In Conversation with BMus Electronic and Produced Music Student Wenshan Yu
In Conversation with BMus Electronic and Produced Music Student Wenshan Yu
We caught up with BMus Electronic and Produced Music student, Wenshan Yu, about composing the soundtrack for an award-winning animation. From the initial concept of the score to recording with the Guildhall Session Orchestra and attending the awards night, we hear about this unique experience.
You are now in your second year at Guildhall. Why did you choose to study BMus Electronic and Produced Music, Film Music?
I have been learning piano since childhood and I improvise a lot. A few years ago, I created soundtracks for some friends' animations and they liked it, this was very encouraging to me. I heard that at Guildhall students get loads of opportunities to collaborate and build their portfolio. I think composing for film will help my music impact more people, that’s why I chose Film Music at Guildhall.
You composed the soundtrack for an animation that won the NOVA Award 2024 and the YourNOVA People's Choice Award. What is the NOVA project and how did you get involved?
This is a school level collaboration between MA Character Animation at Central Saint Martins and Film Music at Guildhall. The professors from both schools arranged a meeting where the animators from CSM presented their graduation projects (the short films) to composers. Then the students pitched a short piece of music for each project they wanted to compose music for. Finally, the directors chose which composer they would like to work with from the pitches they had received. I fell in love with Bhavna Madan Mohan's short film If I Raised My Mother during her presentation. It’s about the parent-child relationship, and I composed an original score to pitch for the story. Luckily she chose my music!
How did you compose the music? What were the key steps and stages of development?
I composed the melody for two main parts of the animation during the pitch stage. The first step is always to analyse what kind of emotion the director wants to express in different parts of the film. Bhavna is a director with very good music sense and knows exactly what she wants, so she had a very clear brief which made my work so much easier.
Next, I needed to find a music idea that worked for the emotion and film structure, and most importantly, it needed to sound great. The beginning music needed to be playful and reminisce about childhood. I imagined something singable and flowing, with a happy memory.
The melody for the second part of the film is less straightforward. It needed to be sombre yet serious and picks up with hope eventually. I made hours of tries on piano before it eventually came to me. But when it appeared it worked so well and was so beautiful.
Once you had created the melody, what were the next steps?
After deciding the melody, I orchestrated the piece and paced the music to build up towards the emotional explosion in the end of the story. Barbara, my weekly tutor at Guildhall, gave me invaluable advice on composition technique that I applied when scoring for this film.
Afterwards, the most magical step was the live orchestra recording session with the Guildhall Session Orchestra (GSO), who produce industry-level high quality music. I conducted the GSO and they put life and soul into my music. Guildhall's Electronic and Produced Music department is so unique and they are really dedicated to their students, they provide such great resources as if we are working in the real industry.
Guildhall has provided us with mixing lessons given by engineers with many years of experience in major studios. With that knowledge, I was able to produce a suitable mix of the recording for the film. And the music soundtrack is done!
How did you collaborate with the animator? How did you build that working relationship?
Once we had established our collaboration we immediately arranged a meeting. We expressed how much we liked each other’s creative work. It was like finding the soul mate for our creation. I asked her what she liked and disliked about the pitch I wrote for her animation, and she asked me about my opinion on the film’s music. We discussed and agreed on the direction of the film and Bhavna gave me a lot of trust and freedom to complete the music. In the later meetings, after a few tries and tests, we found the best version. During the process, we witnessed how each other’s work gradually became complete and found out that we share similar working ethics and it’s a dream to work together.
How was the Awards night and how did you feel about being part of the winning team?
That evening, 15 finalists, selected by the judges from 1300 graduating students, eagerly awaited hearing their names announced at the ceremony. I had the opportunity to speak with many talented individuals, and each shortlisted work was profound and unique. Six awards were presented that night, and when our work was announced as the winner of the YourNova Award, we were ecstatic. Because we managed to win a trophy among so many outstanding works and we were the People’s Choice.
When all the runner-up awards were announced, the atmosphere became very tense. The presenter said he hadn’t prepared an elaborate speech for this winning project, as he believed everyone should experience it for themselves. Then, he said, ‘’please play the film.” The next second, I saw our animation on the screen, and my music started playing. My mind went blank, the film’s supporters screamed, Bhavna and I hugged instinctively. When the film ended, the audience burst into applause, and I saw many people who were moved to tears.
I was very grateful to the organisers for showcasing our film. This two-minute short film had the ability to immerse and move everyone quickly, which meant the world to me - it was validation on a different level. What followed was a celebration. I am also particularly thankful to the Electronic and Produced Music Guildhall teaching staff. They always prioritise students’ career development and go to great lengths to ensure their success.
If you could be the composer of a piece of music for any animation or film, past or present, what animation would it be and why?
If I had to choose one animated film, I would say Mulan. Musically, Mulan offers immense potential. The tragic yet heroic war scenes can be brought to life with powerful orchestral scores, while moments of family love call for tender, heartfelt melodies. The playful interactions, especially with the dragon Mushu, provide opportunities for light-hearted and witty music.
The story’s rich cultural background also allows the integration of traditional Chinese instruments with orchestration and modern instruments, which would create a unique and authentic soundscape.
