Thinking In Sound: Why the More Ideas the Better with Oscar Webster Bell

Oscar, music supervisor and composer at Native Music, has worked with brands like Ferrari, O2, and Xbox. He's won four awards for ‘Use of Music’ on B&Q 'Flip'.

LBB> When you’re working on a new brief or project, what’s your typical starting point?  How do you break it down and how do you like to generate your ideas or response? 

Oscar> This can depend on what stage the client/agency are at. Sometimes, they have a clear vision of what they want, while other times, we guide them through the process. 

For music search briefs, there's typically an initial burst of inspiration. I begin by exploring these initial ideas before broadening my perspective. Continuously referencing the brief and auditioning ideas with the picture, storyboard, or animatic. 

Similarly, in composition projects, I capture those initial ideas, before continually revisiting the brief until I hit the nail on the head. Once that’s done, the focus shifts towards refining the composition into a fully mixed and produced track. 

LBB> Music and sound are in some ways the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity - what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang - and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations? 

Oscar> At Native, we’re a small team so work collaboratively on nearly every project. As so much of what we do is subjective, the more ideas the better. One of us might interpret  the brief in a different way, but this might be the winning ticket for the ad. 

LBB> What’s the most satisfying part of your job and why? 

Oscar> I would say when I am writing music for bespoke composition projects. I particularly love the light orchestral briefs, which we tend to get a lot of. 

LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it? 

Oscar> Someone currently working at an ad agency might have a better grasp of how the advertising industry is evolving than I do. 

From my perspective, there's a noticeable shift towards shorter social cutdowns of ads compared to a few years ago. With music, this translates to tracks needing to pack a  punch in 9-15 seconds. They've got to grab the listener's attention instantly or seamlessly complement the accompanying sound. 

LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes and why? 

Oscar> There are so many! I’m into all kinds of music and especially love listening to film scores. 

Growing up my favourite artist was Bon Iver, He has a way of making quite experimental music, while hinting to catchy pop hooks to draw you in.

Thomas Newman and Alexandre Desplat are probably my favourite film composers. Both can create unparalleled emotive scores. I’m also very excited about the work of Ludwig Göransson. 

LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any particular ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about the work you do? 

Oscar> Again, this is something that is constantly changing. When I hear a piece of music that I like, I learn it on the piano or guitar, partly out of joy, but also to help me understand what I like about it. I then add that to my arsenal and take influence from it as and when a brief relates to it. 

LBB> When you’re working on something that isn’t directly sound design or music (lets say going through client briefs or answering emails) - are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background or is that completely distracting to you? What are your thoughts on ‘background’ sound and music as you work? 

Oscar> I enjoy background music, and it’s good way to keep up to date with new releases. I often put on a new album when I know I have an hour or so of answering emails or admin. 

LBB> I guess the quality of the listening experience and the context that audiences listen to music/sound in has changed over the years. There’s the switch from analogue to digital and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low quality sound (often the audio is competing with a  million other distractions) - how does that factor into how you approach your work? 

Oscar> It's good to remember that while your music might sound great in a studio setting, it could be heard through low-quality devices like iPhones or mono speakers such as a Google Home. Testing across various speakers/ environments is key to ensuring its effectiveness. 

LBB> On a typical day, what does your ‘listening diet’ look like? 

Oscar> This might not be the answer you are looking for, but it changes a lot depending on the day. 

Today I listened to Ludovico’s album ‘Underwater’ in the morning while getting ready and then went on to listen to IDLES new album ‘TANGK’ when I got to work. Both were  enjoyable in their own way!

LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd, do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds, are you a hyper organised Spotify-er…)? 

Oscar> Of those I would say I’m a hyper organised Spotify-er. I’ve lost count of the number of playlists I’ve made in and out of work for searches or listening at home. 

LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you and do you ever relate that back to music (e.g. history buPs who love music that can help you travel through time, gamers who love interactive sound design… I mean it really could be anything!!) 

Oscar> I love cooking, and always have a new cookbook on the go to. It’s something I like to do without music at the end of the day to decompress and give my ears a rest. That being said, I love a sunny BBQ with friends and tunes blaring. 

LBB> Let’s talk travel! It’s often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do - I’d love to know what are the most exciting or inspiring experiences you’ve  had when it comes to sound and music on your travels? 

Oscar> Haha - I would say about 10 years ago on my 'Gap Yah' I spent two months in Indonesia and did some Gamalan classes, which was amazing! 

LBB> As we age, our ears change physically and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don’t get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth - how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?

Oscar> You’re right as you get older, there is more responsibility and that gets in the way of our passions. 

However, I think there is always time in the day to do the things you love, even if it’s just 30 minutes you spend playing piano. It might feel hard after everything else you’ve done  that day, but you’ll feel a lot better for it.