Ask any one of the countless aspiring actors, directors, writers, and composers who've flocked to Tinseltown chasing the American dream, and they’ll tell you that Hollywood is a hard egg to crack. Success doesn’t come easy in this town, and for composer/orchestrator Penka Kouneva, it’s been a journey that’s taken her, literally, around the world. Born in Bulgaria, Kouneva began composing at a very early age and has been honing her craft ever since. A combination of talent, perseverance, and fate brought her to Los Angeles in 1999, and since then she’s worked on some of the biggest projects with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Whether you’re a filmgoer, a gamer, or both, chances are you’ve heard her work, especially if you’re into fantasy, sci-fi, and horror (genres of which Kouneva herself is a huge fan).
Speaking of horror, Howlin’ Wolf Records recently released on CD for the first time Kouneva’s original score for MIDNIGHT MOVIE, a film that won the “Best Feature Film” award at the Chicago Horror Film Festival and was named “DVD of the Month” (March 2009) by Fangoria Magazine. To illustrate the film's intense action and suspense sequences, Kouneva weaves orchestral and electronic textures together seamlessly, employing several different themes to reflect the shifting emotional landscape of the film and the plight of its characters. Oh, and it’s scary, too.
iF Recently spoke with Kouneva about her latest project and her career.
iF MAGAZINE: MIDNIGHT MOVIE has received a lot of attention in horror circles, with its clever nods to genre favorites and movie-within-a-movie storytelling technique. What were some of the unique challenges that you met while working on this project?
PENKA KOUNEVA: I had an unusual challenge, to score a “movie-within-a-movie.” Here’s the synopsis: a midnight showing of a “cult” 70's horror movie turns to chaos when the Killer comes out of the celluloid to attack those in the theater. I had to compose 2 scores: one for the “old movie” that is being made fun of by the audience members and the other for the “film” we are watching. The “old score” sounds dated but takes itself seriously. I used musical ideas from 70’s genre scoring (weird instrumentation: thin high violins and bassoon, early synth patches, meandering chords for suspense). The modern score is dark and earnest. Collaborating with director Jack Messitt was a fantastic experience.
iF MAGAZINE: How did you approach the different character themes that you created for the MIDNIGHT MOVIE score? Do you believe that thematic development is important when scoring a film?
KOUNEVA: Yes, I think that thematic approach is very important because the themes become sonic identifiers for the characters, then anchor the film emotionally and make the score memorable for the audience. MIDNIGHT MOVIE plays with a few metaphors, one of them being fear. I wrote a delicate, sad theme for it, which then became Bridget’s Theme (piano and string tremolos). The Killer gets his own 4-note falling motif capturing his demented persona. The killer’s house is underscored with prepared piano, high strings, dark suspenseful music -- my homage to both THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and the rich harmonies of Bernard Herrmann.
iF MAGAZINE: What equipment do you use when you are composing? Are you a pencil-and-paper sort of gal, or a state-of-the-art cybercomposer?
KOUNEVA: I use Digital Performer, Giga samplers and soft synths (Omnisphere, Stylus RMX, East West RA, etc). I always begin with a pencil and paper and work out all the themes in my mind before turning the computer on. Then composing and sequencing goes very fast. I do sequence everything … but when needed, I rely for elevated synth design and mixes on my brilliant composer collaborator Chris Lord who enhances my cues with a layer of electronic embellishment.
iF: How did you come to pursue a career as an orchestrator and composer, and what originally interested you in this path?
KOUNEVA: I began composing for theater as a teenager. I’ve always loved film and collaborative ventures. During my graduate years at Duke I also composed a lot of orchestral and chamber music for the concert stage. But my heart was in film always. I credit Michael Kamen’s score for BRAZIL as that life-changing experience that made me pursue film scoring as a career. In 1999 I came out to Hollywood not knowing anyone, with a portfolio of concert music and a few tiny documentaries. Fortunately, I connected with composer Cliff Eidelman. He responded well to my style and introduced me to film director, Mitchel Levine, who was finishing up his thesis film, SHADOWS, a Holocaust family drama, at the American Film Institute. Mitchel wanted a soulful Eastern European sound; when he heard my music, he said “this is exactly what I’m looking for!” I began scoring other AFI thesis shorts and that led to my 1st feature score, a modern rendition of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY. Those films were my training grounds as I was re-inventing myself as a film composer. However, I still had to pay bills … so I orchestrated for the Emmy-winning composer Patrick Williams who at the time (1999-2001) was scoring dozens of TV films. He was my first mentor and taught me the ropes. I was also proof-reading the orchestrations of Conrad Pope (on SLEEPY HOLLOW) and of Erik Lundborg (on all of the MATRIX films). Eventually I met Bruce Fowler (Hans Zimmer’s orchestrator) who gradually began giving me orchestration assignments on Zimmer’s films and also introduced me to Steve Jablonsky in 2004, to Nathan Barr in 2005 (HOSTEL) and to Neal Acree (STARCRAFT II, WORLD OF WARCRAFT). I am thrilled that I continue to work with these brilliant composers whose work I admire deeply. I truly love my dual career as orchestrator and composer, because I get so inspired by the work of the composers I orchestrate for, and many of their scores have been influential in the formation of my own style.
iF: You’ve also composed music for several video games, including TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN and PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE FORGOTTEN SANDS. How is the process of scoring music for video games different than for films and television?
KOUNEVA: I am very grateful that my relationship with Steve Jablonsky as his orchestrator (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING, TRANSFORMERS) led to composing additional music on his games. Both games were fantastic experiences. About the differences … In film, the entire score must synchronize with picture and must support the arc of the scene or “hit” various moments in the narrative. A film cue could be short but with great variety (a dramatic development, a rousing climax). In games, music has different functions: to create an environment and an experience for the gamer (by ambient, suspense or combat loops that sustain their respective texture and energy levels).
iF: Who are some of your favorite film score composers, and which do you believe have been the most influential in the development of your own style?
KOUNEVA: Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Mychael Danna, Cliff Eidelman, Steve Jablonsky, Michael Kamen. Here are some “illuminations” from my 20’s: BRAZIL by Michael Kamen ignited my passion for film scores, MAGIC by Jerry Goldsmith had me spellbound – a link between 20th Century dark classical music and genre scoring. PARIS, TEXAS by Ry Cooder sparked my passion for Americana. PASSION by Peter Gabriel was an illumination with its fusion of Eastern and Western sound. Anything by Chris Young (THE DARK HALF, especially), Ed Shearmur, and Thomas Newman. More recently, the music of WORLD OF WARCRAFT and STARCRAFT II I found immensely inspiring, also Steve Jablonsky's score to GEARS OF WAR 2.
iF: What can we look forward to hearing from you in the near future? What would be your dream project?
KOUNEVA: A few indie drama features (ROUGH HUSTLE, REJOUER), more game scores. My dream project: to compose music and collaborate on fantasy, sci-fi or dystopian film or game, like BRAZIL, THE MATRIX, or BIOSHOCK. Or maybe even bigger, epic mythology narrative like THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I adore fantasy, sci-fi and especially dystopia because I enjoy how these narratives play with allegories and express, through fantasy, the greatest hopes of humanity. I’d love to also work on a drama or documentary that tackles tough subjects. Or a non-Western game that, like PRINCE OF PERSIA, will allow me to combine my Eastern roots and Hollywood experience into a great hybrid score.
