We had a chat with composer Ben Herland the other day. We talked about his journey into film scoring, his work on Norway’s most-liked commercial in 2025, and what drives him creatively.

Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Ben Herland, a Norwegian music composer of original scores for film, TV, media, and gaming production. I have many years of experience producing and composing music for artist and commercial projects, but I started composing film scores professionally in 2023, driven by a deep fascination and passion for film scores and classical music.

With a classical background, I love creating music that is grand, epic, and emotionally impactful. I also enjoy blending electronic and classical elements to build the right soundscape for each project. I enjoy working across different types of projects as long as I connect with the script and the idea. If I had to highlight a preference, it would be projects that focus on emotional depth and action or tension.

What is the latest project you worked on that you are proud of?

My latest commercial project was “Det Er Bare En” (September 2025), part of a campaign by Infinitum, Norway’s largest recycling company. The film was produced by Motion Blur and directed by Andre Koot, with music written, scored, and produced by me.

I really enjoyed working on it because of the professionalism of the team and the comedic undertone of the music, which was something I had not explored much before. It became both a creative challenge and a valuable opportunity for growth. The commercial was ranked as “Norway’s Most Liked Commercial in 2025” by Reklamebørsen, which I am very proud of.

Since then, I have been developing a tech platform for organically composed cinematic music and licensing for media producers. It will be publicly released soon. This is a personal project where I aim to give media creators easy and efficient access to an affordable, user-friendly library of professionally composed music across different moods and emotions.

If your music could give the audience one feeling, what would it be?

It is difficult to reduce it to a single feeling, but I would say the goal is for the audience to be deeply moved by the music, both on its own and in relation to the scenes.

I am strongly inspired by composers like Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman, and Howard Shore. Ideally, I want listeners to be affected by the music to the point where they begin to create and experience their own personal stories simply by listening.

Who in Oslo should get the spotlight next, and why?

This is a difficult question, as there are many talented creators in Oslo. If I were to highlight a few, I would mention Christian Søgaard for short films, Ellen Bendu for acting, and Ola Kassen for visual creation and production. I consider all of them both professional and creatively strong in their respective fields.

CONTACT:

Website: www.benherland.com

IG: @iambenalexander