What are your primary duties as an orchestrator?
We normally receive an audio demo from the composer - which has been already approved by the film director - along with a MIDI file, which has the music somehow notated. That is our starting point. Our job is transcribing and arranging all that music and making the scores and parts that players will read from.
Our first goal is making the orchestra sound in perfect balance, taking care of doublings, instrumentation, and getting the most of each instrument/section (tone, instrument range, dynamics…)
In addition to that, we may sometimes have some freedom to re-arrange, change or add some new line that can make the piece sound richer, fuller or just better - even though this is less common in the Film/TV music world. Many composers send very detailed demos of what they want so we are very limited creatively - although there are still many different possible solutions!
And last but not least, not only we have to write the correct notes in the right place, but also write all the smaller details like dynamics, articulations or expressive directions that will make the piece sound exactly as it is in the composer’s (and now also the director’s!) head.
What has been a personal highlight of your career so far?
Right after coming back home after I graduated at Berklee in Boston, I had the chance to meet Lorne Balfe (Mission Impossible: Fallout, The Lego Batman Movie). I became his orchestrator very soon after and that took me to my very first recording session at AIR Studios, London. It was for a video game he scored along with Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Inception), so that was a huge milestone of my career. Since then, I’ve orchestrated several films for them throughout the years.
What unique challenges do you face in your work?
I think the most challenging part of my work is trying to imagine what the composer exactly wants his music to sound like when the orchestra records it. There’s no rehearsal time in the recording sessions: players sight read the music and the first performance is already recorded. Therefore every small detail has to be there, giving the players all the instructions they need to make the best performance in the shortest time. When I’m home sitting in front of my computer, I must imagine the orchestra playing that music sheet. That is so exciting - and challenging!
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I try to carry on with my routine so I spend some time in my studio, composing, trying out new ideas just for fun. I also love taking smaller projects - it’s great learning from a broad spectrum of perspectives. Being involved in smaller, more personal projects makes this job really fun to me!
When I’m away from the studio, I love playing tennis and hanging out with my family and friends, which really helps me to get away and get some fresh air.
What do you hope to achieve in the future?
I haven’t recorded much music of mine yet. I’d like to get some projects that will allow me to also record my own music. I love orchestrating, I love composing, but hardly ever these paths cross!
Do you have a creative process or ritual when you’re working?
Yes! I believe I’m much more productive when I’m 100% focused. That means turning off all the internet, social media etc. for a period of time. That feeling of total disconnection helps me be more focused. It may sound stupid, but it’s so easy to procrastinate - even without noticing until it is too late!
You’re also a composer! What composition projects do you have coming up?
I’ve just finished recording additional music for a couple of Chinese films that will come out later this year. One of them is the next The Monkey King, a very anticipated film in China which was very fun to work on.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would encourage myself to keep working hard. All the efforts do pay off in the future!
Who/what is currently inspiring you?
I’m very happy to work with Hans Zimmer quite often. He’s very inspiring not only as a musician but also as a filmmaker and an innovator. In every film, he will bring something new, something fresh that will make that project special. And I’m happy to learn and grow with every project of his I’m involved in.
What are you enjoying listening to at the moment?
I was just listening again to James Newton Howard’s score for King Kong. One of my favourites! I love his use of the orchestra and his extraordinary thematic elements.
Who would you love to work with in future?
Two Hollywood composers I really like are Alan Silvestri (Avenger, Back To The Future) and John Debney (Passion Of The Christ, The Princess Diaries), who I had the pleasure to work with on a concert last summer. I really love their music and their orchestral writing, so it would be amazing to work with either of them!
A film or show you have been enjoying recently?
I just finished the fourth season of Money Heist and I really enjoyed it. It’s great to have such a hit produced here in Spain! Also - I can’t wait for the new season of Stranger Things!
What’s coming up next for Òscar Senén?
There are a couple of interesting projects around the corner (a video-game and a film), which I’ll be composing music for, orchestrating and conducting. Sounds exciting!
Oscar also recently released two reworks for Chromium on our Chromium x Classics album. Listen below to his take on Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ and Camille Saint-Saëns’ ‘The Swan’.
