Anyone following this year’s annual Fortnite Halloween event, Fortnitemares, knows that this year was bigger and better than ever, especially because of the new skins. Players got to interact with characters such as Sally and the Pumpkin King from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Cruella de Vil and Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. There also was an original score to coincide with all the new game play, thanks to composer Chris Thomas. Chris is no stranger to hair-raising music, he provides original music every year for Halloween attractions such as Knott’s Scary Farm, Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, Creep (LA), Queen Mary Chill in Long Beach, CA, Haunted Soiree (Glendale, CA).
Next up for Chris, Smol Games/Daedalic Entertainment’s much anticipated title, Hyde’s Haunt & Seek. The game is getting released next year and a new trailer just premiered on IGN. In case you aren’t familiar with the game, the description reads: Spook or be spooked in this ghostly multiplayer horror game! Play as either the mortal Seeker, hunting for prized possessions of the dead, or as Ghosts, using pranks and scares to keep those pesky humans from your prize. It’s multiplayer mayhem as ghouls clash with go-getters in a haunted manor!
In the below interview Chris pulls back the curtain on how the Fortnitemares and Hyde’s Haunt & Seek scores were created.
There are many iconic characters in Fortnitemares including Edward Scissorhands, Leatherface, Jack Skellington and Billy the Puppet. Which did you have the most fun creating music for?
Well, picking a favorite is always so hard. These character themes are all my twisted little children! That said, I truly had fun with Ultima Carver. At first, I didn’t think I’d relate to this character so much. Then when I set the music to his dark and melancholy world, things about this character jumped off the screen at me in a new way. I’ve noticed gamers out there talking about this music with a mixture of confusion and glee, and that’s just what I was hoping for. Sometimes, you need to slow down, and let deeper qualities of a character rise to the surface, and get the big drums out of the way.
You have said that you got to experiment with different styles and sounds that you don’t always get to play with when working on Fortnitemares. What were those?
While people seem to remember the big, explosive drums and pipe organs, most of the music was very low key. When I started on the game, I expected non-stop action and hype music wall-to-wall. This was a silly assumption! The developers wanted me to explore more nuanced, textured, and eerie sounds and spaces in the score. That kept getting the right response, so we ran with it. Lots of soft, bending strings, layers of soft textures, strange spatial elements floating around the stereo field and such. I don’t often get to use those tricks outside of theme park rides, so it was a blast using them in a game!
Do you have a favorite Fortnitemares track you created for the game?
While I can’t mention too many specifics on details and where (and how) I did everything, I do have a favorite. But I’ve been advised not to call attention directly to this detail. However, I do invite you to jump into the game, have a listen, and let me know which one you think it might have been.
What knowledge did you walk away with after working on Fortnitemares that you hadn’t known before?
There wasn’t much musically and creatively that I haven’t done before. It was more my curiosity about companies like Fortnite and Epic Games. I’d not worked for either of them before, and I’ve always wondered what it was like collaborating with them. I certainly got my answer. It was an elevating and creatively fulfilling experience. They are wonderful people with a lot of creative vision, and I was thrilled to have a small part in this creation.
For people that haven’t gotten a chance to play Fortnitemares yet, how do you think this year’s event is different from previous years?
This may be surprising, but I’m not much of a gamer. I come from the world of cinema and scripted storytelling. I grew up with movies, all my friends are filmmakers and screenwriters, and I’m an obsessive nerd over all things film. That said, I’ve had some limited encounters with Fortnite in the past, and really loved the experience. When I saw this year’s gameplay, I personally thought it was a massive step forward. At first, I figured my inexperience with gaming accounted for my reaction. Then I saw the response online. Every major gamer and streamer was elated over their experience of this year’s gameplay, storytelling, and they even seem to like the music. While I’m not the most relevant on gaming out there, it seems the community has been quite delighted by this year’s product.
The limited-time mode, Horde Rush, is back, this time with Mod Benches. Did you create any new music for this mode in particular? If so, can you tell us about it?
You know, I think they ended up using some of my music there. I don’t recall writing anything specific in these locations, but I do know there are a few spots where some music returns. I may be wrong about this, there are a lot of music cues in this game. If you find some, let me know!
You created original music for Smol Games’ Hyde’s Haunt & Seek which is being released next year. What can you tell us about your work on the game?
We can discuss anything you like about this game! While Fortnitemares was a high-intensity gaming experience, Hyde’s takes a very different approach. What I mean by different is a more classic gaming style, where you’re the one doing the haunting (as a ghost) or the seeking (as another character). With Hyde’s, we wanted to evoke the sounds of Halloween-classic, a la the Disney Haunted Mansion as our main inspiration. Then we settled on a quirky, waltzy theme in that classic, spooky style. The score is very melodically driven, and full of whimsy, pipe organ, harpsichord, theremin, choir, and dramatic string solos. We’re still in-progress with this soundtrack, and I cannot wait to share it with the world!
How was your creative process different on Hyde’s than Fortnitemares?
In many regards it’s the same process. The way one scores a scene or zone in a game is pretty similar. However, the spirit one embodies when approaching the score is another thing entirely! With Fortnitemares, it was a high-intensity, focused, and heavy-handed action score at times. With Hyde’s, it’s all about keeping each area and scene steeped in quirky, nostalgia goodness. It’s a style of writing I really love, and working on this game made me feel like I was 10 years old again.
Which video game scores have really stood out to you in the last few years?
Great question! I would say, Gordy Haab’s Grammy-winning Star Wars score was just an absolute delight. It was a masterclass in style, orchestration, and all-around great composing (even though it was steeped in the musical language John Williams). A personal favorite of mine has been anything Austin Wintory produces. He and I were in the same class at USC, and I’ve always looked up to his example for how one can stay original and musically-centered even amid the most chaotic scoring process. His recent score for Stray Gods (a musical theater and gaming fusion) is the stuff of legend. When I grow up, I want to be more like these guys!
Can you give our readers any more insight on what it’s like being a video game composer?
I think what most people don’t realize is how frantic our lives can be. In music school, you learn nothing about what it really means to produce several hours of music for a game (or film, or theme park for that matter). A young musician must accept you may be working 12-16 hour days, seven days a week, sometimes for three months at a time. I have to simplify my diet, no drinking, and find ways to move once or twice each day (walking or running). That said, the work itself is fun, exciting, and very fulfilling. Dealing with characters, story structure, inventing a sound, recording amazing musicians – that’s the easy part! What a young musician may want to consider is how much you will forfeit in the rest of your life. There is no 9-5, no regular schedule, and lots of unpredictability. Best not to be surprised when you get the first gig!
Many thanks to Chris Thomas for taking the time for this interview.