Saul James
Saul James

Welcome!
Thank you for visiting. Below you'll find showreels, news, bio, and music from a small selection of film/TV projects I've scored, including award-winning independent feature films and some of my classical works.
As a classical composer, I'm as comfortable scoring for orchestral forces as with electronic scores and sound design work. Whatever the medium, what's important to me is the use of melody and motif, discerning the emotional resonance of the film and the character journeys, and then marrying these together.
Please feel free to reach out and say hi, I'm always up for making new connections, be that for scoring, screenwriting, or just to network.
Drop me an email and let's chat. I hope you enjoy looking around.
Saul James
COMPOSER SHOWREELS
Drawing from old and new film projects, this showreel showcases some truly amazing musicians and singers, with whom I've thoroughly enjoyed working over the years. Not to mention all the film directors and producers who gave me a chance, took a risk and let me musically loose on their babies!
Truly grateful and honoured.
All music composed and produced by Saul James.
All music composed and produced by Saul James.
I am only showcasing these trailers privately on this site, as a result of rescoring for educational exercise as a non-commercial study, not for commercial or financial gain or anything other than under the 'fair use' provision, for criticism, commentary, parody, education, or research. No infringement is intended.
Click ' i ' for info
Showreel Gallery


Colour of Magic - Promo Films

EWUSU Scene - Opening

Antebellum Trailer - Rescored

Promised Scene - Battle of the Angels (Explicit Language)

Jeremy Wilson Scene - Heart

The Salzburg Story - Ladybug

Dune Trailer Rescore

Buried Scene - Let's Go

TESTIMONIALS

ACTION
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


CLASSICAL
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


DRAMA
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


CHRISTMAS
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


EMOTIVE
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


HORROR
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


FANTASY
All music composed and produced by Saul James.


SINGERS
All music composed and produced by Saul James.



BIOGRAPHY
Saul is a classically trained composer, film & TV composer and screenwriter based in the UK. He started on trumpet age 8, followed by piano, voice and classical composition, later gaining multiple scholarships for trumpet and composition, and a chorister placement at Chichester Cathedral. As a 1st study composer at the Royal College of Music, he studied under David McBride, Simon Bainbridge and Joseph Horovitz, and trumpet with the late David Mason, (trumpeter for The Beatle's 'Penny Lane'). Work experience at Jeff Wayne Music Group exposed him to some great media composers including Jeff Wayne (War of the Worlds), Rachel Portman (Chocolat, To Wong Foo, Emma, Godmothered), and John Altman (Beautiful Thing, Hope Springs), it also confirmed his dream of one day writing music for screen.
But before starting his career in film, he spent a decade working across the UK for various youth and education charities and schools, as a youth mentor, support worker and public speaker, followed by a short stint as a singer-songwriter performing in and around London.
As a self-taught film composer, Saul has worked with directors and producers worldwide on TV productions, corporate projects, and many award-winning independent films with premieres in Paris, London, Cameroon, Marbella, Austria, Hollywood and more.
His music has been on Swiss Films, Amazon, Sky Sports, Sky One, Sky Movies, Sky Arts, Sky Atlantic, Netflix, Canal+, TwoFour, TV Monde5 and Seven Network (Australia).
As a classical composer, his works have been performed in concert halls, cathedrals and theatres around the UK, from short ballets to full-scale orchestral and choral works.
Saul's music is highly melodic in style, often housed in dark, complex and emotive backdrops. Connecting to his interest in psychology and human emotions, he revels in digging into the emotional journey of on-screen characters and locating their unique musical story.
Over the years, Saul also taught himself screenwriting and is currently working on a second commissioned feature film script, with a few spec scripts in the pipeline, including feature films and a TV Series.










Scoring To Screen
My Journey
As a composer, I write from the heart, and try to bring a sense of humanness to the music. After all, film is about communicating emotions. Music can play a huge part in this visceral exchange, whether it's fear, remorse, anxiety, elation, smugness or tranquillity. To achieve this, I bring my own emotional experiences and understanding of human psychology to the table of inspiration. It's one of the reasons I love people-watching. Absorbing how people react to each other and to life fascinates me. These observations broaden my mental library, which I pull from when locating the right musical thread or motif that appropriately resonates with the characters on screen. Studying psychology, sociology and being a screenwriter all help me be the best composer I can - an ever-evolving journey. Unable to afford film school or a Master's in Film Composing, (the only acknowledged paths for aspiring film composers at the time), I knew I'd have to make the journey another way and self-train. After a couple of years of researching, meeting people in the industry, studying the reading lists of said courses, and quietly saving up and studying all the technical aspects of using a computer to score for film, I finally got to buy my first computer to score on and used all the knowledge I'd gathered in the years of stuying and learning to create my first showreel. Not long after that I landed my first short films, invaluable to cutting my teeth and being able to safely make loads of mistakes! Joining a filmmaking group proved both fun and equally invaluable. Then, I was lucky enough to start my commercial screen career writing music for six promotional films for The Colour of Magic feature film, (by the late Terry Pratchett). This mini-series of Ankh-Morpork Discworld Tourist Guides produced by Sky, starred Sir David Jason, Tim Curry, Nicholas Tennant, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, & Jeremy Irons. One of the highlights was visiting Pinewood Studios to work with the actors. After that, I landed my first independent feature film and I never looked back. I remembered the day I sat in the cinema to watch Total Recall, and the title credits burst into action with the exhilarating score by the late Jerry Goldsmith, and how at that exact point, I knew I wanted to be a film composer. And here I was, finally doing it. My dream was finally becoming reality. I went on to score and produce music for over eighty screen projects, including short films, documentaries, TV, and award-winning independent feature films, in many genres from horror to romantic comedies, martial arts, drama, fantasy and war. I've worked with incredible filmmakers from all over the world, many of whom have also become great friends. The studying, learning and evolving in the art and craft of writing music and scoring to film will always continue. And this is what makes every project an awesome journey. Forget the fear of that blank project when you first get given it to score, or the doubts, or the inevitible creative paralysis that takes place somewhere in the scoring process, I always walk away from every project having not only learnt something new from a technical perspective, but probably more importantly I learn something about myself. The trick, I find, and what keeps things fresh and alive, is not only being open to these revelations, but to learn to become expectant!

CLASSICAL

As a trumpeter for 10 years, playing in brass bands, jazz bands and orchestras, I not only experienced a diverse amount of music but also learnt, studied and understood how music breaks down inside these mediums. During years of orchestral rehearsals, I'd sit and listen to the strings rehearse their part alone, then the woodwind and then they'd all play together. As a young, teenage composer, this breakdown of the music provided invaluable insights into how orchestral colours are created and written by the composer. As a composer, it played a huge part in training my ear, and I continue to use these insights today.
My classical writing is dark, intense, emotional, and oddly both demanding and easy on the ear. It differs a lot from the music I write for films. This crossover of scoring for the stage and the screen is interesting, and I find both influence the other. However, what remains important to me for both, is melody and motif.
When commissioned to write music for films using an electronic sound palette, I have an odd sense of freedom. However, when required to score mostly or purely classical in style, my classical skills get challenged. You see when you write for the concert hall, you have a freedom limited only by your chosen muse. When scoring to screen, you are a slave to the symphonic ballet of movement, emotions, words and colours, story and motive. But both borrow from each other when it comes to inspiration.
Below, is a small sample of my classical music, some for the screen and some for the concert hall.
As young as six I would regularly lie on the sitting room floor listening to the violin concertos of Bruch, Brahms and Sibelius and the orchestral works of composers like Dvorak and Tchaikovsky - a very romantic diet! Somehow I understood them and they touched me and left their mark. When I started writing music for orchestras as a teenager, I was often told I sounded akin to the German and Russian composers, like Mahler and Shostakovich. I would agree and promptly go away to find out what their music sounded like, not having the faintest idea!
NEWS
NYX
"An underworld sorcerer consumed by dark magic is confronted by NYX, a fierce warrior sworn to end his forbidden rituals."
Director/Writer: Bulent Ozdemir-Larusso
Starring: Nilly Cetin
Production:
Music, additional Sound Design: Saul James
Nyx recently wrapped and has already started its film festival journey in 2025 with an official selection at the World Film Festival in Cannes. Having worked on a few films by the talented director, Bulent, I was excited to score his latest film. He even let me loose on some of the required sound design, which was challenging and fun. His last film, Brawler, continues to collect awards as it travels the film festival circuit, and he is already working on new films. Watch this space!

Ashes of a Dying Ember
"In a powerful blend of reality and memory, Hadi, a refugee in London, confronts his past through encounters with two ghostly versions of himself, all seeking peace from the lingering scars of war."
Director: Max McCall
Writer: Karim Hadaya & Yasmin Henn
Starring: Simonetta Gibejova & Karim Hadaya
Production: Munchie Lunchie Productions
Music: Saul James
Currently in post-production, Ashes of a Dying Ember is the first film from Munchie Lunchie Productions, a young generation of filmmakers and creatives in Film, TV, Theatre, Corporate, Commercial and Music Video productions in the UK. I'm really excited and honoured to start their journey with them and see what this passionate and talented group produce in the future.
Undisclosed Screenwriting Projects (2025)
I am currently completing commissioned scripts for films, of which I can't yet disclose the information. I know, helpful, right! However, it's good to let people know that I'm working on things in the background and to let you know that I'll be able to share something new later this year.
Classical Music Projects (2025)
This year, I am finally back to working on one or two projects for the classical stage. One is for solo soprano and orchestra, and the other for solo cello and string orchestra. Coming back to the classical concert hall after many years is exciting, if also a little scary! Let's see what 2025 will bring.
ÉWUSU
The 12-part Canal+ Original Series for Canal+ Premier went live in March 2024. 'EWUSU' tells the story of Soye, a psychologist, who sets up her new office only to find out that for some, it is not welcomed.
Director: Francoise Ellong-Gomez
Music: Saul James
Production: WOURI
Ent Coproduction: Canal+, WOURI Studios, Merveilles Production, IGIS Gabon

Written and directed by the incredibly talented Francoise Ellong-Gomez, EWUSU continues to sweep up awards in 2025, from best series to best sound, to best leading actor. I have worked alongside Francoise for many years as a composer and screenwriter, and I can confidently say that I'm excited to see what she comes up with next. We are also currently working on undisclosed projects!






Screenwriting
My scripts are at various stages, including commissioned projects in development, seeking producers, currently being written and a couple of completed spec scripts. This means I'm unable to talk openly about most of these projects!
If you'd like to discuss my work as a screenwriter, and possible collaborations, please reach out and I'll be happy to chat.

promised soundtrack
Independent Short Flm







ewusu soundtrack
12 x 30" Series

Wounded soundtrack

Independent Feature Film

buried soundtrack
Independent Feature Flm