From Score to Screen: The Journey by Eric Huang ’23 (CCS Music Composition) from Undergrad Composer to Hollywood Studios and an Orchestra Across the World
A behind-the-scenes look at Eric and his journey
“Everyone comes into the program [CCS Music Composition] with different musical goals, and CCS really supports that.”
—Eric Huang ’23 (CCS Music Composition)
The College of Creative Studies (CCS) recently sat down with Eric Huang ’23 (CCS Music Composition) to explore his journey from an undergrad composer to Hollywood and beyond. Since composing his first short film in 2020, Eric has immersed himself in sound experimentation, collaborating with filmmakers and musicians, and has even flown across the world to conduct an orchestra for his soundtrack. In the span of just a few years, Eric has written music for 76 short films across a range of genres—including drama, horror, documentary, and animation—56 of which featured live recording sessions. After graduating from CCS, Eric earned his master’s in Screen Scoring from the University of Southern California (USC). He currently works as an assistant to a concert composer while also scoring independent projects. His work has led Eric to iconic studios like USC’s John Williams Scoring Stage, EastWest Studios in Hollywood, and even to Europe on a whim. Along the way, he’s collaborated with talented artists like Fletcher Sheridan, a vocalist featured in Wicked, and recorded with Luanne Homzy, a violinist whose credits include La La Land and Oppenheimer.
As Eric reflected on his CCS experience, he shared that he was drawn to the College for its individualized learning model. “Everyone comes into the program with different musical goals, and CCS really supports that,” he said.
A pivotal feature of Eric’s undergraduate experience was the opportunity for weekly one-on-one instruction with CCS faculty. These sessions allowed Eric to bring in personal projects and receive expert feedback, helping him grow as a film composer. “That structure let me focus on my passion—writing for film—without getting bogged down by unrelated coursework,” he said. “Getting guidance from experienced composers while the other coursework exposed me to new ideas.”
“Getting guidance from experienced composers while pursuing my own goals was incredibly valuable.”
—Eric Huang ‘23 (CCS Music Composition)
“The small student-to-faculty ratio helped me build close connections with both classmates and professors,” he emphasized. “I loved that we called our professors by their first names—it created a really unique, down-to-earth culture.”
While Eric was already well-versed in orchestral writing, a course in “Contemporary Techniques” with UCSB Department of Music Faculty Andrew Tholl encouraged him to explore more experimental ideas. “I remember him describing a piece that was literally a note card that simply read ‘try to push a piano through a wall,’” he recalled. “That kind of thinking really changed my approach to music composition.”
That imaginative mindset became the foundation for one of Eric’s favorite projects: scoring a short comedy film about two grandmothers on a wild cross-country adventure. His process typically begins with reading the script and identifying a musical approach that fits the tone. For this project, Eric and the director landed on a mix of Wild West and hip hop.
To bring the score to life, Eric incorporated traditional Chinese and Mongolian instruments such as the horsehair fiddle, jaw harp, and tovshur—a Mongolian folk two- or three-stringed lute with a sound not unlike a banjo. “The director made a really thoughtful connection,” Eric said. “Mongolia can be seen as the Wild West of China—they use similar instruments, and that gave us a great foundation for our sound.”
“I’m always venturing into new styles and genres with every score I create,” Eric shared. “What excites me is experimenting with different sounds and blending genres into unique collages.” That creative drive is what elevates film scenes into something more impactful—music that resonates on a deeper level and lingers long after the credits roll. These collages include barbershop quartet and EDM (Chive and Egg), operatic vocal textures over electronics (Crime and Punishment), and Ancient Greek-Inspired techno (Daughters of Demeter from Legacy). These examples are currently all on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms.
One of Eric’s most ambitious collaborations took him overseas with fellow UC Santa Barbara graduate Liam Burns ’24 (UCSB Film and Media Studies) where they recorded with a 59-musician orchestra for an original musical theater short film, “Theater Kid,” which follows a high school senior whose inflated ego as a theater star threatens to derail both the production and his shot at romance. “It was one of the most surreal experiences—going on a journey with the director across the world as college students to record with an orchestra. When I was in high school I would practice conducting with a pencil to my favorite soundtracks and so it was such a fulfilling moment to conduct my first score recorded with an orchestra,” Eric said.
“It was one of the most surreal experiences—going on a journey with the [Theater Kid] director across the world as college students to record with an orchestra”
—Eric Huang ’23 (CCS Music Composition)
Reflecting on his journey, Eric shared some advice for aspiring film composers:
“Try to meet as many people as you can. If you want to be a film composer, network with musicians as much as you do with filmmakers—they’re the ones performing your music. Don’t be afraid to go a little overboard with your schedule sometimes—take the leap and make things happen. It’s always worth it. And share your music! Make it accessible so people can find it, and don’t be afraid to try new things.”
—Eric Huang ’23 (CCS Music Composition)
View behind the scene footage from Eric’s recent projects:
“Overture,” April 20, 2025
“Don't Play Dumb” (Musical Number), March 15, 2025
1917 Rescore (Recorded with an Orchestra at Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage)
The College celebrates Eric for his journey from UCSB to Hollywood and beyond. His creativity shines through his projects in film scoring and we look forward to the continued impact he will have worldwide.