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H. Scott Salinas

H. Scott Salinas

Composer

Emmy winning composer, H. Scott Salinas has contributed towards an impressive variety of notable projects including Bruce Lee action fable Birth of the Dragon, HBO and Aaron Sorkin's smash hit "The Newsroom", Cinemax's Kong Fu action thriller, "Warrior", and Academy Award nominated documentary film "Cartel Land" for A&E. In 2002, Scott became the youngest Grand Prize recipient of the Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composers Competition and along with accolades such as the prestigious Cannes Lion, Clio, and BMI awards, Scott's accomplishments have earned him esteem and recognition as a highly versatile yet specialized talent. From composing the brooding hybrid orchestral score to the Darren Aronofsky produced "Zipper", to his original song "Jamie Smiles" written for the cult comedy classic "Just Friends" to acting as the instrumental mouthpiece behind the Old Spice whistle, Scott's ability to create a meaningful impact for a wide spectrum is showcased through his work. Notable projects include Apple TV + "The Banker" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackey, a 1960 civil rights, heist, thriller, with a jazz and orchestra score recorded at the historic Abbey Road London and Capitol Records, "Dynasty" - Apple TV's epic 10-part series about the New England Patriots featuring a full orchestra and, "Elevation" A hair-raising sci-fi action thriller starring Anthony Mackie, featuring a dramatic and edgy orchestral / electronic hybrid score. His latest projects include his collaboration with John Batiste on "American Symphony" Netflix winner of Critic's Choice Award for best score, and Academy Award Nominee for "Best Song"; as well as his collaboration with the critically acclaimed "The First Wave", garnering Salinas an Emmy nomination for best score.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Works as
Composer
Titles
64 on MovieCove · 79 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 26% in 30 days

What are H. Scott Salinas' films like?

Across their 60 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Documentary21 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
23%
Survival
17%
Bonds
17%
Self
14%
Society
12%
Power
10%
Ideas
8%
Justice20 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity15 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 12 · Dark 22

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 37 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 14 · Intense 20

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 14 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 35 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 7

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 24

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 15 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
44
Dread
20
Melancholic
21
Contemplative
24
Hopeful
17
Other
39

How their films linger

Thought-provoking35 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet29
  • Ambiguous22
  • Cyclical1
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch H. Scott Salinas' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 45 of their 64 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for H. Scott Salinas' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

79 credits, 64 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Dynasty: UConn Huskies(2026)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition(2026)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Yanuni(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The New Yorker at 100(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Broken Land(2025)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Elevation(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Worst Ex Ever(2024)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Sixth(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Superhuman Body: World of Medical Marvels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • Cities of the Future (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Composer

  • The Dynasty: New England Patriots(2024)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • This Is the Zodiac Speaking(2024)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife(2023)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Aporia(2023)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Lucha: A Wrestling Tale(2023)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Missing: Dead or Alive?(2023)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Violent Minds: Killers on Tape(2023)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Kangaroo Valley(2022)

    Composer · Musician

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Retrograde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Composer

  • The Invisible Pilot(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer(2022)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Patrick and the Whale(2022)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Queen of Versailles Reigns Again(2022)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all shows

  • Worst Roommate Ever(2022)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The First Wave(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Sasquatch(2021)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Tiger(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer · Music Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Coyote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers in America(2021)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • We Burn Like This(2021)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Boy from Medellín(2020)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Banker(2020)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Lance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Composer

  • Lance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • The Most Dangerous Animal of All(2020)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • The Lost Women of NXIVM(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Rust Creek(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Lost Gold of WW2(2019)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

  • Sea of Shadows(2019)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • A Private War(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Fourth Estate(2018)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Seeing Allred(2018)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Trade(2018)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • The Ballad of Lefty Brown(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Lost Wife of Robert Durst(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Birth of the Dragon(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • City of Ghosts(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • 11:55(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Bending the Arc(2017)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Lawless Oceans(2017)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Ivory Game(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • When Two Worlds Collide(2016)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Zipper(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Cartel Land(2015)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Happy Valley(2014)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Tales of the Grim Sleeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Composer

  • The Assets(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Square(2013)

    Composer · Musician · Sound

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Ready or Not (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • Between Us(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Millionaire Tour(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Great Sadini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Composer

  • Dead Man's Burden(2012)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Strictly Sexual: The Series(2011)

    Show Composer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Tripping Forward (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Composer

  • 16 to Life(2009)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Kids Grow Up(2009)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Strictly Sexual(2008)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Permanent Vacation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Composer

  • 51 Birch Street(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Green Street Hooligans(2005)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Edison(2005)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Yesterday's Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Compositor

  • Latin Dragon(2004)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Cold Case Files (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show Composer

  • Laugh, Clown, Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Composer

  • The Red Lily(1924)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Last Ice Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Composer

Career shape

A full career of 57 titles, 56 of them dated from 1928 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Birth of the Dragon (2016)

$7.2M worldwide

Highest rated

The Square (2013)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Elevation (2024)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music54 of 57: 53 only music, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdOther crew4 of 57: 3 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1920s1 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s24 · crew2020s23 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do H. Scott Salinas' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 43; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 77th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Midcredits score across 64 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up26
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

25 of their 64 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic5
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed21

Most divisive · composer

The Sixth (2024)

98th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Square (2013)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 60/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 64, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is H. Scott Salinas' work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles27–77 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles10–59 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles52–73 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles48–75 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles37–69 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does H. Scott Salinas work with?

People who share at least 2 of H. Scott Salinas' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Matthew Heineman shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers