As long as we’ve had movies, we’ve had movie music. Even in the age of silent films, before the advent of synchronized soundtracks, live musicians in theaters added instrumental scores to the moviegoing experience. And in the century since, music has continued to serve as a staple of cinema, pumping just the right emotion into settings and storylines, actors and audiences. So when Pixar Animation Studios looked to set the right tone for Inside Out 2, “the feel everything movie of 2024,” the filmmakers turned to a trusted friend in Tom MacDougall, President of Walt Disney Music.
Collaborating for decades with songwriters and composers on films spanning the Disney family of studios, Tom has helped shape some of our favorite cinematic stories, including animated hits ranging from Tarzan to Toy Story, Mulan to Moana and Frozen to Finding Nemo.
During a recent Walt Disney World vacation, Tom sat down with Disney Files Magazine Editor Ryan March inside the Disney Vacation Club Member lounge at EPCOT for a visit that touched on everything from the music of Inside Out 2 to the greatest joy – and anxiety – he feels during the creative process.
Ryan: The first time I can remember being moved by a musical score came as a kid in the ‘70s, seeing Star Wars and feeling the power of John Williams’ score over that opening crawl. When do you remember first being struck by the power of music in the movies?
Tom: Same composer, actually, but different film. I’m from Massachusetts, and I remember going to see Jaws, which was filmed off the Massachusetts coast on Martha’s Vineyard. I was probably far too young to be seeing a scary movie about a shark in nearby waters, but I was thrilled by the experience. Hearing John Williams’ score in that film opened my eyes to the storytelling power of music. When you talk about musical storytelling in the movies, most people think about songs with lyrics, but there’s just as much storytelling in the orchestral score. My understanding of that really started with Jaws.
Ryan: Your career, of course, has found you working on films both with and without lyrical songs. How, if at all, does a story’s format change your job on a film?
Tom: It’s very similar, really. There are a lot of what I like to call “cheats” that filmmakers use to bring the audience into a world. Many of those are visual. Add enough yellow cabs and hot dog carts to a city street on a backlot in Burbank, and you’ve taken the audience to New York. But my favorite “cheat” is the musical underscore. Right now, our conversation isn’t being scored by music.
Ryan: Though it should be.
Tom (laughing): Exactly. And, in a movie, it might be. Because music informs the audience. Imagine if our conversation was, in fact, set to music. That music might build to suggest I’m about to say something that’s going to get a reaction from you. Music nudges you in the right direction, tipping you off to the storyteller’s intention. So that’s the job of music in the movies, with or without lyrical songs.
Ryan: Hearing you say that reminds me of an exhibit I loved at a film museum in New York, where we hosted a show years ago for our Members. It allowed you, with the touch of a button, to completely change the feel of iconic movie scenes simply by choosing different musical scores. What stands out to you in your career as one of your favorite examples of creative choices with the instrumental score impacting the way a sequence is received?
Tom: I immediately think about the “Married Life” sequence in Up. Imagine pitching a studio head an idea for a sequence in an animated movie in which, over the course of just a few minutes, two little kids meet and play, you watch them grow up and get married, you find out the wife is unable to have children, and then she dies, leaving her husband sad and alone. Not many people are making that movie, and without the right music, I’m not sure it works. The beautiful score in that sequence brings the audience along on that journey without emotionally destroying them with 70 minutes still left to go in the film. That, to me, really demonstrates the power of music.
Ryan: Speaking of emotional journeys in Pixar films, let’s talk about Inside Out and, now, Inside Out 2 – films that are literally about emotions. How does the musical approach change for a sequel? I would imagine there’s a unique challenge in creating a new score that befits the musical identity of the original while still feeling fresh.
Tom: You’re absolutely right. The one thing we don’t want to do is simply repeat ourselves. One of the things I love about how Pixar approaches sequels is that we’ll only explore a sequel when we have a new idea of where to take the story. It’s not just a new adventure – it’s a compelling evolution of the characters. Inside Out, to me, created the perfect opportunity for a sequel, because our emotions evolve. And so too must the score. It can’t simply repeat the music of the original. It has to evolve to befit an older Riley and her new emotions.
Ryan: One of the new emotions we meet in this film is Anxiety. When you think about the creative process, what part of it gives you the most anxiety?
Tom: The schedule. Music tends to come later in the production process, so when my team and I get started, it feels like the film’s release date is approaching really fast. And there are so many steps, from watching the film with the composer and discussing the musical approach to writing, recording and editing the score to mixing and mastering the soundtrack – it’s a line of dominoes all pointing to that release date that isn’t moving to accommodate us, and while there’s a lot of joy along the way, there’s also a good bit of anxiety.
Ryan: Well let’s talk about that joy. What do you enjoy most in the creative process?
Tom: What brings me the most unique joy is bringing artists into the fold who’ve always dreamed of creating for Disney. I always remember being that kid in Massachusetts, and when I wasn’t being terrified by the idea of a killer shark off Martha’s Vineyard, I would sit on the floor in my parents’ house, watching “The Wonderful World of Disney,” never believing I could someday be part of that world. So I love bringing artists aboard whose love of Disney runs deep. It happened most recently with Julia Michaels coming aboard to write songs for Wish. That’s when I feel like I can help make dreams come true, and it brings me such pure joy.
Ryan: Let’s end on an equally joyful note and talk about success. There are so many ways to measure the success of a film, from critical and audience reviews to box office performance to industry awards, and you’ve had a lot of success in each of those categories. What, for you, is the ultimate measure of success?
Tom: Again, I’d say that, for me, it goes back to the artists. How do they feel about a project when it’s done? All of the measurements you mentioned are important, but they aren’t things I can really control. What I can do is assemble talent and help put them in the best possible position along the way to do work that ultimately makes them proud. So when a film is done and the artists are happy, that’s everything to me.
