Testimonials

“WICKED BLOOD is my third film with composer Elia Cmiral. I am fortunate to consider him both a long-time artistic collaborator as well as a friend. I place a great deal of importance on score as the emotional and psychological engine of a film, and feel that a great score can single-handedly elevate a story to another level. His themes for WICKED BLOOD are at once heart-breaking, inspirational, beautiful, haunting and memorable, the work of a true artist… in short, everything I was hoping for”
– Mark Young, director (WICKED BLOOD)

“Elia Cmiral has composed a simply marvelous score for my movie Ronin. He has an extraordinary talent – he not only can write wonderful suspense-building type music, but he also does exhilarating themes. Elia, you simply wrote a great score. Thank you.”
– John Frankenheimer, director (RONIN)

“Elia is an invaluable, stylish, artistic talent. Elia, you are a genius. Thank you.”
– Stan Winston, producer (THE DEATHS OF IAN STONE)

“On paper the musical challenges for this score seemed almost unsurmountable. We wanted a big score, a scary score, a shocking score, a suspenseful score, music that makes the audience root for the characters and find them likable. We wanted it to sound big and epic, but not old-fashioned, we wanted it to sound contemporary and hip, but not urban, a bit of an ethnic flavor, but also not rural, and we wanted It to have cool grooves but not techno. We wanted a huge orchestra, but we had no budget – and we wanted it now! Elia did it all. It came out great. On second thought – let me re-phrase that: it came out brilliant!”
– Robert Kulzer, producer (WRONG TURN I )

“Elia, amidst all the honor (and I mean all the honor) we had the beauty of your music. Thank you.”
– Erik Feig, producer (WRONG TURN I )

“Elia’s score seamlessly enhance every dramatic moment of the movie – never calling attention to itself. Elia is an invaluable, stylish, artistic talent with whom I look forward to many future collaborations.”
– Stan Winston, producer (WRONG TURN I)

“Elia’s raw, yet lyrical and haunting score for Spec Ops: The Line captured the essence of our game and gave voice to its spirit. Elia was a joy to work with and was always the consummate professional. He is a wonderful artist and a good friend.”
– Richard Pearsey (Narrative Designer, SPEC OPS: THE LINE)

“Elia, I wish I had even more of your music. Give me more!!!! Thank you.”
-Rupert Wainwright, director (STIGMATA)

>”Elia’s haunting orchestral score for THE LAST EXPRESS gave an epic, emotional sweep to our story set on board the Orient Express crossing Europe on the eve of World War I. Using the central motif of a violin, his music transcended the technical limitations of video-game graphics, and reached far outside the confines of the train to evoke the human sorrow of a world about to be torn apart by a century of war. When we re-released THE LAST EXPRESS this year as a universal app for Apple iOS, 15 years after its first release, reviewers singled out the soundtrack for special praise. To stand the test of time so long, given the fast pace of technical change in the video game industry, is a testament to the depth and true feeling of Elia’s music.”
– Jordan Mechner, game designer and screenwriter (The Last Express, Prince of Persia)

“When it comes to creating suspense, scares, and tone, there is nothing more important to a horror film than its score. Elia’s exceptional work on ‘Splinter’ really helped bring the film to life, creating a tense and atmospheric mood from the beginning, and underscoring its action scenes with a unique and original sound.”
– Toby Wilkins (SPLINTER)

“The Deaths of Ian Stone” marks the second time that I’ve had the good fortune to work with Elia Cmiral. Because it’s a very dark and suspenseful film, “The Deaths of Ian Stone” naturally relies on music to set the tone in so many of its pivotal scenes. Elia’s superb talent is recognizing unconventional paths to building tension in these scenes through his music, using arrangements and instrumentals that are unique to his compositions, in order to translate the director’s vision in very original ways.”
– Brian Gilbert, producer (THE DEATHS OF IAN STONE)

“Elia. You are a genius. Looking forward to more to my films. You rocked this one.”
-Jim Sonzero, director (PULSE I )

“Extraordinary! I feel extremely lucky to be involved with talent of this level!”
-John Travolta, producer (BATTLEFIELD EARTH)

“Elia Cmiral is a prince among men – supremely gifted, generous, and exacting. He is classically trained in ‘old world” European tradition while at the same time a totally modern 21st century composer. Creating sonic magic in his studio Elia is like a time traveler. He hurtles between the epochs to bring textures and emotions to his films. I cherish the time collaborating with him on his score, and hope you, the listener, will seek out more of Elia’s music. You won’t be disappointed.”
-Eric Eason, director (THE JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT)

“With lyrical beauty and spare, driving percussion, Elia’s score brilliantly supports the complex emotions of this dark and raw film. He gives Journey a thematic core of danger, yearning and loss throughout. Even in the lighter sections, there is always a hint of foreboding. Elia has conjured the magical process of musically evoking emotions, and having it give us clues and insight, granting glimpses into the soul of the characters onscreen. Listen closely.”
-James Acheson, producer (THE JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT)

“One of the essential production elements of this film is the music. Our vision was an epic orchestral sound that compliment the richness of the set and exteriors and which created an emotional response of the story. Elia came to us unexpectedly at the precise right moment. His compositions left us impressed with their fullness, complexity and drama. They beautifully complemented and enhanced the action appearing on the screen. Elia’s musical choices derive from the film – it becomes a palette. Elia’s music fit seamlessly with our story and delivered a beauty and elegance that make you want to indulge in it over and over again.”
– Harmon Kaslow, John Aglialoro producers (ATLAS SHRUGGED PART I)

“You get to collaborate with a lot of people when you make film. When you’re really lucky, some of those people are true artists, and their work vaults your film above the ordinary. Elia is one of those unique people. His film score springs directly from the material, and both elevates the film and operates as art, all at the same time.”
– Mark Young, director (TOOTH AND NAIL)

“From his earnestly heroic theme in Return of the Piranha to his Soaring Aria in Trident Aria, Elia Cmiral’s score is nothing but thrilling. The fact that his score plays “straight” only heightens the ridiculousness of a wacky movie like Piranha 3DD. Battle for the Water Park, modern and creepy with military overtones, is remarkable, the introspective Family Photo, haunting. Then, with a drum downbeat and pluck of strings, Kiss of the Life and Shelby and Josh harken back to 70’s awesomeness. Suffice to say there is tasty aural candy throughout the score. Piranha 3DD would not be the same without it and I am grateful to Elia for coming aboard.”
– John Gulager, director (PIRANHA 3DD)

“P3DD marks my fourth collaboration with Elia and quite possibly my favorite. Having a composer of Elia’s sophisticated genius rise to this level of inspired silliness is a bit like Dvorak scoring Pee Wee’s Playhouse. It just works, brilliantly.”
– Joel Soisson, producer (PIRANHA 3DD)