Venezuelan composer and sound designer Andres Boulton is thriving in Hollywood, whith more and more studios demanding his unique style. I had the chance to talk with the talented South American about his body of work, goals, and much more in an exclusive and relaxed interview.

Nestor Bentancor: How did you start with the world of film scoring?

Andres Boulton: My dream was to play rock, and I did in a few bands. But in Venezuela you don’t have many opportunities. When I was 25-years-old I started to do TV and Radio commercials. I really enjoyed because projects were always different. Things started to get increasingly bad in my country so I decided to come to the United States. I took a film scoring course in UCLA and started to meet other composers. After I finished my studies I worked as an orchestrator and gained experience with student films, shorts, etc.

What are the projects that you are the most proud of?

All of them have been special, but some where particularly challenging and linger in my memory. I few years ago I workd on a Sony movie called “30 Days of Night: Dark Days.” That film had long scenes and required a lot of music. I was restricted by the style that we agreed upon at the beginning so it was challenging to come up with pieces that weren’t that similar with each other. I loved having that experience and I received the Golden Reel Award for that one.

In 2012 I started doing music for the TV show “Chosen.” I would love to watch that series as an audience member. It is very tense and unpredictable. The music has grown increasingly intense with each season, reflecting more and more action. It started more as ambiance music and not it has more rhythm. I love that evolution. We are getting ready for season 4. It’s Crackle’s most popular show.

A couple of weeks ago the scary movie “Beneath” was released. That score was very special and minimalist. I approached it as an ’80s science fiction film, like we were using primitive synthesizers. It is about a group of miners trapped in the dark, 600 feet below. Being underground it’s such an alienating experience that I compare it to being in space, in another world.

That’s interesting. Horror is usually the genre with the most manipulative and evident scores.

You have a lot of freedom because the main goal is to scare people. As a composer it is a lot of fun because you can try any instrument and effect. And it is usually prevalent in the sound mix. But it always have to follow the image, you should always think of it as a whole and never try to take the spotlight from what it is being seen. Sometimes, the smartest thing to do is to have no music at all, and you need to understand and respect those decisions. It’s a team work.

I haven’t done any video games yet. Are you interested in that?

I am open to that, of course. That’s a very interesting field. At the beginning the music was extremely basic but today’s technology allows the medium to include the same kind of audio that you hear in movies. I would love to do video games.

What is the unique thing that you think you can bring to a project?

Most people that crate “ambient” music are pianist, influenced by people like Brian Eno. I love that, but I do it with a guitar, and that isn’t very common. I use the piano in my music, but I play guitar with a violin bow and I use that as a keyboard player would use an electric sound. Also, I don’t listen a lot of film composers, like 90% of film composers do. That’s fine when you are learning, I mean, you are always learning, but I have other influences.

Do you think that it is easier to be a successful Latino in Hollywood if you are behind the camera?

When you are in front of the camera, your genes are evident. If you look Latino they will offer you roles to play Latinos. If you are Latino but don’t look like the image people have of a Hispanic person, you won’t be offered the chance to play one. And it is the same with your music. Everyone knows that I am Latino, but I don’t limit myself presenting me as a “Latino artist.” At the end of the day what matter is your style and the quality of your work.

Do you have a directors’ wish list?

I would love to work with Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, David Fincher and Sam Mendes.

You can listen to the exchange en español in the audio-only video below:

About The Author

@NestorCine es un periodista y crítico de cine en Hollywood. LA-based entertainment journalist and RT-approved critic. LEJA member.