Composer Christopher Lennertz (Agent Carter, Identity Thief, Horrible Bosses) scored My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, the much anticipated follow-up to one of the highest-grossing romantic comedies of all time. The film opened in theaters last week (3/25). Directed by Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee, Everybody’s Fine, Waking Ned Devine), the film shows a Portokalos family secret that will bring everyone back together for an even bigger and “Greeker” wedding. Written by Academy Award nominee Nia Vardalos (nominated for Best Original Screenplay for the original My Big Fat Greek Wedding), who also stars alongside John Corbett, Rita Wilson, and much of the returning cast, the sequel movie tabbed Lennertz for music. For inspiration, the composer cited his Sicilian roots and family.
Lennertz said of the sequel, “This is both funny, full of heart and the ethnic nature of it is really touching. I come from a big Italian family on my mother’s side, so this felt familiar to me. Being able to continue this story and take it further in a more emotional direction with their daughter was special to me. I have two, so I could really relate.”
In addition to incorporating traditional instruments, Lennertz used Greek instruments in unconventional ways to give a subconscious feeling of the ethnic influence.
“I didn’t write just Greek music,” Lennertz said. “I wrote music that concentrated solely on the emotion of the characters, and augmented everything with Bazouki and Baglama instruments. The first cue I wrote was when Nia finds her glasses at Zorba’s after a very long time. It was a perfect place to establish the film’s main theme, and really define her emotional arc in the film. We used a medium sized orchestra of strings, winds, and recorded overseas for the majority of the score.”
Lennertz has another theatrical release in the offing. He scored Universal’s The Boss, a comedy starring Melissa McCarthy, which goes wide on April 8.
Butter Boards “Food Truck” for Bud Light
Butter Music + Sound teamed with Wieden+Kennedy New York and Caviar LA directors Neal Brennan and Evan Goldberg to visualize America’s diversity through the eclectic range of culinary options at our fingertips in the new :30 “Bud Light Party: Food Truck” for Bud Light that debuted during the recent Oscar telecast on ABC. In the spot, Bud Light Party political candidates Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen are joined by actor and “Super-delegate” Michael Peña in exploring America’s diversity through a “Korean taco of togetherness,” an “everything bagel of unity,” a “gumbo of coexistence” and more, until the spokespeople simply cannot handle any more melting pot references—or food in their stomachs.
The spot was a relevant and timely addition with the diversity discussion surrounding this year’s all-white class of Academy Award nominees.
The Butter ensemble of talent who worked on “Food Truck” included composer/creative director Joel Dean, chief creative officer Andrew Sherman, executive producer Ian Jeffreys and producer Ryan Faucett.
Sound Lounge Promote Gullo, Hires Rosenberg
Audio postproduction company Sound Lounge has promoted Mike Gullo from sr. producer to executive producer, and hired Liana Rosenberg as producer. Rosenberg will report to Gullo, who will report to Sound Lounge partners Marshall Grupp, Tom Jucarone and Peter Holcomb.
In his new position as executive producer, Gullo will oversee all production and growth efforts surrounding Sound Lounge’s core business. This includes mixing, sound design and casting for television and radio commercials, digital content, and interactive media. Prior to Sound Lounge, Gullo served as marketing coordinator at Carl Fischer Music, where he worked to raise brand awareness and built the company’s customer base through cultivating relationships. He is a graduate of the University of Miami with a degree in Studio Music & Jazz Voice.
In her new role, Rosenberg will be responsible for client relations, accounting, and helping to oversee production. Rosenberg joins Sound Lounge from audio postproduction company Hyperbolic Audio in New York, where she served as production coordinator, working on content across a variety of media, including commercials and animations. Rosenberg graduated with a Bachelors in Decision Science from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters in Multicultural and Bilingual Education from University of Alcala de Henares in Madrid.
