ComingSoon spoke with Frederik Wiedmann about his work on Prime Video’s Batman: Caped Crusader, the new animated series from J.J. Abrams and Bruce Timm. Wiedmann’s masterful orchestration complements the show’s unique visual style, providing a fresh and immersive experience for fans. Wiedmann dives into his creative process, his influences, and the challenges he faced in crafting the soundtrack for the highly anticipated series.
ComingSoon: What inspired you to draw from 1940s film scores for the soundtrack of Batman: Caped Crusader?
Frederik Wiedmann: First and foremost, this was the main concept that the producers had envisioned. The entire show was designed with that in mind, starting with a super Art Deco look for Gotham City and many other elements. Matching the music sonically to the images and time period I think amplified the visual experience to a whole new level. The main idea was to not lean on any existing Batman Film or TV show, thematically or sonically, but create a new musical world set in the 1940s.
How did Danny Elfman’s and Shirley Walker’s iconic scores for Batman: The Animated Series influence your work on Batman: Caped Crusader?
That is an excellent question, and for sure, every time I’m working on a Batman-related product, those names do come up in conversations, and for very good reasons. Few film scores are as iconic for superheroes as from those two composers. While the Cape Crusader seems to be the closest show to “Batman the Animated Series” in style and mood, we wanted it to be its own unique thing, with our own sound, style, and themes. But I think it goes without saying that any composer writing superhero music is, on some level, inspired by Elfman and Walker, even on a subconscious level.
How did working with producers like J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm influence your approach to composing for Batman: Caped Crusader?
The producers I conversed with most during the music creation of this show were Bruce Timm and James Tucker. I worked with the two of them closely, to design the music the way the creative team saw best fit. The creative direction came mostly from them. Both James and Bruce are incredibly knowledgeable about film music and film music history, which makes this a really exciting collaboration. We talked a lot about old thrillers and monster movies (“Mystery of the Wax Museum,” “Hangover Square,” etc.), which I absolutely adore. It was a wonderful period of exploration, going back to those old movies and researching the musical sensibilities and filmmaking aesthetics of the time.
What challenges did you face in crafting the soundtrack?
Old Film scores from the 1940s and 30s tend to have slightly different aesthetics than Music has today. Old films are often slightly over-scored, to the point where the music might seem “over the top” or too on the nose/literal. This is something that audiences in today’s world don’t really accept anymore, as it might feel “silly.” So the biggest challenge for me was to avoid this pitfall and stick to storytelling sensibilities that audiences of today can emotionally to in the way that best serves the story while still maintaining the sonic landscape of the 1940s Filmscore.
How does your score for Batman: Caped Crusader differ from your previous work on other Batman projects like Son of Batman and Batman: Gotham by Gaslight?
Son of Batman sonically was tied into the entire New 52 series that I heavily worked on for several years (including Throne of Atlantis, Justice League Dark, Batman vs Robin etc). It was part of a series of movies, and therefore shared the musical palette with those.
Gotham by Gaslight standalone Batman film with some gothic and lots of dark orchestral elements. Church bells and harpsichords!
Beware the Batman, another TV series I scored years ago, had a very electronic and contemporary approach. Lots of percussion, synthesizers, Drum machines, guitars and so forth. Fun stuff.
So yes, looking at all these other ones that I had the pleasure to work on, this one is definitely different and absolutely outside my comfort zone. Which honestly to me is always the most exciting thing. I love doing something that is new to me, it excites me and really brings out a new side.
Can you share any specific orchestration techniques that you utilized in the series?
There are a couple of things that are very typical of the era of the 1930s and 40s in film music. To get this early for Hermann-type sound, I used a lot of lower string instruments that were played in the upper register, as in a viola playing violin lines, a cello playing viola lines, etc, and then adding a mute on top of it. The texture changes tremendously when doing so, and it really is a stunning sound. We also utilized a lot of woodwinds to create different moods, for example, using low-end woodwinds for suspense, which was pretty common back then. My orchestrator, Gemma Wiedmann, added fantastic detail to the orchestration to give the music this particular feel; her arrangements are all very intricate and colorful. Beautiful stuff!
What was your favorite scene or sequence to score in Batman: Caped Crusader, and why?
I think every Batman version provides an incredible opportunity for a composer to come up with new themes for the villains. The DC universe is so rich in characters. I think the one villain theme I had the most fun writing was the theme for Catwoman. I contemplated what I could do to really create something that mirrors her character. I experimented with my violin in my studio and found a way to play the strings so they almost sound like an actual cat meowing … then I imagined what this sounds like with 40 strings playing it all together. And voila, the Catwoman theme was born. It had to be cheeky, a little sexy, mischievous, and definitely plays her thief side as well, with a hint of “heist” music. Overall, a great challenge for me, and one that I was very happy with once I put it in context. Meow!
How does your extensive work in the DC cinematic universe influence your approach to new projects within the same franchise?
I wouldn’t say it influences me in any particular way, other than the fact that the experience of 13+ DC movies and two prior TV shows definitely helped me with my chops to be 100% ready for this new Batman show. It is a very challenging one, musically speaking, so my fairly extensive experience with these characters came in very handy. I also didn’t want this show to sound like any of the other things I’ve contributed music to in the DC universe, so I think this mindset can also be considered an influence.
With your versatility in scoring different genres and mediums, how do you adapt your compositional style to suit the unique tone and themes of each project, specifically with Batman: Caped Crusader?
I love to really dial in on a project, get under the hood, and take my time to figure it out, crack the nut, so to speak. Whatever the project is, I tend to take my time early on to get on point with what I am about to do, no matter what genre. It’s often a frustrating process (trial and lots of error) but most rewarding once you “find the voice,” and then you’re off to the races. I also love challenges and going outside my own comfort zone. Batman Caped Crusader offered that challenge. I have not worked much with these types of parameters, of a 1940s score meets superheroes. But I gladly accepted this endeavor and figured it out.
Thanks to Frederik Wiedmann for taking the time to talk about Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime Video.
