EP23: Sam Watts | Composing for The Traitors

Marc chats with film and television composer Sam Watts! You might have heard his work on hit shows like Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS, The Traitors, Planet Earth, and The Sarah Jane Adventures. He’s spent over 20 years in the industry creating music for science fiction, fantasy, reality, drama, horror, documentary, and much more. Sam has worked with Bad Wolf, BBC, HBO, PBS, NBC Universal and many more clients. His work has led to accolades including Emmys, BAFTAs, RTS, TCA, Peabody, Saturn, and Producers Guild awards. He discusses his early career, meeting George Fenton while studying at university, then later Russel T Davies, and learning about networking and the value of working with nice people in the industry. Sam and Marc also share their personal experience of walking the fine line between successful networking and pestering. Sam gives his insights on the importance of ethical journalism in documentary making, which he learnt about when working with Anthony Thomas on the 2010 film ‘For Neda’. The conversation covers topics such as kindness, communication, adaptability, and diversity in the context of the TV show Traitors and Sam shares insights on treating others as they wish to be treated, adapting communication styles, and the power of listening and respect. Though information on the making of the show is tightly guarded, Sam still gives us a peek behind the curtain and discusses his experiences working with Claudia Winkleman and the importance of recognising the contributions of behind-the-scenes professionals. He also shares insights into the process of composing and recording music for TV shows, including the time and budget constraints involved, as well as being candid about how possible it is to make a living as a composer. Finally, they discuss some of his favourite venues and recording studios. 00:00:00 - Episode Begins 00:01:11 - Introduction to Sam 00:04:32 - Writing Music for Documentaries 00:16:30 - The Competitive Nature of the Industry 00:20:09 - Meeting and Working with George Fenton and Russel T Davies 00:29:06 - The Positive Career Impact of Being Nice 00:38:24 - Start of Sam’s Career 00:41:56 - Working on The Traitors 00:49:24 - Diversity in Cast and Crew 01:03:05 - Claudia Winkleman 01:06:45 - Composition Process for TV 01:17:03 - How Much Does this Career Pay? 01:24:35 - Venues Find out more about Sam on his website and keep up to date with his projects on Instagram.