Behind the Score: Composing the Music for Fright – A Journey into Gothic Horror
At this year's FrightFest, we are thrilled to see Fright, a feature film set in 1937, making its debut. The film tells the haunting story of Emily, a young woman trapped in her own personal nightmare. Confined to a sprawling gothic mansion by chronic agoraphobia and a domineering mother, Emily's world is one of isolation and terror. She is haunted by malevolent forces just outside and clings desperately to the belief that her missing father could save her from this living hell. Central to her torment is the specter of a sinister black hand—a terrifying vision that has haunted her since childhood.
When I was approached to score this film, I knew right away that the music needed to be as much a character in the story as Emily or her mother. The gothic setting, the psychological tension, and the constant dread that pervades the narrative provided the perfect canvas for a score that could both support and enhance the film's emotional and atmospheric beats. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how that score came together.
Image provided courtesy of Sixty 6 Media
Crafting the Music Box Theme
When I first received the script for Fright, our initial concept was to keep the score small and intimate. The idea was to reflect Emily's claustrophobic world through minimal instrumentation—specifically, just a piano and a solo cello. But even before that could happen one of the first tasks was to establish a solid theme for the music box, which plays a significant role in the plot. This theme became a foundation upon which much of the score would be built.
The music box theme is delicate, almost childlike, yet haunting in its simplicity. It needed to evoke a sense of nostalgia while also carrying an undercurrent of dread—an echo of Emily’s traumatic past. I composed the theme and collaborated with a wonderful cellist, who has worked on several projects with me before. We explored a serialist approach to the music, using twelve-tone techniques to create an unsettling, disorienting effect that reflected Emily’s fragile state of mind.
Image provided courtesy of Sixty 6 Media
Working from the Script: Building Themes Before Shooting
One of my favorite ways to approach a score is to begin working from the script before the film has even started shooting. There’s a certain freedom that comes with this method—it allows me to develop thematic material without the constraints of having to match specific scenes or visual cues. This approach gives me time to let the music evolve naturally and ensures that by the time I receive the footage, I already have a strong foundation of themes and motifs to build upon.
For Fright, I had the opportunity to visit the set and immerse myself in Emily’s world. The mansion where the film was shot was a character in itself, with its creaking doors, dark hallways, and eerie atmosphere. I spent time recording sounds in the house—everything from the groaning floorboards to the old pianos left behind from the 1950s. Many of these found sounds became integral parts of the score, contributing to the film’s unique sound palette. These elements helped create unsettling moments and added an organic layer to the music that connected directly with the film’s setting.
Adapting the Score to the Footage: A Shift in Approach
As often happens in the creative process, plans changed once we saw the first footage. The cinematography was stunning, particularly the way the lighting played with shadows in the black-and-white format. This wasn’t just a gothic horror film anymore; it was a visually rich and haunting experience that demanded a score to match.
Image provided courtesy of Sixty 6 Media
We decided to lean into the classic gothic horror tradition, using sweeping orchestral strings to elevate the film’s grander, more dramatic moments. You can hear this shift clearly in the opening credits, where the score moves from massive hits and swells into flowing, melodic patterns. This orchestral approach contrasts with the more modern, experimental elements of the score, like the found sounds from the mansion that we used to create jump scares and tension-building risers.
Underscoring the Diaries: A Consistent Theme with Subtle Developments
One of the most important recurring elements in the film is Emily’s diary entries. These moments required a consistent musical theme that could subtly develop as her character evolves. This is where my assistant, Rebecca Corfield, made a significant contribution to the score. Rebecca joined the project and wrote a considerable amount of additional music, and her work on the diary underscoring was particularly impactful.
The diary theme had to balance the tension of Emily’s inner turmoil with the introspection of her written words. Rebecca took the initial theme I had created and added her own unique touch, developing it further to reflect Emily’s emotional journey. These subtle developments allowed the score to progress alongside the narrative, providing an emotional throughline that tied together the various diary entries throughout the film.
To highlight this, we underscored two different sets of diary entries. The first iteration of the theme is sparse and restrained, capturing Emily’s sense of entrapment and longing. As the story progresses, Rebecca’s development of the theme adds layers of complexity and depth, mirroring Emily’s growing desperation and unraveling sanity.
Collaboration and Final Thoughts
Working on Fright has been a deeply rewarding experience, not just because of the film’s compelling narrative but also because of the collaboration it involved. Having Rebecca Corfield on board brought a fresh perspective to the score, and her contributions helped elevate the music in ways I couldn’t have done alone. Together, we were able to create a score that enhances the film’s gothic atmosphere and heightens the emotional impact of Emily’s story.
In the end, the score for Fright became a blend of classic horror elements, experimental techniques, and intimate, character-driven themes. It’s a soundtrack that, much like the film itself, balances on the edge of beauty and terror, constantly shifting between the two.
As Fright premieres at FrightFest, I’m incredibly proud of the music we’ve created and how it complements the haunting visuals and story. I hope that as audiences experience the film, they’ll find themselves as captivated by the music as they are by Emily’s harrowing journey.
If you’re interested in hearing more about the creative process behind scoring films like Fright, or if you have any questions about specific parts of the score, feel free to reach out or leave a comment below. We’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes insights and music in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
