Secret Magic Control Agency (Olivera) The Secret Magic Control Agency (Olivera) is a popular Russian animated film that was released on Netflix in 2021. It revolves around the adventures of Hansel and Gretel, who work for the agency and are tasked with eliminating various supernatural threats. In the film, the Secret Magic Control Agency is an elite organization that maintains peace and order in the magical world. Led by its formidable director, Olivera, the agency is responsible for capturing and neutralizing dangerous enchanted creatures. Olivera is known for her strict and no-nonsense leadership style, as well as her unwavering commitment to protecting ordinary humans from the perils of magic. Hansel and Gretel, two young agents, are paired together to form an unlikely but effective duo.
So, I would check out some spy films and music and vice-versa. I'm a huge fan of like Harry Potter™ so I looked at those kinds of things, not only those, but as benchmarks of those genres that I felt that would be relatable and fun too.
I m a huge fan of like Harry Potter so I looked at those kinds of things, not only those, but as benchmarks of those genres that I felt that would be relatable and fun too. Until she was caught by the king, for making food out of animals and kidnapping them, in which she tried to explain that she was trying to make recipes for him.
Hansel and Gretel, two young agents, are paired together to form an unlikely but effective duo. Hansel, a clumsy and somewhat naive boy, possesses magical abilities that are often unpredictable but can come in handy during their missions. Gretel, on the other hand, is a resourceful and quick-thinking girl who excels in strategic planning and problem-solving.
Secret Magic Control Agency: A Unique Blend of Genres by Gabriel Hays
CineConcerts was very fortunate to speak with Gabriel Hays about his score to the new film Secret Magic Control Agency on Netflix! We discussed how his background in music, his process, and how he approached the unique needs of the film.
Composer Gabriel Hays
CineConcerts (CC): How did you get started on this particular project?
Gabriel Hays (GH): I basically had a relationship with the filmmakers. I had worked on another project with them with a friend and another composer friend of mine, Brad Breeck. And they just asked if we would be interested in looking at this one and after a bit of back-and-forth, we just moved forward on it.
I guess it was a project that was always pretty interesting to get involved with just because it had something familiar in that the characters are based on the fable Hansel and Gretel. Everyone can kind of remember little bits and pieces of that, the two kids who get lost in the forest and abducted by the witch and she wants to have them for dinner and all of that. So, that was kind of the first thing, but then I also saw some early footage that was pretty exciting. In the movie they start out as adults, I just thought it was a really interesting story idea and that pulled put me in.
CC: What sort of process did you have when you got started on the project? You said that you saw some animation, did they have final sequences ready to go for you or did you look at the script?
GH: Yeah, kind of all of the above. Initially I read the script just to kind of get a sense of the story they were telling ‘cause it's not, though it is based on the fable it is not a retelling of that fable, but it does incorporate it in fun ways. And then I got an early cut that had some finished sequences and a lot in the earlier stages of animation. Those are usually really—I’m pretty used to looking at things like that. There’s dialogue and some images that kind of help you understand what's going on and you can kind of work from that.
Usually, these movies, the animation typically doesn't change nearly as much as a live-action might so that is one advantage. Mostly it starts and gets a little shorter and maybe they cut a few things here and there but it doesn't, they don't interject generally a whole new scene right before the end. So that's nice.
CC: This movie is sort of a mash-up of two very different genres, fantasy and spy thriller. Personally, these genres bring to mind two very different types of music but you found a way to blend them together in a way that makes the score both quirky and epic. What sort of challenges did you have combining these two different styles?
GH: Yeah. Well, you nailed it right there, exactly, that was sort of part of the fun challenge to figure it out: Okay, you know, what's going to tell the story best? Very clearly, they are there secret agents, but they're in a Fairytale Land so it's not going to work to go straight inspired by James Bond or Mission Impossible, but there are clues in that kind of music that you wanted to take.
So, I did a lot of thinking about it and I think I knew I didn't have magic elements, some of that came from some sounds that were developed early on I worked with my cousin who's very talented musician and he came in and we worked on finding some sounds that were, like some magical bell sound and things like that that helped evoke some of that side of things. And then also, even more importantly, I had to kind of find things that I felt like the two shared
in common, the spy music and fairy tale music and that kind of storytelling. One of the things I felt like they both have is mystery, a real sense of mystery, and they get to it in different ways.
So, I would check out some spy films and music and vice-versa. I'm a huge fan of like Harry Potter™ so I looked at those kinds of things, not only those, but as benchmarks of those genres that I felt that would be relatable and fun too.
I mean, that was the other thing is it couldn't be too heavy-handed the whole time, you had to have like some good times too.
CC: We were able to listen to a few behind-the-scenes clips of the music before watching the film, but I particularly liked the cue that plays when we first see the organization for the first time, when Gretel is bringing Hansel in. It begins with a melody that really reminds me of the spy genre, music to sneak by, but then it moves seamlessly into this grand, sweeping introduction to the Agency that’s more epic and fantasy-esque.
And then later on in the film we get something really different when we meet the villain for the first time, she seems to have a musical identity of jazz. What inspired giving Elvira her own separate genre of music?
GH: First of all, the filmmakers were really keen on how to play her, that influence, and I think basically the idea there was just to think of what would she be listening to if you imagined her in this scenario? Like, she’d probably be listening to Frank Sinatra. It was as simple as that, it’s going to have that swing and that swagger of, a little schmaltz, but I love Frank Sinatra. It had to have that little tongue-in-cheek vibe with her and I think it's sort of helped to keep her, she's the villain, but it kept her fun at the same time.
CC: Are there any cues in particular that you would like people to look out for when watching the film?
GH: I think that first one you mentioned at the spy agency, which is the Secret Magic Control Agency itself. I think that that cue probably best encapsulates me trying to pull those worlds together of the spy and the fantasy, as you actually really kind of nail the quirks on it. I think that one has the feeling of lifting and then getting darker but then lighter and it's kind of always shifting between those feelings of light and dark from moment to moment. And I feel like that so much helps keep you on your toes as an audience member. “Wait, they’re succeeding, or are they? Yes, they are.” You can play with that in a fun way.
I guess those three cues from the behind-the-scenes videos would be three of among some others, but the three that I think represent some core feelings of the movie. The last one, which we need to get some titles on it so it's clear. I guess you've seen it so it's not giving it away but there’s one called “Here's Looking at You Not Kid” because they're back to being grownups and that encapsulates their journey together. There are the themes of, Hansel has a theme in there which comes in on the piano, which is, he's a charlatan as they say in the movie a lot and always up to mischief. So that's his theme but it's kind of re-presented in like, you know a little bit of a question of are they going to stay together or are they going their separate ways? It was fun to play around with their themes in that scene at the end of the movie.
CC: One of the things we talk about a lot is how, nowadays, there's no right way to compose, especially because of the advances in technology. The field has really, really widened on how to physically sit down and compose a score. It doesn't have to be pencil and paper or even traditional instruments. So, what is your process when you sit down to compose?
GH: Yeah, thanks for asking that question. I think I live in both worlds, in both the technology computer world, but also a little bit of the old school pen and paper world. Or pencil and paper, I can't say I could go straight to write it all down perfectly the first time.
But for me, I mean, this movie in particular for example, we had to figure out the themes a little bit before we could get into exactly where they go, you know, and for that I wrote some themes just on the piano. I’d sketch them out for myself and then I'd send a recording of just a piano version of a lot of the themes to the filmmakers. We just had a nice back and forth and kind of figured out after a while, we went through a number of them and figured out the ones that are in the movie and developed them from that.
For me, it's very important for me to find, especially on a project like this, is to find the core ideas that work for the movie. It’s a little bit of seeing the movie and an almost reacting to the movie away from it a little bit. Like, I might watch a scene and then think about it and write some music away from that scene, thinking about the emotions that occur to me. When I start to feel that’s right then I might go take that piece of music and play it against the scene and see. Okay, is this doing it or not? And then you kind of reassess from there.
It's always, because you're working with the medium of music to picture. You always have to kind of balance the idea of what you're writing with what’s coming from what the movie’s telling you and so you kind of have to work on them a little separately. But if they're too separate then they might not work together.
CC: You mentioned starting with the character themes, could you talk a little bit about developing one for one of the specific characters?
GH: I think at the core of it, the two biggest ones, are really what the one that we call the SMCA Theme, ‘cause it could play in for heroic moments, but then there's a couple themes for Hansel and Gretel together in particular that I found fun. And you hear it, that's a really simple one, which is a little playful thing that starts off the SMCA, but that's you know, that's like a really simple, playful theme. But finding the ones for them that could help tell their journey together,
I think…It’s a good question and hopefully I can answer it in a good way. I mostly, just like you kind of try to distill what the characters and what their arc in the story is and then find something you feel that could adapt to their journey. So, you might find a nice theme, but can you play it in different ways throughout the movie where you can, with the way it's supported or what instrument is played on, it might make it feel a little bit sad or reflective or it could also be heroic and really powerful. I find themes that can kind of have a little bit of that ability to change, as the movie evolves, are really fun to find and sometimes hard but the most gratifying really.
CC: Animation is a very different medium from “regular” film, live-action film. When I was watching this movie, I noticed that it’s got a lot of music. How is scoring animation different versus other projects that you've done, whether live action or short form.
GH: Yeah, that there's a lot of great things to think about there that I think about related to your question. On the logistical side of it writing, for me anyways, writing music for animation takes more time. Certainly, then then other forms usually.
Though I don't usually try to hit every little thing on the picture directly ‘cause it can be a little too on-the-nose. Those considerations are more present for sure. You definitely have to pay more attention to that.
And in general, a philosophical view on animation, I think you're doing a little bit more of the…world-building is a word that I often think of with animation. You are helping set the whole world that they're living in and I can think of a lot of movies where just the timbre of—I guess a live action movie does that too but I think animation kind of needs music even—music and animation go together so well and I feel like there's just so much that is leaned on for the music to say, “Here's the reality we're living in.” In this movie there's that and then of course like the spy fantasy themes kind of woven into that too. So, thinking about what does that mean in an animated movie was fun.
In terms of just getting it all done in time, yeah, you just have to plan ahead. And then also make sure you have a good crew of people to help you get to the finish line. You know, have arrangers and orchestrators and so all of that kind of stuff, it is a team effort in the end.
CC: Would you say that film music is more accentuated in animation as result of building the world musically?
GH: Yeah, I mean, traditionally it is, right? I just think a lot of movies, all the way back to the Looney Tunes stuff, which I grew up loving that, I think that was actually one of the things that pulled me into loving animation and also film music. As a kid I just couldn't get enough of Bugs Bunny for whatever reason. Other things too, I love a lot of other stuff too, I’ve always loved Hitchcock movies, those scores are incredible, among so many others.
It's almost impossible to separate a lot of great movies from the music once you see it. I mean you can think of Frozen in recent times or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an incredible example of a modern score that has, really such a key part of that story telling in addition to the amazing animation.
CC: Why film music? How did you get into it? It’s a specialized craft and the world, though small, is filled with so much creativity.
GH: When we all have our own journey into it, no two are exactly the same. I think from an early age, when I started taking piano lessons, I started writing my own music as well. I think when I was 9, I was learning Bach's Minuet in G, and I tried to write it backwards. I remember that was my idea of composing. And I guess I was just always into it and in high school I had a couple opportunities, I did a lot of theater in high school. I did directing, that's where I was most successful, I was not so much meant to be an actor, but I really enjoyed that and I always, have always loved movies. For one play, my theater teacher asked me to do the music for it.
So, that was the first chance of like, “Okay, what kind of music is going to go here and there?” Not to say that anybody really wants to hear whatever I wrote for that then but it was an informative experience of that I liked it and seemed to have an affinity for it.
But it took me awhile and I also will say, when I went to school, I ended up going to school for music, but I always had an inclination that I might want to try film scoring at some point, but I knew I didn't want to do it right off the bat. I wanted to pursue some other musical interests first, thinking it would be something, if I did do it, would come later and that's kind of what happened. In my late twenties, early thirties that’s when I decided all right, I'm going to give it a real go.
And so, when that happened, I just kind of went all-in and just tried to get into it as best I could.
Together, they navigate a world filled with magical beings, including trolls, witches, and fairies. Throughout the film, Hansel and Gretel face various challenges and learn important lessons about friendship, trust, and perseverance. They encounter a cunning witch named Baba Yaga, who poses a significant threat to both the agency and the general population. In order to stop her evil plans, the young agents must harness their individual strengths and work as a team. The Secret Magic Control Agency (Olivera) combines elements of fantasy, adventure, and comedy to deliver an entertaining and visually stunning experience. The animation style is vibrant and captivating, and the film is filled with witty dialogue and memorable characters. It offers a fresh take on the classic fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, incorporating magic and action into the narrative. Overall, the Secret Magic Control Agency (Olivera) is a must-watch for fans of animated films and fantasy stories. Its charming characters, engaging plot, and beautiful animation make it an enjoyable and exciting viewing experience. Whether you're familiar with the original fairy tale or not, this film is sure to captivate audiences of all ages..
Reviews for "Discovering the Hidden Easter Eggs in the Magic Control Agency"
- Jessica - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Secret Magic Control Agency". I was expecting a fun and magical adventure, but instead, I found the plot to be dull and predictable. The animation was also subpar, lacking the charm and detail that I have come to expect from animated films. Overall, this movie fell short of my expectations and I wouldn't recommend it.
- Kevin - 1 star
"Secret Magic Control Agency" was a complete waste of time for me. The storyline was confusing and disjointed, making it hard to follow what was happening. The characters were also forgettable, with no depth or development. On top of that, the humor felt forced and fell flat. Save yourself the trouble and skip this movie.
- Amanda - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Secret Magic Control Agency" after seeing the trailer, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype. The animation was visually pleasing, but the story felt rushed and underdeveloped. The humor also seemed forced, with jokes that just didn't land. Overall, it was a lackluster film that didn't leave a lasting impression. I wouldn't recommend it to others.