Meet the Creatives - Jay Cameron, Composer.

Meet the man behind the music. Jay is a Scottish composer, musician and songwriter currently based in Perth, Australia. Since completing his Masters in Composition at The University of Edinburgh, he has turned his hand to many creative fields, focusing mainly on film and theatre. His first complete musical A Gentleman’s Game was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016, and soon after he was invited to showcase his work to industry leaders in Edinburgh and London. Since, Jay has worked on a number of creative projects in Australia, spanning both theatre and film. Jay is currently working on a new musical titled ZERO, exploring the legacy of journalist John Hersey and the bombing of Hiroshima.

We sat down with Jay and asked him a couple of questions about his work and creative process.

JAY YOU WROTE ALMOST EVERY PIECE OF MUSIC FOR SNATCHERS. TELL US

ABOUT THE PROCESS?

To be honest, it was quite an easy process. Craig had a clear and precise vision for the music, and gave me loads of artists to take inspiration from. As a musician, I believe that what goes in must come out, so I went on a strict diet of funk and soul (to quote The Commitments) and then plugged in and played.

WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU COMPOSING THE MUSIC?

The biggest challenge was delivering a “pop” music style soundtrack that still held a strong amount of drama and leitmotif to help tell the story and convey the messaging of the film.

WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIRECTOR/S AND COMPOSER

As a composer, my job is to augment the vision of the director. So the clearer, stronger and better communicated this vision is...really that’s all I’m looking for. From then on, honest feedback as we work is essential, even if it’s brutal.

WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST LEARNING FROM THIS FILM?

To be careful where you put a pumpkin.

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL LIKE SNATCHERS?

Cool people, and those with a dark sense of humour.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE OF MUSIC TO COMPOSE?

A large part of my heart still lies in songwriting, but recent

projects have made me lean into more ambient/neo classical styles,

which I’m really enjoying.