samucsernak.com
Zoltán Samu Csernák
Film Composer · Pécs, Hungary
Two decades of composing experience creating narrative-driven scores for international productions — from intimate chamber arrangements to large-scale cinematic soundscapes.
About
Samu is a film & media composer with over two decades of experience crafting narrative-driven scores for international productions — from intimate chamber pieces to full orchestral soundscapes, in collaboration with Pécs City Studios.
His goal is simple: to tell the story with the filmmaker. He specialises in emotionally resonant music that supports character and story, with a strong collaborative approach with directors and production teams.
Samu has a long-standing passion for bridging Indian and Western music, collaborating with Indian musician friends to create and perform at the crossroads of two musical worlds.
Film Scoring
2024 · Gothic thriller
Frankenstein: Legacy
“Understood the tone of our period gothic thriller very well.”
2025 · Drama
Past Life
“Produced work way beyond expectations.”
2023 · War drama
Lonesome Soldier
“Tells the story with you.”
12 Toys of Christmas (2025)
Christmas at the Holly Day Inn (2023)
A Portrait on the Search for Happiness (2020)
Live Recording · Pécs City Studios
Samu works with live musicians whenever possible, with direct access to orchestral recording at Pécs City Studios, Hungary — home of the internationally acclaimed Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra at Kodály Centre.
How I work:
- Conversation with the director to understand emotional tone and story
- Join once picture is locked, working from a cue list with timecode
- Early drafts shared via Google Drive with video exports for context
- Iterative director-led revision throughout post-production
- Stems and alternate versions on request
What Directors Say
It was a fabulous experience working with Samu on my film Frankenstein: Legacy. He understood the tone and feel of what I was going for with our period gothic thriller very well, and I enjoyed the creative working relationship going back and forth on the drafts of the various cues. He also had my back when we had minor creative differences with the execs on the film, so that was also very much appreciated.
Paul Dudbridge
Director
Frankenstein: Legacy (2024)
Samu created a fully orchestrated score for our movie Past Life and his dedication and efficiency at creating complex and bold music for the film, within a limited time scale was inspiring. I had strong ideas for how I envisaged the music for the film and Samu managed to connect and build creatively on those ideas and produced work that was way beyond my expectations. I highly recommend!
Simeon Halligan
Director, Grimmfest Films
Past Life (2025)
Working with Samu on Lonesome Soldier was an incredibly rewarding experience. He understood the heart of the film and elevated every moment with music that felt deeply human and cinematic. Samu’s instincts are exceptional — he doesn’t just score scenes, he tells the story with you.
Nino Aldi
Director
Lonesome Soldier (2023)
Music
Theatre · Persian
The Prince of the Desert
Original score for a two-act Persian fairy tale play. Written for a live 5-piece ensemble.
Solo · Piano
Let It Go
Seven improvised minimal ambient jazz piano pieces exploring loss, presence, and silence.
Nu-jazz
Singas Project
Electronic nu-jazz band. Featured on Café del Mar. Debut album Yolife nominated for the Fonogram Award — Best Electronic Music Album.
+ Composer for 50+ theatre productions — strong background in musical dramaturgy and live performance.