For example, Geralt of Rivia, which became Geralt’s theme and the main theme of the show, was the very first music suite we wrote back in October 2018.
This gives us a good roadmap on how to structure the thematic material within the arc of a film or show. Which was perfect because we love starting every new project by writing thematic suites. S: Very early on, before the shooting started. We received the scripts for the show and as soon as we read them, we were immediately transported into this unique universe and knew right away we wanted to be a part of it.ĬM: How early on in production were you both brought into the fold? G: Lauren and the team were familiar with our previous work. For The Witcher in particular, the inspiration came from the story itself and the endless creative possibilities it presented.ĬM: What was your journey like for landing The Witcher score? Were you part of a pitching process? S: When we start working on any new project, we try not to look for inspiration in other scores and sources, simply because then we don’t feel like we’re creating something new but rather developing the material that already exists.
The downside is, the chocolate runs out much quicker.ĬM: As the series is based on the book by Andrzej Sapkowski did you both read it to get any inspiration for any of the character themes? Did the game soundtrack influence any of your ideas? Having the two of us together in the studio is crucial. We have a lot of instruments here in the studio, which we both play and record. On top of that, recording is an essential part of our process. We’re always in the studio working together, it’s a very collaborative process. There’s always a lot of music to write and a very little amount of time to do it. It also means spending many hours in the studio. G: You have to be extremely versatile when writing music for film and television. It keeps the creativity flowing and brings in new and unexpected ideas to the table. When working long hours in the studio, it’s refreshing and creatively so much more beneficial being a team. This leads to new discoveries and approaches we wouldn’t think of otherwise. Then I take this idea, extend it or compliment it with something completely different from what he originally imagined. For example, Giona might come up with an idea. S:…but instead, we compliment each other’s style. Therefore, we’re not trying to compete with each other… He used to perform with many bands from rock to jazz playing both drums and piano, so his approach is definitely different from mine. Giona, on the other hand, comes from a band environment. Growing up in Russia, I have been exposed to the wonderful classical music education Russia is so well regarded for. S: Jokes aside, we work so well together because we come from different music backgrounds. G: I think ‘madness’ might be the best word to describe our creative process! Just imagine, my Italian dramatic sensibilities mixed together with Sonya’s Russian persistence and passion. Sonya Belousova: So Giona asked me one day if I was interested in collaborating with him on the score, and I thought, “that sounds like a very curious project, why not!” We both envisioned this as a one-time collaboration, however, it ended up being so creatively fulfilling that from then on, we continued our journey as a team.Ĭ M: When you're in the studio what does your collaborating process entail? Do you both go away separately and come back together to discuss ideas?
I knew Sonya was a phenomenal composer and a virtuoso concert pianist… I do play piano, however, I am no virtuoso.
Giona Ostinelli: Years back I was scoring a David Mamet produced movie Two-Bit Waltz, which required an eclectic type of score from bluegrass to electropop with several scenes asking for a virtuosic piano. Composer magazine: When did you both begin to collaborate together on soundtracks?