The Art of Session Musicians in Film Scores: Mastering Genres from Horror to Romance

It’s almost impossible to think of an iconic film scene without also remembering its accompanying music. Film scores are vital to the success of any movie and are responsible for conveying mood, injecting tension and creating the right atmosphere for those of us watching. In this article, we’re taking a closer look at the distinct approaches composers take when scoring different film genres and highlighting the pivotal role of session musicians in bringing these compositions to life.

Scoring Horror: Crafting Tension and Fear

Horror films need to engage all the senses to scare their audience. That’s why the horror genre typically relies heavily on music and sound to evoke terror and have us on the edge of our seats.

Famous horror scores include Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho, composed by Bernard Herrman, and the lasting legacy of this film can still be heard on screens today, with high strings now synonymous with stabbing.

Likewise, who can recall the 1975 Steven Spielberg blockbuster, Jaws, without also humming those two sinister notes, the brainchild of composer extraordinaire  John Williams?

Contemporary composer, Christopher Young is best known for scoring the 1987 film, Hellraiser but has continued to work on critically-acclaimed horror movie scores in the decades to follow, including films such as Urban Legend (1998), Drag Me to Hell (2009), Pet Sematary (2019) and most recently, The Offering (2023).

However, at times in horror films, it’s the absence of sound that creates tension, and this genre relies more than others on moments of quiet – or even silence – to build suspense. This maximises the impact when the soundtrack ramps up at the height of the tension, emphasising jump scares that have the audience flying from their seats.

Romantic Melodies: Evoking Emotion and Intimacy

On the flipside, romantic movies and rom-coms are designed to sweep us off our feet and make us feel safe to laugh and cry and fall in love right along with the characters.

Greats such as the late John Barry, who scored the 1985 epic romance, Out of Africa, understood the importance of melodic, sweeping orchestral scores to capture the magnitude of the swelling emotions displayed on screen. Barry also composed the scores for 11 of the 25 James Bond films and won multiple awards for his contributions to film.

French film composer Alexandre Desplat is also a notable composer of romantic film scores, including the tender and evocative score of the 2017 Guillermo del Toro romantic fantasy film The Shape of Water.

Action-Packed Scores: Driving the Momentum

When it comes to action films, composers need to enhance the excitement and quicken the pace to keep the audience engaged and excited at what’s about to unfold.

Action music needs to enhance rather than distract from what’s happening on screen and match the energy and intensity of a scene. Drums and rhythm are key here, as is instrumental layering and volume.

Notable composers in this genre include multiple award-winning German composer Hans Zimmer, famous for scoring blockbusters such as The Dark Knight, Inception, Dune, Gladiator and the Sherlock Holmes films, to name just a few.

Meanwhile English composer, John Powell has composed scores for over 70 feature films, including family favourites such as How to Train Your Dragon, Ice Age and Happy Feet as well as action movies such as the Bourne films.

Versatile Composers: Mastery Across Genres

There are, of course, many composers who successfully work across multiple genres, such as the late Italian composer, Ennio Morricone, who is considered one of the greatest and most prolific film scorers of all time, composing across a wide range of styles.

Canadian composer Howard Shore, responsible for The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit scores has also written an opera and composed music for the American sketch show, Saturday Night Live.

This kind of versatility allows composers to adapt their techniques to different film styles, to build varied and illustrious careers and to redefine what it means to be a film composer in the modern age.

The Role of Session Musicians in Creating Film Scores

Composing scores for any film requires an understanding of how it will all come together during recording. Large orchestral sessions for blockbuster films often require comprehensive logistics and considerations, including public liability insurance for musicians to ensure smooth and safe recording environments.

Session musicians are used to record film and TV soundtracks and many will not have seen the music they’re expected to play until they’re about to record it, meaning they must be able to sight read and quickly develop a feel for the piece they’re playing and respond immediately to feedback and instruction.

Session musicians work within a variety of ensembles and groups and may be expected to play solo parts or join a full orchestra so must be adaptable and used to playing alongside other musicians who they may not have met before, as well as working with producers, directors, composers and conductors.

Clearly, their contribution to the creation of film scores cannot be underestimated, and though session musicians may not be the ones responsible for composing the music to accompany our favourite films, they certainly have a significant role to play in bringing the composer’s vision to life and translating the music into what we hear when we watch the finished film on the big screen.