An important cause brings people together. Composer Ho-Ling Tang will concede that she was surprised to find that she was collaborating with President Barak Obama on the miniseries Our Oceans but then again, the goal of informing the public about this magical and vital part of our planet was unifying for so many. The creation of this incredible production spanned a two-year period which resulted in some of the most fascinating footage and information to date. Visually stunning with a compelling narrative, Ho-Ling’s score provides a profound emotional component to the storytelling style of this production. Her prior work on such productions as the Primetime Emmy Award–Winning The Gilded Age, the Oscar Award–Nominated film House of Gucci, and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel led to showrunner Jonathan Smith’s presumption and Ho-Ling’s contributions to Our Oceans confirmed its validity. Her score was recognized by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards alongside legendary composers like Hans Zimmer, who was similarly recognized in the same category.
Our Oceans spans many genres at various points, from ballet to battle. Presenting the varied life forms which inhabit the world’s oceans, there is an opportunity and a subject matter to meet the preferences of any audience. The series makes underwater stories come alive by leaning into metaphors and jumping from style to style in an unabashed way. Tasked with enhancing the tone and energy of the different moments, Ho-Ling employed many approaches in style and instrumentation. Sweeping orchestral pieces for emotionally poignant moments quickly pivot to a Spaghetti Western-style standoff where an octopus uses rocks as projectiles to defend itself which then morphs into surf-rock when panda dolphins ride waves. The establishment of these metaphors allows the audience to easily access something familiar and recognizable in the face of these alien sea creatures. The goal of emotionally relatability with another species becomes easier through the vehicle of music. One of the most striking scenes in the entire series is one of bioluminescence at the Santa Monica Pier. The scene includes a host of beautiful, glowing creatures frantically moving and leaving mystical trails of light behind them against the backdrop of the night. Sweeping string melodies dominate the musical arrangement, giving this awe-inspiring scene a sense of grandiosity and epic scale. Plucked string instruments and blown jugs partnered with quick and groovy percussion beckons the viewer into a world of playful exploration and innocent excitement as a baby elephant seal explores on its own for the first time. This scene of wholesome independence is established through the musical tone. Drastically different feelings are cultivated while giant trevallies go hunting for birds as they jump out of the water in an attempt to catch their prey. Here a lively fiddle takes center stage in the score, conjuring a tone akin to swashbuckling sword fighting pirates ala Captain Jack Sparrow. An up-tempo waltz is the thematic counterpoint to a veined octopus who uses plastic trash as a body shield in an ingenious tactic. The only instrumentation that could perfectly communicate this mad scientist mindset is a theremin.
The score of Our Oceans is an essential aspect of this series and surely one of the most remarkable components of it. As varied as the creatures found in the oceans, the music varies from majestic to funky to absolutely comedically awkward, in the best of ways. Each one-hour episode of this five-part series is a world unto itself with a personality that stands alone from the others. Composer Ho-Ling comments, “The most challenging aspect of my work on Our Oceans was definitely the ambitious scope of the project. Because of all of the narrative metaphors and consequential musical left turns, I was pushed well beyond my comfort zone and honed new abilities in the moment to meet the demands of the task in front of me. I learned to write for new styles, new instruments, and in ways that communicated the full spectrum of human emotion in a way that still put the needs of the documentary first. The fact that I was recognized by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards among so many accomplished professionals helps me reflect on how fortunate I am to be working at this level in the entertainment industry. To know that my score was able to elevate the emotional impact of President Obama’s narration is a true ‘pinch me’ moment. The efficacy and skill of Obama’s narration earned him a Primetime Emmy award, and I feel very fortunate to have been involved in this production.”
Writer : Basil Thomson
Punit