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agt_spookySequential Tart also has an interview up with Christopher Lennertz, SPN's music composer.
This one question jumped out at me:
ST: The original, unaired version of the pilot episode has turned up online. Is the score in that your preliminary work, or is it temp tracks from other sources?
Whoa, back up a minute! How come I've never seen this online anywhere?? An unaired version of the pilot?? Who's got a link to this? Someone, anyone??
Supernatural's aesthetic is, perhaps moreso than most other shows, tied up with its music. Not just the classic rock songs that feature, but the rich original music created specifically for it as well. Composer Christopher Lennertz offers insight into his creative process on the show.
Sequential Tart: Your work with Eric Kripke began on short films. Can you tell us a bit about that, and what it's like to progress from that type of project to television and film?
Christopher Lennertz: Eric and I met at USC. We were friends and we discovered very quickly that we had many of the same thoughts about movies and what music can do for films. I think I scored all of Eric’s films, including a few festival winners. The nice thing is that, by the time we got to Supernatural, we had developed a shorthand in terms of how we work together and what kind of music a certain scene might need.
ST: How long does it take you to write the music for an episode of Supernatural? Have there been any that have been especially difficult?
CL: I usually have between 4-7 days to spot and write the score with one day to record and mix. No particular episode had stood out other than one earlier this year where my computer kept crashing during the mix. But overall, they all just take work.
ST: How would you describe your approach in coming onto a new episode to score? Do you work with sections in chronological order from the beginning of an episode to the end, build from basic scoring to more textured sounds to finishing touches, or do you find yourself turning to a specific element — for example, horror — first?
CL: If there is a key musical moment or relationship that will need its own thematic material, I’ll usually do that first and then adapt that theme to certain situations in the episode. For example, a new character, or a flashback, etc. After that, I’ll usually go chronological. I do however tend to sketch and then return to “orchestrate” and fill out the cues as we get closer to the recording and mixing.
ST: Eric Kripke and Robert Singer sometimes talk about the different perspectives they bring to the show as Kripke's strength being 'story' and Singer's being 'character'. Do you and Jay Gruska have a similar division? The times when your 'one on, one off' pattern has been disrupted seem to indicate a conscious decision to emphasize certain aspects of each of your scores in the overall arc of the show.
CL: Well, the times that the pattern has been disrupted, has actually just been due to due dates moving around last year. There was no conscious effort to assign certain shows to either of us. As far as specialities, I think Jay and I can both do anything. I do have a certain liking for the real dissonant horror writing, ala Jerry Goldsmith, but Jay can handle that as well. He’s written some really great pieces ... especially some of the sweet woodwind stuff. It’s really nice.
ST: How much direct communication to you have with Robert Singer and Eric Kripke on the weekly episode material? Do they request specific elements be incorporated into the score, or is that up to you?
CL: I always spot the episode for music with either Robert or Eric as well as producer Phil Sgriccia. We always bounce ideas back and forth in regards to the needs of that particular episode. Many times they will suggest a specific sound or instrument be incorporated and I’ll take it from there. One of the things that I find most interesting is the use of episode specific instruments, such as the prepared and out of tune piano for the preacher scenes in "Faith" last year.
ST: Is there a particular part of the show's scope that especially interests you? Do you prefer the more esoteric villains, where you play with influences from different musical traditions, or the more classical horror-movie monsters where the precedent's more from what's been done in classic film scores?
CL: My favorite part is that we do both. I love classic Hitchcock-style suspense, but I also love the more spiritual and esoteric villains. I think that it keeps things interesting and doesn’t favor one over the other.
ST: What sort of research do you do for an episode's soundtrack, to incorporate those traditions? Are there particular film composers of the past who inspire your Supernatural work?
CL: I try to make connections musically that can help propel the story and put the audience closer to the boys’ situation. Many times this means bringing in relevant musical textures to bring home a part of the storyline or emphasize a certain character. As far as inspiration, Bernard Hermann and Jerry Goldsmith are two of the best in the genre as far as I’m concerned. I also like Elliot Goldenthal’s scary stuff, as well as my friend and teacher, Christopher Young. Kripke is also a big fan of the Japanese horror genre, and I try and incorporate elements of that as well.
ST: Do you have a favorite piece out of those you've composed for Supernatural?
CL: I like all of it for different reasons, but my favorite is probably the solo piano piece that plays in the pilot and again in "Nightmare" as well as other places that happens when referencing the yellow eyed demon and it’s relationship to Sam.
ST: It's been noted that over time you've incorporated more melodic strings into your scores. Is this a deliberate addition, or did your work naturally evolve in that direction as the show progressed?
CL: It is definitely deliberate, but it directly coincides with the emotional side of the story evolving throughout season one. As we got to know the boys and there interactions with Dad, then there was a lot more opportunity to explore those emotions. I love that that all plays into the depth of the show. Also, as things progressed both Jay and I could get more feedback on what the producers were liking and incorporate all those tendencies into the following episodes.
ST: The original, unaired version of the pilot episode has turned up online. Is the score in that your preliminary work, or is it temp tracks from other sources?
CL: The unaired pilot was just temp tracked with other music. None of it was Jay's or my own.
ST: How does motif usage work across multiple episodes between two composers?
CL: Jay and I watch each other’s shows and try to be very cognizant of the Supernatural sound. Because there is no “main theme” we have written themes for certain demons, characters and more importantly situations as they come up. Since almost every episode has a different spirit or demon, we can create our own sound for that specific instance. In the case of the boys and their family relationship, we try to keep a constant sound but do variations on that depending on the scene. Given that there is a heavy textural element to the show, I think we keep that very constant. I think of each show as a chapter in a very long story, and as the characters and interactions progress, so too do their themes. I think it works out great. The best part about the two composer system is that we actually get a bit more time to write each episode than if we were scoring back to back shows, so we can creatively explore more things due to the time schedule.
ST: Jumping back to when Supernatural first began, could you discuss your initial process of going into this project? Scoping out what the show needed, what ideas you wanted to convey, what timbres you decided were appropriate for the show?
CL: From the beginning, Eric’s orders were to make a compelling and scary horror film every week. We all met and began to throw out ideas of how to do this musically and came up with a palette that had roots in classic orchestral horror and twentieth century atonal music but with added production elements of the current day. Then we added a bit of rock guitar on occasion due to Dean’s musical taste ... on top of that base, we can add elements of local color or inspiration from a certain time or place depending on the setting of the individual episodes. Jay and I have also explored the addition of unusual organic instruments of Americana such as dulcimers and acoustic guitars, but played out of tune or in an unconventional way. Considering the boys journey across America, this seems to fit just perfectly.
This one question jumped out at me:
ST: The original, unaired version of the pilot episode has turned up online. Is the score in that your preliminary work, or is it temp tracks from other sources?
Whoa, back up a minute! How come I've never seen this online anywhere?? An unaired version of the pilot?? Who's got a link to this? Someone, anyone??
Scary Soundtrack
An Interview With Supernatural Composer Christopher Lennertz
by Mary Borsellino
Supernatural's aesthetic is, perhaps moreso than most other shows, tied up with its music. Not just the classic rock songs that feature, but the rich original music created specifically for it as well. Composer Christopher Lennertz offers insight into his creative process on the show.
Sequential Tart: Your work with Eric Kripke began on short films. Can you tell us a bit about that, and what it's like to progress from that type of project to television and film?
Christopher Lennertz: Eric and I met at USC. We were friends and we discovered very quickly that we had many of the same thoughts about movies and what music can do for films. I think I scored all of Eric’s films, including a few festival winners. The nice thing is that, by the time we got to Supernatural, we had developed a shorthand in terms of how we work together and what kind of music a certain scene might need.
ST: How long does it take you to write the music for an episode of Supernatural? Have there been any that have been especially difficult?
CL: I usually have between 4-7 days to spot and write the score with one day to record and mix. No particular episode had stood out other than one earlier this year where my computer kept crashing during the mix. But overall, they all just take work.
 |
ST: How would you describe your approach in coming onto a new episode to score? Do you work with sections in chronological order from the beginning of an episode to the end, build from basic scoring to more textured sounds to finishing touches, or do you find yourself turning to a specific element — for example, horror — first?
CL: If there is a key musical moment or relationship that will need its own thematic material, I’ll usually do that first and then adapt that theme to certain situations in the episode. For example, a new character, or a flashback, etc. After that, I’ll usually go chronological. I do however tend to sketch and then return to “orchestrate” and fill out the cues as we get closer to the recording and mixing.
ST: Eric Kripke and Robert Singer sometimes talk about the different perspectives they bring to the show as Kripke's strength being 'story' and Singer's being 'character'. Do you and Jay Gruska have a similar division? The times when your 'one on, one off' pattern has been disrupted seem to indicate a conscious decision to emphasize certain aspects of each of your scores in the overall arc of the show.
CL: Well, the times that the pattern has been disrupted, has actually just been due to due dates moving around last year. There was no conscious effort to assign certain shows to either of us. As far as specialities, I think Jay and I can both do anything. I do have a certain liking for the real dissonant horror writing, ala Jerry Goldsmith, but Jay can handle that as well. He’s written some really great pieces ... especially some of the sweet woodwind stuff. It’s really nice.
ST: How much direct communication to you have with Robert Singer and Eric Kripke on the weekly episode material? Do they request specific elements be incorporated into the score, or is that up to you?
CL: I always spot the episode for music with either Robert or Eric as well as producer Phil Sgriccia. We always bounce ideas back and forth in regards to the needs of that particular episode. Many times they will suggest a specific sound or instrument be incorporated and I’ll take it from there. One of the things that I find most interesting is the use of episode specific instruments, such as the prepared and out of tune piano for the preacher scenes in "Faith" last year.
ST: Is there a particular part of the show's scope that especially interests you? Do you prefer the more esoteric villains, where you play with influences from different musical traditions, or the more classical horror-movie monsters where the precedent's more from what's been done in classic film scores?
CL: My favorite part is that we do both. I love classic Hitchcock-style suspense, but I also love the more spiritual and esoteric villains. I think that it keeps things interesting and doesn’t favor one over the other.
ST: What sort of research do you do for an episode's soundtrack, to incorporate those traditions? Are there particular film composers of the past who inspire your Supernatural work?
CL: I try to make connections musically that can help propel the story and put the audience closer to the boys’ situation. Many times this means bringing in relevant musical textures to bring home a part of the storyline or emphasize a certain character. As far as inspiration, Bernard Hermann and Jerry Goldsmith are two of the best in the genre as far as I’m concerned. I also like Elliot Goldenthal’s scary stuff, as well as my friend and teacher, Christopher Young. Kripke is also a big fan of the Japanese horror genre, and I try and incorporate elements of that as well.
ST: Do you have a favorite piece out of those you've composed for Supernatural?
CL: I like all of it for different reasons, but my favorite is probably the solo piano piece that plays in the pilot and again in "Nightmare" as well as other places that happens when referencing the yellow eyed demon and it’s relationship to Sam.
 |
ST: It's been noted that over time you've incorporated more melodic strings into your scores. Is this a deliberate addition, or did your work naturally evolve in that direction as the show progressed?
CL: It is definitely deliberate, but it directly coincides with the emotional side of the story evolving throughout season one. As we got to know the boys and there interactions with Dad, then there was a lot more opportunity to explore those emotions. I love that that all plays into the depth of the show. Also, as things progressed both Jay and I could get more feedback on what the producers were liking and incorporate all those tendencies into the following episodes.
ST: The original, unaired version of the pilot episode has turned up online. Is the score in that your preliminary work, or is it temp tracks from other sources?
CL: The unaired pilot was just temp tracked with other music. None of it was Jay's or my own.
ST: How does motif usage work across multiple episodes between two composers?
CL: Jay and I watch each other’s shows and try to be very cognizant of the Supernatural sound. Because there is no “main theme” we have written themes for certain demons, characters and more importantly situations as they come up. Since almost every episode has a different spirit or demon, we can create our own sound for that specific instance. In the case of the boys and their family relationship, we try to keep a constant sound but do variations on that depending on the scene. Given that there is a heavy textural element to the show, I think we keep that very constant. I think of each show as a chapter in a very long story, and as the characters and interactions progress, so too do their themes. I think it works out great. The best part about the two composer system is that we actually get a bit more time to write each episode than if we were scoring back to back shows, so we can creatively explore more things due to the time schedule.
ST: Jumping back to when Supernatural first began, could you discuss your initial process of going into this project? Scoping out what the show needed, what ideas you wanted to convey, what timbres you decided were appropriate for the show?
CL: From the beginning, Eric’s orders were to make a compelling and scary horror film every week. We all met and began to throw out ideas of how to do this musically and came up with a palette that had roots in classic orchestral horror and twentieth century atonal music but with added production elements of the current day. Then we added a bit of rock guitar on occasion due to Dean’s musical taste ... on top of that base, we can add elements of local color or inspiration from a certain time or place depending on the setting of the individual episodes. Jay and I have also explored the addition of unusual organic instruments of Americana such as dulcimers and acoustic guitars, but played out of tune or in an unconventional way. Considering the boys journey across America, this seems to fit just perfectly.
www.christopherlennertz.com/ — Official Site
