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“Who doesn’t want to be inventive and weird?”

Hans Zimmer is one of the greatest, most prolific film composers alive with a plethora of scores so recognizable he’s taking them to Coachella. Anyone whose themes are so powerful they can be appreciated under a music festival’s haze has to be remarkable. He’s also willing to piss off his publicist by digging into goofy questions long after his schedule has told him to move on. And by God, I respect that. Zimmer sat down with me to discuss his new online MasterClass, trading coffee for car chases, and musical memes.

Hans Zimmer: I’m excited that you are Film School Rejects because I am definitely a music school reject.

Q: You’re doing the Diy thing and putting on your own school.

Hz: Something like that. I know so many people that wanted to make a movie — that needed to make a movie...

ComicCon offers all kinds of experiences for attendees. You can stay completely in the world of film or immerse yourself in comics or even spend the weekend exploring tutorials and self-help panels. This year, due to a number of factors and in a pleasant surprise, my Con ended up being very music-heavy. I had the opportunity to talk with several film and television composers about their work, their process, and what being a composer in this industry means.

Versatility is essential for a career in film and television composition, given the range of projects out there. One composer I spoke with, iZLER, is currently working on Revenge and Shameless. Another, Chris Tilton, recently finished composing the music for the revamp of The Sims (mostly orchestral) and is currently at work on the new fall series Almost Human (mostly electronic). Not only do composers need the flexibility to seamlessly transition from...