Composer Christopher Lennertz
Moving in the Supernatural

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"Five years ago, I would have said that I only want to do movies. I think now I've come to the conclusion that I just want to do "good projects" and work with good people for the rest of my career. I think that is the most important thing...and whether it be in games or movies or TV, it's all still writing music." Christopher Lennertz

 

The Interview

CC: It's been about 3 years since we've talked and you've been keeping quite busy with, among other things, the MEDAL OF HONOR games series, but more recently, your Emmy Nomination for hit television show, SUPERNATURAL.

Christopher Lennterz: Absolutely. I sure have.


CC: Did the nomination come as a surprise to you?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: It was absolutely a complete surprise to me. I knew, of course, that the show had been submitted, but shows on networks like the WB don't necessarily get a lot of nominations, so it was a bit of a shock to me. I was just thrilled that they recognized the hard work.


CC: Where and when did you find out about the nomination?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Well, it was early in the morning and a friend had seen it on the internet before anyone had...before I even knew about it. I was just coming home from the gym and the friend called and said, "Congratulations!" I said, "No. No. I'm not married yet." (laughs). And he said, "That's not what I'm talking about...I'm talking about the Emmy!" I really didn't know what she was talking about at the time. Then, about five minutes later, Eric Kripke, the creator of SUPERNATURAL, called me. I then figured out how it all went down.


CC: You've done quite a few things for television already. How does your work for SUPERNATURAL compare?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: It's been extremely different for me, because this has been one of those dream situations where you get to work with someone who you admire, but also have a relationship with already. Eric Kripke and I have been friends, next-door-neighbors, both before and after college. I have scored a lot of his short films and other projects. We have worked together for some 8 to 10 years since we got out of USC together. We just know each other so well and to start up a brand new series together has been a dream. We have been able to dispense with a lot of the formalities that a part of starting a dialogue about music. When it came to the music for SUPERNATURAL, we were already on the same page without even talking about it! So it's been great working with Eric, but also, the rest of the team has been so fantastic.


CC: Now there is another composer who works on SUPERNATURAL as well.

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Yes, there is another composer who does every other episode. Jay Gruska, is really close with the show's other producer, Robert Singer. He, of course, worked on LOIS AND CLARK. Jay and I have gotten along fabulously and we've really had a great time doing the show.


CC: How much "note sharing" between you two is there?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Well, myself, Eric, Jay and Bob all sat down from the very get-go and devised the palette of the show, devised how we wanted to treat all of the characters and the relationships between them. We really came up with a roadmap together. It was like just sitting in a conference room and throwing out ideas one after another.


CC: The music for SUPERNATURAL surprisingly covers a pretty wide range. It's got some of the dark, dissonant stuff one might expect, but it also has some nice melodic pieces that contrast well. There is even some cues that are contemporary rock.

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: It's really been cool because Eric Kripke, from day-one, has been a proponent of making the "scary music" really, really creepy - a lot of dissonance and so on, but then you've got these two brothers, who are delving into their relationship and their father has left, and they are searching for their mother's killer.  They're both growing up and so we really do try to make a stark contrast, as you've said, and really emphasize that, while there is a lot of scary stuff, suspense and even oppressiveness, everything comes from the desperation of two boys who want to find out what happened to their mom and who want their father back. So it has been a great situation where you get to write a lot of heartfelt music as well. And then there is the rock-elements you hear because of Dean, the older brother, who is really into classic-rock.

CC: The DVD of Season One of SUPERNATURAL is supposed to be out sometime in September (2006).  Did they interview and include you on it?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Man...I wish they had! I'm sure they brought in the producers, but not me this time. I do think its going to be a great DVD. Another great thing about the show is that we score and mix it much like a horror film each week and so people are finally going to be able to buy and watch the show on their home theater systems, nice and loud!


CC: So are you going to be able to attend the Emmy Award Show?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: I wish I could, but I'm going to have to miss it because of my honeymoon. But fortunately, I think I can deal with that! But if we win, I think Eric (Kripke) is going to go up an accept it for us.


CC: Now you also have a score coming out for a 3-D animated film out of Korea, SHARK BAIT. How did you get involved with this project?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: The animation company is actually out of Korea but the film itself is actually an English film. It's a great little movie in the same realm as FINDING NEMO and SHARK TALE. I had been friends with a couple of the film's producers for a long time, so I met up with them and the animation company and we decided to work together on the project.


CC: What sort of approach did you take for this film's score?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: It was a very low budget project, so it was not the huge Disney orchestra. It actually has a nice calypso vibe, but we also did some very interesting things with acoustic guitars, Caribbean drums, and things of that nature. We mixed in a few rock elements, strings and woodwinds as well. There isn't a lot of heavy brass or that sort of thing. It's actually a really sweet story about a little fish who gets separated from his parents but eventually is able to save the reef.


CC: Well, lastly, what can you say about your upcoming project regarding an upcoming Playstation 3 video game? Have you recorded that score already?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Yes. That score is done, but I can't tell you what it is. They have me sworn to secrecy. But it's going to be a fantastic title and it was done with 98 piece orchestra. It's very thematic, but it does have a little electronics in it. It's very much an otherworldly thing, a fable, but you'll just have to wait for it! It will be coming out along with the PS3 when it's launched. I also have another PS3 game that I'm starting on right now.


CC: When will there be an official announcement about your first PS3 score?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: I think there should be some announcement around the time the console comes out, which, I believe, is sometime before Christmas.

One of the things that is so amazing in regards to the first project and this new project for EA is going to be how much more interactive the music is going to be due to the increased power of the console. I believe the player's experience is going to so much more involved. Even the sound quality is going to be stepped up a notch.


CC: Does composing a score for a Playstation 3 title give you a wider canvas or more freedom to write?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: It doesn't give me a wider canvas to compose in but I can that the music is going to be able to live on its own a little bit more and may not need to fight the sound effects as much. There's going to be enough bandwidth for the music to weave around the sound effects even better than it used to.


CC: Fans have been asking about your GUN soundtrack. Any news there?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Oh yes...I do have a little tidbit of good news there. It looks like there will be a release on CD in the very near future! I really do think its one of the best things I think I've ever written, so I'm excited about that. There has been some pieces floating around the internet, but those are not really finished pieces. The stuff that is going to be on the CD is going to be much, much better than that. I'm hoping that it will come out sometime in the early Fall. Oh yes...and my score for the game, JAMES BOND: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE be also be out in the Fall on iTunes!


CC: You are very active in writing for television, video games, and feature films these days, do ever think about focusing on one?

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Five years ago, I would have said that I only want to do movies. I think now I've come to the conclusion that I just want to do "good projects" and work with good people for the rest of my career. I think that is the most important...and whether it be in games or movies or TV, it's all still writing music.


CC: Well, Christopher I'd to congratulate you on both the Emmy nomination and the upcoming wedding! I'm sure you will be enjoying the next month...and I'm sure there will be a lot of great things coming in the very near future for you.

CHRISTOPHER LENNTERZ: Oh, yes. I'm very excited about it all! It's been great to talk to you again. Take care.