We recently got a chance to talk with Jack Wall and asked him how different it was for him scoring Call of Duty Black Ops 2 compared to his previous work. He also reflected on his time with the Mass Effect series, and asked him if he would be interested in returning.
GamerHub.TV: Your latest soundtrack is Call of Duty Black Ops II. Did you enjoy the fresh canvas to work off of?
Jack Wall: Absolutely. Like with Mass Effect, this was new territory for me. I’d never done a shooter. However, I wanted to bring in some story elements to the score and also make certain that there were emotional moments among the heavy action sequences in the single player campaign.
GamerHub.TV: What was it like to work with Trent Reznor?
Jack Wall: We never actually worked together. Trent delivered a piece of music/theme for the game and I wrote the score – all done separately.
GamerHub.TV:What approach did you take when scoring the campaign? Did you go level by level or focus on establishing a theme?
Jack Wall: I started everything by writing themes: Niño Precioso (Raul Menendez Theme), Hero’s Theme, DeFalco’s Theme, the Afghanistan Theme. Then we went level to level through the game. I always like making the musical palette different in each level so it feels fresh, yet sprinkle the themes throughout so there is some connective tissue. That seems to work pretty well.
GamerHub.TV: Now you didn’t score the latest entry in the Mass Effect series and recently composed the Call of Duty Black Ops 2 soundtrack. Why did you decide to leave?
Jack Wall: It was time for a change and some great opportunities presented themselves.
GamerHub.TV: Is there still a possibility of you returning to the Mass Effect series?
Jack Wall: I’d be open to that. I wish the guys at BioWare much luck with whatever they do next. They are a great team and make great games!
