Supe Troop-er Chris Piccaro talked to composer Christian Wibe about film music scoring and the hit Netflix film, What Happened To Monday, on which they worked together.
Supe Troop (ST): Is there a particular score that inspired you to be a film composer?
Christian Wibe (CW): I kind of got thrown into the film music scene after being a rock musician for years. It was when I actually started writing for films [that] I really started exploring film music myself for real. I love scores that sound inspired and unique.
ST: What is an example of where you think another composer nailed a project or a particular scene?
CW: Hard to pick just one… John Williams really nailed the ending of E.T. Everything from where they start flying up until the very end. So fine tuned. Inspired, sad, and victorious.
ST: What is your process for a large orchestral piece? Do you see the full piece or do you start with one instrument?
CW: I usually hear something somewhat full and complete in my head. Often a clear melody/lead and a rhythm/beat. The background elements are often more out of focus. More a feeling, movement, dynamics, and waves of sound. Depending on the nature of the music I will often start with the piano. Break out the melody & harmonies.
ST: What is your favorite instrument?
CW: The Piano
ST: What do you look for when you are spotting a film?
CW: I’m looking to get as much insight into the director’s mind as possible.
ST: Most directors and producers don’t have a technical background in music and therefore don’t speak the technical terms of musicality. How do you break down that barrier?
CW: Unless they know that language, I would never use technical terms. My job is to understand what they try to explain and decode that into what I should do musically to meet that request. Technical terms would only break the flow of those conversations. It’s also much more interesting to speak about feelings, colours, and visual references.
ST: It was great working with you on What Happened To Monday! Is there one cue from that project that you particularly enjoyed creating?
CW: Likewise! The What Happened To Monday score was enjoyable in many ways. It’s a very diverse score that follows the twists and turns of the film. It’s not everyday you get to write really big, melodic, emotional string cues. I particularly enjoyed that part of it.
ST: What music are you listening to now?
CW: Lately I’ve been listening to Run The Jewels, Ennio Morricone, Klaus Schulze, Steve Roach, Isao Tomita, and Meshuggah.
ST: What is your favorite soup?
CW: Fish soup for sure 🙂
You can watch the film on Netflix and listen to the soundtrack album on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon.
