I chose the bass clarinet (a very similar sonic profile to a frog’s ‘voice’) for Walter’s simple, emotionally adaptable theme and glockenspiel/tuned percussion for the dandelions’ (a short, flighty theme reflecting the positivity and optimism this character represents in the context of this particular story). Devices such as the call-and-response of the dandelion beckoning others and the bass clarinet’s interaction with those dandelion instruments are intended to evoke the protagonists’ dialogue (especially in the 'thank you' and 'you're welcome' in the final scene). Orchestrally, simple string pads and chords provide harmonic support to the two main thematic instruments, with winds and brass providing colour and weight during the more emotionally charged points in the narrative. Overall I aimed for a score redolent of (English illustrator) Raymond Briggs’ work as I felt this suited very much the style, characterisation and sentiment of ‘Walter’.

Being a lifelong fan of horror (and reflecting the tropes in the film) I’ve tried to pay homage to some of the most celebrated exponents of the genre while crafting an original and cohesive score; the high, tense strings recalling Hitchcock/Hermann, the synth sounds/devices redolent of Argento and Carpenter (and current resurgence post ‘Stranger Things’), the recurring and deliberately childlike 8-note melody a nod to films like ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘The Amityville Horror’, and the brief quote from the ‘Scream’ soundtrack in keeping with the references in the film itself. However, the more modern percussion/sound design used throughout is intentionally the bedrock of the score and fixes the film chronologically as very much a 21st century piece.

I kept this score light and traditional for the most part, employing a handful of themes with subsequent treatments sympathetic to the narrative and reserving a more grave sentiment exclusively for the bear attack (the film’s tone shifts starkly at this point). I used imitations of pieces from other films when the scene suggested; notably ‘I Wanna Be Like You’ for the transformation scene and second office scene, and ‘Born Free’ for the finale. Other devices include bitonality when we see the cage damage but the zookeeper doesn’t, call-hold type music for the office scene, brass/wind hocketing to imitate car horns in the traffic jam and an amalgamation of the funeral march and previously heard wedding march when we see the couple’s photo for the second time.