Spotlight is ComingSoon’s interview series with below-the-line and/or up-and-coming talent in the world of television and film. Our aim is to shine a spotlight on the varied positions that make the entertainment you love possible rather than focusing purely on actors and directors.
ComingSoon’s Jeff Ames spoke with composer Elias Serpa about his riveting score for the thriller In the Forest. The thriller starring Debbon Ayer, Lyman Ward, and Cristina Spruell is available to stream now. Watch it on Vudu Movie & TV Store, Prime Video, VUDU, or Apple TV on your Roku device.
RELATED: Dual Interview: Aaron Paul Talks Dark Sci-Fi Film, Working With Karen Gillan
Jeff Ames: What led you to become a composer?
Elias Serpa: I fell in love with music from a young age when I started playing the cuatro in school. Soon after, I picked up the electric guitar and found myself in Caracas’s underground music scene as part of a ska-punk band. After producing a few indie bands and scoring a couple of TV commercials for a friend, I relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and expand my sound palette.
What was it about In the Forest that made you want to work on it?
It was the underlying themes in the story that I really liked. It is a movie about family and reconciliation, framed in a camp-trip-gone-wrong thriller movie. I love thrillers and scary movies but I also enjoy the space they create for drama and other aspects of our human experience.
What was the most challenging aspect of In the Forest and how did you overcome that?
The most challenging aspect was to strike the balance between melodic/thematic material and the modern textural approach to film scoring. For Hector Barron, the director of the film, it was really important to have themes and melody while still sounding modern.
Do you have any fun, behind-the-scenes stories about the making of In the Forest?
One of the sounds that I ended up using a lot in the score I stumbled upon while walking my dog. It was an old cement mixer squealing and rumbling like a demon being exorcised. I took out my phone and recorded it for a few minutes, got back home, and started playing with it, resampling it in different octaves and it all sounded great! It ended up being used as an uneasy drone or a hellish scream for stings.
What were some of the things you learned from In the Forest that you’re excited to apply to future endeavors?
I really enjoyed the process of creating my own samples and instruments, I hadn’t made these types of custom sounds before and I loved how they helped shape the overall tone of the movie without calling too much attention to themselves.
RELATED: Spotlight Interview: Cinematographer Christopher Rejano Discusses Night’s End
Do you have any other projects coming up that you can share with us?
In 2021, I scored a short film entitled Freebirth. Directed by Juan Avella and Written by Amy Whittenberger and Juan Avella, the short was produced for 20th Digital and streams on Hulu as part of their Bite Size Halloween series. Currently, the team is developing a feature film version.
