We chatted to composer Sebastian Evans about scoring Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… Heres how our interview with the terrific Sebastian Evans went.
Whats the process of scoring an episode?
How does it work?
I usually get an animatic or a loosely-finished but locked-time version of the episode.
Then Ill just go ahead and start scoring it.
Then I get notes back and thats pretty much it.
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And how long do you get for an episode?
About 10 days, I would say, of turnaround time.
Given the noting process, do you work on one at a time?
Well actually episodes will overlap a bit.
Once Ive addressed the notes Ill send the episode that Ive just worked on in for the mix.
Can I ask you about the notes, then?
What kind of things do they say?
or can we take down the music when the explosion happens?
Its usually small things.
So, who is your favourite character to write music for?
Oh, to write musically for?
Ive had a lot of whos your favourite character before.
My favourite character to write for is Shredder.
But as far as musically, its Shredder, definitely.
How far ahead are you done?
I know youre working on season 5 at the moment.
Yeah, Im, right now, on the eighth episode of season five.
I think season 5 is premiering this weekend (March 19th, in the US).
Yeah, season 5 is amazing.
The format alone will be really cool.
Yeah, I love that theyre doing Tales.
Its such a fun way to take it.
Yeah, theyre having a lot of fun.
Cause its the last season, they were like lets go out with a bang.
That more recent sound.
So things like Wes Craven stuff, theres, I dunno, he gave me a lot!
both laugh
I just listened to that for two weeks.
But he was very good at that anyway, just framing.
He kind of frames it out.
He sees the whole episode done in his head, even down to the music somewhat.
It feels like that.
That cant have been good for your mind-set, though.
Two weeks of solid horror soundtracks!
Oh, I dont know, I dont think so.
I was opened up to a whole new world.
It was really amazing to me.
I thought it was cool.
It gave me a new power.
Has that been helpful in developing a wide range of styles?
It definitely has as far as mood and environment and switching between them.
Do you know the piece Im talking about?
I remember the episode but I dont particularly remember the piece.
I do remember scoring that episode though.
Yeah, a lot of it starts blurring together.
Its like, I dont know because Baxters in a lot of episodes.
But it does happen a lot, wheres its all like a big run of Baxter cues.
Ive done over 60 Baxter cues.
Well, Ill ask you aboutDream Beavers.
You have a cue in that episode that is very similar toA Nightmare On Elm Street.
Can you tell me a little about that?
But thats notes from online grid basically saying not too scary, so Im trying to balance that.
He was like perfect!
laughs
Thatll work.
How did that work?
Did they have music from the old show or did you have to recreate it?
I had to recreate it.
I know, I thought that was the point!
Whats your favourite stuff to score?
In scoring a TV show, youll have to reoccur themes.
There will be music from the first season that, to evoke it, youll use it again.
Do you find it difficult not to be critical when you go back?
Yeah, Im very critical.
I mean, as Ive work in this particular area of scoring, I guess its common.
Im not 100% happy with anything.
Next time Ill do it differently.
Also, when Im doing it theres no sound effects.
The score would be much different if I had sound effects first.
The whole sound ADR and everything, if I had that everything would be different.
But yeah, Im very critical.
Im not happy about it.
But then time passes and youre like Oh yeah, thats pretty cool.
What did I do there?
Its a process that ebbs and flows.
Well allow me to not be critical and say that I love your score.
Where I could buy it and listen to it?
There is a chance, actually.
I guess thats all I can say.
But there is, there is a chance.
Im pleased to hear that.
Ill press you no further.
Its new news to me too.
Its not 100% yet.
The lastTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmovie,Out Of The Shadows: did you see it?
Yeah, Ive tried to change that.
So if its good, I think the movies good.
But to answer your question, it is hard.
I hear the score.
What they did, what I could do.
That score is amazing.
The show is crazy, but I really love the score.
Hes come up with some great stuff.
What can I learn from him?
Its hard to separate the two for me.
But Ive grown up a little bit.
What is your favourite Jason Statham film?
Its hard for me to not go withSnatch.
Sebastian Evans, thank you very much.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesairs on Nicktoons in the UK.
