Temp love and creative freedom – an interview with Composer Samuel Kim

Unveil interviewed Samuel Kim who composed select portions of the score for She Has A Name.  He spoke to us from post-production to share about his background and influences.

You have a very diverse musical background, what are some of your musical influences that have shaped who you are as an artist?

Since I was 6 years old, I grew up in the church playing all the band instruments and eventually specializing in Jazz Guitar and Piano. As I entered my teenage years, I started playing in punk and rock bands and finished college playing the guitar in Jazz Big Bands and Symphony Orchestras.

I am currently studying under Emmy nominated composer/songwriter, Daniel Ingram working on Animated Kid Shows such as My Little Pony, Littlest Petshop and much more.

My biggest musical influences were Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Bolton, David Foster, James horner, Hans Zimmer and much more.

What drew you to work in composing and scoring music for film and television?

I wanted to become a music producer and make records but I was just terrible with lyrics which limited me from making great songs with my artists.

During my last semester in college, I took a film scoring class and learned the incredible world of creating instrumental (background) music for picture. That was when I knew I wanted to become a Film and TV Music Composer because I didn’t have to worry about lyrics, and creating music to a visual was very inspiring for me.

Tell us about SAYASOUND and what types of projects you work with and are looking for.

I co-found SAYASOUND with a friend of mine who is an audio engineer/sound designer, and we provide music and sound services for Film, TV, Commercials, and Games.

We have worked on both big and small projects and have been involved with some great people on awesome collaborative projects.

My personal goal is to compose music on a seasonal TV show and luckily I have the amazing opportunity to co-write a Chinese Rom Com TV series later this year. Also to enter the world of Hollywood. One day.

Actors and directors approach scene work using different techniques, how do you approach a scene and enter the world of the story in order to imagine its sounds?

The physical and mental feel and emotion of the scene inspires me to hear sounds in my head before I even record a single note.

Initially for She Has A Name I was thinking traditional orchestra sounds but I wanted to give the sound a bit more ambiguity because of such sensitive and delicate emotion since we are talking about Sex Trafficking and Prostitution.

I decided to experiment with bowing various instruments (guitar, Thai dulcimer, wine glass) with a Cello bow and make my own unique sounds for the film to give it originality.

Samuel Kim in studio with She Has A Name director Matthew Kooman in The Space in Red Deer. Photo Courtesy @instagram/samuelkimmusic

What are some of the challenges of composing music for a film?

One of the many challenges I face is when the director/producer is married to the temp music also known as “temp love”.

I do believe that temp music helps me understand what the Director/Producer is hearing, but it really limits me to be creative when I am asked to compose a score that sounds similar to the temp music.

What I loved about working on She Has a Name is that I wasn’t presented with any temp music, which gave me the absolute freedom to experiment and be extremely creative.

How did you learn about She Has A Name and what compelled you to collaborate on the film?

A mutual friend of ours, and amazing singer-songwriter, Des Larson, connected me with Unveil Studios through email.

During that time, I was working on a feature documentary by Jubilee Project titled “Save My Seoul” which is about the sex trafficking and prostitution industry in South Korea.  When I got the email from one of the Directors to score the music for SHAN, I just had to do it because I was so amazed by the timing!

I want to use my music to influence the world in a positive way and to be part of life-changing and impactful films was a huge accomplishment for me.

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Follow Samuel Kim on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. And make sure you look up  and listen in on his Soundcloud.