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Episode 56: Birth
In what ways are the final production of a documentary film like giving birth? In this episode, Director of The Girl Who Wore Freedom Christian Taylor shares the analogy and exciting opportunities with Michelin as we continue to move ever ...

Episode 55: Film Festivals
In this episode, Director of The Girl Who Wore Freedom Christian Taylor shares with her cohosts exactly how she was invited to submit to a staggering number of film festivals (many with fee waivers)! How important is the world premiere ...

Episode 54: Reenactors
In the last episode, we met Flavie and Thomas: two French cast members from The Girl Who Wore Freedom who are tour guides and reenactors. Listen in as they discuss the significant role reenactments play when passing history from generation ...

Episode 53: Guests from Normandy
In this episode, our hosts are joined by Flavie and Thomas: two cast members from The Girl Who Wore Freedom. These two are from Normandy, France but how they wound up staying with Christian was quite the adventure! As a ...

Episode 52: Animatic?
In this episode, co-hosts Jason Rugg, Joshua Lindsay, and Christian Taylor are joined by guest Yesenia Thomas to discuss exciting plans for an animatic and where things are at with the latest cut of the film. Want to help us ...

Episode 51: Learning from Sundance
In this episode, Director Christian Taylor shares what it was like to visit the Sundance Film Festival and bump into celebrities (sometimes literally)! Her documentary film is almost ready to enter festivals and this turned into the perfect opportunity to ...

Episode 50: Surprised by Sundance
In this episode, Director Christian Taylor shares what it was like to take a plunge and attend the Sundance Film Festival. Listen in and hear her stories about things that she was surprised by and what she figured out not ...

Episode 49: Rerun of Episode 1: Origins
This episode originally aired on March 6th, 2019. It's been a very exciting couple of weeks and we thought it'd be good to revisit our origin story. -- Today we talk origin stories. We’re looking at how Director Christian Taylor ...

Episode 48: Process
In a previous episode, hosts Christian, Josh, and Jason discuss the important lesson of killing sacred cows (or killing your babies) in order to set aside personal emotions and improve the film. In this episode, Christian shares how this helped ...

Episode 47: Rewrite (Again)
As we near the final stages of the film, Director Christian Taylor continues to get critical feedback and has to make difficult decisions. This time, more sacred cows are cut out and voiceover work is scrapped and rewritten to accommodate ...
In this episode of Documentary First, host Christian Taylor sits down with Finnish film composer Panu Aaltio to dive into the fascinating world of film scoring. From his early days as a cello player to becoming a successful composer for films and documentaries, Panu shares his unique journey and the challenges and joys of crafting music for the screen.
The conversation explores the intricate relationship between music and film, the influence of video game music, and how directors’ styles shape a composer’s approach to scoring. Panu discusses the creative process behind composing scores that evoke emotional responses, the importance of collaboration with directors, and the role of music as a character in a film.
He also offers valuable insights on his experiences working on Netflix originals, the significance of documentaries in his career, and advice for aspiring composers looking to break into the industry.
Watch the hit show “Little Siberia” on Netflix!
Discover Panu Aaltio’s work: https://www.panuaaltio.com/
Key Takeaways:
Sound Bites:
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Film Scoring
05:35 Panu’s Musical Journey
12:16 From Hobby to Profession
20:13 Navigating Directorial Styles
25:30 The Language of Music in Film
26:24 Understanding Emotional Impact through Score
28:48 Creating Unique Soundscapes for Film
30:41 The Role of Music as a Character
32:13 Experimentation in Composition
35:34 The Importance of Early Composition
41:12 Navigating the Netflix Experience
42:26 The Significance of Documentaries in Career
43:09 DocuView Déjà Vu
44:18 Advice for Aspiring Composers
45:17 Influential Scores and Future Projects