A successful film captures the audience’s emotions and a powerful score plays a key role in inspiring those feelings, providing us with emotional cues – often working on a subconscious level – which guide us through the on screen narrative. Gibraltarian Musician and Composer Hollie Buhagiar is truly prolific in the industry, working across shorts, features, commercials, TV and games, whilst straddling genres and incorporating bespoke, unique sonic landscapes into the visual arts she collaborates on. Buhagiar’s expansive body of work includes, among many others, a roster of shorts featured on the pages of DN such as Pampas, Cubicle, Me + Lee and I’m A Good Person. With such an impressive variation and creative breadth across her compositions and as part of our ongoing Film Industry Insights series, we sat down with the multi-award-winning composer to cover what brought her to the industry, how she approaches her work and collaboration with directors and the looming concern about AI music generation tools.
[The following interview is also available to watch at the end of this article.]
Was there a particular instrument you began playing that catalysed your working as a composer?
The first instrument I actually started playing was the piano and I really didn’t like it. I was young and wanted a hobby, but it felt very regimented. I loved the instrument, I loved exploring it, playing and messing around on it but I didn’t like the structure that I was being forced into. Funnily enough, it’s quite possibly my favourite instrument now and I wish I’d stuck to the lessons because I’d be a little better! However, I think my origin story is songwriting and vocals. It’s been the instrument that I’ve had a focus on throughout my entire career, and it’s found itself into most of my soundtracks. I love doing extended techniques and more avant-garde work, every single voice is inherently unique and that discovery provided me with a massive love for music and composition. There are a lot of rules and you need to know them to break them, which offers a joyous liberty. That was the catalyst for me discovering music and its compositionally where I started writing lyrics and melodies, I then started learning the guitar and a few other things so that I could support myself.
It felt like there were rules but at that point I had no knowledge of the specifics, then after learning them I realised that I was following most of them naturally.
So then what about film? What was the first project you worked on and how did that passion light up in you?
The first project, really boringly, was whilst I was studying at uni. My bachelor’s was a music production course, which encompassed composition and the more technical side of music with the goal of becoming self-sufficient as a songwriter. I tried all the songwriting modules and there was one film module left and I just thought, “Well, I’ll try it. It’s the first year, if I’m terrible at it, it doesn’t count towards my final grades” and it was a light bulb moment. The first things I scored were pre-existing films. A lot of horror. I love exploring tone and timbre and always thought, “This is something where you can really go wild.” It felt like there were rules but at that point I had no knowledge of the specifics, then after learning them I realised that I was following most of them naturally. But because of that, I was so excited to see what would happen when you get music and put it onto visuals. I’d only ever seen the reverse in which I’d write a song, and then there’d be some sort of music video accompanying it so it was a real 180. When I think about it, it’s mind-boggling that it didn’t come to me sooner because my mother is a watercolour painter so visual arts had always been in my life but it literally had to be presented to me. It felt like everything that I’d been brought up with just kind of married together in the most perfect and logical way.
At what point do you like to be brought on to score a film?
Normally, I like to be brought on at least somewhere midway through the edit. It’s often a luxury to be able to sit with the film and see how the edit’s progressing because more often than not, if the music gets involved sooner you have more flexibility with it. You can have a back and forth and interplay between the sonics and the edit and you can discover some amazing things that you might not have done otherwise. I’m often sent scripts which are always really great to read and sometimes I’ll be brought on at that stage. Sometimes I’m sent them because there’s something musical that needs to be considered before the actual shoot, but sometimes it’s to see if I’m interested in the project. Ideally, it’s before picture lock but I’m quite happy to go with the flow depending on the film and what makes most sense. Every single film is different and requires something different so it’s hard to entirely pinpoint and that’s what keeps it interesting and exciting.
I’m always looking for those happy accidents that open up an idea or spark something that really allows the soundtrack to take life.
Can you talk us through your various processes and how you approach a project once you have been brought on?
Depending on what I see of the film, sometimes I just get a treatment and they’re about to shoot, other times I get quite a solid cut or an assembly or just a script but the starting point for me is always the conversation with the director – the route they’re looking to take and the headspace they’re in with it. For me, those conversations are the ultimate source of inspiration. From there I will take what I know I have of the film, sometimes I’ll write not to picture so those conversations are really crucial, especially if it’s something that’s needed for the shoot – then I’ll just play around. I know different composers all differ with their favourite parts of the process, but for me, I really love the exploration. I just love to play around and try things out. I’m always looking for those happy accidents that open up an idea or spark something that really allows the soundtrack to take life. I feel like half my career is just me taking credit for mistakes that I made.
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In that first conversation, we tend to figure out a palette of instruments that work, maybe a few themes that make sense, then I score a couple of scenes that are informative for the film so we can figure out how we want music to interact with the narrative, the characters and the cut itself. From there, I tend to score the whole thing so we can see how it balances out. And then it’s working everything together simultaneously, because it’s great to hone into one cue, but the bigger picture is literally the picture, it’s everything. So balancing that out and making sure everything is working in isolation and together cohesively is integral.
What questions are you asking directors in that all-important conversation?
I always ask directors, “What do you want people to go away feeling once they’ve watched the film?” That is a very telling and fascinating insight into the intention of the film, and to me, that is ultimately what I’m trying to understand and figure out. Where the music and the film really connect is just the core emotion so it’s all about sussing that out, getting the nuances of it, and then going from there. That is what I’m trying to always draw out of a director and it fluctuates – depending on what the shoot and the cut does. Sometimes sound design can come in and completely shed a new light on things. Figuring that out so that I know when we’re starting out we’re on the same wavelength, we have the same goals and we’re working towards achieving the same thing is really what I’m looking for.
Where the music and the film really connect is just the core emotion so it’s all about sussing that out, getting the nuances of it, and then going from there.
You have worked with such an incredible array of filmmakers from all over the globe, how do you approach that process and connect with people?
When I can, I love to meet directors in person. There’s no replacement for meeting someone in person if the situation allows. Pre-COVID, I would always try to meet at least once but post-COVID, it’s gotten very online. I’ve come to find that everything’s changed. A lot of remote working will open up the industry, especially for composers which is exciting. You could be situated in any part of the world, and it wouldn’t limit you at all. Overall, 80% of the communication is online – Zooms and emails, sometimes calls, a bit vintage now. It’s always nice when you have a director that comes in towards the end and you fine-tune things, that can speed up the process a lot because what can be a back and forth on several emails, you can do in the blink of an eye in person. I’m always interested in collaborating as much as possible in person, but it just really does depend.
Are there any common mistakes you come across when collaborating with filmmakers new to working with composers?
I’m not sure I would necessarily call them mistakes per se, but I have found that there’s often a fear surrounding working with composers. Music can really make or break a project, it has immense emotive power, so it’s a very understandable reservation. In my experience, this can on occasion lead to collaborative boundaries. For me it’s always about open communication, if we’re striving to create something real, the more honest we can be the better, both with each other and within ourselves. It’s often complex to discuss music, it can very much feel intangible, which I suspect might be a contributing factor, but really we’re all connecting to the emotion of the project and that’s where every department meets and shares in a common language. It’s about finding a way to break those binds and get on the same frequency as each other, even if that means saying ‘“I have no idea”, because that’s actually a great starting point and is often the best idea if you ask me.
How do you decide on the right scripts for you?
Complex question. Prior to studying at the NFTS, I had never really read a script before. It’s a muscle that I’ve had to exercise and a skill that I’ve had to develop because I took the idea of it for granted before I did. When I was at the very start of my career, I’d read a script and struggle to understand the tone but across my career, I’ve grown to really love reading scripts. If they send me the treatment, I always ask if they’re happy to send the entire script. I find it such a wonderfully informative part of the process and it’s on the complete other side of things.
If a script is written in such a visceral way that it just completely captivates me and I can feel it and I can see it – that’s really exciting.
There seems to be a sort of instinctual draw to certain scripts that I feel will really work for me. Certain stories will speak to me, sometimes it’s the cinematic language. If a script is written in such a visceral way that it just completely captivates me and I can feel it and I can see it – that’s really exciting. I always love a high concept film that is, at its core, a human story which then expands into something, whatever it may be. I think the best sci-fi for me personally, are an example of that. They’re set in this world, but at their core, it’s a human story that you can’t help but connect with. I really love films where you can tell from the start that the music is gonna be a key aspect of the cinematic language, whether that be in a bold or nuanced way. That’s what really draws me to it.
How do you feel when you’re brought onto a project with temp music already in place?
It’s always glorious if you’ve come on earlier and they can temp it with your own music. That’s ideal but 80% of the time, it’s not the case. There are situations when there’s been temp in something for so long that everyone has grown to completely adore it and you’re fighting against that connection that they have, and more often than not, it’s a track that everyone already knows, so it’s almost impossible to emulate the exact connection because they already have a history with it, that’s when it’s toughest. But I really like temp, I think it’s really useful and it can speed up the process a lot. The time it takes to throw a few different tracks on there and see what works and what doesn’t, compared to the time it takes for a composer to write all those tracks.
There are situations when there’s been temp in something for so long that everyone has grown to completely adore it and you’re fighting against that connection that they have.
Temp, for me, is always interesting because unless it works absolutely perfectly, there’s always usually something that isn’t quite right that can be really eye-opening and so useful. At the start of the edit, depending on schedules, etc. it can be really helpful to get the ball rolling. There’s a power in temp and I’ve come across times where something’s been temped with an 80-piece orchestra which is big and complex and the budget doesn’t allow for an orchestra so you have to try to navigate that. It’s a really useful tool. I think temp love is very dangerous, and we can all see it coming a mile away and yet we can’t help ourselves sometimes – I like temp with reservations.
As has been the case with other creative areas, the last few weeks have seen AI music generation tools such as Suno and Udio touting their expanded capabilities. As a composer do you feel threatened by them and their potential effect on commissions or view them as part of your creative toolbox as an artist?
I must admit, they’re definitely a looming concern, I’ve already seen AI-generated tools being used on various bits and pieces. Whilst I don’t think they’re quite at the capacity to replace the nuance of what film and TV composers provide, I suspect the technology will develop to meet that level relatively soon, or perhaps do so decently enough that some creatives sadly might opt to go down that direction. It would be a great shame, one of the main aspects of what drew me to this industry is the collaborative essence of it, it would be extremely saddening to see that diminishing, it’s often what creates the most gorgeous and groundbreaking art. I’m always thrilled to try my hand at something popping up technologically or otherwise that may change the manner in which I write, expanding the potential for personal creativity, so I’m most certainly not against AI being used as a tool to a degree if it can open those doors. My hope is that there will be appropriate regulations set in place to protect and respect creatives (which do appear to be in the works) and perhaps this shift will inspire artists to be that much more creative and boundary pushing with their work.
What’s your favourite instrument at the moment that you’re incorporating into your work?
Today I’ve been using my angklung, I found it on Facebook Marketplace. I actually have a problem because I’m just constantly spying for new instruments. As I said, I love tone and timbre so I’m always really excited to get my hands on something new and try things out. My favourite instrument at the moment is the flute. I just bought my current one because I wanted to try a new instrument and it was sat there for quite a while because I know it is a complex instrument and there’s a technique that I need to learn. But every so often whilst working on a soundtrack I need a solo part, the voice doesn’t make sense, the instruments I can play don’t make sense, what could I try? And so I kept picking up the flute and I found so much joy in it. It has so much similarity to singing for me and it’s been really eye-opening. And my God, you put this through a guitar pedal and it sounds incredible. And then I’ve tried stretching the waveforms and there’s so much that can be done. So for now, I would say it’s that, just because I’ve ignited a passion in it and I’m slowly getting passable. If I need to do a solo part, I have to record 10 different takes and piece it together – Frankenstein it a bit.
One of the main aspects of what drew me to this industry is the collaborative essence of it, it would be extremely saddening to see that diminishing, it’s often what creates the most gorgeous and groundbreaking art.
You’ve mentioned horror and sci-fi in particular, but who are your filmic inspirations?
I love Lynne Ramsey so much, all her work has completely blown me away. Yorgos Lanthimos is great and I just love what he does – I think it’s a perfect example of how much music can connect and be part of the fabric of a film. The way he uses music is so incredible. Composer John Williams is a god, there’s no question. I love Jonny Greenwood, Mica Levi, and Danny Elfman as well. People that come at songwriting and soundtrack writing and music creation at an angle that feels a little different. I’m captivated by their voices and what they do and it just feels like their work is quite instinctual. It feels like art to me and they inspire me so greatly.
Do you have a favourite score you didn’t create?
Good question, I have so many to be completely honest. I know a composer has completely knocked it out of the park when I wish I’d written the music myself! A score that I absolutely love and always return to is the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack by the one and only John Williams. It’s fantastic, the themes are incredible and the exploration of timbre and instrumentation is truly superb.
Outside of film composers, which musicians/bands excite you the most musically and where do you hunt for and find new music?
I can become completely enamoured with a piece of music and listen to it quite literally for decades, so I don’t typically hunt for music as often as you might expect. I’m quite frequently sent playlist references during early score discussions and actually, that’s probably where I discover most new music, one of the many great perks of the job. That being said, the musicians/bands that I’ve been listening to most recently on repeat are Patti Smith, Hiatus Kaiyote, Bendik Giske and Kamasi Washington.
Given the prolific nature of your career, what multitude of projects are you working on now?
Royal Kill List, a three part TV Show with Sky. There Will Come Soft Rains, a wonderful short that’s about to start its festival run by Elham Ehsas [DN alum], who was recently nominated for a BAFTA. I’m near completion on a feature, I Really Love My Husband and I am to be working on a feature called To The Girl I Once Knew later in the year that has an amazing cast attached. There are some other really exciting up and coming things too, but naturally, I can’t mention them yet!
