Case Study: Deerstalker
- James Smith
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Creating the score for the 2026 short film Deerstalker was an interesting one, requiring a still ambience that did not feel stagnant, allowing for a natural space and an ancient threat. The score needed to provide an unsettled tension throughout with moments of sheer panic.
The Brief:
First off, the outline from director Rio Swatton was clear, organised and detailed, with reference tracks and a temp track all ready to go for discussing the first concepts. Because of this the process of delivering exactly what the narrative required was one of the smoothest and most effective scores we have so far delivered. We discussed each element in turn and electing to experiment with a number of sounds to pin down the sound world. A few days after our initial conversation I sent Rio around 30 minutes of varying motifs and ambience to establish the foundational tone which provided the base of the score’s sound palette.
The overall concept of this film is a natural world (a wood by the coast) hiding an unsettling and threatening mystery. Straight away we chose to use natural wooden instruments that were distorted and elongated more as the protagonist ventures deeper into the wood. The closer to the Deerstalker we get the more harsh the articulations are and the more the natural sound is destroyed. A move from typical concert flutes to a selection of simple wind instruments was also used to portray the mystery from an ancient time.
Behind The Music:
For this project I wanted to ensure the score felt free and improvised in response to the visual element. To create this sensation only a couple of cues were tempo locked with the majority of the motifs evolving aleatorically alongside the emotional development of the protagonist. The opening is scored from the perspective of the protagonist searching for his dog until the reveal of the Deerstalker where the perspective shifts to the Deerstalker itself observing from the distance.
Within this film you will notice that the Deerstalker watches and observes, never speaking or communicating directly. Musically this meant stripping back all thematic material, we hear rough sound bursts with varying emotional qualities without fully formed phrases or formal structures. Hopefully the music has the effect of conversing in a way where we feel the inventions without understanding exactly what is going on.
This score was created through a blend of:
Live; Cello, Concert flute, Wooden Flutes, Distorted Euphonium, Wooden Logs
VSTs; Gina Luciani Bass Flute, Benjamin Wallsfish Strings & Stringscapes, Piano Noire, Joshua Bell Solo Violin, Tino Guo Solo Cello
Plugins; VSS Joel Dollie & Valhalla Shimmer reverbs, Soothe2, Murdamelodies, Driver, izotope Trash.
Comments from the director:
“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Deer Park Studios once again on an all-new short film. James is so passionate about the project and I love the direction he’s taking the score. It leans into the atmosphere and really elevates the themes of the story, and it’s very different from what you’d expect from a conventional horror soundtrack. I’m so excited for everyone to experience it!”
