Interviews

Interview with Akira Yamaoka About the Music

Why include these songs as your favorites?

Well, I have chosen those songs from Silent Hill because these songs are the best fit for the scenes in the game.

What do these songs share in common?

Well, there is no common ground among those songs. I chose songs to show variation within the series.

How has your music style progressed through the game series?

There is no change in genre, however, in terms of groove, I have experimented with new grooves such as world beat.

How would you describe your style?

Well, I can say that my style is the style that is not influenced by any genre.

How do you keep yourself inspired when creating the music?

By listening to all kinds of music available in the world, they inspire me.

In what ways have you experimented with different instruments and/or styles?

I haven't experimented with different instruments. I try to find something new in each project. I try to create something that I haven't done before.

Which soundtrack is your overall favorite?

I really like the song, Theme of Laura from Silent Hill 2. Regarding Theme of Laura, I was trying to avoid arcade-like music within the game. And I was able to accomplish that with this song. Therefore, it means a lot to me.

How does the game reflect your music, or is the game created for the most part and your music is a reflection of what is already there?

That could be case by case. I think the music influences the game, and the game influences the music. This is my concept.

What kind of music do you usually listen to?

Well, I listen to everything except classical and jazz.

Interview with Akira Yamaoka About the Movie

How do you feel seeing the game you've worked on as a film adaptation?

I am very happy about it. Especially because, although Silent Hill is a game, we were trying to make it more like a movie. Therefore, I am very happy that some content from the movie has been adapted to the game.

What kind of film did you imagine would be possible for a game like Silent Hill?

As I mentioned, the game Silent Hill was very much influenced by movies, especially films by David Lynch, Stephen King, or even Jacob's Ladder. So we created the game with a strong influence from the movies. Therefore, if this develops into a movie, it may not be that simple but hopefully it'll be similar to the type of movies they make.

What was your inspiration when creating the game?

Well, you can say the same thing about the movie, but especially with the game, Silent Hill is a horror movie, yet it shows the depth of human psyche and emotions. This may be a bit deep, but Silent Hill 2 is heavily influenced by Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. So if you see Silent Hill 2, it's apparent that you would notice the influence.

Silent Hill has many memorable characters. Who is one of your favorites?

The nurse, Lisa, who was in Silent Hill 1, was impressive and is my favorite. She played a bit part in Silent Hill 1, so she wasn't a major character. The way Lisa was portrayed in the story, her emotions, or reasons that she appears in the scenes are wonderful. They are not too far from the main story, but through Lisa, human emotions such as sorrow are expressed wonderfully. She played a small part, but was very impressive and is my favorite.

There are many iconic moments in Silent Hill. What is one of your favorite scenes from the games?

It's in Silent Hill 1. It's in the beginning when Harry's child was lost and trying to find the child. When the chase is coming to a close, he ends up in an alley. The camera is chasing him from a high angle while panning. It's a chase scene. That scene is very impressive. When filming, we were very excited because this type of camera work has never been done for the games. It showed an intense suspense. It's not a dramatic scene but it showed looming fear, so I think this is a very memorable scene.

How do you feel about seeing the movie?

Well, to be honest with you, I took great pride in the making of Silent Hill because I am its biggest fan. I was the biggest fan of Silent Hill while I was making this. I was very fortunate to meet and be able to work with Mr. Chris Gans. I was honored and very happy to be able to work with him.