Interview With MOTHERLAND Composer Oscar Pan

Young composer, Oscar Pan is full of an effervescent sort of energy, beaming across the screen as he discusses his passion: music. He recently worked on the short film Motherland and I sat down to chat about his work on the project, his musical journey, what he sees for his future (and how amazing the score for The Chronicles of Narnia is).

This interview is edited for clarity. 

This is Kristy Strouse with Film Inquiry: Loved the short and your work!

Oscar Pan: Thank you! I love working on the short film. It was a great project. And, I was just happy that I got brought into this. The project means a lot to me, you know, on a personal level.

How did you first get involved?

Oscar Pan: We both went to NYU, but I didn’t know this director personally. I was working on another project. He kind of like, scouted me from there. It’s a thesis film, and he reached out to me saying, Oh, I like your music from the other project. Could you do this for me? And then I just… I loved the movie. I loved the script and everything. I just accepted it.

I love that. What was your process like?

Oscar Pan: After watching this movie, my first reaction is that there wasn’t that much music in the film. It didn’t need to be. It played whenever it needed music.

Sometimes the absence is important too.

Oscar Pan: Yes. That’s how I kind of envisioned it when I first read the script and then I watched the footage and I thought that music should not play a dominant role in this movie. I think it’s like, it’s a very touching story. And I think the mood, the music should, should complement that for sure. I don’t want to use it to disrupt this kind of energy and the flow of the story. I approached it in a very simplistic way, almost. I wanted something that’s like more song-like and kind of like ballad-like, you know, something that people can hum a tune with. Something that people can connect deeply with this character and with the music. So that’s how I approached it first. Like with my gut feeling and my first reaction. I am very glad that hat the director also like resonated with me on the same level. He told me he wanted a solo guitar. And he gave me like, a couple of references soundtracks and songs. He had a very clear mind about what kind of instrumentation he wanted. And that makes things much easier for me, because when you’re working with a director that had a clear idea about what their music want to sound like in the film, there is less going back and forth. It was a pretty easy and pleasant process for me. And then also, yeah, I think the guitar solo was perfect for this project. I’m also a pianist myself, and I think the piano can also have that kind of, you know, emotional touches to the film to the story. So I just approached it from the instrumentation of, guitar, piano solo and also, the music-wise should be very song like kind had a memorable. And then after that, I just like to roll a couple of versions to him. And then he picked this one. And I think this version, this last version us you seeing in this film, it’s kind of like a happy accident because because I wasn’t I wasn’t writing this music with this mindset.

I love that, so it just sort of became its own thing. A happy accident. And it worked! I love the subtle, emotional nature of it. 

Oscar Pan: I love that there was actually so much tension throughout the film, right? I mean, for me, as a gay person, it was always like, hard to come out to your mother, and how to bear that kind of feelings and it was just so much tension before that moment came out. You know, it’s just a lot of tension. And throughout the film, but you don’t need a lot of music if you have good acting and script and you don’t need that much going on in the film and the audience can just feel it.

source: Lijie Xie

Absolutely. So, did you always want to score films?

Oscar Pan: So I mean, I’m a pianist, I started playing piano when I was three. That’s how my music dreams just kind of started. But I didn’t start writing any music until when I got into high school. And, and that was also the time when I moved to the US.  For me, that was like, when school became much less busy for me. And I had like, so much more free time for myself, because, you know, back in China, I didn’t have any other time to do any other stuff, because of how busy school was. But here in the US, like, I got out of school, like at 3 pm Every day, which was a shock to me. Because, as opposed to China, I think we finished school, like 10 pm or something like in high school, nine or 10 pm.

Really?

Oscar Pan: Yeah, every day seriously. I also had a really good relationship with my music teacher. I loved music from the beginning,  and now I have time to enjoy my musical journey again. She got me into a lot of music theory stuff and also got me into a state choir in Florida. So it was just like, and at the same time, I was very lucky. The host family I was staying at, had a piano there. I just like started noodling around the piano and started writing my first piece of music. After writing my first piece of composition, I felt very accomplished, but also, like, surprised about myself, because it’s something that I didn’t realize I could do. I never had a single composition lesson in my life. I always thought that composition was very adult, very, like, Sure, it’s almost like writing a book, you know, and, and I was like, Oh, I felt very accomplished. And, and then from there, I just started writing more and more pieces. And, and from there, I was, like, oh, maybe this is something I wanted to do, just like composing music. And at the time, at a time of my life, I think I was in a junior year of high school. So I had, I still have one more year to go before I graduate. And so you know, that was also at a time when, you know, choosing programs, like, where to go for colleges and stuff. And then I just, like had this like idea in the very back of my mind, because it still it still felt very unreal and realistic to me to say “Oh, I wanted to study composition.” Saying that to my parents was also a shock to them because they never thought that their son would study music in college for them, they put so much energy money, and time into me and an education to build me into someone who’s like really good at math and sciences. Just like a lot of other Asian parents. So when I told them that I wanted to study music, it was a shock and they’re almost like harassing me for a month and you’re saying that this is the wrong path you’re gonna take you’re gonna regret it. Things like that. I got into it. Yeah, but but because of the time you can, you can apply for multiple colleges and I think I apply for like 15 different colleges and I apply of course like to their wishes to their wishes. I apply for like most of them a math or science degree in college. It’s like I think 14 of them I only applied to NYU the only one that I didn’t music, and I didn’t accept I got it. And then but I got it. And I was telling my parents to say, like, see, like, this is something. I could do that. And I think it’s, there’s something there that I should try out and, and, you know, I was just like being a little, a little bit of a rebel and then I just like chose music in college.

That’s lovely. Was there any music that made you say “I need to do this?”

Oscar Pan: I love Chronicles of Narnia. It’s one of the movies, those comforting movies, one of the Christmas movies that I started watching and I had a lot of memories, family memories growing up. My cousins, who are Australians, they would come back to China and gather with us, and they would speak English and I didn’t speak English at the time. But it was a bonding moment when they shared their favorite movies to watch. Then I watched by myself and was just very touched by the story, and the memories behind it. And also the score, was a shock to me because I feel like I never paid attention to the score when watching movies before then. But for that movie, because I already watched it like for over I don’t know, 20 times or something. So at the time when I watched it, I was like, Oh, I paid attention to the score. And it was so beautiful. It was so magical. It was just like perfect. Then I started listening to film soundtracks from there. And the Chronicles of Narnia, the original soundtrack became like the album I play. Like again and again, repetitively when I go to take a shower in the morning, it’s like my my shower, go to playlist. And, honestly, I felt that was so nerdy of me at a time because, like,

I still remember the day when I went to audition. Like I needed to fly into New York and do the audition. And when I was in the waiting room, I saw everybody waiting in the hallway. They were like holding their portfolio, their score in their hands. And they were all like, so well printed. So, so well written. And then my score at the time, I just like did it with a new score, which was a free app online. And then the notation was just very wacky. But I thought: this might be the path for you. Because you thought it was so impossible. And you were against so many odds. Your parents didn’t believe in you.

And it was! Was that the only music program you applied for?

Oscar Pan: Just the one. I was also getting a lot of rejections from other colleges that I applied to, which were more math and science. And at the time, I was like, I had this moment. I feel like in the gut, it told me this is something I have to do. And then I got into NYU, the music composition with a specialization in film scoring program. Of course, I had a lot to catch up on because a lot of my peers, had regular once-a-week composition lessons growing up while I just kind of did it on my own. I went through some periods of self-doubt, and I wondered how to get past those differences. After NYU, I went to Columbia College, for a grad program. And, now here I am.

That’s a wonderful answer! Inspiring, honestly. Okay, so if could you have a composer that would score your life as a film, who would it be? 

Oscar Pan: I love listening to a lot of like, music by Icelandic composers. I mean, he’s not mainly focused on film scoring, he’s an independent musical artist, but Ólafur Arnalds. He does a lot of piano music and electronic music. And, but he also did, like a couple, you know, TV shows and films and stuff. When you listen to it, you’re so connected to nature, your inner consciousness. It’s very peaceful, very calming, but also, there’s a tinge of sadness to it sometimes. Which is, I feel like a lot of artists have, you know… that lives with us. And I feel like it’s a therapy for me. I feel like my journey, has a lot of ups and downs. You know, I went through a lot. I feel like his music could capture,  a little bit of my journey.

How about a movie you wished you had composed the music for?

Oscar Pan: I don’t know, in my head right now on top of my head is How to Train Your Dragon, which is like a very different genre. The score is just amazing. It is beautiful and majestic.  Epic but adventurous. And the orchestration was just top-notch. And the melody, the theme was just so memorable it worked so well with the picture.

What is the ultimate dream?

Oscar Pan: This is a big question, haha. I think the ultimate dream of mine would be to contribute to positive changes in the world, either through involvement in a non-profit organization addressing issues such as water shortages, food scarcity, refugee support, nature preservation, and animal rescues or by finding ways to integrate my passion for the arts with these humanitarian causes. A thought I’ve had since college is that perhaps one day I could become a traveling journalist, educating people about diverse cultures and the everyday challenges faced by communities. This career path would be perfect for me, as my favorite channel since childhood has been National Geographic, and my greatest joy has always been traveling and immersing myself in different cultures around the world. This profession would seamlessly blend my love for travel with the opportunity to make positive contributions to the world!
As of now, I’m still not sure about the specific trajectory of my career, but I believe my love for working on documentaries has guided me in a promising direction. Documentaries, as everyone knows, are not merely an art form for enjoyment; they also convey messages to the audience and educate them about unfamiliar subjects. A friend of mine works in the UN Department of Global Communications, and recently she was assigned to be the director of a documentary feature film, leading her to travel to the Central African Republic. Witnessing her work inspires and reminds me that my dream is indeed still possible to achieve.

source: Lijie Xie

What are you working on now, what’s next for you?

Oscar Pan: Currently, I’m working on my second album and I’m looking forward to releasing it in the new year. My first album, which was just released on December 1st, was the original motion picture soundtrack album for Motherland, and this new one will be my first personal album where all the individual pieces will be based on my traveling and living experiences that helped me grow as an artist and a human being. Traveling and living in different places have played a big role in my life and identity, and I can’t wait to share that part of myself through my music.
I’m also looking forward to working on two experimental art films, one of which is Cut Your Wings And Fly, directed by Meryem Lahlou—the same director I collaborated with on I Am Illegal, a documentary on the LGBTQ community in Morocco that premiered at Outfest in LA just this past July. In this second film we’re collaborating on, we’re going to tell a personal story of domestic violence and sexual abuse through some beautiful dances and striking visuals. Stay tuned for more updates!

Thank you so much Oscar! Congrats again!

We want to thank Oscar Pan for taking the time to speak with us.

Oscar Pan is an LA-based composer for the screen and concert stage and a pianist. Being a travel enthusiast and arts fanatic, he is always drawn to cross-cultural collaborations and new sounds that speak to our living world. His recent works include the score to Sonnet Crown for NYC, a poetic documentary commissioned by and screened at The Shed in New York City; the score to Motherland, a Chinese drama short nominated for Best Short Live Action Score at Hollywood Music in Media Awards; the score to I Am Illegal, a Moroccan LGBTQ documentary short premiered at the 2023 Outfest LA Film Festival; and Le Train, a quartet for woodwinds and piano that received Merit Award in Tribeca New Music’s 2021 Young Composer Competition. Oscar earned his bachelor’s in Music Composition with a specialization in Screen Scoring from New York University in 2021, and his master’s in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College Chicago in 2023.