Creating the music for Powershot Productions’ campaign for Overland, the clothing company, was quite the adventure. Imagine this: I’m surrounded by all these rugged, outdoor-inspired clothes, and here I am, a composer who thinks a hike is walking to the coffee shop down the street. The whole studio was decked out with camping gear and hiking boots—talk about setting the mood!
One day, I decided to get into the spirit of things. I showed up to the session wearing head-to-toe Overland gear, complete with a backpack and a thermal mug. The team burst out laughing, but I insisted it was all part of the creative process. As I sat there, plucking away at my keyboard, trying to channel the great outdoors, I realized I’d left my laptop charger at home. Classic city dweller mistake!
We had a blast incorporating natural sounds into the score—birdsong, flowing water, even the sound of a zipper on a tent. It was all going smoothly until someone suggested adding the sound of footsteps on gravel. We actually ended up recording our intern walking around the parking lot in hiking boots. It turned out perfectly, and we couldn’t stop laughing at how serious we all took those footsteps.
In the end, the campaign turned out great, and we had a lot of fun along the way. I may not have become an outdoorsman, but I certainly gained a new appreciation for quality outdoor apparel and the importance of good walking shoes.