Name: Tim Phillips
Occupation: Composer and songwriter working mainly in stage and screen. Co-artistic director of London’s Filter Theatre
Age: 36
Place of birth: Terrace, BC, Canada
Main workplace: split between London and Los Angeles
Current project(s): Esio Trot, a BBC telefilm starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench, written by Richard Curtis and directed by Dearbhla Walsh. I’m also writing two musicals with co-composer Marc Teitler, the first is The Grinning Man, opening Autumn 2015 at Bristol Old Vic. I have also just released an album, Dragon, which is an orchestral work I wrote for a fantastic theatrical show last year
Most important tool as a composer: the two hours I spend free writing every morning
Favourite app: Rev Voice Recorder
Resources / tech you couldn’t live without: my laptop. It controls everything in my house, including the heat and door locks. My studio. Also Skype – it makes working from long distances possible.
Artists or cultural figures who have most influenced you: Glenn Gould. Tom Waits. Robert Lepage. Everyone I’ve worked closely with
Who you’d like to collaborate with: Neil Gaiman. Anyone who plays lap steel guitar
Favourite movie of this year: Edge of Tomorrow
On your playlist right now: John Barry, Hank Williams, Todd Terje
Your work in three words: hopefully never boring
Biggest challenge to date: getting a mortgage in the States…also putting on the very first Filter show was incredibly hard because we had no money and very little clue what we were doing
Emerging talent to watch out for: Film & TV composer Jon Opstad
Proudest moment: Being asked to score Shameless on Channel 4, my first big broadcast job
Next big thing: The Grinning Man at Bristol Old Vic
Advice for your younger self: Finish what you start
Where you want to be in 10 years: In a vineyard, on an island