Fortress Talent Management, a leading agency for composers and music supervisors, has promoted Jake Kozarec to partner.
Kozarec has been with Fortress since 2016, and has overseen the careers of Lorne Balfe, Matthew Margeson, Jeff Cardoni (White House Plumbers), Keegan DeWitt, Jay Wadley, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Candyman), David Fleming and Alex Belcher.
Kozarec has played a key role in growing Fortress’ formidable roster, which includes Oscar-winners Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings), Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain), Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) and Rachel Portman (Chocolat) and Oscar nominees Nicholas Britell (Moonlight), Daniel Pemberton (Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse), Philip Glass (The Hours), Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Clint Mansell (The Fountain) and Owen Pallett (Her).
The company’s clients...
Kozarec has been with Fortress since 2016, and has overseen the careers of Lorne Balfe, Matthew Margeson, Jeff Cardoni (White House Plumbers), Keegan DeWitt, Jay Wadley, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe (Candyman), David Fleming and Alex Belcher.
Kozarec has played a key role in growing Fortress’ formidable roster, which includes Oscar-winners Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings), Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain), Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) and Rachel Portman (Chocolat) and Oscar nominees Nicholas Britell (Moonlight), Daniel Pemberton (Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse), Philip Glass (The Hours), Alberto Iglesias (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Clint Mansell (The Fountain) and Owen Pallett (Her).
The company’s clients...
- 11/30/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Our Flag Means Death Season 2 Episode 8 “Mermen.”] Our Flag Means Death may have concluded its second season, but hopefully, there are more swashbuckling adventures on the horizon for Stede (Rhys Darby), Ed, a.k.a. Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), and the rest of their crew, should the show be renewed for Season 3 at Max. One notable aspect of this delightful comedy though has to be the music, which has had several defining moments across the show’s run, whether it’s Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” from Season 1 or Kate Bush‘s “This Woman’s Work,” which played a prominent role in Season 2’s fantasy sequence in which a mermaid version of Stede saves a drowning Blackbeard. (Credit: Max/Nicola Dove) But one recurring music thread in Season 2 was none other than Nina Simone, a choice music supervisor Maggie Phillips reveals had to do with creator David Jenkins. “‘The Chain’ was...
- 10/27/2023
- TV Insider
This article contains spoilers for "Our Flag Means Death" season 2.
"Our Flag Means Death" is not a show that can be accused of holding back. Like Spanish Jackie (Leslie Jones) meeting a new potential husband for her collection, David Jenkins' pirate comedy just loves to say "yes!" to its heart's desires. So, when the opportunity arose to create an underwater dream sequence in which Ed Teach, aka Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), has a vision of his lost love Stede Bonnet, aka the Gentleman Pirate (Rhys Darby), swimming towards him as a hunky merman, the "Our Flag Means Death" team was all-in.
According to a deep-dive into the making of this sequence published by Entertainment Weekly, Jenkins and the other writers had wanted to turn Stede into a merman for years. When the perfect moment finally came along at the end of "Our Flag Means Death" season 2, episode 3, "The Innkeeper," costume designer...
"Our Flag Means Death" is not a show that can be accused of holding back. Like Spanish Jackie (Leslie Jones) meeting a new potential husband for her collection, David Jenkins' pirate comedy just loves to say "yes!" to its heart's desires. So, when the opportunity arose to create an underwater dream sequence in which Ed Teach, aka Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), has a vision of his lost love Stede Bonnet, aka the Gentleman Pirate (Rhys Darby), swimming towards him as a hunky merman, the "Our Flag Means Death" team was all-in.
According to a deep-dive into the making of this sequence published by Entertainment Weekly, Jenkins and the other writers had wanted to turn Stede into a merman for years. When the perfect moment finally came along at the end of "Our Flag Means Death" season 2, episode 3, "The Innkeeper," costume designer...
- 10/7/2023
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "Our Flag Means Death" season 2.
It's tough out there for pirates these days, especially if you're Taika Waititi's Ed Teach, aka Blackbeard, who's been on a bit of a downward spiral ever since Stede (Rhys Darby) stood him up towards the end of season 1. None of us love rejection, but Blackbeard takes things harder than most; he exiles most of Stede's crew and steals his ship, then spends the first few episodes of season 2 on a reckless streak of violence that ends in his crew doing a mutiny. They nearly kill him in the process, and as we see Blackbeard metaphorically being tied to a giant rock and getting dragged to the bottom of the ocean, it seems like this might be the end for him.
Luckily, back in Blackbeard's real life, Stede walks in and starts begging his unconscious body not to die,...
It's tough out there for pirates these days, especially if you're Taika Waititi's Ed Teach, aka Blackbeard, who's been on a bit of a downward spiral ever since Stede (Rhys Darby) stood him up towards the end of season 1. None of us love rejection, but Blackbeard takes things harder than most; he exiles most of Stede's crew and steals his ship, then spends the first few episodes of season 2 on a reckless streak of violence that ends in his crew doing a mutiny. They nearly kill him in the process, and as we see Blackbeard metaphorically being tied to a giant rock and getting dragged to the bottom of the ocean, it seems like this might be the end for him.
Luckily, back in Blackbeard's real life, Stede walks in and starts begging his unconscious body not to die,...
- 10/7/2023
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Fifteen minutes before showtime, the crowd at Austin’s Stateside Theater was negligible. A few Atx TV Festival patrons were sprinkled throughout the theater, but the priority access and badge-holder lines amounted to just a few dozen fans. Soon, four WGA members would take the stage to explain why their guild was striking and detail the issues at stake — issues many consider to be a tipping point for the future of television.
But… it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. The festival, now in its twelfth season, is known for hosting major premieres and popular reunions. Panels break down various TV professions and topics, from discussions with casting directors to best practices for a safe production, but they’re often held in smaller venues or bolstered by high-profile talent. Would the same people who traveled to Austin for a “Cheers” reunion or the first look at “Justified: City Primeval” fill a...
But… it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. The festival, now in its twelfth season, is known for hosting major premieres and popular reunions. Panels break down various TV professions and topics, from discussions with casting directors to best practices for a safe production, but they’re often held in smaller venues or bolstered by high-profile talent. Would the same people who traveled to Austin for a “Cheers” reunion or the first look at “Justified: City Primeval” fill a...
- 6/5/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
There is nothing better than a cinematic needle drop. This year was absolutely loaded perfect song selections that charmed, horrified, confused or absolutely destroyed audiences. To celebrate the best moments of music in 2022’s film and television the Variety staff cobbled together a list of our favorite hits.
Labrinth & Zendaya “I’m Tired” – “Euphoria”
Music Supervisor: Jen Malone
This song is hauntingly perfect for the scene in which it is featured. Rue (Zendaya) is out of her mind on drugs and hallucinates that she is in a church before she sees herself in her living room dancing with her dead father. Zendaya proves that she is not only one of the best actresses of her time in this scene, but one hell of a singer to boot. – Joe Otterson
Donovan “Riki Tiki Tavi” – “Barbarian”
Music Supervisor: Jillian Ennis
During the tensest scene of this year’s horror hit “Barbarian,” Tess...
Labrinth & Zendaya “I’m Tired” – “Euphoria”
Music Supervisor: Jen Malone
This song is hauntingly perfect for the scene in which it is featured. Rue (Zendaya) is out of her mind on drugs and hallucinates that she is in a church before she sees herself in her living room dancing with her dead father. Zendaya proves that she is not only one of the best actresses of her time in this scene, but one hell of a singer to boot. – Joe Otterson
Donovan “Riki Tiki Tavi” – “Barbarian”
Music Supervisor: Jillian Ennis
During the tensest scene of this year’s horror hit “Barbarian,” Tess...
- 12/21/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay, William Earl, Joe Otterson, Kate Aurthur, Todd Gilchrist, EJ Panaligan, Ellise Shafer, Meredith Woerner, Katie Reul and Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Naveen Andrews is back in the Emmy conversation for his layered work in the Hulu limited series “The Dropout.” The actor plays Sunny Balwani, the real-life COO of the infamous biotech company Theranos, founded by disgraced entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, who was also his girlfriend at the time. The series exposes how Holmes was not alone in creating a false image of Theranos, with Balwani responsible for perpetuating a toxic work environment behind the scenes. The role is a juicy one for Andrews, who could find himself an Emmy nominee again for the first time after 17 years.
See‘The Dropout’ music supervisor Maggie Phillips on how a Kanye West song almost closed out the series [Exclusive Video Interview]
Following a plum supporting turn in Best Picture winner “The English Patient” (1996), Andrews took on what remains his most recognizable role as Sayid Jarrah in the ABC pop culture phenomenon “Lost.” As one of the show’s early standouts,...
See‘The Dropout’ music supervisor Maggie Phillips on how a Kanye West song almost closed out the series [Exclusive Video Interview]
Following a plum supporting turn in Best Picture winner “The English Patient” (1996), Andrews took on what remains his most recognizable role as Sayid Jarrah in the ABC pop culture phenomenon “Lost.” As one of the show’s early standouts,...
- 5/13/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
For music supervisor Maggie Phillips, finding the right songs to exemplify the 21st century for “The Dropout” was more difficult than you might expect. The Hulu limited series, which centers on disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), features a number of needle drops from the 2000s and 2010s that orient the viewer in a very specific time and place. “The most challenging part for me was to put in the more obvious choices,” says Phillips in an exclusive new interview for Gold Derby. Watch the video interview above.
One of the best examples is in Episode 4, when Katy Perry‘s smash hit “Firework” plays on the car radio, with Walgreens executive Jay Rosan (Alan Ruck) singing along. The song resonates with the executive to the extent that he incorporates it into his business strategy as he takes a very risky leap of faith on Holmes. For Phillips, “Firework” was...
One of the best examples is in Episode 4, when Katy Perry‘s smash hit “Firework” plays on the car radio, with Walgreens executive Jay Rosan (Alan Ruck) singing along. The song resonates with the executive to the extent that he incorporates it into his business strategy as he takes a very risky leap of faith on Holmes. For Phillips, “Firework” was...
- 4/29/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Atx TV Festival, on Monday, revealed additional programming for its Season 11 lineup.
The annual television event, which will return for an in-person iteration in Austin, TX from June 2-5, will also spotlight Showtime’s I Love That For You, from Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler. Atx will feature an advance look at an upcoming episode and a conversation with Bayer, Beiler and showrunner Jessi Klein.
Also added to the lineup of panels is one spotlighting the showrunners of NBC’s Grand Crew, HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show and Peacock’s Rutherford Falls. Their respective showrunners Phil Augusta Jackson, Robin Thede and Sierra Teller Ornelas will join for the panel, where they will discuss the state of TV comedies, the art of running (and in sometimes starring in) the show, and how they’ve managed to break through the noise of too-much-tv. Additional panelists will be revealed at a later date.
The annual television event, which will return for an in-person iteration in Austin, TX from June 2-5, will also spotlight Showtime’s I Love That For You, from Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler. Atx will feature an advance look at an upcoming episode and a conversation with Bayer, Beiler and showrunner Jessi Klein.
Also added to the lineup of panels is one spotlighting the showrunners of NBC’s Grand Crew, HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show and Peacock’s Rutherford Falls. Their respective showrunners Phil Augusta Jackson, Robin Thede and Sierra Teller Ornelas will join for the panel, where they will discuss the state of TV comedies, the art of running (and in sometimes starring in) the show, and how they’ve managed to break through the noise of too-much-tv. Additional panelists will be revealed at a later date.
- 4/18/2022
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not watched “The Dropout” on Hulu.
When crafting the soundtrack for Hulu’s “The Dropout,” music supervisor Maggie Phillips and show creator Elizabeth Meriwether sought out, as Phillips puts it, “songs that scream 2010.”
Set between 2003 and 2018, “The Dropout” chronicles the rise and fall of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), as she goes from founding a medical technology company worth 9 billion to being indicted for fraud. Based on the ABC News podcast of the same name, the limited series has been critically lauded for its writing, acting and music, which incorporates everything from Katy Perry’s “Firework” to Lil Wayne’s “How to Love.”
Phillips, who supervised the show with coordinators Kristen Higuera and Andrew Brady, was drawn to it because she had never worked on a project with music that came out during her adult years.
“[It’s] a time period that I knew very well,...
When crafting the soundtrack for Hulu’s “The Dropout,” music supervisor Maggie Phillips and show creator Elizabeth Meriwether sought out, as Phillips puts it, “songs that scream 2010.”
Set between 2003 and 2018, “The Dropout” chronicles the rise and fall of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried), as she goes from founding a medical technology company worth 9 billion to being indicted for fraud. Based on the ABC News podcast of the same name, the limited series has been critically lauded for its writing, acting and music, which incorporates everything from Katy Perry’s “Firework” to Lil Wayne’s “How to Love.”
Phillips, who supervised the show with coordinators Kristen Higuera and Andrew Brady, was drawn to it because she had never worked on a project with music that came out during her adult years.
“[It’s] a time period that I knew very well,...
- 4/7/2022
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Of all this season’s limited series based on high-profile incidents of chicanery, “The Dropout” stands out. More than Showtime’s Uber show, Apple’s WeWork show, or Netflix’s Anna Delvey show, Hulu’s look at the life and career of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes feels as though it has a certain point-of-view on its subject. And that subject – Holmes, as played by Amanda Seyfried, and the culture that made her – finds brilliant expression in the series’ music choices, overseen by music supervisor Maggie Phillips. Rarely in recent memory has a pop soundtrack been leveraged so effectively, and so eerily, to underscore points the show is making.
Consider, for instance, a scene in which a pre-fame Holmes is waiting outside the Apple Store on the day of the iPhone’s release. Holmes, who idolized Steve Jobs, is in a giddy reverie as Feist’s “1234” plays; the song will, for a certain subset of viewers,...
Consider, for instance, a scene in which a pre-fame Holmes is waiting outside the Apple Store on the day of the iPhone’s release. Holmes, who idolized Steve Jobs, is in a giddy reverie as Feist’s “1234” plays; the song will, for a certain subset of viewers,...
- 3/29/2022
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
In “The Dropout,” Amanda Seyfried’s dance-tastic take on Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has spurred GIFs, memes, and yes, even Twitter debates over just how cringe-inducing her dance moves really are. But that’s all just part of going method for Seyfried.
While transforming into the Silicon Valley inventor recently convicted of defrauding investors, Seyfried was encouraged by “The Dropout” showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether to fully embody Holmes’ alleged solo dance parties.
“[The dancing] became, for me, a way to show the character grappling with emotions…because I think she, the character in the show, is not great at getting her emotions out,” Meriwether told Et Online, citing an anecdote about Holmes dancing alone in her car, as shared in the investigative ABC News podcast for which the Hulu true-crime series is adapted from.
“That really stuck out to me because I was just really trying to imagine what Elizabeth Holmes is like when nobody’s watching her.
While transforming into the Silicon Valley inventor recently convicted of defrauding investors, Seyfried was encouraged by “The Dropout” showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether to fully embody Holmes’ alleged solo dance parties.
“[The dancing] became, for me, a way to show the character grappling with emotions…because I think she, the character in the show, is not great at getting her emotions out,” Meriwether told Et Online, citing an anecdote about Holmes dancing alone in her car, as shared in the investigative ABC News podcast for which the Hulu true-crime series is adapted from.
“That really stuck out to me because I was just really trying to imagine what Elizabeth Holmes is like when nobody’s watching her.
- 3/24/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
There have been countless series created by grown adults about teenagers over the years, but has there ever been one created by a teenager and her dad? Daniel and Zelda Barnz, the father-daughter showrunners of HBO Max’s “Generation”, represent what must be a first for dramatic programming but their frank, probing look at the lives of a group of LGBTQ+ teens and allies definitely gets plenty of help from other departments to create its sun-bathed Orange County backdrop.
Among them are music supervisors Maggie Phillips and Andrew Brady, who have the near-Herculean task of creating the tuneful soundscape for its vastly different characters. “They reached out to us because they really liked our work on [the Hulu series] “Normal People” and Daniel was our point person [on the music] because that’s his passion and we were always geeking out at how it’s all at every kid’s fingertips these days unlike...
Among them are music supervisors Maggie Phillips and Andrew Brady, who have the near-Herculean task of creating the tuneful soundscape for its vastly different characters. “They reached out to us because they really liked our work on [the Hulu series] “Normal People” and Daniel was our point person [on the music] because that’s his passion and we were always geeking out at how it’s all at every kid’s fingertips these days unlike...
- 7/6/2021
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
From the period-specific tunes of “The Crown” to the surprising instrumental reworkings of modern pop hits in “Bridgerton,” this season’s Emmy contenders in music supervision showcase the growing field’s continued influence.
Alexandra Patsavas
“Bridgerton” may give veteran music supervisor Patsavas her best shot yet at an Emmy thanks to her clever use of chamber music-style covers of modern pop songs, which help trace the emotional journey of Daphne and Simon (Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page) in Regency-era London.
The Vitamin String Quartet’s renditions of Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You,” Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” along with Duomo’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams,” sent streaming numbers into the stratosphere soon after the Netflix series debuted in December.
According to Patsavas, discussions about “how a period project could be relevant and inviting,” musically speaking...
Alexandra Patsavas
“Bridgerton” may give veteran music supervisor Patsavas her best shot yet at an Emmy thanks to her clever use of chamber music-style covers of modern pop songs, which help trace the emotional journey of Daphne and Simon (Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page) in Regency-era London.
The Vitamin String Quartet’s renditions of Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You,” Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood” and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” along with Duomo’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams,” sent streaming numbers into the stratosphere soon after the Netflix series debuted in December.
According to Patsavas, discussions about “how a period project could be relevant and inviting,” musically speaking...
- 6/2/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Viewers were treated to two different takes on an 18th century Russian empress this season: HBO’s four-part “Catherine the Great,” starring Helen Mirren, and Hulu’s 10-part satirical “The Great,” starring Elle Fanning.
The aims were very different, and so were the musical approaches by English composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, who undertook HBO’s serious dramatic adaptation, and American composer Nathan Barr, who tackled Hulu’s comedic flight of fancy.
Gregson-Williams — reunited with director Philip Martin, with whom he had done two seasons of “The Crown” –– started early, writing a song that Catherine’s lover Potemkin (Jason Clarke) would sing on screen. “I’m a great fan of Russian music,” the composer says, “but when I looked at that period, the classical music felt to me that it didn’t have that Russian passion that one recognizes in later eras.”
Turning to church and folk music from the region for inspiration,...
The aims were very different, and so were the musical approaches by English composer Rupert Gregson-Williams, who undertook HBO’s serious dramatic adaptation, and American composer Nathan Barr, who tackled Hulu’s comedic flight of fancy.
Gregson-Williams — reunited with director Philip Martin, with whom he had done two seasons of “The Crown” –– started early, writing a song that Catherine’s lover Potemkin (Jason Clarke) would sing on screen. “I’m a great fan of Russian music,” the composer says, “but when I looked at that period, the classical music felt to me that it didn’t have that Russian passion that one recognizes in later eras.”
Turning to church and folk music from the region for inspiration,...
- 7/7/2020
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
The more emotion-driven a TV series or movie, the more important the soundtrack. And boy is Normal People, the Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney’s wildly popular novel of the same name, driven by the emotion of its characters and world.
Normal People follows Marianne and Connell’s complicated relationship as they move from being teenagers at a small town in western Ireland into young adulthood at Dublin’s Trinity College, and showrunner Ed Guiney, directors Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, music supervisors Juliet Martin and Maggie Phillips, and editor Nathan Nugent have done an impressive job crafting the music landscape for this world.
“We were trying all sorts of tracks ourselves,” said Abrahamson, who mentioned Martin, Phillips, Nugent, and himself as the chief collaborators in the process. “So, as well as the work that Stephen Rennicks, the composer, was doing, it was just, again, a very organic kind of collaboration.
Normal People follows Marianne and Connell’s complicated relationship as they move from being teenagers at a small town in western Ireland into young adulthood at Dublin’s Trinity College, and showrunner Ed Guiney, directors Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, music supervisors Juliet Martin and Maggie Phillips, and editor Nathan Nugent have done an impressive job crafting the music landscape for this world.
“We were trying all sorts of tracks ourselves,” said Abrahamson, who mentioned Martin, Phillips, Nugent, and himself as the chief collaborators in the process. “So, as well as the work that Stephen Rennicks, the composer, was doing, it was just, again, a very organic kind of collaboration.
- 4/29/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
One of three editors on Sam Esmail’s Homecoming, Rosanne Tan was asked to tap into the visual and sonic style of “paranoid thriller movies [from] the past,” working within a broad conceptual framework set by Esmail, while trying to surprise him with the choices she made.
Based on a podcast by co-creators Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz, the series is set at Homecoming, a facility claiming to help soldiers in their transition back to civilian life. Cutting back and forth between two time periods, the half-hour drama’s focal point is Heidi (Julia Roberts), a social worker at the facility who comes to intuit a much more sinister agenda on the part of her employer.
Cutting four episodes of Homecoming, Tan played a pivotal role in shaping the series’ tone and visual style. After working on the third season of Mr. Robot, the editor knew Esmail’s preference for unconventional,...
Based on a podcast by co-creators Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz, the series is set at Homecoming, a facility claiming to help soldiers in their transition back to civilian life. Cutting back and forth between two time periods, the half-hour drama’s focal point is Heidi (Julia Roberts), a social worker at the facility who comes to intuit a much more sinister agenda on the part of her employer.
Cutting four episodes of Homecoming, Tan played a pivotal role in shaping the series’ tone and visual style. After working on the third season of Mr. Robot, the editor knew Esmail’s preference for unconventional,...
- 6/20/2019
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Music supervisor Maggie Phillips had her hands full on “Homecoming” and “The Umbrella Academy,” but for very different reasons. When director Sam Esmail insisting on using only pre-existing classic soundtracks to score his conspiracy thriller, Phillips found herself in uncharted territory, which turned into a licensing nightmare. And even though the series about an adopted sibling superhero rivalry offered a more conventional challenge, Phillips was still keen on pushing the nostalgic factor in fresh musical ways.
“All of my projects before [‘Homecoming’] I’ve chosen songs and editors are temping in score, and then the composer comes in and replaces,” Phillips said. “And sometimes I’ll help with the temp score, but that’s not very common. But Sam wanted all pre-existing soundtracks as cues [to evoke the paranoia vibe] of ‘All the President’s Men,’ ‘Klute,’ and ‘The Conversation,’ and then that list got expanded and changed out of necessity because of the licensing...
“All of my projects before [‘Homecoming’] I’ve chosen songs and editors are temping in score, and then the composer comes in and replaces,” Phillips said. “And sometimes I’ll help with the temp score, but that’s not very common. But Sam wanted all pre-existing soundtracks as cues [to evoke the paranoia vibe] of ‘All the President’s Men,’ ‘Klute,’ and ‘The Conversation,’ and then that list got expanded and changed out of necessity because of the licensing...
- 6/13/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
With his Amazon series Homecoming, Sam Esmail strived to create a paranoid thriller in the vein of those from decades past, turning to his sound team to ratchet up the dread through experimental means. Three of the series’ key creatives, Kevin W. Buchholz (Supervising Sound Editor), Ben Zales (Music Editor) and John W. Cook II (Re-recording Mixer) did so, while coming to redefine the term “Original Score.”
Based on a fictional podcast by co-creators Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz, the Golden Globe-nominated series is set at Homecoming, a facility claiming to help soldiers transition back to civilian life. Cutting back and forth between two time periods, the story centers on Heidi (Julia Roberts), a social worker at the facility who eventually comes to recognize its much more sinister agenda.
Drawing inspiration from films like The Conversation, Homecoming was using “a very specific set of paints” to tell a very specific story,...
Based on a fictional podcast by co-creators Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz, the Golden Globe-nominated series is set at Homecoming, a facility claiming to help soldiers transition back to civilian life. Cutting back and forth between two time periods, the story centers on Heidi (Julia Roberts), a social worker at the facility who eventually comes to recognize its much more sinister agenda.
Drawing inspiration from films like The Conversation, Homecoming was using “a very specific set of paints” to tell a very specific story,...
- 6/12/2019
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Both Amazon Prime’s “Homecoming” and Netflix’s “Russian Doll” provocatively play with the 30-minute format, cramming their existential journeys with confusing timelines and visual detail. But, thanks to binge watching, the two shows actually function like long movies, according to editors Rosanne Tan (“Homecoming”) and Laura Weinberg (“Russian Doll”).
In “Homecoming,” the ’70s-style conspiracy thriller from director Sam Esmail (“Mr. Robot”), social worker Heidi (Julia Roberts) tries to help troubled soldiers transition back to civilian life in one timeline (shot in a wide aspect ratio), while attempting to solve the strange mystery of her memory loss as a result of a nefarious plot in a future timeline (shot in a shorter aspect ratio). And, in “Russian Doll,” the black comedy from showrunner/star Natasha Lyonne, her self-absorbed software engineer, Nadia, repeatedly dies on her 36th birthday in a “Groundhog Day”-like loop, only to discover fellow traveler, Alan (Charles Barnett), also stuck in time.
In “Homecoming,” the ’70s-style conspiracy thriller from director Sam Esmail (“Mr. Robot”), social worker Heidi (Julia Roberts) tries to help troubled soldiers transition back to civilian life in one timeline (shot in a wide aspect ratio), while attempting to solve the strange mystery of her memory loss as a result of a nefarious plot in a future timeline (shot in a shorter aspect ratio). And, in “Russian Doll,” the black comedy from showrunner/star Natasha Lyonne, her self-absorbed software engineer, Nadia, repeatedly dies on her 36th birthday in a “Groundhog Day”-like loop, only to discover fellow traveler, Alan (Charles Barnett), also stuck in time.
- 6/6/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Satirizing a genre as you’re fully embracing it isn’t the easiest feat and is perhaps impossible. It’s true that every good satire is also in some way a love letter to its source material, but love it a little too much, and the Valentine’s card becomes onion-thin with the prim bite of a paper cut. Todd Strauss-Schulson’s rom-com sendup “Isn’t It Romantic” is one of those satires that wants to have its Valentine’s chocolates and eat them too.
This story, about a woman who hits her head and is thrown into a rom-com world of cliché and improbability, may abide by the rules of the genre too closely to function as a critique, and it’s a shame, because it’s almost there. Writers Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox (“How to Be Single”) and Katie Silberman (“Set It Up”) hold back from really making a statement,...
This story, about a woman who hits her head and is thrown into a rom-com world of cliché and improbability, may abide by the rules of the genre too closely to function as a critique, and it’s a shame, because it’s almost there. Writers Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox (“How to Be Single”) and Katie Silberman (“Set It Up”) hold back from really making a statement,...
- 2/12/2019
- by April Wolfe
- The Wrap
For “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail, classic thrillers were the inspiration to adapt Gimlet podcast “Homecoming” into an episodic series. He wanted to capture the tension and paranoia of films by directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Alan J. Pakula, Brian De Palma, and Stanley Kubrick.
“When we started talking about music, I started to talking to my editors about those classic scores by Pino Donaggio, Bernard Herrmann, John Williams and John Carpenter even,” said Esmail.
However, Esmail didn’t want to use these classic scores as a reference point, or temp music: He wanted to use the actual scores.
“I just started thinking, this is going to be really unfair to ask a music composer to ape David Shire’s ‘Conversation’ theme,” said Esmail. “That’s just ridiculous, or to ask someone to ape Michael Smalls’ theme from ‘Klute.'”
Esmail broached the subject with music supervisor Maggie Phillips when she first interviewed for the job.
“When we started talking about music, I started to talking to my editors about those classic scores by Pino Donaggio, Bernard Herrmann, John Williams and John Carpenter even,” said Esmail.
However, Esmail didn’t want to use these classic scores as a reference point, or temp music: He wanted to use the actual scores.
“I just started thinking, this is going to be really unfair to ask a music composer to ape David Shire’s ‘Conversation’ theme,” said Esmail. “That’s just ridiculous, or to ask someone to ape Michael Smalls’ theme from ‘Klute.'”
Esmail broached the subject with music supervisor Maggie Phillips when she first interviewed for the job.
- 11/5/2018
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The film, television and gaming music communities got the confab they’ve long deserved Tuesday as Variety hosted the inaugural Music for Screens Summit. Guests including Annie Lennox (pictured above with H. Scott Salinas), Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Linda Perry, Terence Blanchard and Ramin Djawadi came to Neuehouse in Hollywood for a day of interviews and panels celebrating the art, craft and business of composing and music supervision, capped by a preview screening of Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The day kicked off with a panel sponsored by Pepsi on the use of music in commercial advertising and featuring five unique case studies. Linda Perry, representing her company We Are Hear, detailed how a Quickbooks spot featuring singer Willa Amai’s cover of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” created an instant audience for the teen newcomer. Others represented on the panel included Portugal. The Man manager Rich Holtzman...
The day kicked off with a panel sponsored by Pepsi on the use of music in commercial advertising and featuring five unique case studies. Linda Perry, representing her company We Are Hear, detailed how a Quickbooks spot featuring singer Willa Amai’s cover of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” created an instant audience for the teen newcomer. Others represented on the panel included Portugal. The Man manager Rich Holtzman...
- 10/31/2018
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will keynote Variety’s inaugural Music for Screens Summit, held at Neuehouse in Hollywood on Oct. 30.
The day-long event, with ambient music exclusively provided by iHeartMedia, will focus on the latest trends in composing for film and television, music supervision, commercial synchs in the digital age, legacy act management, soundtracks’ enduring popularity, and more.
Interviewed by Kcrw’s Elvis Mitchell, Reznor and Ross will discuss their work together as composers, producers and songwriters. The two collaborated on the score for David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” and have since worked on composing for such projects as “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Gone Girl,” and “Patriot’s Day.” The duo entered the documentary realm in 2016, working alongside Gustavo Santaolalla and Mogwai on the score for the environmental advocacy film “Before the Flood” and collaborating with acclaimed filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on 2017’s “The Vietnam War.
The day-long event, with ambient music exclusively provided by iHeartMedia, will focus on the latest trends in composing for film and television, music supervision, commercial synchs in the digital age, legacy act management, soundtracks’ enduring popularity, and more.
Interviewed by Kcrw’s Elvis Mitchell, Reznor and Ross will discuss their work together as composers, producers and songwriters. The two collaborated on the score for David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” and have since worked on composing for such projects as “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Gone Girl,” and “Patriot’s Day.” The duo entered the documentary realm in 2016, working alongside Gustavo Santaolalla and Mogwai on the score for the environmental advocacy film “Before the Flood” and collaborating with acclaimed filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick on 2017’s “The Vietnam War.
- 9/25/2018
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
From its opening shot onward, Sam Esmail’s “Homecoming” is designed to throw you off-kilter. What appears to be a palm tree in the night sky is quickly revealed to be a decoration inside a fish tank. That fish tank is within an office, and that office is within a compound. But where’s the compound, and what are they doing in there? Who’s watching and why? Subversion runs rampant throughout Esmail’s joyfully paranoid first four episodes, as the “Mr. Robot” creator builds a universe where keeping your head on a swivel is as instrumental as acknowledging what’s right in front of your face. Forged from inventive long takes and killer audio cues, the upcoming Amazon original series feels like Alfred Hitchcock has made a new mystery, and it’s a deliciously good time.
Based on the podcast of the same name (and written for the screen...
Based on the podcast of the same name (and written for the screen...
- 9/7/2018
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
As provocative and controversial as Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” is, so are the music cues that soundtrack the dystopian drama, music supervisor Maggie Phillips has learned. She came aboard in season two, but the songs from season one were still ringing in many fans’ ears — and not necessarily in a good way. Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” a mashup of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” with a work by Phillip Glass — whether obvious, startling or creepy, the songs elicit a visceral reaction that has followed the show through every morbid chapter.
Phillips, a native of Austin, Texas, has spent 12 years working in music supervision with credits that include “Fargo,” “Moonlight” and all of the Duplass brothers’ films (next up: Amazon’s “Homecoming” starring Julia Roberts). If there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s balance — whether...
Phillips, a native of Austin, Texas, has spent 12 years working in music supervision with credits that include “Fargo,” “Moonlight” and all of the Duplass brothers’ films (next up: Amazon’s “Homecoming” starring Julia Roberts). If there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s balance — whether...
- 8/23/2018
- by Shirley Halperin
- Variety Film + TV
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday.
This week’s question: What’s the best new overlooked show of 2018 so far?
Ben Travers (@BenTTravers), IndieWire
The best score of 2018 belongs to Nicholas Britell for his work on “Succession.” The best soundtrack, though, comes from “Dear White People” (with “Legion” and “Atlanta” giving it a run for its money). Soundtracks enhance the story by providing punctuation marks, setting tone, and guiding (without manipulating) emotions through existing music choices. The aptly named “Dear White People Vol. 2” does precisely that. Few series are deft enough to place Erykah Badu so close to Jaden Smith, and fewer still pull in a key musical moment from a cast member — Ashley Blaine Ferguson just kills “Tyrone.”
My second choice is a tie between HBO’s “Barry” which music supervisor Liza Richardson kills it for song...
This week’s question: What’s the best new overlooked show of 2018 so far?
Ben Travers (@BenTTravers), IndieWire
The best score of 2018 belongs to Nicholas Britell for his work on “Succession.” The best soundtrack, though, comes from “Dear White People” (with “Legion” and “Atlanta” giving it a run for its money). Soundtracks enhance the story by providing punctuation marks, setting tone, and guiding (without manipulating) emotions through existing music choices. The aptly named “Dear White People Vol. 2” does precisely that. Few series are deft enough to place Erykah Badu so close to Jaden Smith, and fewer still pull in a key musical moment from a cast member — Ashley Blaine Ferguson just kills “Tyrone.”
My second choice is a tie between HBO’s “Barry” which music supervisor Liza Richardson kills it for song...
- 7/4/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Hulu made history last year by becoming the first streaming service to win Best Drama Series at the Emmys for “The Handmaid’s Tale.” This adaptation of Margaret Atwood‘s dystopian novel picked up eight trophies in total, including Best Drama Actress for Elisabeth Moss, Best Drama Supporting Actress for Ann Dowd and Best Drama Guest Actress for Alexis Bledel. Can it repeat that success with season two? Gold Derby recently spoke with stars Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, and O-t Fagbenle, as well as Emmy-winning cinematographer Colin Watkinson and music supervisor Maggie Phillips. Scroll down and click on their names below to be taken to their full interviews.
The show imagines a future in which fertile women are forced to become concubines for wealthy men under a theocratic dictatorship. Fiennes plays Fred Waterford, a high-ranking official in this regime who is domineering in his household, but less secure when it...
The show imagines a future in which fertile women are forced to become concubines for wealthy men under a theocratic dictatorship. Fiennes plays Fred Waterford, a high-ranking official in this regime who is domineering in his household, but less secure when it...
- 6/24/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Joseph Fiennes plays the villainous Commander Fred Waterford in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” who has a complicated relationship with his handmaid, Offred (Elisabeth Moss). Earlier this year he was nominated at the Screen Actors Guild Awards alongside his drama ensemble cast, following a huge Emmy haul for the show that included wins for Best Drama Series, Drama Actress for Moss, Drama Supporting Actress for Ann Dowd, directing and writing.
Days before of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 2 premiere, Fiennes spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about the show’s first season and what to expect moving forward. Watch our exclusive video interview with Fiennes and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHulu’s 2018 Emmy Fyc mailer features return of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and new programs like ‘The Looming Tower,’ ‘Future Man’
Gold Derby: Joseph Fiennes, you’re back in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which premiered April 25th on Hulu.
Days before of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 2 premiere, Fiennes spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about the show’s first season and what to expect moving forward. Watch our exclusive video interview with Fiennes and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHulu’s 2018 Emmy Fyc mailer features return of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and new programs like ‘The Looming Tower,’ ‘Future Man’
Gold Derby: Joseph Fiennes, you’re back in Season 2 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which premiered April 25th on Hulu.
- 6/10/2018
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
When music supervisor Maggie Phillips joined the creative team on Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” in season two she wanted to “feature more female artists” on the soundtrack because “it’s such a female-driven show.” The Emmy Award-winning series imagines a future in which women are forced to become concubines in a theocratic society, and it centers on one woman, June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), who fights against that system. Phillips chose songs to reflect June’s music taste, asking herself, “What would she have played in her head?” June “seems like the kind of lady that would want a lady representing her,” so Phillips sought out female vocalists and musicians to underscore various scenes. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 2 red carpet interviews with Ann Dowd, Joseph Fiennes, Bruce Miller [Watch]
This year Phillips also worked on the second season of FX’s “Legion,...
See ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 2 red carpet interviews with Ann Dowd, Joseph Fiennes, Bruce Miller [Watch]
This year Phillips also worked on the second season of FX’s “Legion,...
- 5/8/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
“Dear White People” creator Justin Simien has the perfect joke he’s dying to use on his Netflix series. But there’s just one problem: R. Kelly won’t let him.
“It was the best joke of the series,” Simien told IndieWire on a recent panel at the Atx Television Festival. “It was a play on the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ song. Because there’s a character [on the show] that thinks he can fly. Guys, it was hilarious.”
The song, however, came with a hefty pricetag. But “on top of that, R. Kelly was like, ‘also, no,'” Simien said. He added, clearly joking, “It was the worst day of my life!”
Clearing music for TV and music may be one of the most time-consuming and frustrating aspects of production. Music supervisors have to balance the desire of showrunners who might have an idea for a song – even if the track might not actually fit – with songwriters who may turn the show down. Or perhaps the copyright holder can’t be found. And even if all of that is cleared, a song may be too expensive for the production.
Read More: TV Academy Adds Music Supervisor, Reality Casting Emmy Categories; Restructures Interactive Awards
“It’s not just picking music, it’s the clearance process, it’s all the paperwork,” said Liza Richardson, who has served as a music supervisor on shows such as “Friday Night Lights,” “The Leftovers” and “Hawaii Five-0.” “It’s dealing with the budget. It’s all of the personalities.”
Added Maggie Phillips, whose credits include “Fargo,” “Legion” and FX’s upcoming “Snowfall”: “It’s studios, it’s managing expectations. Having to talk to a certain rights owner for an hour once a week so that they will give us their song for a certain price.”
Music supervision, in other words, is a craft. And that’s why it’s finally being honored with its own category at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Series episodes and specials will compete in the brand new Outstanding Music Supervision category, which honors “exceptional creative contributions to a program through the use of music including the narrative impact of lyric-based songs, both original or pre-existing, the use of instrumental source music, and on-camera musical performances.”
It’s been a long time coming. Music supervisors, led by Guild of Music Supervisors president John Houlihan, have spent years lobbying the Television Academy to create the category. They were first admitted into the organization in 2015, which was the beginning step. Then last fall, the Guild pitched its case for an Emmy category to the TV Academy’s board of governors.
“The central argument was that music supervision is a creative endeavor that significantly contributes to Television storytelling but, up until that point, they were not eligible for any award,” said TV Academy music governor Michael Levine. “The criteria – which emphasize creative as opposed to administrative contributions – were shaped by input from music supervisors, other music peer group members, governors from other peer groups, awards committee members, and the experience of Television Academy staff.”
The recognition is also heartening for a group that has to juggle multiple shows and projects at once in order to make a living. “We’re not exclusive to shows and we don’t get paid the way exclusive people get paid,” Phillips noted. “We’re paid per episode. And there’s no union that represents music supervisors. The pay is a little low, so we have to do multiple projects. It’s hard. I love it though and it’s what I do.”
Up next: Why the Rolling Stones didn’t want their drug song in a show about drugs
Related storiesHow Screaming Beatlemania Comes Alive in Ron Howard's 'Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years''a Series of Unfortunate Events': Designing Neil Patrick Harris' Tour-de-Force Transformation Into Count Olaf'The Young Pope': How Jude Law Went Weird with Paolo Sorrentino for His Best Work In Years...
“It was the best joke of the series,” Simien told IndieWire on a recent panel at the Atx Television Festival. “It was a play on the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ song. Because there’s a character [on the show] that thinks he can fly. Guys, it was hilarious.”
The song, however, came with a hefty pricetag. But “on top of that, R. Kelly was like, ‘also, no,'” Simien said. He added, clearly joking, “It was the worst day of my life!”
Clearing music for TV and music may be one of the most time-consuming and frustrating aspects of production. Music supervisors have to balance the desire of showrunners who might have an idea for a song – even if the track might not actually fit – with songwriters who may turn the show down. Or perhaps the copyright holder can’t be found. And even if all of that is cleared, a song may be too expensive for the production.
Read More: TV Academy Adds Music Supervisor, Reality Casting Emmy Categories; Restructures Interactive Awards
“It’s not just picking music, it’s the clearance process, it’s all the paperwork,” said Liza Richardson, who has served as a music supervisor on shows such as “Friday Night Lights,” “The Leftovers” and “Hawaii Five-0.” “It’s dealing with the budget. It’s all of the personalities.”
Added Maggie Phillips, whose credits include “Fargo,” “Legion” and FX’s upcoming “Snowfall”: “It’s studios, it’s managing expectations. Having to talk to a certain rights owner for an hour once a week so that they will give us their song for a certain price.”
Music supervision, in other words, is a craft. And that’s why it’s finally being honored with its own category at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Series episodes and specials will compete in the brand new Outstanding Music Supervision category, which honors “exceptional creative contributions to a program through the use of music including the narrative impact of lyric-based songs, both original or pre-existing, the use of instrumental source music, and on-camera musical performances.”
It’s been a long time coming. Music supervisors, led by Guild of Music Supervisors president John Houlihan, have spent years lobbying the Television Academy to create the category. They were first admitted into the organization in 2015, which was the beginning step. Then last fall, the Guild pitched its case for an Emmy category to the TV Academy’s board of governors.
“The central argument was that music supervision is a creative endeavor that significantly contributes to Television storytelling but, up until that point, they were not eligible for any award,” said TV Academy music governor Michael Levine. “The criteria – which emphasize creative as opposed to administrative contributions – were shaped by input from music supervisors, other music peer group members, governors from other peer groups, awards committee members, and the experience of Television Academy staff.”
The recognition is also heartening for a group that has to juggle multiple shows and projects at once in order to make a living. “We’re not exclusive to shows and we don’t get paid the way exclusive people get paid,” Phillips noted. “We’re paid per episode. And there’s no union that represents music supervisors. The pay is a little low, so we have to do multiple projects. It’s hard. I love it though and it’s what I do.”
Up next: Why the Rolling Stones didn’t want their drug song in a show about drugs
Related storiesHow Screaming Beatlemania Comes Alive in Ron Howard's 'Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years''a Series of Unfortunate Events': Designing Neil Patrick Harris' Tour-de-Force Transformation Into Count Olaf'The Young Pope': How Jude Law Went Weird with Paolo Sorrentino for His Best Work In Years...
- 6/20/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Jay and Mark Duplass are creators who don’t like to be put in a box, even if they’re making six hours of television set within the same four walls.
“Room 104,” the new HBO anthology series from the Duplass brothers, tells individual, episodic stories in each of its 12 half-hour installments, and all 12 are set within the same cheap, dingy hotel room. The first episode, which premiered at the Atx TV Festival Saturday evening, is a lot closer to Mark Duplass’ work in indie films “Creep” and “The One I Love” than the brothers’ former HBO comedy.
During a panel discussion following the episode, Duplass said he felt inspired by the constraints of the premise.
“I have something like 218 ideas in a Word document on my computer,” Duplass said.
Noting how it felt like he was back making low-budget indie films, Duplass said he wrote seven of the 12 episodes...
“Room 104,” the new HBO anthology series from the Duplass brothers, tells individual, episodic stories in each of its 12 half-hour installments, and all 12 are set within the same cheap, dingy hotel room. The first episode, which premiered at the Atx TV Festival Saturday evening, is a lot closer to Mark Duplass’ work in indie films “Creep” and “The One I Love” than the brothers’ former HBO comedy.
During a panel discussion following the episode, Duplass said he felt inspired by the constraints of the premise.
“I have something like 218 ideas in a Word document on my computer,” Duplass said.
Noting how it felt like he was back making low-budget indie films, Duplass said he wrote seven of the 12 episodes...
- 6/11/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
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