Music without the ebb and flow would be like "watching a film with only good guys in it." -attrib Frank Zappa

Powell's first film score was for the 1990 film Stay Lucky. All subsequent Shrek films however have been scored solely by Gregson-Williams. After studying at London's Trinity College of Music Powell rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s scoring numerous animated films in addition to his live-action collaborations with directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass.

After studying at London's Trinity College of Music Powell rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s scoring numerous animated films in addition to his live-action collaborations with directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass. His 2010 score for the film How to Train Your Dragon earned him his first Academy Award nomination at the 83rd Academy Awards. John Powell (born 18 September 1963) is an English composer and conductor best known for his scores to motion pictures.