Andrew Morgan Smith is the music composer for SyFy’s upcoming film Ozark Sharks, set to coincide with the release of the phenomenon that is Sharknado 4. He’s also done music for other shark-minded stories and similar creature features like Swamp Shark, Zombie Shark, and Arachnoquake. A shark film helped put John Williams on the map, so no shame in working on those kinds of projects, but Andrew has also worked on a wide range of other films as well.

He scored A Gift Horse, a family film starring Dukes of Hazzard‘s John Schneider.  Words, one of the short films Andrew worked on, screened at the Cannes Film Festival. True Heroes, another short he scored, won the LA Film Prize in 2014.

Andrew has also worked with David Newman, the composer of Ice Age, Galaxy Quest, and Anastasia, and with Nathan Furst, the composer of films like Need for Speed, Act of Valor, and Punch-Drunk Love.

Some of the things we discuss in this episode include

• How to compose for comedic moments
• The different approach involved in scoring for TV instead of film
• The story behind the Star Wars opening music
• What to do when an actor gives a bad performance
• How to collaborate with directors and producers
• When to use digital samples in a score and when to record a live orchestra
• Budgeting guidelines for adding orchestration to a score
• Using regional instruments to add texture

Andrew also shares a music clip from Ozark Sharks and talks us through his approach on that film and some of his other projects.

Listen to the Episode

• Andrew’s website: andrewmorgansmith.com