The "Star Wars" series has always been known for its magnificent narrative and unique musical style. With the latest live-action series The Believer, fans are in for a new story that explores not only the light and dark sides of the Force, but also the gray areas in between. "The Believer" is set in the era of the High Republic, and the plot follows "The Phantom Menace". From Russian Doll writer, producer and director Leslye Headland, this mystery thriller centers on the reunion of a former Padawan (Amandla Stenberg) and her Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae), who Work together to investigate a series of dangerous crimes.
The show presents an exciting creative opportunity for Pulitzer Prize-winning 21st century composer, Emmy and Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Michael Abels. Abels wanted to find a balance between the traditional Star Wars orchestral style and the sharp sound design he had demonstrated in the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Us, and No.
In an interview with The Credits, Abels shared the challenges and inspirations he faced during the creative process. He discusses at length how to score scenes such as intense fight scenes, alien witch gatherings, and lightsaber unleashes.
Early discussions with Leslye Headland
"The Believer tells a completely new Star Wars story, one with new characters and set centuries before other stories we're familiar with," Abels said. "So Leslie and I There was a lot of discussion about the balance between the expected and the unexpected, how to continue the tradition and enhance it in the way she wanted it to be, and we decided on a gorgeous orchestral score because that's a hallmark of Star Wars, but at the same time making sure the music told the story of these new characters. s story."
Maintain a balance between tradition and innovation
Abels talked about incorporating more impactful musical elements into the fight scenes: "A lot of the fight scenes were inspired by martial arts, and Leslie really leaned into the Eastern aesthetics of Jedi philosophy. So, for those scenes, we used The way the music is primarily percussion-based and not particularly harmonious makes these parts feel very different sonically from the rest of the Star Wars universe.”
Emotion-based theme creation
Abeles took an approach to composing the theme based on the emotions of the characters rather than on specific characters: "There's an aspiring Jedi, and her theme plays out as she pursues greatness and morality. The theme also plays out in her quest for greatness and morality. used when Thor appears. Another theme represents the rise or expansion of evil that isn't tied to a specific scene or character, but rather is part of the unfolding of the story. These cues are based more on the emotions on screen than on specific characters. ”
Score for a coven of witches
Abels details the process of creating the music for Coven: "These witches are an important element of the story, and I started with them as they played the music in front of the camera. This meant that the music had to be there before filming. The music. It’s mostly female voices, because Coven is all female, and we made sure that there were voices from all over the world in the music, and that each singer could sing riffs that were different from their cultural background.”
audience expectations
Abels discussed the use of a violin solo in the show: "Amandla is a talented violinist, so we used her solo in the film. There are also some battle scenes with lightsabers in the film, and I Divide these battle scenes into two: lightsaber and non-lightsaber battles with the loud brass sound that is a signature sound of Star Wars, especially during heroic moments.”
Unforgettable moments in creation
As a composer and Star Wars fan, Abels shared a beautiful moment from his time working on The Believer: "When we were working on the music for Coven, I felt it was really important to be on set. I was able to get on set, even though it was Filmed in a cold January in London, but an unforgettable experience."
"The Believer" premieres on Disney+ every Tuesday in the United States and every Wednesday in the United Kingdom, and we look forward to fans watching and enthusiastic discussions.