It depends a bit on the project – sometimes as a composer you might join earlier on in the process – and sometimes it’s more likely you will join closer to the end, when the game development is more finalised. What is the process for scoring music for video games? You find yourself focusing on certain stylistic traits, and the way I would utilise the Celtic flutes and whistles was particularly important to me, partly as I’m a flautist myself, so getting the nuances right really mattered to me. It was quite daunting knowing that I would need to in some way draw on influences from the original film scores by renowned composer John Powell! His work on those films is a joy to listen to and there were so many elements of that music that I wanted to preserve in this new world for the Dragons. The game is part of the DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon franchise, and so it was critical that I kept within that existing soundworld.

What were your musical inspirations for the soundtrack? I worked closely with the developers and publishers from quite early on in the process, so it felt like the music really grew with the project as all the worlds within the game were being formed. It’s an amazing game to be involved with and one I have really enjoyed being part of.

How was your experience working on the project? A media composer and sound designer, Chris has worked on a number of videogame projects to date, including producing the soundtrack for multi-platform release Transformers BattleGrounds (PS4, XBox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam), music roles on the award-winning title Get Packed and the critically acclaimed Jurassic World Aftermath (Oculus Quest).

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