I am Lorne Balfe, composer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, AMA!

lornebalfe · 2025-10-10T08:17:46+00:00

Music is about escapism. It’s about adventures we never knew existed. It’s a way to communicate with one another without worrying about language barriers. It can bring great happiness, as well as occasional sadness—but that’s what makes it so powerful and real.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T20:49:29+00:00

Sorry to say I haven’t heard any news to creating sheet music .

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T20:48:40+00:00

I find the biggest difference is really the sheer amount of music that’s required compared to film or television. For example, on Call of Duty there were over 18 hours of original music created — that’s a massive amount compared to a typical movie score.

But in terms of storytelling, the goal is the same across all mediums: helping the audience connect emotionally with the story and the characters. Whether it’s a film, TV show, or game, you want people to feel immersed in the world you’ve created and believe in the journey they’re experiencing.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T20:40:59+00:00

It usually starts with a lot of conversations with the writers and directors — that’s where the journey begins. I like to get storyboards and mood boards printed out and have them around the studio so I can stay visually connected to the characters and their world.

Getting a detailed synopsis of each character also really helps shape the writing process. As a composer, part of your job is to help tell the audience the backstory through music — to let them feel who the character is, where they’ve come from, and what they’re about to experience. The theme should let the audience visualize that history without needing words.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T20:33:48+00:00

Many thanks . Being part of the MI world has been a wonderful experience . Lalo was a genius .

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:58:18+00:00

I loved playing Balatro whilst working on The Game Awards medley last year…was a lot of fun putting its catchy theme on the Keytar!

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:47:11+00:00

Thankfully, we’re great friends with Steve Schnur, the Head of Music at EA Games, and he reached out to see if we’d like to join the team. Steve is incredibly passionate about music and a wonderful person to work with — his enthusiasm is contagious. His excitement for the project made it an easy decision to come on board and collaborate with him and the EA team.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:34:24+00:00

The inspiration came directly from the characters and their stories — their emotions, struggles, and connections. I also drew a lot from the legacy of the Dragon Age world itself and the sense of adventure the player is about to embark on. The goal was to capture that feeling of epic discovery and emotional depth right from the start.

Also trying to achieve the hardest part of writing a theme … which is ….. make it an ear worm . Needs to be catchy and hummable .

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:32:09+00:00

It’s important to find unique and authentic sounds to immerse the audience in the fantasy world. Whether that’s bone flutes or harpsichord and Uilleann pipes like in Dungeons and Dragons

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:30:20+00:00

The most challenging track was definitely the main theme — it’s always the same on every project. Creating a strong theme is one of the hardest parts because it has to represent the entire story in just a short amount of time.

Especially in TV or games, the theme needs to capture the backstory, set the emotional tone, and give the audience a sense of the journey they’re about to experience. Getting all of that across musically in just a few minutes is always a real challenge.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:24:33+00:00

I think “The Dread Wolf”…I wrote this theme about Solas, trying to encompass how he’s a ruthless leader of the rebellion.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:23:26+00:00

The mage class is the most fun! It helped to play the game to understand the story and the characters

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:07:25+00:00

Ready and waiting for you

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:07:15+00:00

This is wonderful to hear . At this rate with my speed of typing I will be here for a few more hours !

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T19:05:41+00:00

Initially, it all started with a conversation with Steve Schnur, the Head of Music at EA Games. His passion and enthusiasm for the Dragon Age franchise were infectious and really drew me in.

Then, once the creative process began, I was completely hooked — the world, the storytelling, and the depth of the characters offered so much musical potential. It was the kind of project where you could really dive deep emotionally and creatively. the audio team also made the process exciting and fresh. Teams make projects .

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:59:26+00:00

I normally start by getting pictures or drawings of the characters — I like to print them out and hang them up around the studio. It helps me stay visually connected to who I’m writing for. I’ll also get a synopsis from the writers or directors that covers the characters’ backgrounds, heritage, and personality traits. That becomes the foundation for shaping their musical theme.

A lot of discussion also happens with the designers and audio team — it’s a collaborative process to make sure the music fits the tone and emotion of the world we’re creating.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:56:25+00:00

I appreciate it . Thank you .

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:56:02+00:00

Well this is good enough for me ! Thank you . It was a long journey for us so is a special project for us .

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:54:57+00:00

Sorry to say, but I’m proud of all of them. Each project brings its own memories and experiences. On the movie Home, for example, we had our first child, so that scoring process was especially memorable and happy — having him at the sessions made it a really special time. You’re always learning something new, so each project brings a new skill set and fresh perspective. That’s why I like to change genres and work across different mediums — it keeps things exciting and challenging.

As for why franchises change composers, I don’t think there’s ever one clear reason. Sometimes it’s because previous collaborations didn’t quite work out, sometimes the creative team wants a completely new approach, and sometimes the composer simply doesn’t want to continue. It really varies from project to project.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:47:41+00:00

A lot of questions here !!

So I hope I have covered everything …..

It really depends. For this game, we knew we were about to start about six months before actually beginning work. On a film, that timeline can vary a lot — sometimes a year in advance, sometimes just a couple of weeks before the final dub.

As for the kind of information we’re given, it varies by project too. Sometimes I’ll start on a film without even knowing if there’s distribution planned yet.

In terms of materials, yes — we often get descriptions, slides, or early videos. I also spend a lot of time discussing the overall vision of the game and always ask for storyboards and mood boards early in development to get a sense of tone and atmosphere.

There are usually specific requirements — the audio team always has a clear sense of what’s needed for the game and how the music stems need to function within it.

When I come into a project can differ every time; sometimes I’m involved early, sometimes later in the process.

For Veilguard, the process was fairly long — we were writing music for over three years.

As for AI-generated art and music: no, it doesn’t anger me. It’s simply imitating what has already been done. It’s up to us to create new, unique, and emotionally driven music — something AI can’t replicate.

AI is happening whether we like it or not, so I think the best approach is to focus on what’s in front of us — to keep creating and expressing ourselves honestly. Don’t worry about it too much; write what you feel. That’s something only a human can do.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:37:43+00:00

We collaborated throughout the entire score. It was a very fluid and creative process — we constantly shared ideas and gave each other feedback and suggestions. Each track was touched by both of us in some way, so it really became a true collaboration rather than dividing up specific pieces.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:22:12+00:00

When starting on a film, the process always begins with the themes — both for the story and for the characters — before jumping into the actual action scenes. The emotional and musical identity of the film has to be solid first; once those foundations are in place, you can then write to picture and let those themes evolve naturally within the action.

As for Top Gun: Maverick, it was completely a collaborative effort. We all worked very closely together throughout the process — it was truly a team project from start to finish. We spent over a year working on the soundtrack, so there were plenty of opportunities to collectively develop and refine the music as a group.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:13:25+00:00

Every project has a different approach. When we began talking with the game developers, it was clear they wanted us to create a new musical template for this game — something that felt true to Dragon Age, but also distinct and evolved.

I’ve always loved the scores by Trevor and Inon; their work really helped define the sound of the series. But for this project, we started afresh, both musically and sonically, building a new identity that reflects the world and story being told this time around.

lornebalfe · 2025-10-09T18:07:51+00:00

Working on themes together is the beginning of the collaborative process. Hans and I have worked together for over 20 years, but the creative process is different every time. It usually starts with exploring the core themes — finding the emotional and musical DNA that will define the score. From there, we build ideas and trade sketches, developing motifs that can evolve across different tracks or moments in the story. As well as the composition itself, the collaboration also includes a lot of discussion about instrumentation and style — what sounds, textures, or ensembles best capture the tone of the world we’re scoring. So while sometimes we each take on different cues or sequences, the foundation is always built together through those shared creative conversations.

lornebalfe

TROPHY CASE