We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Mears a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2022 I got to work on a movie called Fair Play as a music editor. It was the first time working in this particular role and it was an incredible experience. I’m based in Lexington, Kentucky, which is where I mostly worked on the film, but I got to fly out to Burbank for a week and collaborate with the team there. When the film was test screened for the studio, the final score which was to replace my music edit, hadn’t been completed yet, so my “temporary score” was played. Sadly I wasn’t there for the screening but I heard it went very well. That’s a proud moment for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a music composer and song writer. More recently, I’ve worked as a music editor in film and television. I try to be as flexible and adaptable as possible within the music sphere. I love working on projects that excite me, which allow for growth and creative expression. But more importantly, collaborating with a team, with a story to tell. I’ve been part of some incredible crews in the past, particularly working alongside composer, Nathan Johnson. I’ve worked for Nathan on a number of films, Looper, Nightmare Alley and the tv show, Poker Face. I’d been in bands for years before first collaborating with Nathan on the score to the Sundance prize winner, Brick. That experience changed my trajectory as a working musician. I’ve always loved film and cinema, so to actually work on a feature was, and still is such a buzz! It really is such a beautiful medium. A regular feature is problem solving any number of scenarios. That could be technical or creative or something else entirely. Sometimes a piece of music doesn’t work and needs to be changed, this can be a quick fix or other times can take a while, but solving those problems is part of what makes this job so rewarding.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The way we consume art has changed a lot in the past 15 years or even less, in some ways it’s been a good thing. But with this wave of accessibility and mass content I think it’s been overwhelming to know how to support or where to look for new music or films, as well as the cost in doing so. But supporting venues is a crucial way to keep the arts alive and healthy. It’s amazing to have so much content on streaming services but without communal spaces like cinemas or music venues, it feels like films and music become isolated and in many ways become the exact opposite of what can make them so joyful. My hope would be that in another 15 years we still have these places and that local scenes are thriving and inspiring new generations of creatives.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2024 I had a very quiet period, I took a part time dish job to keep something coming in. My wife and I were on a walk, and for some reason I decided to check my emails. I had a job offer to work on a docu series as a music editor for a major streamer. It was a huge relief at the time. I’m sure that kind of situation is fairly typical for people who work in the arts. It’s feast or famine, which can be a genuine stress. The rewards often outweigh the struggle but it’s something you have to be aware of. I guess that’s the resilience, to be able to weather those times, but also to do the smart thing and get any kind of job to keep you afloat. It took me too long to really learn that lesson!

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063487973516
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dearmusic-775451027
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2611475/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_0_nm_8_in_0_q_Chris%2520Mears

Image Credits

Nick Rutter – Profile pic
Chris Kuehl
Noah Segan
Chris Weidner
Rama Knight