The Making Of… “Whodunnit — Classic Murder Mystery”
The latest release from Gothic Storm sees our composers tackle a classic celluloid genre ‘Murder Mystery’, whilst attempting to add a modern twist to a well trodden path. Brimming with orchestral mystery, tension and drama, we asked composers Charles Spears, Nikolaus Daim, Andrii Yefymov & Oliver Woodwright about their inspiration and thought process whilst composing their pieces.
With this classic genre of film and the music that tends to accompany it, how did you add a modern twist to it? Was it within composition or production techniques?
CS: The mandolin is one of my favourite instruments to write for and coincidently represents the murder mystery genre very well! To keep things modern and unique, I built a soundbank of effects scraping, hitting, and essentially destroying my mandolin with a violin bow. If anyone has a new mandolin for sale, I might know someone in the market!
ND: So I added claps throughout the track and some sound design to the intro.
AY: I would say both. The rhythm, the grove and intensity of trailer music automatically adds a modern twist to it.
OW: I made use of a more aggressive string tone to invoke a contemporary feel. The use of plucked piano sounds also helped create a sense of momentum with an unconventional modern texture.
Did you imagine a particular film or scene from the genre whilst composing?
CS: Films like Knives Out, and shows like Sherlock were front of mind for me! I also made a concerted effort to imagine scenes in which classical, even baroque music would fit well. I listened to a lot of Vivaldi that week!
ND: Yeah, I had the trailer of Death on The Nile in mind!
AY: Nothing in particular, but this movie genre in general has this certain aspect to it, that instantly sparks the imagination in the right direction
OW: I was inspired by the more recent Agatha Christie adaptations Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express.
What emotion did you try and convey with your track(s) Suspense, fear, suspicion?
CS: Curiosity! Whodunnits are all of those things: suspenseful, fearful, suspicious. Yet, it’s that balance of tongue-in-cheek smirkiness and all out fear that distinguishes this genre from others.
ND: I tried to convey a a modern, quirky kind of murder mystery vibe.
AY: It always starts with a mystery, then it builds into suspicious puzzle solving action. The trick is to not fall too far into either fear or fun, keep the balance while sustaining the excitement.
OW: I hoped to convey some darker emotions with a sense of tension and secrecy but also wanted elements that brought more excitement, thrills and fun.
How do you approach composing mysterious orchestral music? Are there particular musical themes needed or does it boil down to what instrumentation is used?
CS: I spent about a third of my time writing out the theme, a third fleshing out the orchestration, and the final third on the sound design, mixing, and production. I grew up in the orchestra, so getting to write for a live string ensemble was an exciting opportunity for me that I did not want to go to waste. I heard once that you should always write music in such a way that the session musicians stay entertained, so hopefully they didn’t get bored!
ND: I like to use some chromatic notes or chords in there. Instrumentation wise all kinds of bell like sounds seem to work pretty well.
AY: Mostly the instrumentation. Neo-classical violin arpeggios and passages always nod to a detective vibe.
OW: I think both the instrument choice and the types of textures they create are vital. From tremolo plucked dulcimers to intense col legno cellos it all comes together to develop a sense of mystery and intrigue.
What would be the ideal trailer usage for your track(s)?
CS: Anything with lots of energy and attitude! Knives Out was my favourite movie of 2019, so if you’re working on a campaign for its sequel and considering this, I would be honoured!
ND: Maybe something in the style of Knives Out or some Agatha Christie movies.
AY: Obviously, it’s the mystery detectives.. maybe thrillers. Something connected to solving the riddles.
OW: Any types of period mystery films would be ideal. I think the music would be well suited to trailers for Amsterdam or a Death on the Nile sequel.
Whodunnit — Classic Murder Mystery is now available for industry use with a full public release coming soon!
