The basis for the score of Marc Forster's WORLD WAR Z was inspired by the emergency tone heard from the National Emergency Broadcast System and snapping teeth using javelina skulls according to Marco Beltrami, the movie's musical composer.
What are javelinas you ask? Javelinas are wild pigs native to Texas and were recommended to Beltrami by the director of another film he is currently scoring, Tommy Lee Jones. Javelina communicate using elongated teeth and their skulls were ideal for simulating the snapping of zombie maws. “It’s sort of a two-phased sound". “When [the mouth] opens or closes, there’s this scraping sound as the canine teeth go together, and then there’s the actual impact when the molars hit.” Raccoon and lion skulls were also used. Bletrami told THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER that the skulls were “attached to sticks and then used them almost like shakers”.
As for the emergency tones, the opening scene involves a traffic jammed Philedelphia ending in a black screen and the emergency tone. The signal was identified and simulated using a variety of tuning forks. “We bought the tuning forks because it’s just a pure frequency -- nothing else.” The tones would morph into the the orchestrated music heard throughout the movie.
The score was recorded using the orchestra from Abbey Road and another at British Grove.
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