor traces his path from singer-songwriter to film and television, beginning with Gigli and developing long-running collaborations with composers including Jeff Russo. He explains how Alien: Earth balances the musical legacy of Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner with eerie new sounds created using contrabass flute, Aztec death whistle, and the specially built bass desmophone. The conversation also explores Schor’s work on Ripley, Fargo, and Cape Fear, the perils of falling in love with a temp track, and why giving music room to breathe can transform a story. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

People in this episode

Host: Mike

Guest: Ben Schor

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Gigli, Alien: Earth, Ripley, Fargo, Cape Fear

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