Recording a Song for a TV Show
When I can't get into Jackpot! Recording Studio and TV calls. -by Larry Crane
In the fall of 2019, I received an email asking about recording a song to be sung by a pair of actors for a TV show that was being shot in Portland. Almost every time you see actors on screen singing a song, the actual music and voice have been prerecorded previously and elsewhere. Multiple shots, takes, and angles need to be run down, so the idea of actually recording the actors singing and playing a song over and over while filming and getting any type of consistent music take is difficult, though there are some projects where this has been pulled off. My job was to record the actors singing and playing together and then they’d film to that and use the mix in the TV show.
Kirsten M. "Kiwi" Smith, who co-wrote the hit film Legally Blonde, had written a novel in 2013, Trinkets, and by 2019 she had co-created a television series of the same name. Trinkets was a Netflix series that ran for two seasons. I’d never seen it, so Jenna Zine and I checked out the episodes that were out and it was pretty fun, plus seeing Portland in the background is always a hoot with TV shows and films done here. On November 13th, 2019, Brianna Hildebrand (Elodie Davis), Kat Cunning (Sabine), and Kirsten (series creator) met up with me at The Hallowed Halls, a unique recording studio not far from Jackpot! that’s run by Justin Phelps. Why go to another studio when I own one right down the street? Jackpot! was in the middle of a 12 day booking, with then-manager Gus Berry running the show. TV filming schedules always seem to be high-pressure, always shifting dates, and limited time frames, so I had to be able to work around their needs. Justin has a smaller room (Studio B) at The Halls, and since the song would be ukulele and their two vocals I wouldn’t need much space or gear.
Justin helped me set up and then took off. Brianna showed up first. She was super nice, and I got her settled in and comfortable with her uke. Kat showed up next, and they were outgoing and full of energy – pretty much the opposite of Brianna’s chill/quiet vibe. I had NO IDEA that Kirsten would be showing up, and was actually pretty confused by this – I should have known better. On other work I’ve done for TV, like for Portlandia, there would always be a gaggle of folks sitting on the couch with laptops and cell phones buzzing away (and not usually generating much actual input into the recording activities). Kirsten was not like that; she brought another big ball of fun energy into the studio, and it did help a lot to understand the scene we were recording the song for and what the characters were up to. It wasn’t until I later explained to Jenna who was there that I figured out that Kirsten had done so many big movies and such. I should have done more research!
I had set a flat rate for this session. This is something I would advise anyone in the studio world to do when working with film and TV in short sessions like this. Why?
You will spend a LOT more time setting up/booking this work than a usual music session. More phone calls and emails than ever. Add some buffer rates to your bill.
There will be later requests for edits, revisions, or stems, so add costs in advance.
Invariably they will want something you never planned on.
People might not even show up, so just send the inclusive bill over as it is (note that this will be your policy in advance).
If you have to pay for another studio, like I did, then you can roll that rate into your bill and not have to discuss this with the production company. Same with hired musicians, gear rentals, etc.
It’s highly likely that given ANY time you are told to be there and ready you’ll still be waiting for hours for the actors to show up (remember it’s usually not their fault!).
All in all it was a fairly short session; maybe two hours of actual work while we ran down live-in-the-studio takes of the song “Passenger Seat.” The funnest part was telling everyone I’d engineered a couple of Sleater-Kinney’s albums – this generated a lot of questions and excitement! These type of sessions are certainly not the norm for me, but being aware of how to handle situations like this and keeping everything positive and fun is key. The hardest part is waiting for months for the episode to air. I have to keep my mouth shut, even if I didn’t sign an NDA (nondisclosure agreement). It’s important to respect our clients’ rights to privacy at all times, and I would hate to be the person who leaked a plot twist on a TV show (this was in a pivotal scene for the two characters).
Sadly, Trinkets wasn’t renewed for a third season, as Netflix had to examine whether their original content was working out for them. Dang.
dig the vocal effect(s)!!