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Composer Joseph Metcalfe on the Importance of Character Themes in 'Depravity'

There's a special brand of cinematic theme music we hear and instantly connect to a specific character or movie. Some of the most popular examples of this are James Bond, Superman, and Indiana Jones—or even Dewey’s theme from the Scream series. Themes not only add to the story, but also help define a character, giving the audience a glimpse into their inner thoughts and feelings. In Paramount’s latest horror/thriller, Depravity, character themes play an important role in navigating the story through its twists and unexpected turns. The film’s director, Paul Tamasy and composer, Joseph Metcalfe started brainstorming ideas about these long before the film was even shot, and once shooting commenced, Paul played tracks Joseph sketched for the actors so they could get a sense of what the tone would be. When discussing the subject, Joseph says, “Paul and I both wanted each character to have their own theme, something that would link elements of their character to other key moments of the film. Being the writer and director, Paul knew every nuance intimately and often gave instructions of how he’d want two scenes that were apart from each other to connect musically, giving clues and nods to certain parts of the story without giving anything away.” Joseph talks about this and much more in the below Q&A.Editor's note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity. - YouTube www.youtube.com No Film School: How did you first become involved in the music business? Was there a particular film score...

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Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 16 October

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