Caitlin Yeo is the first composer to receive the prestigious Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award
The award recognises Caitlin’s significant contribution to the strengthening of the local screen industry
Caitlin shares her insights on working as a screen composer
Our congratulations to celebrated screen composer and APRA AMCOS Ambassador Caitlin Yeo, who is this year’s recipient of the Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award. The award was presented to Caitlin at the closing night of the 69th Sydney Film Festival.
The prestigious award is presented annually by Screen NSW to an outstanding NSW-based screen practitioner whose work stands for innovation, imagination and impact. Caitlin is the first composer to receive the award. As well as being acknowledged for her powerful, emotive and creative work, she was recognised for being a champion for female composers. Filmmaker Sally Aitkin paid tribute to her skills as a creative powerhouse.
“I am absolutely overwhelmed to receive the news that I am the recipient of the 2022 Sydney UNESCO City of Film Award. As a screen composer, it is especially humbling to be recognised for my work,” Caitlin said.
“I would like to thank all the amazing filmmakers I have worked with in my career for sharing a desire to push the boundaries of what music can do, how it is created, and its poetic ability to illuminate vision. We are all allies together, and of course, my music would not exist if it were not for the remarkable Australian stories, I have had the privilege to compose for.”
Caitlin’s work spans more than 60 film and TV credits. She’s recently composed the music for the crime drama series True Colours, the comedy drama series The PM’s Daughter and drama series New Gold Mountain. Her APRA Screen Music Awards success includes wins in Documentary Score (Playing with Sharks, Getting Frank Gehry, Bomb Harvest), Feature Film Score (Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, The Butterfly Tree, The Rocket), and Soundtrack Album (The Butterfly Tree); as well as nominations across many categories over the past ten years. She’s also been awarded multiple AACTA Awards.
Considering this honour, we asked Caitlin to share her wisdom and insights on composing for the screen.
Documentaries, feature films, TV series – how different is your approach to composing for different formats and genres?
The amazing thing about writing music for vision is that there are an infinite number of right and wrong ways that music can work in a scene. Whether I am working on documentary, feature film, or TV series, a big part of my job is to narrow down the creative possibilities early in the process. To do this I write a musical brief for the show. This is a short document describing the broad creative concept for the music. If I don’t do this, I have no idea what I’m doing, and get lost in a sea possibilities! For drama, I use the script to inspire the music brief, and for documentary, inspiration comes from early footage or a written treatment. With documentary, I often have to write music around archive, talking heads, and narration, and, as the format represents that which is ‘real’, there are often ethical considerations that need to take place. TV series are long format, with multiple episodes, so they usually require a meta musical approach, sometimes that spans beyond the first season. Features are commonly made to be seen (and heard) in a cinema, so the music is often more exposed, the medium itself is more immersive, and the smallest of musical ideas can become unusually powerful. Other differences between writing for documentary verses drama is scheduling, budgets, and delivery specifications.
How meaningful is it for you to compose for Australian stories and homegrown screen projects?
I am a big fan of Australian screen productions. I actually pinch myself sometimes, because I find myself working on the shows I would watch. When I work on a production, I get very immersed in the story and the world of the show. I live it and breathe it. It’s like I step into the screen when I’m writing, and step out when I have finished the show. Sometimes it feels like the music exists in the ‘fourth wall’, acting as an emotional connection between the audience and the story. It is an extraordinary space to occupy, and often amplifies much of what is not seen or heard on screen. For me to play in such an abstract, creative space, I need to believe, or as some would put it, suspend disbelief. To do this I must resonate deeply to the story, so that I can craft an authentic and appropriate score, and this means working on home soil, on Australian productions which are familiar to me.
What’s your top tip for composers trying to get their first break in screen composing?
Unfortunately, there is no single pathway to becoming a screen composer. Everyone who I know to be successful in this industry has carved their own path. My tips: get connected, find filmmakers at your level that you can work with, practice your craft, and, be prepared to diversify the types of work you do in the industry. Watch Australian film and TV, and learn the language of Australian cinema. We are a small industry, with a big heart, and many stories to tell. It is vital, if you want to step into our industry, that you educate yourself in the vast and extraordinary catalogue of Australian screen stories. Working as an assistant, or orchestrator, or as an intern in a studio environment is an invaluable experience. Join the Australian Guild of Screen Composers, go to events, and be around. I probably spent the first 5 years of my career feeling nervous every time I went to an industry event, and even more nervous when I spoke to people! I also taught music on the side for many years to supplement my income. Thankfully, many years later, I can call myself a full-time composer.