Dave Porter

Dave Porter, an American composer and producer specializing in film and television, first gained widespread recognition through his contributions to Breaking Bad and the related series Better Call Saul. Music captured his attention during childhood, prompting piano lessons and classical instruction that began at age five. He later completed studies in music composition at Sarah Lawrence College, situated in Westchester County, New York. Right after finishing his degree, he joined Philip Glass's New York City studio as an assistant, which launched his professional career in composition. From there he transitioned to screen projects, supplying scores for the 2008 documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster, the 2012 horror feature Smiley, and ABC's 2013 drama Red Widow. Between 2008 and 2013 he created the music for AMC's acclaimed series Breaking Bad, where his work earned recognition on equal footing with the storytelling. Selected excerpts that illustrated his technique of merging music and sound design appeared across two album volumes released in 2012 and 2013, securing him the ASCAP Composer's Choice Award for Best Television Composer of the Year in 2013. That same year he began scoring NBC's crime thriller The Blacklist. Porter next composed for Better Call Saul, the prequel series that debuted in early 2015, and in 2017 he delivered the score for James Franco's comedy film The Disaster Artist.