In the world of film scoring, music is more than just an accompaniment—it’s a driving force that shapes the emotional and narrative depth of a story. Few composers understand this as deeply as Steffen Thum, whose work on films like Crawl, iBoy, and the psychological space drama Slingshot showcases a masterful blend of orchestral richness, electronic experimentation, and thematic storytelling.
In this interview, Steffen Thum delves into the intricate process of crafting scores that heighten tension, evoke emotion, and immerse audiences in the cinematic experience. From developing a distinct sonic palette for each project to collaborating with directors and navigating the unique demands of different genres, he shares insights into his creative approach, the challenges of scoring psychological thrillers, and the influence of his background in advertising. Plus, he offers a glimpse into what’s next in his ever-evolving musical journey.
PH: How do you craft scores that enhance the narrative in films like "Crawl" and "iBoy"?
Steffen Thum: For me, it all starts by having a dialogue with the director to understand the story, characters, and the emotions the audience should experience. At that stage, the crafting of thematic material can already begin, although I get the most out of actually watching a cut of the film. There’s so much information in the visuals, the rhythm of the edit, the flow of scenes, the actors’ performances, and so on. It all plays into what I feel the music should be and do. I’m generally a fan of thematic scoring (which can range from a simple hook to a big soaring melody), and I also like to develop a sort of color palette for every score, choosing instruments and crafting sounds that feel connected to what I see on screen.
For “Crawl”, we focused on strings and lots of manipulated organic sounds, while “iBoy” had a strong focus on synths and electronic textures. That space where organic and electronic sounds blend into one and you can’t tell what’s what is always fascinating to me. It’s a hybrid approach for me, most of the time. Composers have so many ways to work with sound nowadays, the possibilities are endless. It can be really helpful for me to set some boundaries, narrow down the choices for each color palette, and try to work with focus and intention.
PH: What were the unique challenges of scoring the psychological drama "Slingshot"?
Steffen Thum: “Slingshot” started as a bit of a challenge in terms of finding the color palette, but I’m really happy with how it all came together. The story follows a small team of astronauts onboard a space station on its way to Titan, a journey that spans years. One of the astronauts, John (played by Casey Affleck), begins to slowly lose his grip on reality. He starts seeing things and becomes unsure of what’s real and what’s just in his head. There are also flashbacks that take us back to his time on Earth and a woman he left behind. So for the music, it’s a balancing act: connecting the then and now, the real and the imaginary, and really trying to get into the head of the main character. There’s growing tension between John and his team members onboard, twists and turns in the story, psychological and physical horror, drama, and moments of romance through the flashbacks. Musically, I get to tick a lot of boxes, which is always a challenge but also great fun.
With the main theme of the score, I tried to capture both the larger-than-life meaning of this mission to Titan, the commitment it takes, as well as this sense of loneliness, isolation and longing. I like using the orchestra to give us a sense of scale and emotional weight in this case. The flashback scenes feature mainly acoustic instruments like strings and piano, while the scenes in space are much more hybrid. For John, I’m working with different melodic fragments and patterns that start to shift or overlap, organic sounds that begin to warp and deteriorate. There’s a constant struggle between control and escalation in his mind.
PH: How does your experience in advertising influence your approach to film scoring?
Steffen Thum: When I do ads or trailers, there’s of course, the challenge of making a point in 90 seconds instead of 90 minutes. I think there are lessons to be learned from both, about focus, about developing a narrative arc, and how that needs to be constructed in the given amount of time.
PH: How has working on global projects shaped your perspective as a composer?
Steffen Thum: I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work for people like Lorne Balfe and Hans Zimmer for so many years, to learn from them and take in the experiences from dozens of different projects. Of course, the needs for a British crime show are very different to those of a $200-million superhero blockbuster, but the longer you do it, the easier it gets to recognize and understand those needs and deliver results that work. At the same time, these different experiences just reaffirm that any filmmaker faces the same challenge in just trying their best to make something great, no matter how much money is involved.
PH: How do you ensure your music resonates emotionally with audiences?
Steffen Thum: The most important thing is to follow the story and to say the right things at the right time, musically speaking. Most times, less is more. Just enough to let the audience come to their conclusions. You don’t want to be too on the nose, and you don’t want to be ahead of the story. You don’t want to give anything away unless the point is to mislead the audience. Music can be such a powerful tool in that regard.
PH: What is your process for collaborating with directors and other creatives?
Steffen Thum: The most obvious thing is that filmmaking is teamwork. So it’s essential to be a team player, to be open to new ideas and directions, even if you never thought of going down a certain path in the first place. It might lead you somewhere interesting. It all starts through having conversations with the director, carefully listening and interpreting those ideas into music. That’s often the challenge because most directors don’t talk in musical terms and may have a hard time articulating what bothers them. It’s the job of the composer to translate that. Conversely, if I want to present an idea, it’s generally easiest to just play something instead of talking about it. Words can fail you, but a piece of music can get to you within seconds, and you’ll just know if it’s right or not.
PH: What upcoming projects or genres are you eager to explore next?
Steffen Thum: I love creative variety, which is what I love about this job in the first place. Every project has its own needs and challenges. There are a few things on the horizon that I can’t talk about just yet, but the projects I get most excited about are the ones that will ask something entirely new or at least something I haven’t done in a while. If I’ve just spent months working on a big action film, there’s something extremely liberating about moving over to something wildly different, like a horror film, a drama, or a romantic comedy. I haven’t worked on an animated film in a while, which I enjoy as well. I watch a lot of movies in my spare time and love discovering new things that way. I like to approach work in the same way.
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