JUNE 2025
This interview offers an insightful exploration into the world of trailer music through the experiences of Aneta Wrzos, a key figure at Elephant Music. From her unconventional entry into the industry to her role in crafting distinctive, emotionally nuanced compositions for high-profile projects like the MASA-nominated Lady Chatterley's Lover, Aneta shares valuable perspectives on creativity, innovation, and the challenges of meeting tight deadlines. Read on to hear about the intricate balance between artistic expression and client expectations in the competitive trailer music landscape…
MASA: Can you share how you first broke into the trailer music industry, and what specific skills or experiences proved most valuable in establishing yourself in this competitive field?
ANETA: My beginnings in the trailer world weren't glamorous nor deliberate to be perfectly honest. After working as a sync creative for several years, I decided to leave the industry and pursue a full-time career as a DJ just before COVID. I was looking to get back into the industry once all the venues closed down, and serendipitously Vik was looking to expand the team at Elephant. One of the most valuable skills is being attuned to the energy and tone of the project, and being able to distinguish between the smallest emotional nuances, which comes from having done thousands of catalogue searches over the years. Spending time in the studio as a music producer and songwriter has also proven valuable in being able to really get under the hood with production and deliver a premium product to our clients.
MASA: How does Elephant Music differentiate itself from other music studios?
ANETA: We succeeded in cultivating a distinctive sound which sets us apart from other music studios - organic, saturated, dark. All team members are actively involved in music, film and the arts, which reflects in how we approach creativity. We also have a 'quality over quantity' policy when it comes to custom composition as well as catalogue.
MASA: Can you walk us through your creative process when producing the music for high-profile trailers like ‘Lady Chatterley's Lover’ (nominated for a MASA in 2023)
ANETA: It will usually start with a written brief, followed by a client call. The brief will outline the broad strokes of the projects, and the calls are useful for understanding the nuance. Some projects will start with a musical reference, which is helpful in drafting initial ideas and getting the tone right. After speaking to the client and listening to the reference, we select the most suitable composer, and in the case of Lady Chatterley, pair them up with the most suitable vocalist. In this case we had to write not only the music, but also original lyrics. Luckily we had experienced lyricists in the team and were able to tackle this in-house, ready for the vocalist to record her parts. We usually do several rounds of revisions internally, making sure the composer hits all the points before sharing with the client. This process feels like feedback ping-pong as we're feeding back to the composer almost in real-time due to the tight deadlines. I believe we only had 48h to deliver this full-length track! The client will usually have some notes on our V1, and once everyone is happy, we export the stems, deliver the full package to the client, and cross our fingers.
MASA: How do you balance the need for innovation with meeting client expectations in trailer music?
ANETA: We tend to subtly introduce new instrumentation and new approaches to dynamics, until they become the norm. Trailer drums are a good example - everybody uses them to drive the story, but it's about using sounds that aren't overdone, and placing them slightly differently than the tried and tested patterns.
MASA: Can you share an example of a particularly challenging trailer project and how you overcame any obstacles?
ANETA: Honestly Lady Chatterley's Lover was probably the most challenging. There were hurdles every step of the way, and I'm proud we overcame them all to produce a great piece. First of all, the cut was locked to a well known commercial track that couldn't be cleared. The client explored all avenues to find a replacement, but nothing was quite nailing the tone, so a ground-up custom composition following the dynamics, edit points, tone and narrative was the only option. But it had to be original enough not to alert any rights holders. Since the cut was locked and the air date was confirmed, the turnarounds were extremely quick. Sometimes the notes would come in to amend the lyrics when the original lyricist wasn't around, so I'd have to jump in and contribute with the lyrics in order to hit the deadline. The vocalist had issues with external noise while recording, so the composer spent a lot of time cleaning up the recording. And to top it all off, it was all happening while I was abroad on a beach holiday. Thank god for data roaming!
MASA: And what are some of the most innovative projects you've worked on at Elephant Music?
ANETA: Some of the coolest and most innovative projects are currently unreleased, but something I'm very proud of is our commercial label 'Subtle Energy', where we adapted a hybrid model of signing artists that we love and believe in, but working alongside them to help the music hit all the key points to become successful in sync. This approach has worked extremely well so far, and we've had tracks placed in promos, adverts and game trailers in just a few months.
MASA: Can you discuss how the style is adapted when working on different genres?
ANETA: The trailer genre has so many sub-genres and the differences can be so subtle. There are sub-genres within horror, within thriller, drama and so on. An action horror track like the Scream trailer will sound totally different than a psychological horror track like Bring Her Back. It's still horror, but it evokes completely different emotions through the instrumentation choices and the use of space and dynamics. The same principle can be applied to all other genres. My rule of thumb is: the sparser the music, the more elevated it feels, no matter what genre.
MASA: What advice would you give to aspiring composers looking to break into the trailer music industry?
ANETA: First and foremost, watch tons and tons of trailers! Listen to the energy and the dynamics, analyse the silences. Don't just listen to the chords and instrumentation. Dissect and scrutinise every element individually, notice when sounds come in and dip out. Notice how the tracks build. Find your niche - we love working with composers who specialise in a certain sound, rather than being jacks of all trade. And this might sound obvious, but make sure you're easy to find, and your music and work are easily accessible online.
MASA: And lastly, what will you be looking for when judging? What makes a piece of work worthy of a Music+Sound Award?
ANETA: I'm going to be looking for tracks that make me feel something and leave a lasting sensation. That's how you know the emotion is real and authentic. I'm also looking out for tracks that go beyond the tried and tested digital sample libraries, and use sounds I haven't heard before. I'm looking forward to hearing all the amazing work out there!
MASA: Thank you, Aneta, for sharing your expertise and candid insights into the world of trailer music. We are also deeply grateful for your role as a judge at the Music+Sound Awards, where your discerning ear and passion for innovation will be invaluable in recognising and celebrating the outstanding talent within the industry!
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