Blog
Childrens Hospital Returns Tonight
Now in it's seventh season, the craziness is back on Adult Swim, 11pm ET. I had a lot of fun scoring this season (as usual), and will be posting score samples from each episode after it airs. Enjoy!
A Better You
I had the pleasure of scoring the new improvised dramedy “A Better You” which is now available today on VOD and in select theaters nation wide. Directed by Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder, Matt Walsh, “A Better You” is a satirical look at LA’s self-help culture. Brian Huskey, who co-wrote the film with Walsh, plays Dr. Ron, a hypnotherapist who is so sure of his ability to fix people’s problems but is unable to see his own as his life crumbles around him.
At the beginning of the process, Matt and I discussed his love of The Flaming Lips as well as the scores of Jon Brion (an indie staple). My guitar based score for the film starts off light and fun with dreamy elements, including a music-box instrument called a Polyphon (I used 8dio’s great sample instrument) that has a deep, rich, almost spiritual feeling underneath it’s bright bell sounds. As Ron’s story progresses, the score becomes deeper, richer, warmer, as he starts to come to terms with his mistakes and what’s really important in life.
http://www.abetteryoumovie.com/
"A Better You" on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu
Spare Change
I’m thrilled to announce that “Spare Change” is now available on VOD!
After getting fired from her job by her boss Sheila (Krista Allen), millennial Jane (Lissa Lauria) is unable to find stable work. So along with her best friend Lily (Elyse Levesque), they hatch a plan to feign homelessness to make a quick buck; finding different, creative ways to get money from strangers.
Co-scored with my good friend and Quartertone Musik writing partner Allyson Newman. “Spare Change" is a fun, quirky indie score with subtle influences from pop and rock. The primary challenge with the score was balancing out the music with the various song placements (there are many great ones, and even a couple by the lead actress, Lissa Lauria) while continuing to tell the story of Jane, so we decided to stick mainly with Jane’s theme which grounded the score and the story as we went with her journey. The score grows, changes and evolves along with Jane by starting off quirky; switching gears to buckets and other street percussion when Jane pretends to panhandle; then finally adding in warmer instruments like acoustic guitar and strings as Jane starts to learn where her real place in life lies.
“Spare Change” is co-directed by Arturo Guzman and Jonathan Talbert (Weeds, Orange is the New Black), and is available on iTunes and Amazon VOD.
Here are some selections from the score:
WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF CAMP
I had the pleasure of composing additional music for my good friend Craig Wedren on the new Netflix series “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.” The prequel series takes place two months before the cult-classic film from 2001 and has not lost a step in terms of craziness.
So proud and ecstatic to have contributed to this insanely funny world.
Upcoming Premieres for “A Better You” and “Spare Change”
I have the extremely good fortune to have not one, but two feature films premiering in Southern California in the weeks ahead.
"A Better You" is a new independent dramedy directed by Matt Walsh (HBO's "Veep") and co-written by him and Brain Huskey ("Childrens Hospital"). Huskey stars as a hypnotherapist who's so enamored by his own celebrity that he can't seem to see his own life falling to pieces around him. Also stars Erinn Hayes, Horatio Sans, Morgan Walsh, Matt Walsh and Andy Daly.
Premiers January 30th at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
"Spare Change" is an indie comedy co-directed by my friends Jonathan Talbert and Arturo Guzman. Jane (Lissa Lauria), along with her best friend Lily (Elyse Levesque), hatch a plan to feign homelessness and find different, creative ways to get money from strangers. Also stars Curt Mega, Jordy Lucas, Neil Grayston, and Jim O'Heir.
Premiers February 14th as part of the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival
So excited and thrilled to be a part of both of these fantastic indie films!
They Came Together
I had the privilege of co-scoring the new comedy “They Came Together” with my good friend Craig Wedren whom I’ve worked with on various other projects such as “Role Models, “Wanderlust” and “United States of Tara.” This is the first time we’ve co-scored something together and it was a ton of fun.
How do two composers go about co-scoring a film? This particular film was a perfect fit for us in that, in any typical “rom-com” type score, there’s a good mix of light acoustic and pop/rock cues along with big orchestra for those romantic and dramatic moments. Craig comes from a rock/punk background from his Shudder to Think days, while I’m from a traditional orchestral background. Since that’s where our strengths lie we essentially divided up the score between orchestral cues (me) and pop cues (Craig) with some overlap and trading off, all the while sending themes and ideas to each other. Although that isn’t to say that Craig isn’t adept at writing orchestral cues, nor myself at writing rock, but starting with our strengths, trading off ideas, feeding off each other’s creativity and even adding in a healthy dose of one-upmanship resulted in a fun score that both of us are proud of.
The score opens with the song “Say You Love Me” which Craig wrote for the film prior to shooting. It starts through the opening credits, introducing us to our two leads Joel and Molly (Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler). The themes and variations on those themes introduced in the song are used throughout the entire score.
Check out "Say You Love Me" on iTunes
Here are some samples of the orchestral side of the score:
"They Came Together" on iTunes
Twitter: @TheyCame2gether
Website: theycametogether.com
Major gratitude to Craig and our scoring team: Bo Boddie, Emily Kwong, Isaac Carpenter, Jefferson Friedman, and Ernest Adzentooivich
And to our collaborators David Wain (director) and Jamie Gross (Editor)
I hope everyone enjoys the film and score!
And hey guys? ... thanks
“They Came Together” opens this Friday!
"David Wain's They Came Together is easily his best movie since Wet Hot American Summer...a spoof movie, the likes of which we haven't seen done this well since The Naked Gun...Paul Rudd is ridiculously charming...Poehler is as funny as she's ever been...I don't think I've laughed harder or more consistently in a comedy in years."
After premiering at Sundance, then touring various festivals like Bonaroo, Seattle International Film Fest, Sundance London, Chicago Critics Film Festival and LA Film Fest, "They Came Together" finally opens in select theaters and on VoD this Friday, June 27th.
Also on Friday, I'll be posting a short post about the scoring process, including score samples, so check back then!
“They Came Together” trailer
The first trailer for "They Came Together" is up exclusively on BuzzFeed!
The film opens June 27th in theaters and on VoD.
They Came Together
I'm proud to announce that I'm co-scoring the new comedy "They Came Together" with my good friend Craig Wedren. The new comedy from David Wain and starring Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, will be premiering at next month's Sundance Film Festival on January 24th!
UPLDR
The sci-fi/dramatic short"UPLDR" which I composed the original score for is now available for free online viewing!
From upldrmovie.com: "The film is a near future sci-fi tragedy about a rogue scientist that takes his self-experimentation too far. The arrogance of his genius will not only carry him but humankind itself down a dangerous road and into a precarious future."
The score is an electro-orchestral hybrid with strings, piano and various electronic sounds which I enjoyed working on with my friends Tim Christensen (director) and Jordan Mendenhall (writer/producer).
Free download of the score is available here.
"UPLDR" is streaming free online on YouTube and Vimeo, and can also be downloaded from the film's website!
Childrens Hospital season 5 premiers this Thursday!
Chicago Sun-Times: Childrens Hospital is "one of the funniest shows on TV." It's nice to see my hometown paper get it right!
Last Thursday, Childrens Hospital received its second Emmy nomination, and this Thursday is the premier of the fifth season! Set your DVRs for midnight July 25th on Cartoon Network where an extra layer of craziness gets thrown in when the hospital staff moves to an army base in Japan.
As I write this, I'm just past the middle of the season and I can't wait for everyone to see these episodes and hear the score. I don't want to give too much away yet, but I think I've written a couple of the biggest cues of the series so far, as well as some of the funnest.
Hope you enjoy it!
UPDATE: I'll be adding excerpts from the score as the season airs. Look for them under the Music tab!
Free Download of the score for “Rose White”
Please enjoy my score for the fantasy short film, “Rose White.” Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Snow-White and Rose-Red,” Rose White blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. The film, directed by Daniel Kuhlman and starring Deneen Melody and Erin Breen, will be making the festival rounds this year.
Download the score in mp3 format
http://www.facebook.com/rosewhitemovie
Reviews mentioning the score:
A look back at Childrens Hospital and NTSF:SD:SUV::
"… there’s no doubt this remains one of the most innovative, brilliant comedies on TV.” - from A.V. Club’s review of “Eulogy,” the 4th season finale of Childrens Hospital.
Last week’s season finale of (the now Emmy-winning) Childrens Hospital closed out what I believe to be the strongest season of the show yet. As usual, this season brought many unique score challenges such as coming up with a new theme and palette for Chief’s back-story, parodying such incredible scores like “Contagion” and “Pink Panther,” scoring large chunks of moments for an episode that was nearly non-stop music, and trying to figure out what the “British” version of the show’s score should sound like.
This year, I also took over scoring on another Adult Swim / Abominable Pictures show, NTSF:SD:SUV for their second season which allowed me to do some more fun parodies like “Tron: Legacy,” “Die Hard” and Kung Fu movie scores in addition to developing my own take on the procedural genre.
I am immensely grateful to be a part of two great, hilarious, and original shows as well as getting to work with Rob Corddry, David Wain, Paul Scheer, Curtis Gwinn, Jonathan Stern and the rest of the crew at Abominable Pictures.
Can’t wait until next season!
‘Childrens Hospital’ and ‘NTSF:SD:SUV::’ Premiere Thursday, August 9 on Adult Swim
The premieres for 'Childrens Hospital' Season 4 and 'NTSF:SD:SUV::' Season 2 are back-to-back on Thursday, August 9, starting at midnight on Adult Swim. Get ready for more hilariousness and awesomeness.
‘Childrens Hospital’ Season 3 DVD Available July 24
Get your copy of 'Childrens Hospital: The Complete Third Season' when it is released on DVD tomorrow, July 24! http://tinyurl.com/ctg5cg7