Wins In Acting And Editing For First Self-Produced Long-Form TV Series; Pilot Showcases HOBO’s Music/Audio Post Skills
The first self-produced long-form TV series The System produced by HOBO Films, a division of audio post/sound design/music studio HOBO Audio took home top honors at the Catalyst Content TV Festival. The pilot won for best actor and best editing. Created, developed and financed independently, the pilot features the audio post/sound design work of HOBO’s Diego Jimenez and composer Oscar Convers.
The System series pilot will air next month at the Studio City Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Integrated Approach To The Sound:
The HOBO Audio team created the sound for the pilot using an integrated, multi level approach. First step was to edit and level the dialogue into a crisp, seamless track. From there, Jimenez built the environments for each scene by pulling and mixing sound design, creating a mood that is paradoxically tranquil and ominous.
That effect is captured in the show’s opening scene: As one of the characters exits her boyfriend’s home, you hear doors opening and crickets chirping. Following her down the steps, you hear her open the car door and click on her seatbelt. The mood is broken when the car across the street start its ignition. Music then enters to set a disturbing tone. Moments later, when she is stopped by the police, you hear dogs barking faintly in the background. The rattle of car keys, the steps of the police add tension. As the second police car pulls up you can hear the unnerving crunch of tires against the gravel. The music begins to pulse adding to the tension.
You can watch the opening scene here.
Music Adds Emotion:
Working with the show’s producer and director, Convers served as musical director and lead composer. The key to music is establishing the tone and after a few initial efforts, Oscar locked down the mood. From there, he developed the musical tapestry that balances tension and release to reinforce the action on screen. From light, airing strings to pulsating beats, the music keeps reminding us of things to come. This is particularly effective during the police stops.
One of the advantages of keeping music and sound design in-house is that it allowed the team to work more closely together. The result is a seamless audio tapestry that becomes an integrated sound experience.
Emotion adds value to any viewer experience and with this project the team at HOBO Audio was able to excel with few boundaries.
“The interplay between visuals and audio is like a dance,” HOBO President Howard Bowler notes. “It is constantly in motion but the sound has to breathe. By opening space within the mix, the team was able to bring an emotional power to the project that would otherwise remain hidden and this becomes a most satisfying experience for the viewer.”
About HOBO Audio:
HOBO Audio is an audio post production company dedicated to creating an exceptional listening experience. With a growing staff and client list, HOBO has earned the trust of some of the most iconic brands and companies in the world. Make yourself at HOBO.
About HOBO Films:
HOBO Films is the latest venture from award-winning creative audio studio HOBO and Green Point Creative, the marijuana advocacy agency whose 2017 PSA “This Is Your Brain On Drug Policy,” starring actor Rachael Leigh Cooke, went viral with over 7 million views on social media. The first project from HOBO Pictures is “The System,” a dramatic series about the real world effects of the drug war on one New Jersey middle class family. For more information about “The System,” go to IMDB.com.
Creative Credits:
Project: The System (pilot episode)
Production Company: HOBO Films, New York
Writer: Howard Bowler
Director: Michael Cruz
Editor: Oliver Parker
Music/Audio: HOBO Audio, New York
Supervision Sound Editor: Diego Jimenez
Dialogue/SFX Editor: Julian Angel
SFX Editor: Spencer Shafter
Foley Artist: Juan Carlos
Foley Editor: Gracia Angel
Foley Recordist: Itzel Gonzales
Music Director/Composer: Oscar Convers
Additional Music: Loud Pack Zack (Robert George, Stacy Money and Jared Grimble)
