The soundtracks for films that music supervisor Randall Poster creates are as well known and lauded as the features themselves. Poster has collaborated with noted auteur Wes Anderson on all of his films–Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and the upcoming stop-motion animated The Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the book by Roald Dahl. Last year, Poster worked with Martin Scorsese on the soundtrack to The Aviator. He’s worked with director Richard Linklater (The Bad News Bears; School of Rock), and Harmony Korine (Gummo).
Poster is now turning his talents to the spotworld. Over the years, Poster had dabbled in commercials–working on a Coca-Cola project directed by Jake Scott of bicoastal RSA USA, among other ads. Last fall, he partnered with bicoastal/international Moxie Pictures to launch Search Party, which offers his services to advertisers. Poster notes that although affiliated with Moxie, the two companies operate separately, and while Search Party is available as a resource to Moxie directors, the company also works on spots from a variety of helmers. Recent projects include a three-spot package for Sprite–“Kung Fu,” “Tricked Out,” and “Race featuring LeBron James”–out of Ogilvy & Mather, New York, and directed by Steve Miller of bicoastal/international @radical.media; and Dasani’s “Hamster,” directed by Anderson via Moxie for agency Anomaly, New York.
Joining Poster at Search Party are: producer Stephanie Diaz-Matos, whom Poster met while she was at London Records–she later worked as a music producer at Ogilvy & Mather, New York; and Jim Dunbar, who has collaborated with Poster on all of his feature projects. Dunbar was previously an A&R executive with Geffen and Columbia Records.
Poster relates that like his film work, he is hoping to forge relationships with agencies and brands in the same way he has with directors. He believes that advocating for the right music will make a brand stronger, particularly as the media business continues to change and evolve, with more branded content projects, and less hard sell. “Agencies, as they are trying to innovate, and as the industry is innovating,” he relates, “are beginning to learn how we can serve them in a unique way.”
Currently, Poster is working on a short film project for Glamour magazine. The shorts are being produced by Moxie and are directed by well-known women. Taking a turn behind the camera are, the team of Gwyneth Paltrow and Mary Wigmore; Jenny Bicks (an executive producer of Sex and the City); Talia Lugacy (her short features frequent collaborator Rosario Dawson); and Trudie Styler. Sponsored by the magazine’s advertisers, including Elizabeth Arden and the Bebe clothing chain, the films will be distributed on DVD in the December issue. Poster notes that it’s an eclectic group of shorts, and the soundtracks for each will likely feature original work, as well as licensed music. So far, two of the films have scores: Dealbreaker, co-directed by Paltrow and Wigmore, features a track from Anna Waronker, while Little Black Dress, directed by Lugacy, will have a track from Genji Shirasi. Music for the remaining shorts is still being developed. “As [advertisers] are looking to do non-traditional advertising, I’d like to see us at the forefront of that,” says Poster. “In terms of doing these short films, this Glamour project speaks to a trend that companies are looking to attach themselves to longer form devices, and can use music as a tool to communicate the value and personality of the brand.”
While Poster is focusing his attention on spots, he plans to continue working on films, and has several in the works. His talents will be on display in Jarhead, directed by Sam Mendes, and set during the first Gulf War; the aforementioned The Fantastic Mr. Fox; and I’m Not There: Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan from director Todd Haynes. Poster notes that creating soundtracks is more cyclical than commercial work–he’ll spend time upfront getting tracks together for the production process, then step back until it’s time for postproduction and the first preview.
While both involve scoring to picture, Poster relates that there are distinctions between creating soundtracks for films and ads. “While you’re using music and images like in movies, there are nuances [in spots] that render one different from the other,” states Poster. “A lot of it has to do with pacing of it, in that I can work on a movie for fourteen to eighteen months, and in commercials, there’s a much faster turn-around, and you have to be much quicker to respond. It’s different in that with a movie, when you’re putting songs or music in, you have to take the particular and see how it relates to the whole, while in commercials the particular is the whole.
“I like doing both,” he continues. “Movies can be a marathon, and spots are sort of a sprint, so the combination gets you in really good shape–I feel good about doing both together.”
Poster is excited about the prospect of bringing artists and advertisers together, and providing another outlet for these artisans. “I spend so much time listening to music, finding new music, that it’s good to have a channel for that music,” he states. “For example, last year I was working on a lot of period movies, and didn’t really have an outlet for some of the more contemporary stuff that I’d been listening to, and this gives me a chance to have an outlet for that and explore other types of music, or work with other people. I find it to be very complementary and invigorating.”
In addition to finding and licensing tracks, Poster has also overseen the composition of original music for films, something he’s continuing in his ad work. He’s worked with composers such as Money Mark, Jim O’Rourke, Roddy Bottom, and Craig Wedron. Poster notes that several of the composers he collaborates with in film are intrigued by the prospect of composing original music for spots, relating that commercials can provide artists with an outlet for experimentation. Poster hopes to bring those artists to advertisers, creating memorable scores–and memorable advertising. “We want to keep it small,” he says of Search Party. “I’m not looking to build a big company–I’m looking to work on great projects.”
