An Interview with Oleksandra Shevchenko
I had the pleasure of collaborating with the exceptionally talented Ukrainian composer Oleksandra on my feature film Skinjacker. I wanted to ask her a few questions about her experiences and insights as a composer.
David: Tell us who you are and what you do (in the industry)?
Oleksandra: I am a film composer, autonomous composer, and pianist. I create unique scores for short films as well as full-feature movies.
David: What was your initial inspiration for Skinjacker's score, and how did you begin the creative process?
Oleksandra: The initial inspiration was the soundtrack for "Under the Skin" which was used as a temp track for the movie. To begin, I spent a few days choosing sounds and getting new libraries to accumulate a palette of all the possible colours I would need to create the score for Skinjacker.
David: Are there any specific scenes where you feel the music plays a crucial role in enhancing the audience’s experience (without any spoilers of course, haha)?
Oleksandra: The first time we see the farm comes to mind - a new theme is being introduced and it sets the mood and tells the viewer how to feel about this place without anything happening (yet). I can not think of any other scene that I would be able to mention without spoilers but I think in general in such a genre music is a big part of the audience's experience.
David: Ah yes, the change in tone and mood once we (the audience) reach the farm is fab, I really love that part. Okay, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced while composing the score?
Oleksandra: The biggest challenge was to compose a cue that was 10 min long - to make it interesting, and continuous, to have enough tension and keep following the picture, but not to give everything away too soon. You helped me a lot with brainstorming and finding the right approach.
David: Explain how we collaborated to ensure the music matched the overall vision of the film?
Oleksandra: Before I started working, we had a call where you shared your idea for the soundtrack and we discussed the creative process. You also shared the temp track for the movie which was extremely helpful since it was my first time composing such a score. While working on Skinjacker, I would send every finished cue to you to get feedback and I would work on each cue until you were happy with the result. Your feedback was always fast, precise, and to the point, which really sped up the overall process of creating the score.
David: Too kind, but it was an enjoyable process and you always understood where I was coming from each time and to be fair, you usually nailed those cue’s without too many revisions. Did you use any unique instruments or techniques to create the film’s distinctive sound?
Oleksandra: I implemented a few orchestral instruments (mostly cellos and double basses) into the synth score and I did a lot of sound layering to achieve certain textures and colors. But I think I didn't do anything that hasn't been done before :)
David: Who are your influences in music?
Oleksandra: If talking about autonomous compositions, my recent influences are Dmitri Shostakovich and Arvo Pärt. For film scores - I don't think I can single out anyone, I watch a lot of movies, I listen to the music that accompanies the film, and I try to learn something new, so I think if I have any influences then it's a combination of many different film composers.
David: Much the same as myself. What do you hope audiences will feel or take away from hearing your music in a film?
Oleksandra: I hope they will get engaged and curious enough to sit through the credits to see who was the composer :)
David: I’m sure they will. So, what are you currently working on?
Oleksandra: I have just finished two short movies and one autonomous project, so I am taking a short break while talking to a few directors about potential projects. I am also developing a couple of fresh ideas on collaborating with a photographer and making my own short movie for my final exam at ArtEZ University of the Arts, where I am currently studying Composition for Film and Theater (graduating next year).
Oleksandra working on a film score
David: Brilliant! I’m looking forward to hearing (and watching) what you get up to. What would be the ultimate project for you to work on one day?
Oleksandra: I would love to work on a TV show one day. Preferably drama or thriller.
David: Thanks so much for doing this little Q&A Oleksandra, best of luck with all your current and future projects and hopefully we will work with each other again soon.
Oleksandra can be found at the following links:
Website - https://www.oleksandrashevchenko.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oleksandra.shevchenko.music/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8vF7daOVeqUJoVWHnApEMA
