Team Spotlight: Jake Kinstle, Composer

We think people are important. In this blog series, we highlight a different Hike member and ask the real questions about why they do what they do (and what Nic Cage movie is their fave).  

Jake Kinstle, Composer 

Where are you from? I'm from Rockford, Michigan, just outside of Grand Rapids.

How do you take your coffee? I take my coffee pure black, at least 3 cups a day, which I'm pretty sure means I'm a psychopath.

What made you want to get into the industry?  My brother's love for film is what made me start to pay more attention to the individual pieces of a movie. Latching onto him and his friends while they made their backyard movies is what conditioned me to want to be a part of that process in the future. Couple that with the need to make music and you've got a film composer.

What is your favorite or most memorable project?  (It does not need to be a Hike project!) My favorite project is a short student experimental film called Video Limbo. It was just a ton of fun working with no inhibition. We sat at my desk for 8 hours straight and just made the score right there, putting in whatever we thought sounded the weirdest but still worked with what was on screen. Truly a creative collaboration and one that reminded me why I love doing what I do.

What kinds of content excite you?  The content that excites me most is anything that can use original music in a refreshing and thoughtful way. I'm always intrigued by any kind of content that can take a seemingly predictable moment and subvert it through the use of music.

What is the coolest place you've traveled to?  Death Valley is the coolest (and hottest) place I've ever been. We traveled there back in 2017 to shoot a music video.  It truly feels like a different planet. The soles of my shoes literally melted off.

And most importantly… what is your favorite Nic Cage film?  Gone in 60 Seconds, of course.