Range is fickle. While directors are known and beloved for having a definitive style, actors are inversely acclaimed if they are able to present diversity. The same holds true for composers. The ability to be both memorable and malleable is a formula for success, one with which Samuel Lam has proven highly proficient. From Romance to Action, Samuel has become the favored musical collaborator of many directors. On productions in China starring the biggest names and the most ubiquitous international icons like Jackie Chan, Mr. Lam is able to deliver the melodic complement to the visual experience that results in a speeding pulse. Regardless of if the story plays out in a multiplex or in the serenity of one’s own living room, the contributions of Samuel Lam have continually exhibited the power to magnify the emotive talent onscreen and deliver an even greater emotional payload for the audience.
Love Advanced Customization was an instant hit with audiences the moment it aired on Hunan TV, Tencent Video, Youku, and IQIYI (the largest home entertainment outlets in China). The depiction of two fashion entrepreneurs who evolve from adversaries into romantic partners may not have been completely groundbreaking but fans of the genre aren’t looking for innovation, they desire connection and powerful emotional moments. This aspect laid considerable responsibility onto Samuel Lam to conjure a score which elicited a strong response. The compositions created by Samuel for this film are the exponent which magnified the emotional performance of the actors in Love Advanced Customization, essentially becoming a character unto itself. The scenes which depict the big business taking place for Zhou Fang and Song Lin (the central characters) rest on a bed of James Bond-esque big band numbers with a modern feel. The more comedic moments are punctuated solely by a diverse palette of percussion while the romance centric scenes are unified by a traditional whistle melody that appears numerous times. Throughout the film, this music becomes the matchmaker between viewer and the characters to encourage the tone to which the filmmakers aspired. The benefits of this are undeniable throughout this romantic tale.
Lam wore a couple of different hats for the Action packed Vanguard starring the Academy Award Winning and Daytime Emmy Award Nominated icon Jackie Chan. Nathan Wang, composer of the score to this Golden Angel Award-Winning film, brought Samuel aboard as the orchestrator. Mr. Lam communicates, “Nathan gave me a lot of freedom in picking the orchestration colors for scenes. Most of our discussions mainly focused on the musical context for each scene, such as whether we should have a melodic theme. He would sketch to the pictures with piano and provide me with a general structure for the scenes, allowing me the job to pick out the right instruments for him.” A truly international film in terms of where the action takes place, Samuel reveled in the opportunity to come up with authentic instrumentation for setting that included London, Dubai, and Africa. From the ethnic solo vocal of the rainforest to tribal African percussion, the musical instrument choices immediately immerses viewers in different continents. The creative team was so pleased with Samuel’s orchestration that he was asked to compose music for the film’s trailer.
Currently composing music for the yet to be released Delicious Romance, a feature film about three city dwelling women who reflect on their intimate relationships with men in modern times, Samuel Lam does a bit of his own reflection concerning what allows him to create such powerful accompaniment to the visual side of storytelling. He confesses, “To me, art-forms like drawing, poem, music, and photography are all trying to tell a story. There is no better satisfaction in the perfect marriage that is music and film than to serve the same purpose of storytelling. Film scoring is one of the very few jobs that gives you a chance to record with an orchestra. It is truly a wonderful experience when you hear your music played by other musicians. They add their own personality into your music and interpret your musical ideas in their own way. I’m a classical/finger-style guitar player who has been deeply influenced by the likes of greats such as John Williams whose work ranges from Star Wars to Harry Potter and everything in between. It was his work that first brought me to notice how powerful the music in a film can be. I’m overjoyed to think I might have a similar effect on others with what I do.”
Writer: Coleman Haan