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Did you approach the animated series for ARK differently from scoring the video game. And were you asked to write music that would be in keeping with that of the video game?
The requirement was to have both an overlap with the game’s music and come up with new material. Fortunately, with the series having a greater emphasis on character development than the game, it left much more room to create a score with contrast to reflect the characters’ various stories. The game score is predominantly focused on action, so as a general rule, we drew from the game for the action music, and created new material for the character scenes. That isn’t to say there isn’t new action music, there is, but it was always built on the aesthetic roots that the game established.
Some of my favorite moments were discovering the overlaps between the game and the show. Rockwell’s theme, for example, was written for the “Genesis Part Two” expansion. Rockwell is a primary antagonist in the game, and this expansion focused heavily on his back story. We were recording Genesis Part Two at the same time as recording the music for the Pilot episode all the way back in summer 2021, and as a result, I was also writing both at the same time.
It was the first time I really realized the power of creative convergence and having themes overlap between two different entertainment mediums. If you listen to a track from the game such as ‘Rockwell Battle Suite’ and compare it to ‘Rockwell’s Theme’ from the TV show, you’ll hear the exact overlap. These two pieces were written within a month of each other.
It’s this kind of creative overlap that you can only have when the composer for the show is the same as the composer for the game. It’s multiple years worth of musical and franchise ‘vocabulary’ that I have instantly to hand.
How did you become involved on the animated series?
I was the only choice from the start. I’d written several hours of music for the franchise at the point the animated series was put into development, and it was felt that the person who knew the game’s musical architecture best should do the series as well. Studio Wildcard – developers of the game – were able to give me the backing and support I needed to get the score done to the best possible level.
What size orchestra did you utilize for the score to ARK, as I am told that the producers were keen for the score to be performed by live players, and did you write any sections of the score with a particular soloist or performer in mind?
The producers were indeed keen to get the music produced to the highest level possible. Even at the height of the pandemic they were willing to do whatever it took to get it recorded. I’m forever grateful to them for getting a lot of musicians employed at a time when it would have been an aspect of production that would have been very easy to drop. The first few episodes were recorded socially distanced (all players six feet apart and separate string and brass sections). One of my favorite moments of the entire process was being able to step in to the studio for the first time on Episodes 5 and 6 and actually be with the players who I’d built a rapport with for the first four episodes.
The orchestra for the majority of the score had fifty string players, and twenty brass, piano, and harp. All the woodwinds are performed by one player, Kristin Naigus, who has been almost omnipresent across all my soundtracks in the last 6-7 years. I have a few favorite collaborators amongst the London musicians, most notably Philarmonia Principal Trumpet Jason Evans, who has played every single lead trumpet line on the ARK franchise since the first game score recording back in 2017.
The character Helena, has a wonderful theme that is heard throughout, do you think it is important for characters and even locations to have their own individual musical theme?
It’s imperative for a show like this which is primarily character-driven. Helena’s theme was the first character theme I wrote as she’s the protagonist and it needed to be malleable enough to reflect her character’s transformation. However, all the cast that support her, Mei-Yin, Alasie, John, and the antagonists, Rockwell, Gladiatrix and General Nerva all have themes too. There are a couple of location themes too but the cast are always on the move so a recurring theme for a location is less important in this show. But yes, I love the style of scoring with recognizable themes and variations for multiple characters and wish more shows and games did it!
There are six episodes in the series thus far, when scoring an episodic project do you score each episode in the order that they will air?
Six episodes in the first half of the series, the second half airs in Q4 this year, so thirteen in total. Yes, I scored them sequentially, it meant that all the themes developed naturally as I went. I honestly can’t imagine scoring it any other way.
The score for the animated series or selections from it have been released on digital platforms, it says volume 1, so does this mean there is more music coming, and maybe a CD release?
Volume 1 is almost the entirety of the music from episodes 1-6, with almost no cutdowns. The show’s music is – as our showrunner described it – ‘operatic in scope’ so it didn’t feel great to cut it down but also, we wanted any listeners to be able to relive the show through the soundtrack. As the score is so melodic in nature it didn’t feel right to cut anything. Volume 2 will represent the entirety of the amazing episodes. And there are definite conversations about physical releases!
How much music did you write for the series?
About 7 hours in total!
What is on the horizon for you?
Multiple game scores, and my first major film score, unfortunately all under wraps at the moment, but when the time comes, I’ll be sure to shout about it!
Many thanks to the composer for his time and answering my questions. Also many thanks to Greg O’Connor Read of Top Dollar Promotions, who arranged the interview.
Waxwork Records is to release original score from THE EXORCIST III by acclaimed composer Barry DeVorzon. THE EXORCIST III is a 1990 American supernatural horror film written and directed by William Peter Blatty based on his 1983 novel Legion. The film is set fifteen years after the events of The Exorcist (1973) and follows a character from the original film, Lieutenant William F. Kinderman who investigates a series of demonic murders in Georgetown that have the hallmarks for the Gemini, a deceased serial killer.
THE EXORCIST III features a dark ambient score by the composer DeVorzon (The Warriors, Night of the Creeps).
It was the last film score he ever created and features synth drones, sampled chanting, synthesized voices and real voices, and experimental sound design. It is a score that has long been requested by film music fans.
The double LP vinyl release is available to pre-order now. It is the first time that this music has been made available in any format and is certainly a landmark release. Sourced from the original masters and then mixed, mastered, and constructed into a cohesive double LP soundtrack experience. The album features 150-gram purple smoke coloured vinyl, exclusive liner notes by composer Barry DeVorzon, heavyweight gatefold packaging with matte satin coating, a four-page booklet, and new artwork by Suspiria Vilchez. This is an impressive and important release.
Click here to go to pre order page.
Was writing music for films a career path that you had decided to follow from an early age, and if so what made you decide this is what I want to do?
I’ve been involved with music from a very early age. My parents sent me to study piano when I was 7 years old but honestly, at that time I couldn’t even think that this could be something I would do for the rest of my life and that would give so much meaning to my existence. My mother always tells me that while going to school, I was always whistling the melodies that we heard on the radio in the morning.
Now, talking specifically about dedicating myself to music for films is something that I discovered much later.
In some way, it was something that was always connected to me and that really influenced me from a very early age but I had no idea that this was something that we can study in a professional way.
Were you from a family background that had musicians?
I am the first member of my family that plays music.
However, my mother is very related to art. She is a very talented painter and sculptor but she does it as a hobby.
I know that she was a key element in my connection to arts in general and specifically music.
What artists would you say have influenced you or inspired you?
Well, I’ve been involved in several and really different kinds of musical genres.
I started playing the electric guitar when I was 15 so I also have a lot of rock influence in myself.
However, in relation to the film music world, I would say that I am mostly influenced by the older generation of composers.
Just to mention some of them, I would say that composers like John Williams, Alan Silvestri, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner and even the older school of composers like Max Stainer, Henry Mancini or Miklos Rozsa are my main influences. I am sure I am leaving a lot of composers out of this list but these are the main ones that come to my mind right now.
Where did you study music?
I began studying music at the age of 7, starting with piano lessons. As a teenager, I pursued more serious instruction with various private instructors, covering topics such as modern harmony, orchestration, and counterpoint. Additionally, I took courses in Orchestration and Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music, followed by advanced studies in Film Scoring techniques and conducting at UCLA.
However, being completely honest, I think that this is a journey of exploration where you are always learning new skills and improving the ones that you have acquired in the past.
When you are asked to score a project, how many times is ideal for you to see the movie or TV project before you begin to formulate ideas about the style and the placing of the music?
Great question! I think that there is not a right answer for this question. However, I can’t insist enough on the importance of communication throughout the whole scoring process, but mainly before starting writing one single note of music.
There is a process called spotting session where composer and director get together and discuss in details where should be music, where not, what kind of music, when should the music be in foreground and where in the background and a neverending list of things that are crucial in order to achieve the right score that will help to tell the story that the writer/director wants to convey.
So, to reply to your question. When possible, I like to watch the film at least once before starting talking with the director, so I have a general idea about what we are going to talk about.
I don’t think it is a good idea to watch the film several times before having a clear idea what is the story that the director wants to tell and how he/she thinks that music can help to tell that story.
Elma’s Dreams, is a documentary, your score is so beautiful, is there a difference between scoring feature films and documentaries, I mean by this do you approach the assignment differently? And is it also difficult to establish a connection when the film is not a feature film?
Thank you so much John! It really means the world to hear that you like the score so much!
I think that the process is basically the same. We have to keep always in mind that music is there to help the project in any possible way that is needed.
Sometimes, the music just has to support the drama and emotions that are already put on screen while other times the music is so important that the story may not be fully understood if the music is not the right one for that project. And I would like to make a very important distinction here between being great music by itself than being the right music that the project needs.
Sometimes, the music works great to be listenable as absolute music (without being in the context of the film) but it just doesn’t work with the film. On the other hand, sometimes the music can’t survive as absolute music but it works great in the context of the film.
Elma’s Dreams is very thematic, the central theme is utilized in various arrangements throughout the work, do you think it’s important to have established themes for characters and in this case locations also?
Every project has its own challenges and I believe that an important part of the work as a composer is to discover what’s the mission of music inside that specific project.
Specifically in Elma’s Dreams, the main theme describes the deepest emotions that a mother of a fallen soldier can be feeling throughout the whole journey that the documentary describes.
The theme goes through a lot of transformations throughout the story in the same way that Elma’s emotions do. This was an important part of the challenge because it had to be a theme with enough flexibility to be arranged and orchestrated in all those ways.
Also, because Miguel Monforte (the director) wanted to establish Elma’s Dreams as a story of hope, music focused its mission from that specific perspective.
Even though Elma’s Dreams happen in the context of war, we didn’ want to emphasize those flags differences and instead connect the characters from the human perspective instead of the place that they were born.
When you first went to see Elma’s dreams, was there a temp track on the film, or did you watch with no music and discuss with the director in what direction you were going to take with the music?
In this specific project, there was no temp track at all. I am very thankful to Miguel for trusting in my vision from the scratch.
He was very open to my approach to the story as well as the instrumentation that I believe was the right one for this specific story.
We were very lucky to spend long afternoons drinking coffee and having deep conversations about the story that definitely inspired me to go in this direction.
I know you did not conduct the score for Elma’s Dreams, but do you conduct or do you prefer to supervise the recording session from the booth?
This can change from project to project but generally speaking, as long as I have good communication with the conductor, I would say that I prefer to be in the control room.
Even though you can communicate with the orchestra in a more direct way being on the podium with them, since the conductor is mostly every day working with that orchestra, I know that he/she can understand the strengths and weak points and get the best performance from them.
The score for Elma’s Dreams is a short one just under 18 minutes. Is this why there is no CD release at the moment? And if you did decide to do a CD would there be anything else that you would like to see released with it?
Yes, it’s true that 18 minutes can be a little bit short to release a CD Album. We just finished the soundtrack of the documentary An Angel called Rebeca that just has its release throughout all Spain.
We may consider making a release of both but that’s not yet confirmed.
On the other hand, we are currently working on releasing the soundtrack of Halkara that was officially selected for the Oscars 2024 to compete in the best foreign film category.
Depending on the length of this soundtrack, we may consider releasing a CD album too.
We will see since this is still in process..
My thanks to the composer for his time and answering my questions.
A young woman decides to rent a house in a town in America Jerome, Arizona, which is said to be the largest ghost town in the country. She rents the property for a business trip, but soon discovers that the house is cursed and traps any female who enters it.
The house transforms itself into a complicated maze, making it impossible for the woman to escape. The film follows her attempt to escape the perplexing and soul-destroying maze and the clutches of the evil abode. Does she succeed or will she be yet another female that falls foul of the malevolent house. Woman in the Maze is jumpy and scary stuff, plenty of jolts and surprises along the way, which are all aided and punctuated superbly by the musical score which is the work of talented and versatile Maestro George Kallis.
The composer mixes symphonic with synthetic elements to create a virulent and foreboding soundtrack, but also provides the film with some more poignant and delicate moments. The music underlining and accentuating the many moments of horror and making them even more terrifying.
The composer creates wonderfully effective sounds and fashions driving and relentless compositions that make the movie’s unfolding plot even more urgent and affecting. Kallis has written a score that enhances and gives weight to the already frenzied and somewhat chaotic narrative. Released via Movie Score Media, it is available now on digital platforms.
Also, on digital platforms and from MSM, is Something in the Water, which is a tense thriller, where a group of five girls must fight for their lives in open water after a dream wedding turns into a terrifying nightmare. The score is by Harry Peat and Nainita Desai, and it is a soundtrack I enjoyed immensely, I think because it is so varied, yes because there is a shark involved there are numerous dark and threatening sounding pieces, but the score is not all dark and foreboding, there are also lighter moments which are enjoyable, however, the tense and more action led pieces are also enjoyable and thrilling.
Its obvious that many will draw comparisons between this and Jaws, which I don’t think is far, it’s a totally different movie, and the score too is more contemporary sounding although the composers do utilise both synthetic and symphonic mediums to create the score. Well worth listening.
Dominic Lewis has scored The Fall Guy which is out on digital platforms, the score is just non-stop, with some great action cues and plenty of high octane upbeat moments that are tinged with a comedic air, it’s a score that I really took too from the off, it also includes a handful of songs by Yungblud and a new version of The Unknown Stuntman by Blake Shelton.
I enjoyed it and I think you will also. The movie however, I am still thinking about, it’s a bit of nonsense and fun, but it wont be one that I will be returning to.
Have you been watching ITV or ITV X on Sunday nights if so, you will be like I am enjoying Red Eye.
London police officer DC Hana Li is escorting Dr Matthew Nolan back to Beijing where he has been accused of a crime. However, on board flight 357, she finds herself embroiled in an escalating conspiracy and a growing number of murders. Spread over six episodes this is a violent, and tense thriller, the music is by composer Ian Arber who ramps up the ante wonderfully, adding an even more tense and edgy atmosphere to the already addictive storyline.
Available now on digital platforms the score is mainly electronic but has to it an affecting persona, that is scattered with upbeat interludes that make it a compelling listen. The music being mysterious, inventive, and wonderfully atmospheric. It’s out now.
Furiosa A Mad Max Saga is released in cinemas soon, and one track from the soundtrack Dementus is Gaining has been made available on digital platforms, music is by Junkie XL who in my opinion has recently created some very atmospheric works. However, on listening to this single cue from Furiosa I am rather disappointed as it it a rather chaotic and distorted piece, hopefully when the full score is released it will be better, but we will have to wait and see.
A new six-episode series is on Hulu, The Veil, follows the relationship between two women playing a deadly game of truth and lies. One woman has a secret, and the other has a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost.
Music is by Jon Opstad and Max Richter, and it is a marvellous score, it’s a work that fuses symphonic and electronic seamlessly, the composers fashioning affecting themes and highly atmospheric soundscapes throughout. Imogen’s Theme is a beautiful solo piano theme, that is haunting and mesmerising.
This is one for your collection, recommended.
The master of the macabre Joseph Bishara is back with his innovative score for Tarot, as always, this composer takes us to new levels of terror, mystery, and darkness, with a soundtrack that is not only inventive as in the way it is written but also has to it some ingenious and truly imaginative orchestrations. Totally affecting and highly effective this is a supreme example of music for a horror tale, its on digital platforms now. Go take a listen I dare you.
Also out on digital platforms is John Paesano’s score for The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the much-hyped movie is now in cinemas, and the score in my opinion is probably one of the best in the series of the re-boots. I found it to be emotive, compassionate, and touching, but also filled with action cues and epic sounding pieces which are truly grandiose and affecting.
Its not Goldsmith, although there are definite nods to the original Goldsmith score most noticeable in Human Hunt. It is a tremendous and amazingly thematic work, which at times can make the hairs on one’s arms stand up and give you a goosebump shudder. This for me is a delight a score that is innovative but also has to it elements that pay homage to past Ape scores. That’s all I am going to say, just listen.
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