​05.06.2020

Interview with Dr. Anselm Kreuzer, Composer and participant of the Junior Showcase 2003

by Eyes & Ears of Europe

Anselm Kreuzer, who holds a doctorate in Musicology, has been working as a freelance composer for film and television for 20 years. He is a co-owner of the Music Library Music Sculptor and a long-standing lecturer for audiovisual music and sound design at media universities.

You participated in the Junior Showcase in 2003: How did your first contact with Eyes & Ears of Europe come about?

I got to know Eyes & Ears of Europe through Anna Schiffer, who is still working for Eyes & Ears today.

What made you decide to participate in the Junior Showcase?

Apart from the challenge of facing the creative exchange, the then managing director Wout Nierhoff also had his share in my participation. He encouraged me to participate and I am very grateful to him for that. Because when you present your project in front of a professional audience, you learn more about your own approach on the one hand and about the approaches of the other presenters on the other hand. That was a great experience and I learned a lot!

Please briefly describe your project from back then.

My project dealt with "the audio story of the duel of chancellor candidates": Shortly before that, there had been a duel of chancellor candidates for the first time in Germany and the channel RTL created a comprehensive promotion campaign for it. I was responsible for the music design: The German national anthem should be transformed in a modern and high-quality way into a musical frame for the duel between the two chancellor canditates. I created short trailer music as well as longer pieces to support the coverage. Everything was recorded together with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra.

How did the project develop after the Junior Showcase?

After my participation in the Junior Showcase, I received many more requests from other parties to present the project.

What was your inspiration for this project?

Contemporary Hollywood film music with a lot of impact, such as "The Gladiator" by Hans Zimmer, was certainly an inspiration. But all in all this project was so unique that I had to find my own ways to master the balancing act between political issues and media entertainment.

What did you remember particularly positively about the Eyes & Ears Junior Showcase?

Clearly the extremely relaxed and at the same time creative atmosphere - the idea that all participants benefit from the exchange.

Did the participation in the Junior Showcase help you personally and/or professionally?

Yes, definitely! I took a lot of inspiration with me and - as a result of the presentation - was able to make new contacts.

Which project would you submit today?

I am currently working on a multimedia sound concept for a television and internet format, in which the differences between linear and non-linear listening and viewing habits become clear and ultimately have to be combined into an overall concept. The project itself is currently not yet to be communicated, but I could already imagine submitting such a project - although unfortunately I am no longer considered for the Junior Showcase or New Talents.

Where and in which field of work are you now working? How did you get there?

I am still working in the field of composition and music production for audiovisual media. The time before my participation in the Junior-Showcase was also the time of my start in this sector. I am very grateful to have been given the chance by some television stations to realize my first projects.

What would you say to the potential New Talents 2020?

I believe that there is often uncertainty: should I present this project? Can I present it at all? A lot of things are created intuitively and without a fixed concept. I can only warmly recommend that you take the plunge and present your own projects! Because that is very rewarding for yourself and for others.

Many thanks, Anselm Kreuzer! New Talents projects can still be submitted until 1 July: https://eeofe.org/en/calendar/eyes-ears/2020/new-talents/new-talents-call-for-entries/