Thwak! Music, the original music/sound design and music supervision company led by owner/founder Tony Verderosa, was responsible for all music supervision and many critical music cues for “Lights Out,” the new dramatic series that debuted on FX Network in January.
The music selection and synch licensing was overseen by Thwak! Music new Supervisor/Composer Anthony Roman, who worked closely with FX Executive Producer/Showrunner Warren Leight, Danielle Woodrow, SVP Original Programming at FX and Alicia Hirsch, Senior Vice President Post Production at FOX.
“The unique challenge of ‘Lights Out’ was telling this story without a traditional composer,” says Roman. “So each cue we picked had to have the ability to add to the narrative. The way we used source music was integral to moving things along. We paid close attention to what we thought our characters would be listening to, and how the music could help define them and their current situation within the arc of the season.”
“Lights Out” is the story of former heavyweight boxing champion Patrick “Lights” Leary as he struggles to find his identity and support his wife and three daughters after retiring from the ring. Thwak! sourced soulful music that represented the working class setting of Bayonne, NJ, selecting timeless cuts while also tapping newer indie artists as well.
Thwak! also scored a significant number of original music cues for the series, including main titles and end credits.
LONG FORM MUSIC SUPERVISION EXPANSION
In addition to its work on “Lights Out,” Thwak! has expanded its music supervision capabilities with a new long-form division focusing on TV shows and feature films. Roman, who was promoted from Associate Producer to Supervisor/Composer, will head this new division. Thwak! has also added Music Supervisor Chris Tarantino, who will focus on creative licensing services for global ad agencies.
“Tarantino brings great enthusiasm and energy to discovering and licensing the newest music from emerging bands and DJ’s,” Verderosa says. “His music choices are both pioneering and sophisticated. He’s a terrific addition to our team for short- and long-form projects.”
An established DJ and tastemaker who covers music for the Village Voice, Tarantino is also heard on the website East Village Radio (www.eastvillageradio.com) with his show “The Private Sector,” where he joins renowned tastemakers such as Mark Ronson, Andy Rourke (of The Smiths), Eli Escobar and KCRW’s Jason Eldredge. At Thwak, Tarantino joins a formidable line up of seasoned industry pros that include Thwak! Music Composer/Founder Tony Verderosa; Music Supervisor Anthony Roman; Producer/A&R Director; Pat Mullen; and newly added Associate Producer Audrey Caliguri.
“With the success of major global brand launches such as Microsoft’s BING search engine, Thwak! has been getting an increasing number of calls for large-scale branding campaigns, film and television projects,” Verderosa notes. “Having the right mix of people, with their finger on the pulse of music trends, is essential in all of those formats. Whether a client is looking to license music or an original composition for a film or global brand, Thwak! provides leading-edge alternatives that don’t come from the same old catalogs. In turn, our creative approach to long-form media feeds our ability to devise noteworthy solutions for the advertising world.”
In additional to “Lights Out,” the company also handled music supervision duties for “Beware the Gonzo,” an indie feature film starring Amy Sedaris, Jesse McCartney and Zoe Kravitz that has been picked up by Tribeca Films for distribution, as well as ad campaigns for Miller Lite (DraftFCB), Cuervo (JWT) and Oil of Olay (Saatchi and Saatchi)
ORIGINAL MUSIC ABOUNDS
Thwak! Music’s original composition and sound design division had a busy end to 2010. Recent projects include new compositions for Citibank and agency Publicis, New York; KFC via agency DraftFCB, New York; and Burger King and agency Crispin Porter Bogusky, Miami, FL.
Thwak!’s Music supervision, original music and sound design, audio branding, and video remixing offerings are proving extremely useful to a multitude of media and brands. “We’re working on films, TV shows, and commercial campaigns that require innovative, creative solutions from people with serious experience,” Tony Verderosa says. “It’s gratifying to see that we’re right on target for our clients.”
About Thwak! Music
Founded in 2001 by Music Supervisor/Composer Tony Verderosa, Thwak! has built a loyal following in the Film, TV and Advertising Industry by creating custom music, original songs and re-records of classic songs with it’s roster of award winning songwriters and film composers. For more information, please visit www.thwak.com, email info@Thwak.com or call 212-937-5177.
Web Resources
Click here to watch “Lights Out” promo:
http://www.thwakit.com/Portfolio/LIGHTS%20OUT%20SEASON%201/
Click here for more info about Thwak! Music:
www.thwakit.com
