Photo by Greg Grudt/UPI
The BUZZ had the chance to cover San Diego Comic-Con, and it was a jam-packed year! From activations to star-studded panels, it was one that was a can’t miss. During the course of the 5 days, which include preview night, we conducted several interviews with talent showcasing our nerd-dom but also love for this environment.
We had the chance to speak with the Emmy nominated composer for, “Shōgun,” Leopold Ross about creating scores for scenes in the series and how the show has garnered such a huge following.
Read the interview with Leopold Ross below:
Leopold Ross: This show is in all Japanese, so I am thinking, “This is an odd piece. This may not be the biggest show. In effect, it may be a niche show.”
NaVell J. Lee: What do we call it, that one season show where it feels like an episodic series? It wasn’t going to catapult in such a way that is has.
LR: It has been exciting to be on this rollercoaster.
NJL: You are nominated this year in the Primetime Emmy Awards in two categories, I believe.
LR: Yes, for, “Main Title Theme,” and for, “Dramatic Score.”
NJL: What was your reaction when you heard the nominations that came out for the show?
LR: I was super excited. I think they were announced at 8 AM. *laughs* So, I just woken up, and went, “Oh s***, I think this is happening now!” I was literally sitting on my bed and logging on through my phone, but then, it was like, “Ugh, it’s a .pdf,” and it didn’t come up. I tried using Safari and worked on figuring it out. Obviously, I did get to see the nominations, and I was super excited. Then, my phone started blowing up like crazy. It was really nice to have that moment.
NJL: I love music composition, because I feel it is the secondary actor as the music makes the scene. When you come up with the scores, do you see the work first and then come up with the music? Or, do you already have an idea in your head?
LR: What I try and do, which may not be what most composers do, is that I try to come on to a project as early as I possibly can. I want to have a discussion with the director or showrunner and try to see if they have any visual references that they have used before shooting. I try to immerse myself in their ideas and material before they shot the show. Then, I’ll go back and use our conversations and as inspiration for my imagination, basically, just write music based on being inspired by what we’re about to do.
Often, those pieces that I’ll make will be like the seeds of the score. I can also then make it a little bit more of a collaborative thing, so when we have our conversation, I can make some stuff and send it to them while they’re shooting. On Shōgun, that’s what I did. One of those pieces ended up being the main title theme. The guy wrote back and said, “That’s it! That’s the sound there!” Suddenly, you got a little foothold, and you can run with it. That’s not to say that it was immediately put in as the main title. We were still doing notes on the main title when we were finishing episode 10 of the show.
NJL: Oh, wow!
LR: *laughs* It was a long road, but that was the kind of seed that grew the plant, as you will.
NJL: One last question. We did touch on the Emmy nominations with Shōgun earning 25 in the drama categories. The fact that it is getting that momentum with the Emmy and Astra TV nominations, what does that say to you about the fact that we love this show so much, especially as you pointed out that this is a Japanese strictly spoken show? Everybody loves this program. How do you feel that even the Television Academy is looking at this and saying, “This is fantastic material”?
LR: I think it says that if you focus on quality above all else, it’ll be recognized, which I feel great about. I think it also says that audiences are ready for something different. If you are brave in your approach, you can be rewarded.
NJL: Thank you so much!
“Shōgun” can be seen on FX, and the 76th Emmys will be taking place this September.
More Comic-Con interviews are on the way, so stay tuned for more coverage.
