 Composer Tyler Bates began scoring Watchmen in November 2007 . He planned to visit the shoot for a week during each month , and view assembly cuts of scenes to begin rough composing . Snyder and Bates listened to the soundtracks of 1980s films such as Manhunter , Blade Runner , and To Live and Die in L.A. for inspiration . Bates switched between a Yamaha CS @-@ 80 or an <unk> for moments that he felt should have more ambience or synthesizers . Snyder wanted a scene where Nite Owl and Silk Spectre rescue people from a burning building to have a more traditional superhero feel , so Bates implemented a four to the floor guitar rhythm . A 64 @-@ strong choir and the 87 @-@ piece ensemble from the Hollywood Studio Symphony were hired for the more orchestral themes . 
