Simon Franglen on Titanic and Avatar | Composer Conversations with Paul Thomson

Composer Conversations is a series presented by Paul Thomson, featuring in-depth discussions with leading composers about the craft, creative decisions, and collaborations behind music for screen. In this episode, Paul sits down with Grammy-winning, Golden Globe-nominated composer Simon Franglen, whose credits include Avatar: Fire and Ash, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Magnificent Seven, Titanic, and many more. With Avatar: Fire and Ash marking his second full score for the world of Pandora, Simon reflects on a career that began in studios and synthesiser rooms before moving into film through collaborations with John Barry, Alan Silvestri, Howard Shore, and James Horner. From programming the Synclavier for Trevor Horn to electronically performing the full score for FernGully, his path traces the changing relationship between composition, recording, and technology. Together, Paul and Simon explore how story shapes musical decisions, why limitation can become part of a score's identity, and how themes are developed, rewritten, or discarded according to the needs of the picture. The conversation traces the creative thinking behind some of Simon's most celebrated work, including Titanic, where much of the music was built from synthesisers and the now-iconic vocal textures were assembled from several hardware instruments. Sounds originally intended as placeholders remained in the finished film, giving the score a character shaped as much by necessity as design. For the Avatar sequels, Simon developed a more defined thematic language across the world of Pandora. The Metkayina are shaped through softer vocal colours and organic percussion, while the Ash People move into harsher electronic territory. Morin khuur, electric cello, manipulated rhythm, and layered voices create a palette that feels connected to the world while carrying a new dramatic weight. Paul and Simon also dive into the relationship between mock-ups and live performance, exploring the role Spitfire Audio libraries played in Simon's demos. The sound of real players in a real room, with all the movement and imperfection of performance left intact, helped his mock-ups feel alive and changed the way music could be presented to directors before reaching the recording stage. The episode concludes with a return to story, and to the standard Simon holds every cue against: its emotional effect on the audience. Discover the full Composer Conversation now: https://www.spitfireaudio.com/blogs/e... 0:00 - Film Scoring Should Serve the Film 0:40 - Intro 1:14 - How Spitfire Audio Libraries Transformed Film Demos 10:01 - Simon’s Early Career 17:31 - The Move to Film Scoring 24:19 - Expanding Avatar’s Musical World 35:09 - Creative Curiosity and Sonic Experimentation 42:32 - Outro