MRH: You've also scored games based on novels/films. Are you sometimes required to stay close to a film's music style?

WF: I haven’t had to stick close to the film’s style, because for all my movie tie-in projects, the music for the film hadn’t been created yet.  Game development moves on a very different timetable from movie development.  For the projects in which I’ve been involved, the music for the game had to be completed well before the music from the movie had even started production.  Nobody knew what the film music was going to sound like, so I was given a lot of freedom to define the musical sound of the tie-in game. 

I’ve had some of the most creatively fulfilling experiences on these movie tie-in games.  The Da Vinci Code game was an absolute thrill to score.  The music had so many opportunities to engage the player during puzzle solving sections or intense action sequences.  I also had the opportunity to write a large amount of liturgical choral music in Latin, which was just an amazing experience.  Every one of these projects has been very exciting, from the pounding techno-hybrid momentum of Speed Racer to the lyrical fantasy of Shrek to the zany and poignant themes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to score such amazing projects.

MRH: Perhaps this is too general, but for Da Vinci Code, Speed Racer, and Shrek, how much music must you on average compose for a single game?

WP: It varies.  My projects have ranged from 60 to 90 minutes, generally speaking.

MRH: The Shrek films relied on a mix of score and songs. I'm curious if, for the videogame, whether there was a greater reliance on original score, thereby allowing you to musically deepen characters whose essence were somewhat musically compacted in the movies via traditional song and picture montages?

WP: Yes, there was a greater emphasis on score over songs for the videogame.  In this industry, licensed songs tend to be used more frequently in sports games and music games.  In general, other game genres will use licensed songs far less frequently.

MRH: I gather The Da Vinci Code was a special project, in terms of research, musical styles and budget, but what do you regard as your most complex work?

WP: That would be Spore Hero.  Musically, the score for Spore Hero is the most contrapuntal and intricate work I’ve done on a project to date.  Some of the up tempo tracks were literally loaded with gestural lines, and the rhythmically complicated post-minimal techniques in other action tracks were very difficult to compose.  Some of the gentler tracks were written in an impressionist mode, and the complex subtlety of that style posed a massive challenge.  The entire project required a plethora of exotic instruments and a wide array of ethnic styles.  Creating the music for Spore Hero was a long and difficult journey, and I think it was a tremendous growth experience for me as an artist.