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Douglas Romayne
Douglas Romayne
Douglas Romayne
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Key Information

Douglas Romayne (born Douglas Romayne Stevens on June 21, 1964, in Corning, NY) is a professional musician whose work includes creating scores, score mockups and proofing. In 2018 he began performing as a singer-songwriter at many of the California wineries and breweries of the central coast.

Douglas Romayne and KJ Vickery, co-own Bleu Jean Music and Back Pocket, their professional music production studio.

Romayne's education includes a BA in music composition from Cornerstone College. He studied music and advanced orchestration at the University of Chicago and DePaul University with Cliff Colnot, New Music Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and music composition with Hans Wurman. In Los Angeles he attended the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music Program, where he studied scoring for motion pictures and television under Christopher Young and Elmer Bernstein, among others.

Romayne also studied orchestration and advanced conducting at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Two years after graduating from the USC program, Romayne was hired by Joss Whedon to score his series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

His awards include a BMI Film Music Award for his work at the USC Film Scoring Program and a Park City Film Music Festival Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Film Music. He was nominated for Best Use of Score by the Film & TV Music Academy.[clarification needed]

He also co-scored with lead composer Robert Kral the WB Animation series Duck Dodgers episode "Invictus Interruptus", which won the Annie Award for Outstanding Music in an Animated Television Production.

Buffyverse

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Memorable tracks by Douglas Romayne from Buffy (season 7) and Angel (seasons 4 and 5) include the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

  • "In Westbury Field" plays when Giles is introduced in England in the episode "Lessons"
  • The suite of "Istanbul", "Just in Time" and "Lesson One" is the score to the opening sequence of episode 7.01, from the point where a slayer is being chased and murdered in Turkey to Buffy's worries about the new school, in "Lessons"
  • "It's About Power" underscores the final scene in "Lessons" when The One transforms itself
  • "On The Mend" plays when Buffy helps Willow heal from the Gnarl in "Same Time, Same Place"
  • "Mrs" – music and lyrics by Joss Whedon, song arranged and produced by Douglas Romayne, and sung by Anya in "Selfless"

Angel:

  • "Another Way Out" plays when Angel, Wes, Lilah, Fred and Connor are trying to escape the Beast, set loose at Wolfram and Hart, in "Habeas Corpses"
  • "Chasing Lilah" plays in episode 4.12 "Calvary"
  • "Cordy's Journey" plays over a montage of scenes showing that Cordy is possessed in "Inside Out"
  • "The Hellmouth" plays when Spike magically appears in Angel's office straight from Buffy episode 7.22, in "Unleashed"
  • "Puppet Fight" plays when Angel, transformed into a puppet, has a showdown with evil puppets in "Smile Time"
  • "One Day To Live" plays while Angel and the gang try to prevent Fred from dying of a mystical disease in "A Hole in the World"

Albums

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Douglas Romayne's first film score album, Expressing the Inexpressible,[1] is a compilation of eight film scores available at iTunes, MovieScore Media and CD Baby.

Film Score Monthly's Steven A. Kennedy wrote that the album "is a fabulous demonstration of Romayne's ability to create melodic, large-sounding scores in many genres", and that it "is highly recommended for those interested in hearing a voice that we can only hope will move on to more high profile assignments".[2]

Mark Hasan of KQEK wrote, "It's hard to come out from under the shadow of a cult TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but this compilation CD featuring selections from 8 scores by Douglas Romayne is both a superb promo for the composer's skillful writing, and an addictive album, particularly for film music fans wanting music with a rich, elegant orchestral sound."[3]

Awards

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Year Award Event Film or TV episode
2009 Director's Choice Award, Gold Medal for Excellence in Film Music Park City Film Music Festival[4] The End of All Things
2009 Director's Choice Award, Best Documentary Underscore Park City Film Music Festival[4] The Constant Process
2008 Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Film Music Park City Film Music Festival[4] Entity: Nine, Shelter, Rocketboy, Freedomland, Beyond the Silence
2008 Gold Medal for Musical Excellence Park City Film Music Festival[4] Entity: Nine
2008 Gold Medal for Musical Excellence Park City Film Music Festival[4] Shelter
2008 Gold Medal for Musical Excellence Park City Film Music Festival[4] Rocketboy
2008 Gold Medal for Musical Excellence Park City Film Music Festival[4] Freedomland
2008 Gold Medal for Musical Excellence Park City Film Music Festival[4] Beyond the Silence
2007 Best Use of Film Score Award Film & TV Music Awards[5] Rocketboy
2005 Annie Award, Outstanding Achievement in Music for an Animated Television Program Annie Awards[6][full citation needed] Duck Dodgers episode "Invictus Interruptus" (award shared by Robert J. Kral, Douglas Romayne, Zoran Boris)
2000 BMI Outstanding Achievement in Film Scoring Award BMI Film & TV Music Awards[7](registration required) Fishing & Religion; University of Southern California

Credits

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Television

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  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (20th Century Fox/Mutant Enemy) — composer, episodes 7.01 "Lessons" and 7.03 "Same Time, Same Place"
  • Angel (20th Century Fox/Mutant Enemy) — composer: additional music, episodes 4.08–4.21, 5.01–5.04, 5.06–5.11, and 5.13–5.21
  • Miracles (Touchstone TV/Greenwalt) — composer: additional music, episodes 1.02–1.13
  • Day Break (Touchstone TV) — composer: additional music, episodes 1.02–1.04
  • Duck Dodgers (Warner Bros Animation) — composer: additional music, episodes 1.02–1.06, 1.09–1.13, 2.01–2.13, 3.01–3.11, 3.13; Annie Award, Outstanding Music For An Animated Television Show
  • Wolf Girl, also known as Blood Moon (USA Network) — composer: additional music

Film

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Douglas Romayne

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from Grokipedia
Douglas Romayne is an American composer and orchestrator known for his television and film scoring work, most notably contributing music to the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and providing additional music to its spin-off Angel as well as the animated series Duck Dodgers. A New York native now based in California, Romayne studied music composition and orchestration at institutions including the University of Chicago and DePaul University before graduating from the University of Southern California's Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program, where he earned the BMI Film Music Scholarship in 2000. He began his Hollywood career collaborating with composer Christophe Beck, serving as Associate Music Director on the Emmy-nominated musical episode "Once More, With Feeling" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Hired by Joss Whedon, he contributed to scoring the seventh season of the series for 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy. Romayne's credits include additional music for 33 episodes of Angel during its fourth and fifth seasons, contributions to Duck Dodgers across three seasons—which earned him a shared Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Television Production for the episode "Invictus Interruptus"—and work on series such as Miracles and Day Break. He has also composed for independent features, shorts, and other projects while maintaining involvement in the music community as a member of Film Independent, the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.

Early life

Background and early influences

Douglas Romayne was born on June 21, 1974, in New York. Limited public information is available about his early childhood and upbringing. As a New York native, he pursued formal music education, receiving his undergraduate degree in music composition. At the graduate level, he studied advanced orchestration and jazz arranging with Cliff Colnot (Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW conductor) at the University of Chicago and DePaul University, as well as private composition studies with Hans Wurman. His formal training in composition and arranging preceded his specialization in film scoring.

Career

Entry into film and television scoring

Douglas Romayne entered film and television scoring after private composition studies with Hans Wurman, who shared credit with him on his first scoring position for the film Non Plus Ultra, directed by Adriana Zuanic. He advanced his training at the University of Southern California's Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program, graduating in 2000 with the BMI Film Music Scholarship. Following graduation, he joined the studio of fellow USC alumnus Christophe Beck, contributing additional music to projects including Big Fat Liar, The Skulls II and III, Interstate 60, and serving as Associate Music Director on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode "Once More, With Feeling." In the fall of 2002, Romayne left Beck's studio when Joss Whedon hired him to compose the score for season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer for 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy, marking his first major assignment as a lead composer in television. This opportunity established him in the industry, leading to additional scoring roles in animation and live-action television shortly thereafter. During this early period, he also composed for independent short films such as Sunday Paper p.2B (2003) and Paper Cut (2003), building a foundation in original scoring alongside his television work.

Key projects and collaborations

Douglas Romayne has developed significant collaborations in television and film scoring, most notably with writer-director Joss Whedon and the production company Mutant Enemy. He was hired by Whedon to compose the score for season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002–2003). He also contributed additional music to 33 episodes across seasons 4 and 5 of Angel (2003–2004) and to 12 episodes of Miracles (2003), both Mutant Enemy productions. In animation, Romayne worked extensively with Warner Bros. Animation on Duck Dodgers (2003–2005), where he provided scores and additional music across three seasons. As part of the three-member scoring team alongside Robert Kral and Zoran Boris, he shared in the 2005 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Television Production for the episode "Invictus Interruptus." Romayne has also made contributions to major studio films in various music department roles. These include contributions in the Music Department for Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), music programming and score mock-ups for Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), and song orchestration mockups for Wicked (2024). His early career included work in Christophe Beck's studio, such as score coordination on The Tuxedo (2002) and serving as associate music director on the Emmy-nominated Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode "Once More, With Feeling." As a lead composer, Romayne has focused on independent features and shorts, including the post-apocalyptic psychological horror-thriller Forever's End (2013), which received a Silver Medal Audience Award for Best Film Score. He also composed for The End of All Things (2008), which earned a Gold Medal for Excellence. His independent work often involves award-recognized shorts such as Rocketboy (2006), which won the NYShorts Jury Award, and Antebody (2005), named ION International Short Film of the Year. A complete list of credits appears in the Selected credits section.

Recent activity

Since the mid-2010s, Douglas Romayne has shifted his primary professional focus to music department roles on major studio films, contributing through score mock-ups, song orchestration mockups, music programming, and music preparation rather than leading as a composer on large-scale projects. These contributions have supported high-profile productions, particularly Disney live-action remakes and adaptations. His credits in this period include score mock-ups for Mary Poppins Returns (2018), music programming for Aladdin (2019), orchestral mockups for Noelle (2019), and additional score mock-ups for Pete's Dragon (2016). More recently, he provided music preparation for Boston Strangler (2023), served as an orchestrator for the 2022 Academy Awards television special, and handled song orchestration mockups for Wicked (2024) alongside Kevin Kliesch. He is also credited with song orchestration mockups for the upcoming Wicked: For Good (2025). Romayne has maintained occasional composer credits on smaller independent projects, including the short film Hummingbird (2024) and the in-pre-production short George's Path. As of 2024, his work continues to center on these supportive technical roles in film music production.

Musical style and approach

Compositional techniques

Douglas Romayne employs a primarily orchestral approach in his scoring, characterized by rich, elegant textures and an intuitive style that prioritizes character depth, subtext, and subtle emotional nuance over aggressive action. He demonstrates versatility in crafting both discreet atmospheric cues and more prominent thematic statements, often using traditional orchestral instrumentation such as strings, woodwinds, harp, piano, and percussion to evoke refined emotional responses. In lighter or whimsical contexts, Romayne incorporates quirky elements like chimes and vibes, along with occasional synthetic touches. Fuller orchestral and synth combinations appear in action-oriented moments. His work frequently features gentle thematic variations and sparse ensembles for ambient or inconclusive moods. For suspenseful or darker sequences, Romayne builds tension through ominous string writing, sustained unresolved chords, and other dramatic effects, balancing aggressive gestures with brief melodic fragments.

Genre specialization

Douglas Romayne has composed for projects incorporating horror, science fiction, supernatural, and action elements, including both television series and independent productions. Notable examples from his body of work include scoring the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a series blending horror, fantasy, and action elements, as well as contributions to Angel, its spin-off with similar genre traits. In feature films, he has worked on independent titles such as Forever's End (2013), a post-apocalyptic story.

Personal life

Selected credits

Feature films

Douglas Romayne has contributed to the music of several feature films in various capacities, including composer and music department roles. His credits include work in the music department for the action comedy The Tuxedo (2002). He also served in the music department on the Marvel superhero film Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Romayne co-composed the original score for the post-apocalyptic feature Forever's End (2013) alongside Douglas Edward, earning a Silver Medal Audience Award for Best Film Score at the Park City Film Music Festival in 2014. He has more recent involvement in music roles for the musical fantasy film Wicked (2024).

Other media

Douglas Romayne has composed and contributed music to a variety of television series and short films outside his feature film work. He was hired by Joss Whedon to compose the score for the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002–2003). He provided additional music for 33 episodes of the spin-off series Angel across its fourth and fifth seasons (2003–2004). Romayne also supplied additional music for 12 episodes of Miracles (2003). He served as part of the three-member scoring team for the animated series Duck Dodgers (2003–2005), contributing across three seasons for Warner Bros. Animation; the team's work on the episode "Invictus Interruptus" received the 2005 Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Television Production (credited to Robert Kral). Romayne scored the complete ABC series Day Break (2006). He composed music for three episodes of the series Count Jeff (2011). Romayne acted as associate music director (under Christophe Beck) for the musical episode "Once More, with Feeling" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2001), which earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Direction. In short films, he has composed original scores for multiple projects in the late 2000s and early 2010s, including Entity: Nine (2006), The Truth About Faces (2007), A Son's War (2009), Marooned? (2009), and Last Stop (2011).
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