Q&A: Carla Patullo on Creating the Haunting Sounds of a Succubus for the Score to New Horror Comedy PORNO

Movie theater employees in a conservative small town accidentally unleash a succubus one Friday night in Keola Racela's new horror comedy Porno, and following the movie's world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, we caught up with composer Carla Patullo to discuss creating the spooky and seductive sounds of a succubus, collaborating with Racela on the score, and seeing the movie with an audience for the first time at the festival.

Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us, Carla, and congratulations on your score for Keola Racela’s new horror comedy, Porno. How did you get involved as the composer for Porno?

Carla Patullo: Thank you! I really enjoyed composing music for it. Last year, I was accepted into the Sundance Film Music and Sound Design Lab, and they paired me with Keola. I was sent a link to the film prior to talking with Keola, and I absolutely loved the film. Keola and I really hit it off, and we ended up having a lot of fun at the lab experimenting with different sounds. We were able to establish a great tone for the music, and I was thrilled when he called me last fall asking me to work on the film.

When you set out to compose the music for this film, were there any pre-existing guidelines to follow, or did you have total creative freedom?

Carla Patullo: Keola gave me a lot of freedom to write and play with new sounds. He also had a lot great ideas and was well aware of how he wanted music to work within the film. We really worked hard on the timing of musical hits, and pacing. I brought my vocals into the picture early on, and Keola really gave me a lot freedom to experiment with them!

How much did you collaborate with Keola on the score to ensure that the music blended with his directorial vision?

Carla Patullo: We really had a great collaboration and tried many things out. We threw ideas back and forth, and because we started the collaboration process at the Sundance lab, we were able to tune into each other’s musical sensibilities before I began writing music. We talked about our favorite film scores and our favorite film music scenes. These conversations really helped us communicate later down the line when things started moving quickly. They also helped me understand Keola’s vision for the film.

What types of instruments did you utilize to create the score for Porno?

Carla Patullo: Vocals play a big part in this score. My primary instrument is my voice—I compose and orchestrate with it. I really dove in experimenting with my vocals, in a non-traditional way. And because there is a Succubus in the film, I really wanted to refer to the wailing and seductive Sirens, but with a modern and more horrific spin. Being inspired by Jerry Goldsmith’s Omens, I also wrote for a small choir, and we had a lot of fun recording those parts! I also used prepared piano, celeste, harp, and of course a lot of strings. I experimented with string effects quite a bit, as well.

Do you have a favorite musical moment from this film?

Carla Patullo: Yes! There is a scene when the Succubus seduces and attacks one of the characters—that was really fun to score. It happens to be one of the scenes we scored at the Sundance Lab. It’s an exciting scene because it has so many layers to it. There is this alluring, sexy tone, as well as a suspenseful, creepy vibe, and then there is a layer of comedy as well. All of these elements colliding make it quite intense to score, and really the vibe in this scene as a whole is what we ended up using as a starting point for the rest of the film score.

What was it like watching Porno for the first time with your finished score playing through the speakers? Did you get to see the movie at the SXSW Film Festival?

Carla Patullo: I was at the premiere of the film at SXSW, and of course there is a part of me that was nervous to hear it all from start to finish, with an audience, but the audience was amazing and they brought an energy to the film that was really great to see. This is a great film to catch at the theater with an audience. The crowd's reaction makes the viewing experience even more fun and entertaining! Everyone was going crazy in the theater, and it’s almost like they are just more characters in the film being taunted by the Succubus.

When did you initially become interested in music and what did you listen to in your formative years?

Carla Patullo: I was very young when I started composing music. I did so before I could really play any instrument, and as I got going with it, I realized I needed to learn some instruments, so I began taking piano, vocal, and saxophone lessons. In the early days, I really loved soul music. Aretha Franklin is one of the first singers I remember really loving. My parents also immigrated from Italy, and my mother loved opera music, so I became familiar with Verdi and Puccini. I always loved folk music and tales like those sung by Joni Mitchell, and one of my all-time favorites is Leonard Cohen.

In addition to Porno, what other projects do you have coming up that you’re excited about, and where can our readers go online to keep up to date on your work?

Carla Patullo: Well, speaking of music, one film I am working on is a documentary about a famous Italian singer from the ’60s: Milva. She was one of my late mom’s favorite singers, and I have discovered her work recently while learning more about my mom and her history. I am very excited about this project. Milva is an incredibly diverse artist and interpreter, and her voice is liberating and full of soul. I am also working on a feature documentary about animation pioneer Lotte Reiniger. You can keep up with me at www.CarlaPatullo.com.

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In case you missed it, go here to listen to an exclusive track from Patullo's score for Porno, and visit here to watch a clip from the film!

[Photo Credit: Above photo courtesy of Impact24 PR.]