Minions
"Composer" Featurette
Composition is one of the key elements of any movie, though many people often don’t even notice the music. Movie music has the innate ability to transform the story and ensure that the audience not only watches the movie but feels it as well. In our exclusive Minions behind-the-scenes featurette, "Composer," composer Heitor Pereira talks about his process for creating the Minions movie music. The process, like most of the work on Minions, was full of whimsy and fun.
According to Pereira’s interview in our Minions extra, the director and producer of Minions gave him an immense amount of freedom to create a soundtrack that encompasses the minions’ character and demeanor. Pereira believes that the collaboration on the movie was a good representation of the minions themselves, specifically that "They get stuff done, but with the help of friends."
Though he had creative control over the music, Pereira was able to pull inspiration from collaboration while creating the music. A unique and interesting aspect of this soundtrack is the inclusion of rare instruments. In our Minions feature, Heitor Pereira reveals that he brought in a friend who specializes in playing instruments of which there are only a few in the entire world. These instruments create an authentic yet unique sound that adds to the whimsy and the mood of the movie. What’s more, the minions themselves are rare and unique, so it is appropriate that many of the instruments used to make the soundtrack are also.
In our Minions behind-the-scenes clip, Pereira talks about his goal to convey time, place, and mental state through his music. Because Minions is set in the 60s, he wanted to use elements in his musical score that fit that decade. Additionally, he wanted to help set the unique location through his music as well. You will notice in the score that the music and mood changes depending on where the minions are in the world. This helps to create a sense of atmosphere, and really brings the audience into the world of the movie. Through his music, Pereira is also able to convey how the minions are feeling. If you listen carefully, the music gives a lot of indicators in a scene. You may be able to tell if the minions are feeling joyful, fearful, excited, or sad, simply by listening to the music.
Perhaps the most interesting element of the composition is the inclusion of a choir. In the Minions video, we see Pereira speaking to his vocalists, asking them to sing the songs in the language of the minions. Though the minions’ language is entirely made up, this small addition really helps to create the world of the movie. It also creates additional whimsy and creates silliness in music that is otherwise somber or serious. The power of music is really conveyed in this Minions featurette.
For access to more exclusive Minions extras, including more information on composition, music, and sound effects, purchase the movie on 4k Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD, or Digital.*
*Bonus features are only available at select digital retailers. Check the retailer for details.
Like this article? Read more about the making of Minions here: