Everyone who has been tuning in to Netflix’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ probably is asking the exact same question.. How much bad luck can one family possibly have? Season 2, which premiered on March 30th, isn’t looking much brighter for the Baudelaire orphans as Count Olaf, played by Neil Patrick Harris, continues his reign of terror over the children. The unrelenting misery Violet, Klaus and Sunny experience can very depressing at times but other lighthearted and whimsical aspects of the show make for a very fun ride. One of those aspects being the score by Emmy winning composer Jim Dooley. Dooley does a great job of taking this very imaginative story to the next level through his musical choices. In this exclusive interview we go a little more in depth with him about the season 2 score.
How would you describe your score for the show?
The score for ASOUE is mix of mystery and caper with a good helping of hope. Each book in the series allows us to reinvent all the themes to suit the new locations we get to explore. For example, in The Carnivorous Carnival, we could bring in a whole world of circus instruments to help define our new locale.
‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ is based on a series of children’s novels by author Daniel Handler. How familiar were you with these books before starting work on the show?
I was not familiar with the books before starting the series. To ensure that I highlighted the surprises in the stories, I did not read ahead. I did not want the score to be ahead of the audience’s knowledge and experience of the story.
The first season of ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ had a different composer. How did you put your own personal stamp on the score for season 2 while keeping a cohesive vibe between seasons?
The first season actually had a few composers. For me the general direction wasn’t too far away from what I had done with ‘Pushing Daisies’ so many years ago. It was like putting on a warm coat. To make it unique to me, I began with recording and creating custom instruments. I performed all of them myself. Some of these instruments are called Bass Flapamba, Stone Marimba, Tuned Anvils, and Amphibiophones (Tortoise shells of different sizes).
What was your favorite episode to score and why?
The Carnivorous Carnival episodes were especially enjoyable as they open with a giant swing-orchestra dance routine. There is a caper going on during the dancing and some valuable information being passed around. Whenever the music can be featured in storytelling, it’s a great bit of fun!
We read that your wife sang on some of the tracks for the show, can you tell us a little more about that process?
My wife also sings on the show ‘Luke Cage’ so when I brought her in, Netflix was on board right away. For the Vile Village episodes, we embraced the Morricone style of Spaghetti Westerns. She’s very fast at picking up the right vibe, so it’s a great fit.
I also wanted something poignant for the death of Jacques and Brooke singing the ‘Balloon Theme’ in a sad way nailed it.
You can learn more about Jim Dooley at http://jimdooley.com/.
Originally published April 12, 2018. Updated April 11, 2018.
