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There are few settings as evocative as the ocean or high school. Luckily, directors Faryn Pearl and Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) combine both in the new DreamWorks Animation film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. The protagonist, Ruby (Lana Condor), is a shy, slightly awkward, but majorly smart teenage high school student. While navigating the complexities of homework, home life, crushes and squad squabbling, Ruby suddenly finds herself confronted by a shocking family secret. Not only does she come from a long line of powerful krakens, but Ruby is set to inherit the throne, destined to protect the sea.
Along with a healthy dose of typical teenage tropes, the film dives into refreshingly new territory by subverting many currently held associations with popular mythological creatures. More than just an interesting narrative combo, Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken successfully holds water as an endearing and inspiring tale of identity and self-acceptance. A major element uniting these seemingly disparate components is the film’s score by Grammy-award-winning composer Stephanie Economou.
A classically trained violinist, Economou’s incredibly diverse and genre-spanning background brings a fresh and modern perspective to the sound of Ruby’s wonderfully vibrant world. Since starting her career assisting iconic composer Henry Gregson-Williams on major projects like The Martian, Mulan, and The Meg, Economou has developed a successful career all her own. Her recent projects include Jupiter’s Legacy, The Chair, About My Father and the upcoming My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. She also made history as the first person ever to win a Grammy in the new category “Best Score for Video Games and Other Interactive Media,” with her Assassins Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök score in February 2023.
For Ruby and her sensational story, Economou pulled from her wide range of experience to craft a score that walks the line between nostalgic and fresh. Hinting at classic coming-of-age movies through icy synths and echoing drums, Economou melds the past with a youthful present by adding glistening guitars, deliberate distortion, ethereal vocals and a fully utilized orchestra. The result is a playful and intimate score that meets Ruby exactly where she is at any given moment, evolving and supporting her throughout her incredible journey.
Film Cred: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is your first foray into animation. How did you become involved with this film, and what were those early conversations like regarding the film’s musical direction?
Stephanie Economou: I got asked to meet with Kirk and Faryn, the directors, and Kelly Cooney, one of the producers [last summer]. Truth be told, I really didn’t think that I was well suited for animation music. I think there’s so many brilliant composers who do that so well. It’s magical and colorful, and I was like, “I don’t think I’m a really great fit for that.” But I took the meeting and absolutely loved the creative team so much, and I loved the script. I also loved Ruby. She just came off the page.
I think I said in my first meeting with them: “Listen. I would probably want to try something a little bit different for this score if you want to work together.” Because for me, the idea of “animation music” is a silly idea. I think there are a lot of animation scores that do really different things, and I was excited by the idea that I could pretty much do whatever I wanted. They were really down with whatever sort of creative thoughts I had.
In those early conversations, I told them that, for some reason, when I was reading the script, I heard dream pop, synth-pop and stuff like that. You know, like Beach House and M83. I thought that might be a cool way of rooting us in the world of Ruby. They really liked that idea. Dream pop, the sound of it with the reverb-y textures, hazy atmospheres and all those really wet guitars, reminds me of the water.
So I ended up writing a theme suite, and I wrote a theme for Ruby exploring that instrumentation palette. They really liked that, and it gave the score a unique feel. The music expands and contracts between this band-y synth-pop idea coupled with more orchestral strings, brass, choir and all of that stuff. It was a really fun space to play in for a while. They were down to try whatever, and that’s what stuck.
FC: This movie has two very visceral settings — the ocean, which you mentioned, and high school. Did that high school element influence any of your musical decisions as well?
SE: Yeah, so the cool thing about the dream pop and focusing on the guitars, the vocals, the drums and these other things was that when [Ruby] was on land living her ordinary teenage high school existence, that worked really well too. I leaned more into indie pop for that, and what we quickly realized using that instrumentation palette was that it started feeling kind of like a John Hughes movie. Everybody loved that.
It is interesting how it does bring that dynamic to the film, and I think the story does unfold in a similar way. It’s like, she has her squad, her crush, the challenges of being a teenager with her parents and all of that. It just solidified the teenage existence. So it worked as being ethereal, magical and immersive underwater and then in a more grounded way with indie pop on land. It just played more into her teenagehood.
FC: This movie also subverts and plays with the stereotypes and current way pop culture frames mermaids and krakens. Did you inject some sonic subversion into the score as well?
SE: Yeah, totally. That’s one of my favorite things about this movie. It does have all of that subversion. It plays with the mythos of mermaids, which we have taken to be these majestic, beautiful creatures. Here, it actually leans into the original folklore of mermaids, where they’re terrifying monsters that destroyed men and lured them to their deaths. I loved that so much. [Laughs]
And then the krakens, by contrast, are the protectors of the sea versus what we think where they’re just monsters. The subversion is done so well in the first two minutes of the film where you have a voiceover from Jane Fonda talking about how the krakens are perceived as monsters, but they’re really protectors. What I did musically there was just lean into it.
So basically, the music for the idea of the kraken and the myth of the kraken is very orchestral, with lots of strings, brass, and choir. And then immediately, they juxtapose that with Ruby waking up in the morning, and it’s a pop-punk song. So having that traditional element of what we traditionally think about the vastness and the grandness of the sea with the pop-punk, that’s playing into the subversion. Musically, I was able to dial in those little things.
Because there are a lot of solo vocals and choir in the score, one fun thing that Ari Mason, the main vocalist on this score, and myself were able to do was invent a kraken language. We wanted the vocals to sing something that was not just “ooh” and “ahh.” So we delved into the earliest written reference of the kraken, which was in Scandinavian folklore. We were pulling from old Norse syllables and then inventing syllables and just putting them together to create this kraken language which was really fun. So you hear a lot of that in the underwater kingdom.
FC: Let’s talk a bit more about Ruby. We see her go through a lot in this story as she learns a bit more about herself, her family history, and her hidden superpowers. How did you mirror that journey with the music to ensure it evolved along with her?
SE: So, the first theme suite that I wrote, it was an exploration into what could be a theme for Ruby. It wasn’t just an exploration in the dream pop style. It was also me coming up with a tune for her and a melody that I thought could work really well in the context of dream pop. But then, I also knew where the story was going, so finding a theme where I thought I could expand it into something bigger and more powerful — incorporating the orchestra but also having these dream pop sort of elements in there with it.
I wanted the melody to be able to go through those lenses. I really just sat down, heard something for her and wrote it down. It has this leap and then this lyrical line which you’ll hear throughout the film. I liked the idea that I could hear it being on guitars or being on vocals, and then also hearing it on, like, six French horns and a big choir when she starts to gain her superpowers and lean into what makes her special.
That theme for her goes through all different sorts of stylistic influences, but I liked that I could do that with her theme. It was so crucial to have it go from this indie pop sort of quirky teen thing to being this powerful statement and then come back to the dream pop at the end when she goes back to being a teenager. We’re filled with multitudes, and so is she. I wanted the theme to be able to do all of those things for her and match what the story was doing.
FC: You mentioned having a bit of initial hesitation toward working in the animation sphere. Now that you have, can you tell us a little about your experience and how working in animation differs from a feature film or video game?
SE: The biggest thing that it taught me is that I just really want to do more animation. I would love to work with this creative team forever. It was one of the best collaborations I’ve ever had, and it was just a lovely experience through and through.
I think a lot of that has to do with the fact, and not everybody is like this, that they had a lot of trust in my idea for how to musically tell this story. They kept pushing me to be less traditional. That was the thing I was most self-conscious about coming into it. I think I had this idea of what those movies should sound like, but they were like, “Do whatever you want.” Having the blessing to go and explore in that sense was so beautiful.
Process-wise, I found that animation was quite similar to working on video game scores in that you’re pulled on quite early. I think that’s because there’s an understanding of how much music can bring to the storytelling and to the world-building and level of immersion. You’re helping create that narrative and atmosphere. It also gave me the license to try things and fail in order to find the sweet spot. When you start early, you do have the luxury of doing that.
In live-action projects, most often, composers are brought in during post-production once they’ve shot everything and they’re putting together a good cut. So, a lot of it is already there, and then you’re giving a complement to it, or you’re giving a contrast that is bringing out a new dimension, which is also really great. But I think in animation, it felt like there was a lot of respect for what music could do on a storytelling level. That was really refreshing and lovely to be a part of.
FC: You recorded this score at the famous Abbey Road Studios. Was that your first time there? What was it like recording in such a sacred musical space?
SE: So it wasn’t my first time there. I worked with a composer named Harry Gregson-Williams, who has done lots of scores, including Shrek. I worked with him for a long time, and we would go over there and record the scores we worked on together for quite a few years. However, this was my first time going on my own with my own project. There was a familiarity, but also a sense of like, “I’m so terrified because I have nothing to hide behind. This is all me.”
I was up there conducting the orchestra for a whole week, and I thought I would be more nervous than I was. I think having that foundation when I went with Harry helped so much to be like, “I know what I’m doing, and I’m here for a reason.” Having that little bit of confidence really went a long way.
But recording at Abbey Road is nuts. It’s amazing. Just knowing the history in the walls and all of the things that have been recorded in that space, and then I’m bringing my kraken music there. [Laughs] It was humbling and just so exciting. Plus, some of the best players in the world. It is the greatest joy for any composer to hear it all come to life in such a historical space like that with these brilliant musicians. It was truly incredible. Best week of my life.
FC: Once Ruby learns a bit more about her family history, we see her battling a bit of imposter syndrome. Is that ever something you deal with? If so, how do you counter those voices in your head?
SE: Yeah, that’s a great question. It’s never-ending. Imposter syndrome has been a very real thing in my life, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. But I think over time, for me as a composer, the more experience I get, and the longer that I do this, it doesn’t necessarily get easier, but I do feel like I am more apt to trust my instincts.
I’ve been backed into so many corners with these crazy deadlines and had to pull out really important, nuanced music in a very short period of time. Instead of wallowing in self-loathing, which I usually do, and that’s always part of the process, I think I’ve done enough things enough times to know that in those moments where it’s really crazy, I can lean on my experience. It’ll get done and I’ll be pleased with the product.
For Ruby, this movie explores so many things about the human experience. There’s so many universal things to her story. They delve into her anxiety around all of this. She’s realizing suddenly that her life is not at all what she thought it was. Her mom has lied to her, and there’s this whole other massive layer to her existence that she didn’t know about. Like, how insane is that!? She has no sense of self anymore. How could you not have this internal panic around “Who am I?” and “What am I meant to do?” That is what she’s struggling with.
I think that is something we all struggle with, regardless of age. You have all of these influences in your life — your mom telling you something, your grandmother telling you something else, and society making you feel like a monster. All of these outside voices are telling you all these things. How Ruby interprets that for herself and finds her inner strength, and finds who she really is outside of all those voices is really powerful. I think we can all take something away from that. Focus on yourself, and don’t look at what everybody else is doing. What do your instincts say? What does your heart say? That’s a beautiful thing that I think this movie explores.
FC: You recently won a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media, the first Grammy of its kind. I’m curious, how has that win impacted you professionally and personally?
SE: I’m going to be very frank. Not much has changed at all. The thing is, I didn’t expect it to because that would be sort of weird, right? That’s not really what it’s all about. But I will say, it being the first year that the category exists, I think that is monumental. Regardless of who won that category, this was a huge win for game music.
Having that recognition on the biggest stage for music creators, it’s incredible validation for anybody who works in the creative field of video games — just knowing that this has a lasting impact. This music is doing something, and it’s reaching people. It’s been in the zeitgeist for so long, but ultimately what we’re doing is culturally important. I think that was monumental.
So, the micro of what it changed in my life is, honestly, not too much. And that’s all good. I’m really honored to have the recognition. It’s crazy. I see the Grammy on my piano every day, and I’m like, “Did that fucking happen? That’s really weird.” There was also a lot of imposter syndrome like we were talking about, where I was like, “Did I deserve this?” There are so many people who have worked for so many years in game music that deserve this recognition so much more than I do. I just try to zoom out and realize just how important this year was, knowing there was a nice spotlight on game music.
Personally, for me, the Grammy is still just weird. I’m so ridiculously honored. I’m just really happy anybody listened to the soundtrack, and I’m happy that people thought it was cool enough and felt compelled to vote for it. It’s a really crazy experience. I still pinch myself a little bit about all of it. I hope that we have many, many more years of recognition for so many other people who deserve it.
FC: You are also on The Alliance for Women Film Composers board. Can you tell us a bit about what The AWFC does and why you believe organizations like this are so important?
SE: Yes! So, The Alliance for Women Film Composers is a network and community of women and women-identifying composers, creators, songwriters, orchestrators, arrangers, and every ilk of musician. It’s a really wonderful community of women who are supporting one another, who are creating programs, and who are doing community outreach to young kids to get more women involved in media music.
It offers excellent visibility. The website for The AWFC has a directory with all of our members where you can go in if you’re a director or somebody else who’s looking for a composer, search the directory and find hundreds, if not thousands, of women composers and their website. That access is so important. There really was a lack of that for women. There was not much of a platform, and it’s so crucial that we advocate for each other.
It’s also a resource for women composers. I myself spearheaded a mentorship program with some other composers that gives access to younger women composers, who have experience but are younger professionals, to A-list composers who can give them that sort of one-on-one experience of what this career can look like. We were noticing that it was mainly just men who were getting those opportunities, and we realized that needed to shift.
There are also great initiatives like AWFC Cares, which links a composer one-on-one with somebody else in The Alliance. If they have come into motherhood, if they’re caring for an elderly parent and still trying to balance their professional career, just offering that support for one another goes a long way. It’s that, along with so many other brilliant initiatives that The AWFC offers, which I think are really critical to give that advocacy and visibility for all women-identifying composers.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Additionally, Economou’s score for the film is now available to stream on all major streaming platforms.
