Trailers are often the first impression of a film or series. The music plays a crucial role in grabbing the audience’s attention. It introduces viewers to the world of the film for the first time. Music in trailers is used differently than in the film itself. Trailers are usually made by separate teams from the film production. This is why the music in trailers often feels more impactful and distinct. How has this fast-paced market changed? What new opportunities does it offer for composers? Whether you’re curious about technical aspects or creative choices behind iconic trailer scores, this session will give you valuable insights into this niche but powerful area of media music.
About ‘Trailer Tunes’ panel
This panel features Rosaline Yuen, Membership Manager at the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) as moderator, and the three panellists: Paddy Orr, Jacob Wiltshire, and Calum Brice-Stevens. Let’s see what the three had to discuss!
Paddy Orr, a music coordinator at ThinkSync Music, discusses his work with a London-based trailer house and his experience with music consultancy and bespoke composition: ‘We are in-house music consultants for a London-based trailer house called Empire Design and I sit in there with the editors and work on music consultancy and bespoke composition. I also work alongside on films and TV series on the side as well.
Jacob Wiltshire, a creative director at Pusher, explains how he stumbled into the world of trailer music through his interest in composition for film and sound design, stating, ‘We represent a roster of artists for opportunities in entertainment marketing and film trailers. I’m also a composer myself, which is sort of how I stumbled into this world, being quite interested in composition for film and then ultimately sound design and trailers just because I was quite excited about the music that was being created.’
Balancing creativity with storytelling is a crucial skill in crafting memorable trailer music.
Calum Brice-Stevens, a music supervisor at Intermission Film, talks about his work with a creative agency specializing in trailers and his role in placing music in trailers: ‘We’re a creative agency that specializes in trailers, occasionally documentaries as well, and I help put music on them and run the music department. We have a few offices here in Amsterdam, one in London, Melbourne, New York and LA.’
Trailer Tunes Case Studies
During the panel, the speakers showcased a range of case studies from their work on trailers like Ripley, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Brothers, and The Outrun. They discussed the creative processes behind each project, from selecting the right tracks to collaborating with editors and directors.
One notable example was Paddy Orr’s approach to Ripley, where the choice of track was influenced by the lyrical content and its thematic connection to the story of a manipulative and deceptive protagonist. Orr: ‘With this project kind of when we first started working on the project, we immediately were drawn to the track because of the lyrical nature of it.’
‘And I don’t know if anyone’s seen The Talented Mr. Ripley or the series; it’s about this character who is kind of a fraudster and he plays people off against each other. He is a great pretender in a way. There’s loads of different versions of the track and which version we were going to try and use was of course, the question. We first thought of the Roy Orbison recording, which like the year the series is set, is recorded in the 60s. And then we found a re-recording of it in 2018 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which is very grand, and it fits the setting. It creates an uneasy atmosphere. Balancing creativity with storytelling is a crucial skill in crafting memorable trailer music.’
Jacob Wiltshire shared an example of how trailer music projects come together, discussing a remix for a new Netflix series. ‘Yeah, it definitely was a fun one’, Wiltshire said. ‘We were connected with a client, a music supervisor at a creative agency. They wanted us to do a remix of a Milli Vanilli song for this new show.’ He explained how they picked composers: ‘We chose a few composers we’ve worked closely with, like Superhuman Liam Westbrook and Robin Stout, who have done trailers for Joker, Star Wars, and Dune. They did the work on this trailer as well.’
He elaborated on the creative direction: ‘Since it’s a Ryan Murphy show, known for its stylized horror and thriller vibe, it was quite a specific ask. We worked on several revisions over about a week before it went through. Sometimes we don’t even know it’s been approved until we see it live on YouTube!’
Modern AI extraction tools make it easier to remix tracks quickly.
Reflecting on challenges, Wiltshire noted: ‘Remixing a song can be tricky on a tight timeline, especially when we don’t have access to the original files. Fortunately, modern AI extraction tools make it easier to remix tracks quickly.’
Calum Brice-Stevens discussed working on the trailer with Still Raining by Self Esteem, featured in The Outrun. He highlighted how the dynamic changes within the music played a key role: ‘In any trailer, it’s the light and shade and the change in dynamics that really help the music carry the story along.’ The challenge was fitting the commercial track around dialogue without original stems, but modern AI tools made remixing faster and smoother.
A distinctive musical element, whether it’s a unique use of strings or an offbeat rhythm, can make all the difference.
His advice for younger music supervisors is always to stay authentic: ‘If you can also bring something that’s slightly different, that will stand out, that’s fantastic. A distinctive musical element, whether it’s a unique use of strings or an offbeat rhythm, can make all the difference.’