Tag Archives: music

Zach Robinson on Scoring Netflix’s Wrestlers Docuseries

No one can deny the attraction of “entertainment” wrestling. From WWE to NXT to AEW, there is no shortage of muscular people holding other muscular people above their heads and dropping them to the ground. And there is no shortage of interest in the wrestlers and their journeys to the big leagues.

Zach Robinson

That is just one aspect of Netflix’s docuseries Wrestlers, directed by Greg Whiteley, which follows former WWE wrestler Al Snow as he tries to keep the pro wrestling league Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) going while fighting off mounting debt and dealing with new ownership. It also provides a behind-the-scenes look at these athletes’ lives outside of the ring.

For the series’ score, Whiteley called on composer Zach Robinson to give the show its sound. “Wrestlers was a dream come true,” says Robinson. “Coming into the project, I was such a huge fan of Greg Whiteley’s work, from Last Chance U to Cheer. On top of that, I grew up on WWE, so it was so much fun to work with this specific group of people on a subject that I really loved.”

Let’s find out more from Robinson, whose other recent projects include Twisted Metal and Florida Man (along with Leo Birenberg) and the animated horror show Fright Krewe

What was the direction you were given for the score?
I originally thought that Greg and the rest of the team wanted something similar to what I do on Cobra Kai, but after watching the first couple of episodes and having a few discussions with the team, we wanted to have music that served as a juxtaposition to the burly, muscular, sometimes brutal imagery you were seeing on screen.

Greg wanted something dramatic and beautiful and almost ballet-like. The music ends up working beautifully with the imagery and really complements the sleek cinematography. Like Greg’s other projects, this is a character drama with an amazing group of characters, and we needed the music to support their stories without making fun of them.

What is your process? Is there a particular instrument you start on, or is it dependent on the project?
It often starts with a theme and a palette decision. Simply, what are the notes I’m writing and what are the instruments playing those notes? I generally like to start by writing a few larger pieces to cover a lot of groups and see what gauges the client’s interest.

In the case of Wrestlers, I presented three pieces (not to picture) and shared them with Greg and the team. Luckily for me, those three pieces were very much in the ballpark of what they were looking for, and I think all three made it into the first episode.

Can you walk us through your workflow on Wrestlers?
Sometimes, working on non-fiction can be a lot different than working on a scripted TV show. We would have spotting sessions (meetings where we watch down the episode and discuss the ins and outs of where the score lives), but as the episodes progressed, I ended up creating more of a library for the editors to grab cues from. That became very helpful for me because the turnaround on these episodes from a scoring standpoint was very, very fast.

However, every episode did have large chunks that needed to be scored to picture. I’m thinking of a lot of the fights, which I really had to score as if I was scoring any type of fight in a scripted show. It took a lot of effort and a lot of direction from the creative team to score those bouts, and finding the right tone was always a challenge.

How would you describe the score? What instruments were used? Was there an orchestra, or were you creating it all?
As I mentioned earlier, the score is very light, almost like a ballet. It’s inspired by a lot of Americana music, like from Aaron Copland, but also, I was very inspired by the “vagabond” stylings of someone like Tom Waits, so you’ll hear a lot of trombone, trumpet, bass, flute and drums.

Imagine seeing a small band performing on the street; that’s kind of what was inspiring to me. This is a traveling troupe of performers, and Greg even referred to them as “the Muppets” during one of our first meetings. We also had a lot of heightened moments that used a large, epic orchestra. I’m thinking especially about the last 30 minutes of the season finale, which is incredibly triumphant and epic in scope.

How did you work with the director in terms of feedback? Any examples of notes or direction given?
Greg and producer Adam Leibowitz were dream collaborators and always had incredibly thoughtful notes and gave great direction. I think the feedback I got most frequently was about being careful not to dip into melodrama through the music. The team is very tasteful with how they portray dramatic moments in their projects, and Wrestlers was no exception.

There were a few times I went a bit too far and big in the music, and Greg would tell me to take a step back and let the drama from the reality of the situation speak for itself. This all made a lot of sense to me, especially because I understood that, coming from scoring mostly scripted programming, I would tend to go harder and bigger on my first pass, which wasn’t always appropriate.

More generally, do you write based on project – spot, game, film, TV — or do you just write?
I enjoy writing music mostly to picture, whether that’s a movie or TV or videogame. I enjoy it much more than writing a piece of music not connected to anything, and I find that when I have to do the latter, it’s incredibly difficult for me.

How did you get into composing? Did you come from a musical family?
I don’t come from a musical family, but I come from a very creative and encouraging family. I knew I wanted to start composing from a very young age, and I was incredibly fortunate to have a family that supported me every step of the way. I studied music in high school and then into college, and then I immediately got a job apprenticing for a composer right after college. I worked my way up and through a lot of odd jobs, and now I’m here.

Any tips for those just starting out?
My biggest piece of advice is to simply be yourself. I know it sounds trite, but don’t try to mold your voice into what you think people want to hear. I’m still learning that even with my 10 years in the business, people want to hear unique voices, and there are always great opportunities to try something different.

Formosa Expands Interactive With Noiseworks Acquisition

Post production sound studio Formosa Group has acquired London-based Noiseworks Limited, expanding its interactive division’s global creative sound design services and talent roster in the UK. The acquisition of the audio company reinforces Formosa Interactive’s commitment to meet the end-to-end audio needs of global platform holders, publishers and developers.

Noiseworks credits include sound design and music for numerous high-profile interactive and linear projects. Incorporated in 2017, the company’s work for game developers, advertising agencies and film includes clients such as Electronic Arts, Sony, Microsoft and Creative Assembly. Both will report to Paul Lipson, SVP of Formosa Interactive.

David Philipp, who served as Noiseworks managing director and supervising sound designer, has been named Formosa Interactive UK studio head. Sound designer Byron Bullock will assume the title of creative director of Formosa Interactive UK.

“Byron and I are extremely excited to become a part of the Formosa family, supporting game developers around the world,” says Philipp. “Our team’s goal has always been to set the quality bar as high as possible, and we couldn’t be prouder to continue this ethos by heading up Formosa Interactive in the UK. We can’t wait to kick off this new adventure together.”

Formosa Group is owned by Streamland Media, a global post production company delivering picture, VFX, sound and marketing services through its well-established industry brands, Picture Shop, The Farm, Ghost VFX, Formosa Group and Picture Head.

Main Image: (L-R) David Philipp and Byron Bullock

Killer Tracks launches production music label for promos, trailers and more

Killer Tracks, an online resource offering pre-cleared music, has started a new label, called Icon, featuring music for movie trailers, television promos, advertising, sports, games and other media.

Frederik Wiedmann

The initial release includes 16 albums created and produced by award-winning composers Frederik Wiedmann and Joel Goodman, the founders of independent music producer Icon Trailer Music. The collection runs the gamut from orchestral scores to electronica.

After initially focusing on orchestral trailer music, Wiedmann and Goodman have recently been expanding beyond that niche, creatively and conceptually. “We spend a lot of time researching trends and market demands,” says Wiedmann. “We anticipate where the market is headed and are working with edgier and more contemporary styles.”

Joel Goodman

Whenever possible, Icon records with live orchestras, choirs and musicians. It also produces music with editorial in mind, creating tracks with numerous edit points, creating alternate mixes, and providing stems and musical toolkits. “We deliver lots of components that are useful to picture editors,” Goodman notes.

Wiedmann won an Emmy Award for the animated series All Hail King Julien. His credits also include the series Miles from Tomorrowland (Disney) and Green Lantern: The Animated Series (Cartoon Network), as well as the films Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox, Hostel: Part III, Mirrors II and Hellraiser: Revelations.

Goodman has more than 140 film and television credits, including the acclaimed PBS documentary series American Experience, for which he wrote the main theme. He has also scored more than 30 films for HBO, including Saving Pelican #895, for which he won an Emmy Award.

Megatrax offering music that targets local news broadcasts

Megatrax Production Music has added another tool for local television news broadcasts with its HyperLocal, music specifically designed for local TV news promos. The collection launched at the end of June 24 with two volumes that will be updated regularly.

The first volumes were produced by Randy Hart, CSD for Aircast, Megatrax’s custom music division. “Noting a general void in contemporary news related music, we assembled a group of CSDs, promo producers and news directors to give us input on what they would want and need to make their news promo production more efficient and more effective,” explains Hart.  “This collection is designed to answer today’s news promotion needs based on that feedback.”

According to Megatrax CEO Ron Mendelsohn,“Clients have indicated to us that it is difficult to find the right track (since tracks are usually given generic titles) and that they desire fresher, more contemporary music to connect with younger viewers. In addition, they have [a] desire for a full array of cutdowns (:30, :20, :15, :10) for each track rather than having to do their own editing. HyperLocal was conceived to meet these needs and deliver a complete music solution for local TV news.”

 

Meet Audio Post Pro Will Bates

NAME: Will Bates

COMPANY: Brooklyn-based  Fall On Your Sword  @fallonyousword 

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY?
We are an audio post production company specializing in custom music composition to picture (films and commercials) and audio mixing.

WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE?
Founder, principal and composer.

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Audio Network ups Ian Ginsberg, adds others

New York — Audio Network, an international music company specializing in music for film, television and video, has promoted Ian Ginsberg to VP of sales, Audio Network US.

He joined Audio Network in 2011 bringing an impressive resume with him, including music industry experience having worked across major labels at Columbia and Epic Records (both part of Sony Music) and as an artist manager. His new role covers all sectors including broadcast, commercials, film and corporate.

The company has also made a number of key appointments to its US sales team and copyright department. This coincides with the continued growth of its music catalog with a spotlight on authentically produced American music, including a series of collections specifically produced for the US market.

The US sales team now includes Moira McCarthy, manager, music licensing, and Tristan Efremenko, manager, music licensing, who will focus on the advertising and corporate markets.

In addition Michael Matosic joins the New York team in role of US copyright manager.

Meet The Game Composer: James Hannigan

NAME: UK-based James Hannigan (http://www.jameshannigan.com, @James_Hannigan)

TITLE: Game composer.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO COMPOSING FOR VIDEOGAMES?
It was almost by accident… but in retrospect a happy one. I liked early game music and recognized its uniqueness but didn’t actually envision myself becoming a game composer.

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UK-based Audio Network opens LA office

LOS ANGELES— London-based Audio Network (www.audionetwork.com)an international music company specializing in music for television, film and video, has opened an office in Los Angeles, which will be headed up by Cheryl Frohlich, head of business development at Audio Network US.

The new office will enable Audio Network reach a broader customer base on the West Coast and to work more closely with its clients in the region. Audio Network, which already operates a New York facility, as well as offices in London, Sydney, Toronto, Munich and Amsterdam.

Audio Network’s music catalog currently offers over 65,000 original tracks, covering every musical genre from full orchestral pieces to hip-hop, and has a composer base of over 450 artists.

Meet the Artist: Scott Lee Miller

Scott Miller, Creative Director, The Hit House, Los Angeles

Being the Supreme Overlord of all things musical within his studio is quite a responsibility… but one he absolutely loves!

NAME: Scott Lee Miller aka Mojo Magnet

COMPANY: The Hit House (www.thehithouse.com), Los Angeles, @HitHouseMusic

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY?

Music composition, custom scoring, sound design, and high-end production music.

 WHAT’S YOUR JOB TITLE?

Creative Director and Supreme Overlord of all things musical.

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Meet The Artist: Walter Werzowa

Behind the title…

WalterWerzowa_2

Owning a company means wearing many different hats, including one that says “therapist” on it.

NAME: Walter Werzowa

COMPANY: MusikVergnuegen 

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COMPANY?

We are an audio concept entity based in Hollywood. Our goal: that every 20 seconds, someone in the world is enjoying our music. We are currently at 58 seconds. Continue reading