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In this interview we hear about Kevin’s path into trailer composition and the creative instincts that help form his work. From his approach to shaping tone and direction to the nuances of crafting tension and narrative in short form, Kevin shares a clear and thoughtful perspective on the art of trailer music.
MASA: Could you tell us a little about your route into composing and what ultimately drew you towards trailer work in particular?
KEVIN: I started out playing in punk bands when I was younger, then got into composing and later electronic production. I’ve always been drawn to cinematic music, and trailers felt like a natural extension of it. I like that it’s a space where you can really push sound and texture.
MASA: In your position as Head Composer at Safari Riot how do you tend to steer a trailer project from that first conversation through to the finished piece?
KEVIN: I think it’s about aligning on the feeling early on, ensuring everyone is on the same page. From there I commit to a direction and try not to overthink it. Most of the time the best ideas come from just following what feels right early on. If the trailer has a clear narrative direction, that usually drives the musical direction. If it’s more open, then I lean more on the overall story, tone, and visuals of the film, and build something out from that.
MASA: Is there a recent trailer you’ve worked on that felt especially pivotal or memorable and what made that experience stand out?
KEVIN: There was a recent project where I had to bring together a few different styles into one world. The challenge with that is always avoiding expected tropes and finding something that actually feels like one piece, especially in a short format where it’s very easy to fall back on the obvious just to make it read quickly. I really enjoyed that project, just figuring out how far I could push things before they stopped feeling connected.
MASA: Trailer cues have to build quickly and hit hard – how do you think about structure, tension and release when you’re shaping that arc?
KEVIN: I like thinking about it in terms of different types of tension. There’s scary tension, emotional tension, and more neutral or world-building tension, and which one you lean into depends on the trailer. The pacing follows that as well, whether it’s more of a slow burn or something faster paced.
MASA: What kind of dialogue do you like to have with editors and marketing teams to make sure the music and picture are really pulling in the same direction?
KEVIN: I like to keep it quite direct and specific. What is this moment supposed to feel like, and what is the music actually doing here. Those conversations usually make it clear what’s needed, but also what’s not needed, which is just as important.
MASA: For composers who are keen to break into trailer work, what would you suggest they focus on developing, musically and professionally?
KEVIN: I would say start by watching a lot of trailers and films, and try to re-score them to practice. Learn what you like and don’t. On the production side, spend time learning different genres and how they work, then figure out how to approach them in your own way. And then professionally, just being consistent, reliable and communicative.
MASA: When judging this year’s Music+Sound Awards entries, what elements will make a trailer truly stand out to you?
KEVIN: I’ll look for unfamiliar sounds and how they’re put together in a way that feels new and interesting.
MASA: Thank you for sharing such considered insight into your creative approach and experience in trailer composition. We’re also very grateful to have you on board as a judge this year and truly appreciate the perspective you bring to the awards. We look forward to seeing what surprises stand out to you this year!
MASA: Could you tell us a little about your route into composing and what ultimately drew you towards trailer work in particular?
KEVIN: I started out playing in punk bands when I was younger, then got into composing and later electronic production. I’ve always been drawn to cinematic music, and trailers felt like a natural extension of it. I like that it’s a space where you can really push sound and texture.
MASA: In your position as Head Composer at Safari Riot how do you tend to steer a trailer project from that first conversation through to the finished piece?
KEVIN: I think it’s about aligning on the feeling early on, ensuring everyone is on the same page. From there I commit to a direction and try not to overthink it. Most of the time the best ideas come from just following what feels right early on. If the trailer has a clear narrative direction, that usually drives the musical direction. If it’s more open, then I lean more on the overall story, tone, and visuals of the film, and build something out from that.
MASA: Is there a recent trailer you’ve worked on that felt especially pivotal or memorable and what made that experience stand out?
KEVIN: There was a recent project where I had to bring together a few different styles into one world. The challenge with that is always avoiding expected tropes and finding something that actually feels like one piece, especially in a short format where it’s very easy to fall back on the obvious just to make it read quickly. I really enjoyed that project, just figuring out how far I could push things before they stopped feeling connected.
MASA: Trailer cues have to build quickly and hit hard – how do you think about structure, tension and release when you’re shaping that arc?
KEVIN: I like thinking about it in terms of different types of tension. There’s scary tension, emotional tension, and more neutral or world-building tension, and which one you lean into depends on the trailer. The pacing follows that as well, whether it’s more of a slow burn or something faster paced.
MASA: What kind of dialogue do you like to have with editors and marketing teams to make sure the music and picture are really pulling in the same direction?
KEVIN: I like to keep it quite direct and specific. What is this moment supposed to feel like, and what is the music actually doing here. Those conversations usually make it clear what’s needed, but also what’s not needed, which is just as important.
MASA: For composers who are keen to break into trailer work, what would you suggest they focus on developing, musically and professionally?
KEVIN: I would say start by watching a lot of trailers and films, and try to re-score them to practice. Learn what you like and don’t. On the production side, spend time learning different genres and how they work, then figure out how to approach them in your own way. And then professionally, just being consistent, reliable and communicative.
MASA: When judging this year’s Music+Sound Awards entries, what elements will make a trailer truly stand out to you?
KEVIN: I’ll look for unfamiliar sounds and how they’re put together in a way that feels new and interesting.
MASA: Thank you for sharing such considered insight into your creative approach and experience in trailer composition. We’re also very grateful to have you on board as a judge this year and truly appreciate the perspective you bring to the awards. We look forward to seeing what surprises stand out to you this year!
MASA: Could you tell us a little about your route into composing and what ultimately drew you towards trailer work in particular?
KEVIN: I started out playing in punk bands when I was younger, then got into composing and later electronic production. I’ve always been drawn to cinematic music, and trailers felt like a natural extension of it. I like that it’s a space where you can really push sound and texture.
MASA: In your position as Head Composer at Safari Riot how do you tend to steer a trailer project from that first conversation through to the finished piece?
KEVIN: I think it’s about aligning on the feeling early on, ensuring everyone is on the same page. From there I commit to a direction and try not to overthink it. Most of the time the best ideas come from just following what feels right early on. If the trailer has a clear narrative direction, that usually drives the musical direction. If it’s more open, then I lean more on the overall story, tone, and visuals of the film, and build something out from that.
MASA: Is there a recent trailer you’ve worked on that felt especially pivotal or memorable and what made that experience stand out?
KEVIN: There was a recent project where I had to bring together a few different styles into one world. The challenge with that is always avoiding expected tropes and finding something that actually feels like one piece, especially in a short format where it’s very easy to fall back on the obvious just to make it read quickly. I really enjoyed that project, just figuring out how far I could push things before they stopped feeling connected.
MASA: Trailer cues have to build quickly and hit hard – how do you think about structure, tension and release when you’re shaping that arc?
KEVIN: I like thinking about it in terms of different types of tension. There’s scary tension, emotional tension, and more neutral or world-building tension, and which one you lean into depends on the trailer. The pacing follows that as well, whether it’s more of a slow burn or something faster paced.
MASA: What kind of dialogue do you like to have with editors and marketing teams to make sure the music and picture are really pulling in the same direction?
KEVIN: I like to keep it quite direct and specific. What is this moment supposed to feel like, and what is the music actually doing here. Those conversations usually make it clear what’s needed, but also what’s not needed, which is just as important.
MASA: For composers who are keen to break into trailer work, what would you suggest they focus on developing, musically and professionally?
KEVIN: I would say start by watching a lot of trailers and films, and try to re-score them to practice. Learn what you like and don’t. On the production side, spend time learning different genres and how they work, then figure out how to approach them in your own way. And then professionally, just being consistent, reliable and communicative.
MASA: When judging this year’s Music+Sound Awards entries, what elements will make a trailer truly stand out to you?
KEVIN: I’ll look for unfamiliar sounds and how they’re put together in a way that feels new and interesting.
MASA: Thank you for sharing such considered insight into your creative approach and experience in trailer composition. We’re also very grateful to have you on board as a judge this year and truly appreciate the perspective you bring to the awards. We look forward to seeing what surprises stand out to you this year!