‘The Wild Robot’ Director and Composer on How Real-Life Parenting Worries Influenced the Score

Parenting can be challenging, regardless if you’re a highly advanced robot or an acclaimed composer such as Lupita Nyong’o. This is a valuable lesson that Roz, the character played by Lupong’o in “The Wild Robot,” a DreamWorks three-time Oscar-nominated animated film, learns through difficult experiences.

Beyond receiving acknowledgements for Best Animated Feature and Best Score, “The Wild Robot” additionally secured a nomination for Best Sound. This makes it the inaugural DreamWorks film to receive a nomination in this specific category. At an EbMaster FYC Screening hosted by Universal, director Chris Sanders and composer Kris Bowers shared insights about crafting Roz’s island soundscape and what captivated them about the tale of “The Wild Robot.

Upon visiting Dreamworks to check for potential projects, they presented a book to Sanders. From the first few lines, he was captivated. The heartfelt motherhood tale, its complexity, and the subtle emotional depth of the narrative had him hooked. He quickly phoned back, expressing his eagerness to be involved with this story, asking ‘What steps do I need to take to be associated with this project?'”

Or, more informally:

“When Sanders stopped by Dreamworks for a look-see, they showed him a book that had him hooked from the get-go. The powerful motherhood story and its intricate details drew him in immediately. He couldn’t wait to be part of it, so he called back and asked what he needed to do to get involved.

Bower mentions that his Academy Award-nominated music for “The Wild Robot” was influenced by his thoughts and apprehensions about parenting. He explains, “One theme I wanted to explore initially was the migration sequence. At that stage in our story, my daughter was approximately one year old. As I watched it, I vividly recall thinking, ‘I can visualize taking her to college and dropping her off,’ which led me to compose a piece of music that stirred strong emotions within me.

I passed it along to Chris, who replied, ‘Well, it’s not quite capturing the right emotion.’ He suggested, ‘Perhaps you should envision taking your daughter to college and saying goodbye.’ I found myself responding, ‘That’s exactly what I did!’ However, it might be because she’s still a baby, making it challenging for me to visualize it fully. After discussing this moment, I came to understand that the scene in my mind of dropping off my daughter at college was overly sentimental and innocent.

Chris made me realize that this situation for Roz and Brightbill is quite different from what I had imagined. Later on, as I pondered about it, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that in the future, no matter my best efforts, she might be let down by me. I might fail to meet her expectations, which were distressing thoughts I didn’t want to contemplate. These emotions swirled within me and I found myself drawn to the piano, seeking a melody that mirrored those feelings, and what emerged is now the central theme.

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2025-02-08 00:16