Denis M. Hannigan suggests that composers ask the producers and directors very direct questions about their musical likes and dislikes before composing. Photo credit: Teri Hannigan.

Chances are that when something moves you by either making you laugh or cry while watching a movie or TV show, a musical score accompanies the scene. Music is a fundamental device that filmmakers use to develop a mood, set up a character and move a scene along. Music for animation has its own set of requirements, so we asked four successful animation composers to give us a behind-the-scenes peek at how they work. They talked with Animation World Magazine about their working relationship with producers, directors and creators, how they approach their work and what they think about when writing a score.

Denis M. Hannigan, Hooligan Music
Composer for Rugrats, Recess, CatDog, Beakman’s World, Adventure in Wonderland and the 2002 ASCAP Award Winner for Most Performed Underscore. Being able to handle technical issues and deadlines is another consideration for animation composers. These issues could include short deadlines, time code problems and which delivery mediums are required, such as ProTools sessions, tape, emailing audio files, etc. I’ve had simultaneous projects, all with different requirements. Experience working with live players is very important too, if the producer/director wants the feel of live musicians. This entails printing sheet music and additional recording sessions and time.

A director searching for a composer will first look at how well the music complements the animation in the composer's sample reel. An excellent sense of timing should be evident -- the music should move the action forward, not slow it down. Since story and dialogue are top priority, music should support and enhance, rather than overpower these essential elements. Versatility, writing for live players, original sound palettes are important, but is the music doing what it’s supposed to?

When talking to a director or creator about a new project, a composer needs to ask some crucial questions: What musical direction are they looking for? Do they have any examples? What’s the overall concept of the project and who is the audience? Are there songs? Do they want a unique, original sound palette or one from a specific genre like orchestral, rock, etc.? For example, on the CatDog series, I created a quirky sound palette that included dobro and bass harmonica. On Recess I use a more traditional orchestral approach that helps communicate the emotion the producers want and works around dialog well.

Another important question to find out is how much music the director envisions in the project. This can range anywhere from wall-to-wall music to a minimal approach. The type of instruments and their pitch range are also a consideration when there’s a lot of dialogue.

Composers and directors alike need to be aware of warning signs that indicate the musical score is off. One danger signal is when the animation doesn’t seem to move forward well or the timing/pacing is off. Or the music draws too much attention to itself and the story/action pales by comparison. Sometimes the musical style seems to conflict rather than enhance or contrast with the animation. When music is at its best, you don’t think about it while you’re watching it -- unless it’s a scene or project in which the music is being featured.

Don Grady, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, feels composers should think of their target audience as they begin to write. Photo courtesy of London Symphony Orchestra.

Don Grady
Emmy-nominated composer for The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (Cartoon Network), Magic English (a Disney series scheduled for release in early ’03), the just released two disc set of Beauty And The Beast -- The DVD (56 minutes of original music for featurettes and game animation), Nickelodeon’s Globehunters, Walt Disney’s Favorite Christmas Stories and music for numerous Disney game animation DVD titles including Emperor’s New Groove, Pocahontas and Peter Pan. Also, you might recognize Don as Robbie Douglas from My Three Sons, one of the longest running series in television history.

Basically, there are five different types of music that fit any given project. There might be a composer that does one of these five better than others, some do two or three of them, and other composers can get the whole thing. It depends on the composer’s range. The five types are orchestra, production sound design, contemporary/groove-orientated music, geographical, or time/place kind of music or songs.