The Sound Architect speaks with composer Silas Hite about his career, some advice for aspiring composers as well as some insight into how he works. Silas has worked in Film, TV and Games, working on Skate 3, The Simpsons Videogame, Shaggy and Scooby Doo Get a Clue, various commercials and many many more.
How did your journey into composition begin?
I started playing music, drums specifically, when I was 11. In high school, I realized I wanted to start writing songs so I picked up the guitar and bass as well. In college I studied experimental composition and percussion performance. I think it was around that time I discovered that I really didn’t like learning and performing other people’s music note for note and I had my own ideas that I thought were worthwhile.
How long have you been professionally composing now?
Over 10 years. I started at my uncle’s Mark Mothersbaugh’s studio, Mutato Muzika, when I was 23 and have been freelance about 3 1/2 years.
What has been your proudest project so far?
That’s tough! I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of good projects that have let me exercise a lot of creativity. One that comes to mind is a Martini & Rossi commercial starring George Clooney that only ran in Europe. I am a big fan of Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City, Machete) and he was the director. I was proud of the music I wrote for that and felt it was up to par with company it was keeping.I’m typically very proud of the all the scores I do, but recently I scored a documentary called, The Record Breaker, that I am particularly fond of. It’s about the man with the most records in the Guinness Book of World Records. He’s a middle aged man on a spiritual journey that involves breaking very odd records, like catching malt balls in his mouth while riding atop an elephant. Or going up Mt. Fuji. The subject and subject matter were both very fun and even childlike in some ways, with a sense of anything is possible. There was also a touching back story with his parents, so when I created the score I was able to combine these elements of joy and discovery with the heart of his family story.
What has been your most challenging project so far?
I think one of the most challenging things I’ve had to repeatedly deal with is when clients want a very realistic orchestra sound but don’t have a budget for live players. I’ve become quite adept with sample libraries as a result, so I guess it’s not all bad!
What would be your dream project to compose for?
Scoring a Paul Thomas Anderson film would be high on the list! I think more than a dream project, I dream of developing a long standing relationship with a director where we respect each others visions and we can grow a creative body of work together. A good example that most people would be familiar with might be Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. P.T. Anderson had that going with Jon Brion and is now developing that with Jonny Greenwood. In both cases, I imagine there was a lot of mutual respect going on and in the end, both the films and the scores were extremely creative, separately and together.
Do you prefer to work on Games, TV, or Film?
I like them all for different reasons. I love scoring video games because I feel that it is one of the most creative mediums out there. I like that the pieces can be long and develop over time. The technology behind the implementation of the music is always changing too and often Audio Directors are pushing the boundaries of what the audio in a game can do. I find that interesting. I like to be a part of that.
I like TV for the breakneck schedule! I know that sounds crazy, but there is something about getting caught up in the madness of the quick turnaround and just having to crank out high quality work in a short amount of time. It forces extreme focus. I do a lot of commercials and I like them for the same reason.
Films are great because you are often creating a large body of work, an hour’s worth a music or more, in a few weeks or a month. I like that great output, or out-flow, of art in a concentrated period of time. Films are also great because they have long lives after they leave my studio. The premieres, the festivals, the DVD release, the soundtrack, etc. It’s fun to travel and take part in these events. I try to go to film fests and screenings to hear the audience reactions and hear the music in different spaces. I listen to how it translates over different sound systems. Over the last few years a film I scored called, Robert Williams, Mr. Bitchin’, screened in major art galleries across the United States. The NY MOMA and The LA MOCA, etc. The halls and sound systems it played on varied wildly and it was interesting to hear how the mix of the movie and consequently the music, varied quite a bit as well.
Does your artistic side ever influence your compositional side and vice-versa?
Oh yes, of course. They go hand in hand. Creating music is very much like painting or sculpting to me. It is about creating a complete piece. I do a lot of drawing and have a few art shows a year. I love doing freelance illustration jobs when I have time. I love to draw and listen to music I am working on at the same time. It changes the way I listen and often I hear new ways to approach the music or the mix.
What software do you use?
Pretty much just Logic. It is great for scoring, song-writing, recording, mixing. I use Melodyne to fix pitches when needed. It can be handy when producing singers. I work with singer-songwriters quite a bit. I enjoy producing and co-writing quite a lot.>
Do you mainly source real instruments or use VSTs?
I use as many real instruments as I can given the budget, time constraints and style of music. I play many instruments myself so I tend to write in ways that maximize my talents so I tend to play most, if not all the instruments on my compositions. That plays into my creative process but also saves money for my clients because I don’t have to hire as many players. That said, I do love when I have the budget and/or the opportunity to hire great players! LA is full of them and it is always a joy to work with talented people.
Do you have any go to plug-ins?
I use a lot of plug-ins. My favorites are probably Sound Toys. I have a lot of 3rd party plug-ins, but I actually have a lot of luck with the plug-ins that come with Logic. A lot of it is quite good. Often it’s more about knowing how to use a tool correctly than the tool itself, in my opinion.
Do you mix and master it all yourself?
I mix everything myself, but I don’t master myself and I don’t recommend it. I hire my friend Hans DeKline, the talented mastering engineer behind Sound Bites Dog. He has mastered every style of music you can think of and I trust him with all of my albums and cues that need mastered.
How do you begin a composition when you receive a brief, what’s the first thing you do?
Usually the music just starts forming in my head after reading the brief and by the time I turn on my computer or pick up an instrument the music has already started coming out. Then I just try to catch it!
What is your usual process?
Absorb the materials, listen to the clients wishes, and then put my hands on an appropriate instrument and just go for it. I’ve learned to trust my gut instincts. I usually write the piece of music about to about 60-90 percent completion in the first sitting and then I leave it for a bit, come back to it and usually it will tell me what is missing. Then I finish the piece and the mix. However, I also mix as I go quite a bit. I think I developed that out of necessity, doing a lot of commercials and TV shows that had very fast turn-arounds.
What advice would you give to aspiring composers reading this?
Learn to mix and produce your music until it sounds great. Half the battle is making your music sound professional enough to compete with all the other amazing sounding music that is out there. Read as much about mixing and production techniques as you can. Ask questions from people who know how to mix. If you are not comfortable mixing, keep doing it until you are. Unless you can afford to hire someone to do it for you, which is fantastic. But even if you can, many times there isn’t enough time for that. Especially if you are dealing with commercials or TV.
Any major Do’s and Dont’s?
Do be professional, pleasant and dependable.
Don’t be late, or give excuses.
What lies in the future for you?
I will keep making music and art until I die. Hopefully people will continue wanting to pay me for it!
Finally, what would be your number one tip for composers?
Don’t be defensive about making revisions to your music. Learn to separate yourself from the creation you poured your heart into because you may have to dismantle it. You may not even recognize it by the time the revisions are over. But if someone is paying you to create music for their project, you must remember that you were hired to support their vision first and foremost. Also, even though you may be confident you know more about music than they do, that doesn’t mean they are not capable of making astute observations about how the music is functioning (or not functioning) in relation to their project.~Allow yourself to be wrong! Remember it is a collaboration. Many times I’ve been surprised to find that after revising a piece of music I thought was absolutely perfect, it actually did serve the scene better after being revised, and that is the ultimate goal.
Silas is currently still composing for various projects is also an artist. His music and art can be found at www.silashite.com. For more great interviews don’t forget to check out our Interviews page!