Hulu's Washington Black is based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The show follows George Washington “Wash” Black, an 11-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny. Produced by 20th Television in association with Indian Meadows Productions and The Gotham Group, the series stars Ernest Kingsley Jr. (Washington Black), Rupert Graves (Mr. Goff), Iola Evans (Tanna Goff), Edward Bluemel (William McGee), Sharon Duncan Brewster (Miss Angie), Eddie Karanja (Young Washington Black), Tom Ellis (Titch) and Sterling K. Brown (Medwin).
Composer Cameron Moody is Emmy nominated in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) category and says at its core, Washington Black focuses on the power of dreams and the heights that one’s imagination can bring them to.
"One of the most gratifying aspects of scoring this show was that it allowed me to take a trip back to a time in my own life, where I was discovering the vast world of music for the first time," says Moody. "I felt that I could relate directly to Wash’s zeal and enthusiasm, and it made scoring those moments much easier and more creatively fulfilling. My principal responsibility as the composer was to help audiences worldwide tap into that piece of themselves that was inspired to pursue what they love and, in the words of George Washington Black, 'Prepare to fly!'"
The show presented a number of challenges for the composer, one being the need for the score to communicate the size of the world that the show takes place in without tying the audience to a specific geographic region or ethnic flavor.
"Early conversations with the creative team revealed that the emotional depth of this story extended far beyond the sonic limits of synthesizers," he recalls. "Instead, I opted to take a broader emotional scoring approach utilizing a traditional symphony orchestra, and it proved to be the most effective means of supplying this story with the appropriate grandeur and scope, especially since the series takes us (and the characters) all around the globe on many harrowing and scenic adventures!"
For Moody, the show's highlights included recording the score with an LA orchestra at the Newman Scoring Stage on the Fox Studios lot.
"Hearing those musicians - many of whom have played on scores by the likes of John Williams, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, etc. – bring my score to life with masterful precision and artistry was the realization of a lifelong dream. I was also lucky to be able to conduct the entire score, leading those musicians from the same podium that Alfred Newman stood on decades before. The history in that room is unparalleled, and it was an honor and privilege to be able etch my name into its continuing history with this project."
Moody is perhaps most proud of the music featured in the final sequence of Episode 8.
"Every single moment in the show has led us to this point, and the end is a five-minute-long sequence in which there is little to no dialogue," he explains. "Musically, it was both tremendously exciting and terrifying because the ending, much like the very beginning, is what will leave a mark, and you only get one shot to get it right. It was important to me that the accompanying score feel like a convergence of all of the themes –narrative and musical – in the show. We wanted something that felt good to listen to and felt familiar to the series without overtly referencing material from specific characters. Ultimately, the ending is a happy one for Wash, so the music needed to be jubilant and close out the show in a way that made audiences feel resolved and content. The resulting musical cue, entitled 'Finale,' is the piece of this score that I am proudest of!"