We were lucky to catch up with Yong Tan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yong, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

As a film composer, I learn most of my craft through watching movies and writing music to pictures. When I watch a movie, I like to watch it twice – the first time as an audience and the second time as a composer. Having a mentor or watching other composers share their craft helps a lot, too, but I believe watching movies and having practical experience are the two most effective ways to improve the skill.

To me, the two most essential skills as a film composer are one, being able to understand the motive behind the picture, and two, communication. Dislike artists who express themselves through their art, film composer is more like a creative service. Everything we do has to serve the picture. Therefore, being able to capture what the film is seeking and understand the mind of the director is crucially important

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Malaysian film composer. My music can be found in movies, advertisements, TV, and podcasts, on major platforms including Netflix and Disney Plus. So far, I have scored more than 20 short films which have been featured in numerous international film festivals and have won awards at IndieFEST Film and New York Film & Cinematography festival.

I find my strength in writing two types of music – anything dark/ weird and anything heavily rhythmic. The former one can link to film genre like horror, thriller, and sci-fi. The second one can link to music genre like pop, funk, rock, electronic, etc; and therefore can be used in modern drama, action, and experimental film. Some films allowed me to combine these two sides too, like dark comedy or something quirky.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Our job is passive. We need someone to make a film so that we can score it. Therefore, it is hard to have a specific goal when we don’t have full control of what is coming up. The reason I keep doing what I do is that I truly love it. I love composing, I love movies, and I love working with like-minded people. I won’t say this is the thing that drives my journey, but the Golden Horse Awards is my dream.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It is always satisfying to see the film get lifted to the next level with my music. For me, the most rewarding moment is when directors approve my work. Anybody who says they like my music could just be acting kind, but the directors will not play around with their “baby”. And of course, seeing my name on the big screen always excites me.

One thing I have learned throughout, though, is that it is ok when nobody talks about my music after watching the film. Because, once again, film score is there to serve the film. For me, the best scores are those I fail to keep track of when I watch the movie.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yongtanmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yongtanmusic/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/yongtan