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June 2013

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Bits & Pieces The sound of Revenge L OS ANGELES — "Izler" is the composer for ABC's Revenge and has been working on the soapy series since its inception. Recently, the composer (www.izler.com) created an original track for the pivotal "Sacrifice" episode, in which the boat The Amanda sinks to the depths of the ocean. The musical theme was created to emphasize the danger surrounding Amanda Clarke (Margarita Levieva) and Jack Porter (Nick Wechsler). Viewers who paid close attention may have noticed that the entire rhythm of the episode was based off of the SOS pattern. "I wanted it to be about making people feel like they're trapped on this boat with two people held hostage by a nutcase," Izler explains. He used scrap metal to mimic the creaking boat noises. "I always take that approach in trying to create something unique, especially with ambient materials," he notes. "I want to give each episode its own specific feel." Known for composing music that embodies both story and character, Izler (pictured conducting) was challenged in Season 2 with introducing new story arcs, character themes and melodies. He also expanded the show's palate of instruments and sounds. According to Melyssa Hardwick, ABC's director of music, Izler carried the overall theme of Revenge and finding justice throughout Season 2. But, "things had to level up," she explains, adding that she admires the composer's use of strings in his compositions. "There had to be emotional and heart-wrenching cues," she adds. Since the show is musically-driven, each week, Izler is at the helm of a live orchestra. "There are certain shows that can't get a full sound with an electronic score," says Hardwick. "It's not just going to be there. But with hundreds of microphones and 50 musicians, it comes across. [We] believe that [Revenge's] music needed to be a character and we went for it." Izler's "Requiem for Amanda" is featured at the tail end of the "Sacrifice" episode. To honor Amanda properly, he wrote a canon inspired by Arvo Pärt, a composer of sacred music.The simple melody began in first What Post Readers Are Up To: right now BEING GREEN: "Outside of the usual things like recycling, turning lights off, reductions in printing and so on, our first major step at Method was to install a Naura water filter system and do away with bottled water — an egregious waste of money and resources that also causes huge amounts of pollution. We've replaced the majority of our lights with low-voltage bulbs. Our latest initiative is to encourage employees to cycle to work by giving them a financial incentive to do so, not just relying on the tremendous health benefits of daily exercise as well as reduced traffic! Our Vancouver studio will have composting on-site when we've finished the renovation there." Patrick Davenport VP, Creative, Operations, Method, LA, www.methodstudios.com violin and continued just as the second violin came in at half the speed. The viola was then brought in at half the speed, and so on down the sections. "It created all of these really strange, but beautiful harmonies that you wouldn't necessarily hear in something I would write in a much more straightforward mind set," he notes. "Having to adhere to that form created something really different." The orchestra's first take made it into the episode. "It was so magical, and everybody was in tears at the end of it," he recalls. "I'm in this for experiences like that. That really reminded me why I score music for movies and TV." Bent's One Show interstitials P ORTLAND, OR — Bent Image Lab (www.bentimagelab.com) created category interstitials for the One Show event in NYC, where the advertising elite join together to showcase and celebrate the best work in the business. The studio worked with agency JWT on the project, providing visually-evocative interstitials that introduce each awards category. The segments are designed to move the audience through a mystical journey of destruction and rebirth. They feature iconic imagery and combine both live action and CG elements. Joshua Cox directed the pieces, which are brought together by the Strfkr track, "Leave It All Behind." The interstitials were shot using a Canon 60D. Bent called on Autodesk 3DS Max to create the snakes, lions and horses. Adobe's After Effects was used for compositing. Twixter was used for retiming certain parts. 4 Post • June 2013 www.postmagazine.com

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