At the 53rd Annual Saturn Awards, held at the Hilton Universal City Hotel, composer Simon Franglen stopped to speak with Temple of Geek about his monumental work on the latest installment of the Avatar franchise. The red carpet event was a star-studded affair, though attendees had to brave an unusually warm and bright February day in Los Angeles. The heat, however, did not detract from the celebration of genre storytelling.
Two Thousand Pages of Music and Music as a Character
Franglen confirmed that his score for Avatar: Fire and Ash was one of the longest of his career, totaling a staggering two thousand pages. He noted that someone had mentioned it might be the most music produced for any single project in the last three years.
When asked how his music functions within the film, Franglen explained that his approach is deeply thematic. He credited director James Cameron for wanting distinct themes rather than just background texture. Franglen noted a general industry trend toward textural scores that stay underneath the action, but expressed gratitude that Cameron requested “big tunes for big characters.
A self-described “geek” for science fiction, Franglen shared his pride in his nomination and his excitement at being surrounded by so many of his heroes at the event.
For more from the Saturn Awards, check out:
Inside the 53rd Annual Saturn Awards – Photo Gallery
Doug Jones Celebrates Practical Movie Magic at the 53rd Annual Saturn Awards
For More Simon Franglen:
Composer Simon Franglen dives deep into Avatar: Fire and Ash, the most emotionally powerful chapter of the Avatar saga. In this conversation, Franglen discusses the seven-year journey behind the score, writing nearly 2,000 pages of music. As well as scoring grief and loss, creating new sounds for Pandora, and working closely with James Cameron until the final days before release. A rare look inside the music of Avatar: Fire and Ash – where fire, ash, and emotion shape the sound of Pandora.
