Illustration: Eda Akaltun
Ordinary spies may move in silence, but it takes a syncopated triangle to create an international man of mystery. Such is the magic of a good film score. “The moment the music starts, the audience should know what they’re watching,” says Lalo Schifrin, who composed the iconic theme for Mission: Impossible. Here Schifrin and his fellow composers explain how to create your own sneaky soundtrack—triangle not included.
The Composers
Lalo Schifrin
Mission: Impossible, The Osterman Weekend
Michael Giacchino
Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, Alias
David Arnold
Five Bond films, from Tomorrow Never Dies through Quantum of Solace.
Their Secrets
Pick your weapons:
Strings and brass are all Arnold needs for this mission, particularly “that dark, snarling trombone.” For his part, Giacchino starts on the low end of the piano, adds vibraphone for a touch of mystery, then follows it up with lightly strummed guitar chords and rhythmic cymbals. “The bongos are the big kicker,” he says.
Start low and grow:
Diminished chords create a mood of unease, according to Giacchino, who generally begins in the key of A minor. For a paramilitary operation, Schifrin used a suspenseful march with soft drums. Silence is the key to creating tension. “Part of the secret is knowing when to not do anything,” Arnold says.
Follow the action:
When an average workday involves scaling the Burj Khalifa, no ordinary beat will do. Giacchino plays with time signatures like 7/8, which sounds like a dance. Tempo changes are another way to echo the action: “140 beats per minute is running-down-the-hall music,” Giacchino says. “When you’re sneaking into a place, you use 110. When it’s emotional, you go down to 60.”
Feel the love:
“The music became melodic and gorgeous when Bond’s relationships with women were developing,” Arnold says. The love scene is the time for a delicate melody and lush orchestration—as if you need the excuse.
