BY CUTCOMMON
The new Netflix series Man on Fire is as thrilling as anything composer Max Aruj has worked on before: Mission: Impossible, Top Gun: Maverick, and Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The screen composer from Los Angeles has worked with major production companies and collaborated with top-tier composers (think John Williams), all with a special focus on the types of projects that’ll get your heart pumping with adrenaline.
In Man on Fire, he fuses action with emotion and narrative, working with other artists — including Brazilian vocalist Maroka Paris and percussionist Ayuri Olivera — to create a fresh sound that gives the series its distinct identity. We asked Max (pictured throughout) to tell us how he did it.
When you reflect on your work with Man on Fire, how would you summarise the experience of creating this music?
Man on Fire was an incredibly well balanced project. From the standpoint of timeline, we had to work efficiently, but we never had to rush. I had to come up with themes quickly, and test them out by scoring the first full episode. I had rewrites to do, but I was always sent succinct and clear notes by the team. I had time to implement special sounds, but not too much time so that we weren’t just ‘experimenting’ endlessly; we were hoping to achieve final versions in a timely manner.
Man on Fire builds on your history in the action genre. What do you think is the role of music alongside vision when it comes to driving on-screen action, and creating the right level of excitement in the viewer?
Music should put you into the cinematic world by expressing the show’s surroundings. The regional flare of Brazil, coupled with the emotionality of this healing operative must come across quickly. If the audience understands the show, that means the composer is probably doing their job, especially in a minutes-long music-only scene like in EP1, when we get to see Creasy in his day-to-day life.
How do you navigate the different on-screen experiences, with the need to write music that ranges from providing a soundtrack to suspenseful or action-packed scenes to also needing to help develop the tone of the characters in a more emotional way?
It takes experience when to know to play soft emotional music, versus when to play tension, or action. And the fun part is when you challenge yourself to switch things up. Overall, the character arc must be clear so the series has a sense of payoff. But within that, you have flexibility to try creative ways to tell different characters’ stories, whether its a lyrical theme, or a unique sonic color.
You’ve written so much music for the Mission: Impossible franchise and other high-octane projects. What is it you love about writing for these projects, and what do you think it is that makes your soundtracks ‘click’ with screen projects of this genre time and again?
It was always the dream to work on projects that resonated with me as a tennager. So Mission Impossible and Man on Fire happen to sit right in my ‘favourites’ category. Seeing heroes being pushed to their limits, watching them struggle, and cheering their success inspires the most emotional and exciting music. Looking forward to more!
What advice would you give to early career screen composers who want to follow in your footsteps?
There is no secret. Being respectful to others, working hard, and practising is the only way I can recommend.
Images supplied. Featured image by Sandu Negrea.
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