Interview
Kris Bowers on Scoring The Wild Robot
Words by Loren Sunderland
Over the years I've had various opportunities to cross paths with composer Kris Bowers, including one memorable moment I had watching him jam alongside The Last of Us composer; Gustavo Santaolalla. Finally, our schedules aligned and I had the chance to spend a full 45 minutes with him, diving into his latest project, The Wild Robot, Dreamworks latest animated feature about a robot named Roz and her struggle to survive when lost on a remote, wild island.
Just recently, Kris performed his score for The Wild Robot at Deadline’s Sound and Screen concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall on November 1. We discussed the importance of having more film scores performed live, sharing a common enthusiasm and recognising the need for these kinds of events. “It’s always a question of how to get more people in, and programming something they recognise can be a great way to do it,” he said. “The musicians were super excited to play the music and the crowd seemed really into it. It was a lot of fun.”
Chatting with Kris, even for the first time, felt as though I’d known him forever. I could have happily spent another 45 minutes exploring the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of life, careers, family and how to find the time to indulge yourself in any creative project fully. After our chat, I came away with one thought, that Kris himself embodied a lot of the qualities that The Wild Robot film portrays and that his passion for composing was truly inspiring.
How did you come to work on The Wild Robot? I’d love to know what the process was like for you. Do you have agents who present you with those kinds of opportunities?
Kris Bowers: Yes, it was actually Mike Knobloch and Natalie Hayden from Universal who was really instrumental in presenting my name to Director Chris Sanders. I think they brought me up to Chris, then reached out to me and sent me the book to read before our first meeting. When I met with Chris, I learned something interesting later on—one of the things he responded to in my music was the range, from pieces that felt intimate, sparse, and intentional to those that were big, muscular, and action-oriented. With The Wild Robot, he felt the score needed that range, with moments where the score is very much the focal point. That’s really what seemed to draw him to my work. Our first meeting was really great.
“I wanted the score to be as orchestrationally intricate and intentional as possible.”
When you were in those early meetings, what were they like? Was the director or animation department able to show you any early visualisations or storyboards?
Kris Bowers: Yeah, so the way DreamWorks works is quite immersive. I remember getting off the elevator, and the entire floor was dedicated to that project. It was decorated with all of their concept art and the artwork that inspired them. And from those early bits of concept art, it was clear they were going for this hand-painted look.
They showed me a reel that detailed how Roz would be constructed, including the shapes and her malleability, along with what each of the animals would look like. The animals have a slightly realistic but more artistic rendering, not hyper-realistic or photo-realistic in their approach.
Chris [Sanders] and I also discussed the story itself. I had read the book, so we talked a lot about the messages that he wanted to focus on, such as kindness as a survival tactic and the idea of evolving to be more than your programmed self. Roz's journey into motherhood was a significant theme he wanted the music to capture emotionally and spiritually. Because of those central themes, the score needed strong melodies that could carry emotion even outside the context of the movie.
Given everything you saw in the early creation of the film, I’m curious about the role of technology in your composition. How did you approach that? Did you keep the score more organic or push it into a more tech-driven space?
Kris Bowers: That was actually a big part of the conversation from the beginning—how to balance the synthetic and organic aspects of the story. Early on, I decided I wanted a strong technological synth base to represent Roz and the futuristic elements of the story. Still, at the same time, I felt the primary sound needed to be organic, given it’s about a robot entering a vast island with all these other creatures in nature. I created a suite of synth sounds to represent Roz, but I also wanted to represent the wilderness in a unique way. That led me to find a percussion ensemble called Sandbox Percussion that approaches percussion more like Foley. A lot of what they do was inspired by the sounds I imagined for this environment, like animals skittering through the forest, scratching against Roz, or tree branches brushing against her.
For me, knowing the film would have sequences without much dialogue, I wanted the score to be as orchestrationally intricate and intentional as possible, not just background loops. My approach was orchestra-led, with synths acting as augmentation, doubling woodwind parts and adding textures that blended into the orchestra instead of just layering on top. Sandbox Percussion’s role was to add another intricate layer, almost like ASMR, that connected with the orchestration.
A lot of the film, as you said, centres on the message of kindness. I’d love to hear your take on how you go about scoring kindness. What sounds or instruments do you look for to create that feeling and support the message? How did you approach that?
Kris Bowers: That’s a great question. I think it’s hard to be super specific about it because I feel like what I did here could be done differently to evoke other emotions. But for me, I found certain harmonic progressions or frequency ranges really useful for creating a feeling of warmth. There are certain chord progressions I tend to go to when I think of that feeling, or at least I start there and see where it leads.
And then there’s the playful lightness of the score. For those elements, I looked for ways to make it feel like something that brings a smile—just a fun interplay of different elements. For me, it’s always about chasing that visceral reaction. It’s not just about scoring “kindness” in a specific way but more about capturing the feeling this film’s idea of kindness evokes in me.
There are things in life that trigger us, both positively and negatively. In this instance, I focused on things that evoke happiness and joy. It’s a process of improvising on the piano, hunting for a melody or chord progression, and then expanding on that feeling with orchestration. When I find something that triggers those emotions, I trust that response and keep chasing it.
“When I’m talking to a director, producer, or fellow composer, I try to leave behind the part of me that wants something from them, and instead just focus on learning who they are.”
With a project like this, was there any part of the score you found particularly challenging? Were there moments you kept revisiting?
Kris Bowers: Yes, definitely. The one I’ve talked about a lot is ‘The Migration’ sequence. My initial take on it didn’t have the right emotion. I had just become a parent, and my daughter was six months old. I remember imagining saying goodbye to her someday, like when she goes to college. I wrote the music and shared it with Chris, and he felt it wasn’t quite right. After talking back and forth, I realised my approach was too optimistic, almost naive. We both discussed the reality of the scene for Roz, which involved more complexity. So I went home and considered the more difficult parts of parenthood, how it brings up memories, old traumas, and the ways we want to be better for our kids.
We became pretty obsessed with getting that cue perfect, spending almost two months refining it! We met weekly to tweak it. Chris even had me write away from the picture, and they animated to the music.
Was there a moment from working on The Wild Robot, whether in composing or from conversations with others that you’ll remember forever?
Kris Bowers: Yeah, I mean, watching Mary Blee, the picture editor, work on this movie is something I’ll never forget. Editors in animation are truly unsung heroes, they’re making a film work emotionally with just black-and-white pencil sketches, often with sequences that hold a single image for seconds at a time. It’s incredible that we could watch or even test screen a movie with large sections in pencil sketches, and people would still laugh and feel something. That’s still pretty amazing to me.
What keeps you looking forward? Both personally and also professionally as a composer?
Kris Bowers: My daughter and my wife play a big part in keeping me grounded. Whenever I’m in town, I take my daughter to school and pick her up every day if I can. Seeing the world through her eyes is really special, she absorbs and loves everything around her. It’s a beautiful way to be reminded of what’s important, especially with everything else going on.
We spend a lot of time outdoors, going for walks, and I also try to meditate regularly to stay mindful. Meditation helps me understand how my thoughts, mostly involuntary, affect my actions and emotions. So, I focus on responding thoughtfully, whether that’s through mindfulness practices, reading psychology, or exploring philosophy. Those practices are definitely helpful.
Beyond that, just enjoying art whether it’s movies, shows, visual art, or even food. I see myself as a lifelong student, and I talk a lot in therapy about how curiosity drives me. Some of my happiest moments outside of family are when I’m learning something. Anytime I feel down, I pick up a new book, watch a TED Talk, or find an interesting interview. Learning something new always lifts my mood.
“Meditation helps me understand how my thoughts, mostly involuntary, affect my actions and emotions.”
Thinking about up-and-coming composers or artists, especially in such a collaborative field, how important is kindness in your approach to work and relationships? Could you share your perspective on how to present yourself early on in this career, and what values you think are essential to keep hold of?
Kris Bowers: For me, it’s all about keeping the excitement and joy of being lucky enough to do this work. It’s cliché, but I still have moments where I think, “This is wild; this is something I dreamed of as a kid.” I bring that excitement into every interaction.
I also think it’s crucial to be genuinely curious about people. In conversations, I try to listen actively and connect on a personal level, without any agenda. When I’m talking to a director, producer, or fellow composer, I try to leave behind the part of me that wants something from them, and instead just focus on learning who they are. When someone approaches me this way, it’s refreshing because, in this industry, there can be so much anxiety and fear. The people I connect with on a real, human level are the ones I want to continue talking to.
As for dealing with rejection or differing opinions on my work, I really enjoy the collaborative process. When a director or filmmaker gives me feedback, even if it initially makes me question my work, I’ve found that using that feedback has often led me to create music I’m even prouder of.
The second part is recognizing those internal, critical voices. Through therapy, I’ve learned where those voices come from, and navigating them is invaluable. For young composers, especially in a challenging industry, understanding how to manage those critical inner voices, whether by using them constructively, ignoring them, or even having an internal dialogue with them is important.
The Wild Robot | Behind The Scenes (Featuring Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal And Mark Hamill)
As 2024 draws to a close, can you share from a composer's perspective what some of your key takeaways are and what you might want to bring into the new year?
Kris Bowers: The biggest thing I’ve learned is to indulge in the process and take as much time as I can, especially when I have the time to do so on projects. Typically, my approach is to procrastinate and leave things until the last minute. With The Wild Robot, I pushed myself to get that visceral response first and then had enough time to continue refining it without overthinking. I’m really proud of how the score turned out because I used the time I was given, instead of rushing at the last minute. It’s something I’m trying to carry into everything else, though I still tend to procrastinate…