The Annotator

Philip Sheppard is a composer, producer, virtuoso cellist, professor at the Royal Academy of Music and a creative innovator who has worked with some of the biggest names in music, tech, sport and film.

He has composed more than 60 film, gaming, television and theatrical scores including the Star Wars Force Awakens behind the scenes Comic Con trailer which has over 11 million YouTube plays. His other major film works include The Final Year, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, In the Shadow of the Moon (which received an International Film Critics Award nomination for Best Original Score for a Documentary.

One of Sheppard's most recent projects has been for the highly acclaimed video game, DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN. The game, which debuted on May 25, 2018 for the Sony Playstation 4 is an neo-noir thriller, where the plot revolves around three androids: Kara, who escapes the factory she was made in to explore her newfound sentience; Connor, whose job it is to hunt down deviant androids like Kara; and Markus, who devotes himself to releasing the androids from servitude. The characters may survive or perish depending on the choices that are made, which serve to shape the story as customized by the player.

In this episode of THE ANNOTATOR, Philip Sheppard reveals his process in writing and recording his very humanizing and emotional music representing KARA, one of the game's key characters.  He also talks about why and how he used three different pianos simultaneously to help craft the key components of the theme in its simplest form. Sheppard details how Kara's theme was partially birthed from a fireplace in a snow covered cabin in Montana, where he retreated to to write his music for the game.  Lastly, he reveals how he was able to take KARA's theme throughout all of the highs and lows of the game's complex story.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

03:22 - Little One

06:28 - Kara Main Theme

13:12 - Carousel

14:00 - All This Will Pass

15:31 - By the River

OTHER TRACKS

00:00 - "Not Just a Machine"

SOUNDTRACK

The original score has not been released.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Philip Sheppard at his official site (https://philipsheppard.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @philipsheppard

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Jim Dooley is an Emmy Award-winning composer/songwriter with a diverse repertoire spanning the film, television, video gaming and live theatrical industries. Among his many compositions in Television, Dooley has written original music for ABC’s critically acclaimed series, “Pushing Daisies,” for which he earned a 2008 Primetime Emmy Award for “Best Original Music Composition for a Series.” 

He’s also written a number of original scores for Dreamworks features including: “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” “Madagascar” the Academy Award-winning “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” and in video games: “Epic Mickey,” “Infamous” “Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier,” “SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy Seals

One of his recent endeavours was for a Netflix series. Based on the internationally best selling series of books by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler), season two of the Netflix original series plunges further into the epic world of this darkly comedic mystery. Executive produced by Emmy Award-winner Barry Sonnenfeld and Daniel Handler - the new season of A Series of Unfortunate Events consists of ten cinematic one-hour episodes, and premiered worldwide in the spring 2018, exclusively on Netflix. A Series of Unfortunate Events recounts the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans – Violet, Klaus, and Sunny – and their extraordinary encounters with the devious Count Olaf who will stop at nothing to get his hands on their inheritance.  

In this episode of THE ANNOTATOR, Jim Dooley discusses balancing some of the more menacing and psychological Bernard Herrmann influences with the whimsical nature of the books and series. He shares about writing themes for the three Squalor children which were defined by their actions rather than by their characters. And he also opens up how he had to write a Mambo which embellished with the sounds of children's toys.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:35 - Lemony in Sewer

04:01 - Introducing Esme

04:57 - Violet Searching the Penthouse

05:32 - Olivia Runs After Taxi

06:29 - Sunny's Mambo

08:37 - The Kids Emerge from the Tunnel

10:09 - Entering the Village

11:46 - The Village Elders

13:04 - Hector's Balloon

15:07 - VFD Party

SOUNDTRACK

The original score has not been released.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Daniel Ran at his official site (https://www.jimdooley.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @jimdooleymusic

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Christopher Lennertz is a composer and producer for film, television, records, and video Games. His vast portfolio includes television programs such as: Marvel’s Agent Carter, Galavant and Supernatural and among his many video game credits are titles within the Medal of Honor and Mass Effect franchises. He has also composed scores for numerous, animated, family features such as: Alvin and the Chipmunks, Hop and Smurfs: The Lost Village which was featured in episode 4 of The Annotator. One of his most recent, high-profile projects is his original score for LOST IN SPACE.

Produced by Legendary Television, LOST IN SPACE is a Netflix Original dramatic and modern reimagining of the classic 1960’s science fiction series. Set 30 years in the future, colonization in space is now a reality, and the Robinson family is among those tested and selected to make a new life for themselves in a better world. But when the new colonists find themselves abruptly torn off course en route to their new home they must forge new alliances and work together to survive in a dangerous alien environment, light-years from their original destination.

In this episode of THE ANNOTATOR, Christopher Lennertz, out of the 500 minutes of score he composed, tells the story behind three crucial cues from his score for season one. Here, he shares how he made use of John Williams' season 3 theme from the original Lost in Space TV series. The composer reveals what pivotal moment in the pilot episode he felt he had to understand and score exactly right.  Finally, Lennertz shares how he allowed the more dramatic moments of season one to inform his choices for instrumentation making the score more intimate at times and at others more scientific.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:19 - Maker of Worlds

10:06 - Danger Will Robinson

13:54 - Illuminations

OTHER TRACKS

00:03 - Main Titles

01:11 - End Credits

18:28 - Flowers, Father and Son

20:35 - End Credits

SOUNDTRACK

The original score can be found on Amazon.com, itunes or streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Daniel Ran at his official site (https://www.christopherlennertz.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @clennertz

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Composer Mark Yaeger has composed original music, written songs, played solo instruments, and produced the score on over 30 Hollywood and independent films. Additionally, he is a long-time composer collaborator with Klaus Badelt. Just a couple of those collaborative efforts include feature films such as QUEEN OF THE DESERT and SHANGHAIL CALLING, while his work for television can be heard in the 2014 series HALO: NIGHTFALL. 

FAR CRY 5 - INSIDE EDEN'S GATE is one of Yaeger's most recent projects. Released on March 5, 2018 -and is a short-film released directly to Amazon Prime Video. The short was designed as back-story to the video game FAR CRY 5 which released a few weeks after on March 27, 2018. When rumors of a fanatical cult in Hope County, Montana begin to swirl, three vloggers take it upon themselves to investigate what's really going on. As they track down missing locals and probe into other strange events, they eventually encounter Joseph Seed, the leader of The Project of Eden's Gate cult and the man behind all the unusual activities in Hope County. 

In this episode of The Annotator, Mark Yaeger talks about writing an original score for the short-film that would paint the antagonist of the video game, FAR CRY 5, in a different light. He elaborates on his choice of instrumentation and stylistic choices to emphasize emotion over darker elements that would thoroughly be covered musically in the game that would follow.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:02 - Seed

03:35 - Bliss

08:10 - Enchantment Ostinato

08:49 - Revival

SOUNDTRACK

The original score can be found on Amazon.com, itunes or streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Mark Yaeger at his official site (https://www.markyaeger.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @markyaeger

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Michael Kramer is an Emmy nominated composer and multi-instrumentalist for film, television, and video games.  His recent TV credits include the Cartoon Network series LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu, the original HULU series Complete Works, CBS Sports’ Ball Up, and Sons of Tuscon on FOX. Michael’s music can heard in Furious 7, Thor: The Dark World, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, on which he collaborated with Brian Tyler. His video game credits include Need For Speed: The Run, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, and Assassin’s Creed: Unity. 

Michael Kramer is currently scoring the hit Disney XD TV series LEGO STAR WARS: The Freemaker Adventures, for which he received a 2017 Emmy Award nomination. His score is recorded with a live 80-piece orchestra and carries the universal message of Star Wars to a new generation. 

In this episode of The Annotator, Michael Kramer talks about how he dances along the lines of the familiar musical building blocks forged by John Williams, while still introducing something unique in the the Star Wars musical universe. In order for listeners to hear how new themes are introduced and developed over the course of an episode, here, Kramer specifically covers the musical arc of the first episode in Season 2.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

01:58 - Main Titles - The Freemaker Family Theme

02:37 - Training M-OC

03:47 - Rowan and Quarrie

05:40 - The Emperor, Vader and M-OC

06:45 - Rowan Captured

13:37 - The Arrowhead

OTHER TRACKS

00:44 - Force Theme Redux

01:29 - We're Home

15:02 - Rowan's Theme

SOUNDTRACK

There has been no announcement about an official soundtrack release.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Michael Kramer at his official site (https://www.michaelkramermusic.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @kramercomposer

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Gordy Haab is a multi award-winning film, video game and television composer who has written music for many well-known titles, including Microsoft’s “Halo Wars 2, and EA’s “Star Wars Battlefront I”, which won Music of the Year, Best Interactive Score, and Best Instrumental Score at the 2016 GDC G.A.N.G. Awards, and was nominated for a BAFTA for Excellence in Audio Achievement. Additionally, Haab scored Activision/AMC's "The Walking Dead", based on the #1 hit TV series and Microsoft's "Kinect: Star Wars", which won "Best Music" at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Haab continues to compose the music for EA and Bioware’s "Star Wars: The Old Republic," for which he was awarded "Best Original Soundtrack" and "Best Instrumental Music" at the 10th Annual GDC G.A.N.G. Awards.

Building upon the foundation of groundbreaking visuals and authenticity of EA’s original Star Wars Battlefront, DICE, Motive and Criterion teamed up to deliver an expansive follow up to the popular Star Wars game. Star Wars Battlefront II allows players to experience the untold story of an Imperial elite special forces soldier in an all-new single player campaign. In epic multiplayer battles also return, as players are able to pilot a First Order TIE fighter through intense dogfights in space, and play as ground troopers or iconic heroes and villains, such as Yoda and Darth Maul, across all three Star Wars eras.

In this episode of The Annotator, Gordy Haab gives us a detailed talk through a special, combat suite from his original score for Star Wars Battlefront 2. The suite features many of the most prominent themes from the video game including: the Battlefront Imperial and Republic themes, specific themes for two important locations in the game and a theme for the single player campaign’s central character, Iden Versio.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:20 - Combat Suite

SOUNDTRACK

There has been no announcement about an official soundtrack release.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Gordy Haab at his official site (https://gordyhaab.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @gordyhaab

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Kevin Riepl is an award-winning composer writing for multiple entertainment genres. His engaging orchestral, hybrid and atmospheric scores have enhanced films such as BATMAN: UNLIMITED and CABIN FEVER (2016 reboot). Additionally, he’s scored film festival winners and genre cult films such as the emotional sci-fi short HENRI and Oddball Animation Studios’ stunning concept film, RUIN. KEVIN RIEP is also renowned for composing the epic, signature scores for blockbuster video games including GEARS OF WAR, the UNREAL series, and ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES

The mini-series, ATROPA, is one of Kevin Riepl’s most recent projects and for it he delivers a bold original score, sometimes grand and at other times eerily beautiful and at still others, pulse-pounding.

ATROPA, the new Canal+ streaming series, is a 7-part adventure consisting of 11-13 minute-long episodes. The series tells the story of a troubled Off-World Officer, running from his past, but finding himself slammed directly into it when he boards the mysterious spaceship ATROPA. 

In this episode of The Annotator, KEVIN RIEPL is joined by the director of the mini-series, Eli Sasich, and together they talk about why where the heavy Alien franchise influences originated in this score. Riepl describes how the difficult choices he had to make regarding when to record live instruments and when to use sample libraries and how working collaboratively with the director of the mini-series helped shape crucial moments of the score.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:17 - The Morinda

08:11 - Bringing Him In

10:36 - Regret

16:00 - To the Escape Pod

OTHER TRACKS

00:13 - Atropa (End Credits)

18:10 - Cole Patrol Part 1

19:05 - Cole Patrol Part 2

SOUNDTRACK

The original score for ATROPA by Kevin Riepl was released on March 23, 2018 by Moviescore Media. You can find it on Amazon.com, iTunes, and streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can also hear more music and find out more about Kevin Riepl’ at his official site (https://www.kevinriepl.com/) or follow the composer on twitter @kevinrieplmusic

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Panu Aaltio is a composer based in Helsinki and Los Angeles. He has composed music to over 20 feature films, multiple TV series and video games, as well as a full-length ballet for the Finnish National Opera.

For his first solo feature work, The Home of Dark Butterflies, Panu Aaltio received a Jussi Award (Finnish Film Award) nomination in 2008. His next feature, the horror film Sauna in 2008, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was picked up for distribution by IFC Films. Since then he has been one of Finland's most prolific film composers.

Panu Aaltio has received the Best Documentary Score award twice from The International Film Music Critics Association, first in 2013 for the nature documentary Tale of a Forest, and in 2017 for the follow-up Tale of a Lake, for which he also won a Jussi Award. One of his most recent scores was for the late 2017 film, 95.

95 is a Finish drama about ice hockey and national pride. It’s a multi-faceted telling of how Finland came to win the Ice Hockey World Championship for the first time, and how it affected Finnish society to its very core.

In this episode of The Annotator, Panu Aaltio unpacks his original score for the 2017 film and tells how he addressed tackling this under-dog story that ended up enrapturing an entire country.  Aaltio shares about writing music that helps elevate or change the idea of hockey as a mere sport to the that of an intense battle or an even greater spectacle.  The composer opens up about writing a score that covers a wide range of emotions and contexts from epic to intimate and from tragic to triumphant.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:14 - The End of a National Nightmare

04:58 - A New Start

07:21 - The Final Match

08:27 - The Goalie is Choking

09:56 - Panic Attack

12:23 - The Royal Castle

14:31 - You Can Be Anything You Want

SOUNDTRACK

The original score for "95" will be released later in 2018 by Moviescore Media.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can hear more music from Panu Aaltio at his official site (panuaaltio.com) Follow Panu Aaltio on Twitter @panuaaltio

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Kris Maddigan - Cuphead

Kristofer Maddigan is a percussionist, drummer and composer based in Toronto, Canada. A member of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra since 2010, Kris also performs regularly with a wide range of groups including The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Toronto Concert Orchestra, The Thunder-Bay Symphony, Kris also works with numerous jazz, theatre and new music groups in and around Toronto.

Kris has composed music for the ‘My Virtual Dream’ project which premiered at Toronto’s Nuit Blanche in 2013 and one of his latest projects was composing the soundtrack for the video game ‘Cuphead‘, which debuted on X-Box One, Windows 10 and Steam on September 29, 2017.

Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional hand drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings. Play as Cuphead or Mugman (in single player or local co-op) as you traverse strange worlds, acquire new weapons, learn powerful super moves, and discover hidden secrets while you try to pay your debt back to the devil!

In this episode of The Annotator Kris Maddigan cuts deep into two tracks which have not gotten the attention from fans and reviewers so far - one of which is his personal favorite from the soundtrack.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

03:20 - Disc 1, Track 6 - Inkwell Isle One

06:40 - Disc 1, Track 26 - Pyramid Peril

OTHER TRACKS

00:00 - Track 1 - Introduction

12:24 - Disc 2, Track 8 - Dramatic Fanatic

SOUNDTRACK

The original score by Kris Maddigan was released on September 27, 2017 by Studiomdhr Entertainment Inc. and can be found on Amazon.com, iTunes and streaming on Spotify. You can also order the Cuphead Deluxe 4-LP Edition (Vinyl) from IAM8BIT

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can hear more music from Kris Maddigan at his official site (KrisMaddigan.com). Follow Kris Maddigan on Twitter @krismaddigan

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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Dominik Scherrer - Requiem

Dominik Scherrer is a British-Swiss composer, mostly known for his award-winning music for Ripper Street, Marple & BBC's The Missing.  Dominik’s credits further include Scenes of a Sexual Nature starring Ewan McGregor and Hugh Bonneville, and Alice Through The Looking Glass starring Kate Beckinsale. Scherrer is currently scoring The Widow, an eight-episode original series for ITV & Amazon, starring Kate Beckingsale. Another recent composing project for Scherrer is BBC One and Netflix psychological thriller “REQUIEM”.

REQUIEM was created and written by Kris Mrksa and directed by Mahalia Belo. this brand new psychological thriller series, starring Lydia Wilson, tells the story of brilliant young cellist Matilda Gray. When her mother inexplicably commits suicide, Matilda discovers tantalizing evidence linking her mother to the disappearance of a Welsh toddler 23 years before. When Matilda decides to travel to Wales, determined to explore the link between the two terrible events, her life suddenly spirals into a giant mystery and she starts to obsessively search for her true identity.

In this episode DOMINIK SCHERRER talks about the unique challenges he faced in creating a mysterious and unsettling score for the series; how John Tavener influenced him to write for cello to create an ethereal; otherworldly feel for the score, and how he collaborated with Natasha Kahn (Bat for Lashes) to add her vocals and omnichord to give its score its cultish feel.

ANNOTATED TRACKS

02:02 - Track 4 - Adopa

03:58 - Track 11 - Xai

06:47 - Track 9 - Edlprnaa

08:39 - Track 6 - Saaiz

10:10 - Track 10 - Lavavoth

OTHER TRACKS

00:00 - Track 1 - Aigra

SOUNDTRACK

The original score by Christopher Willis was released on Februrary 9, 2018 by Dubois Records and can be found on Amazon.com, iTunes and streaming on Spotify.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPOSER

You can hear more music from Dominik Scherrer at his official site. 

ABOUT THE ANNOTATOR

Produced by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman) and you can 

Find more episodes at THEANNOTATOR.NET or you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio or wherever you find quality podcasts.

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