Elias Aligns With Felt Music Library
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Elias Music Library has entered into a strategic alliance with London’s Felt Music Library. The alliance will allow Elias Music Library clients to license Felt Music tracks in the U.S. and Felt Music Library clients to license Elias tracks in the U.K.
This alliance will provide Elias’ clients with an expanded breadth of music that offers a wider variety of genres and international styles than already exists in their library of over 5,000 titles. Both companies are market leaders in the commercial licensing realm and have proven track records for delivering superior compositions for projects of any kind.
Elias Arts EP Mitch Rabin noted that the alliance with Felt will “provide our clients with a range of music that is entirely different from what we already have in our library.”
Yessian Builds Momentum
Yessian has built out its studios in NYC and Hamburg, adding to their resources, while launching its first full-fledged West Coast studio. The NY operation is in the Flatiron District featuring three studios and two live rooms.
Meanwhile Yessian’s Hamburg crew found its way into a historic building from the 1800s which housed a Steinway piano factory for many years. A Yessian ensemble of six producers and composers lead the company’s European business from this three sound studio facility in Hamburg.
And earlier this month, Yessian took up residence at its new studio on Electric Avenue in Venice, Calif. Yessian previously had office space in L.A. but up until now nothing more expansive than that. The new Southern California studio space is under the aegis of EP David Gold who came over several months ago from Elias Arts where he was head of production/creative director for some 19 years. At Yessian he has already taken on work for Lexus and Intel, among others.
Volition Goes Primetime
This season Volition Sound Branding, the NY shop headed by owner/composer Wendell Hanes, made its mark on NBC’s primetime schedule, becoming part of a recent episode of Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. The series producers and Sound Lounge selected Volition which provided an ensemble of composers/musicians to each of the celeb teams.
“Our task,” explained Hanes, “was to help the celebrities produce a catchy jingle for Budweiser’s new Lime O Rita flavor. We spent hours in the studio with the celebrities listening to them kick ideas back and forth while we played whatever melodies they came up with, giving them the ability to try out any and all melodic and rhythmic ideas with us.”
Some of the celebrities on the show were Geraldo Rivera, Liza Gibbons Johnny Damon, Vivica Fox, Joan Rivers as judge, and Brandi Glanville (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Hanes has scored more than 900 commercials, themes and promos during his career, and Volition has won multiple Clios, Cannes Lions, ANDYs, Addys and LIAs, among other honors.
Marinelli Returns To Spots
Composer Anthony Marinelli of L.A. house Music Forever is back to spot work after writing the soon to be Broadway musical Bollydoll. Marinelli has spent most of the last two-and-a-half years writing Bollydoll, a musical, animated film and dance spectacle.
Created by Amrita Sen and Marinelli, Bollydoll incorporates immersive visual worlds, dancing and singing to infectious vocal hooks that channel funky East Indian, African and R&B influences. The show features 40 songs, 13 dancers, and projected animation.
Marinelli’s spot pedigree spans such brands as Apple, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and the iconic “This Is Your Brains On Drugs” campaign for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Marinelli has also composed music for more than 70 feature films, in addition to musical collaborations with Herb Alpert, Lionel Richie, Chuck D and Michael Jackson.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More