TVPilot
US Premiere: August 31, 2017
Middle-schooler Will Jin is visited by a time-traveling, rebel warrior named Athena. Athena shocks Will when she tells him that he grows up to destroy the world. With the help of his best friend, the less than reliable Hailey, Will must take control of his future in order to save the world.
Role: Music Editor
Composer: Deborah Lurie
Director: Joe Nussbaum
Cast: Teo Briones, Lexi Underwood, Ashlyn Faith Williams, Thomas F. Wilson
Shie’s score to the short film Creak by Elizabeth Dionne was awarded Best Score at the Los Angeles CineFest!
Release on Varèse Sarabande Records, the JASMINE – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is now available for digital download.
“This was my first time doing an all-electronic score, and in many ways the score also needed to double as sound design,” explained Rozow. “I took various orchestral sounds and effects and processed them very heavily to turn them into something very electronic and quite different. And in order to really get the emotion I wanted, I felt I needed a bowed instrument. There’s something about how a bow pulls across a string to generate a sound in a way that no other instrument can. Since I wanted to stick to the electronic palette I used an electric cello that is also quite processed, and that’s featured throughout the score.”
A year after his wife’s murder, once-successful Hong Kong businessman Leonard To (Jason Tobin, THE FAST AND THE FUTURE: TOKYO DRIFT) is still reeling from the tragedy. Having lost his job, friends and all sense of order in his life, Leonard becomes obsessed with a mysterious stranger (Byron Mann, THE BIG SHORT) he sees at his wife’s grave, believing him to be responsible for her death.
“The film is called Jasmine, yet we never actually see Jasmine in the movie,” said Rozow. “We see a couple of photos of her, and her gravestone. But she died before the film even begins. So one of the tricks was to create a ‘Jasmine theme’ that would emotionally connect our main character, Leonard, with her.” In addition to Jasmine’s theme and variations, “we also have Leonard’s motif, which is just a four note ascending line that sometimes plays as counterpoint to Jasmine’s theme. And we have the therapy theme, which comes back whenever we see Leonard in group therapy.”
Born in Israel, composer and music editor Shie Rozow has taken a different path than most leading him to work on major international blockbusters including AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, HUSTLE & FLOW, and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS.
After completing Berklee’s four-year program in just five semesters (“being broke is a great incentive,” he explained), Shie graduated and moved to Los Angeles. His tenacity would earn him a job as Composer, Music Supervisor, and Music Editor at Alan Ett Music Group (now called The Music Collective). In the years he worked there, Shie was responsible for over 650 hours of television music for series including INTIMATE PORTRAIT, BIOGRAPHY, HYSTORY’S MYSTERIES, and MODERN MARVELS. He also wrote music for many of these shows as well as the in-house music library.
Shie left Alan Ett Music Group to go freelance. He later became music editor Richard Ford’s assistant, helping on such films as TRAINING DAY and ABOUT SCHMIDT, eventually becoming an in-demand music editor himself on films including CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, THE KINGDOM, and THE DICTATOR. As a music editor, Shie has earned 15 Golden Reel Award nominations, including two wins (CHICAGO and IMAX: DEEP SEA).
Though his career in music editing was taking off, Shie continued to write music, often adding additional music for movies or TV (including the hit series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), writing for music libraries, for documentary and feature film productions. His scoring credits include the direct to DVD film BALLISTICA, the documentary DEAR MR. PRESIDENT and the award-winning indie feature JASMINE.
Guided by his inner voice, Shie was inspired to write and record music this time for himself. The album, Musical Fantasy, was released by 4Tay Records on May 20, 2016 and includes Expedition for String Quartet, which received its debut performance by The Lyris Quartet at a concert for the Contemporary Performance Collective and its New York premiere by the Amernet Quartet.
I see a lot of articles and social media threads about how music is being devalued and how due to technology and the way things are going it’s all but impossible to make it as an artist and how the quality of music is much worse than it used to be.
I’d like to play devil’s advocate and offer an alternate point of view for discussion.
First, “technology is ruining the industry”. One could argue technology is wonderful in that it has made the entry bar into the music profession so low that just about anyone can do it. That’s a wonderful thing for those who have talent and drive and ambition and social media savvy because they can reach an audience and build a brand in a way that they never could have before. If anything one could argue it has opened the doors and in many ways circumvented the gate-keepers creating more opportunities than before, which is a great thing.
Second, “music is being devalued”. One might ask if it possible that music was over-valued? I know a lot of people may think I’m crazy to suggest this, but is it right that someone who is a successful entertainer (which is hugely important and valuable in society) becomes a multimillionaire while soldiers who literally put their lives on the line to protect us barely make ends meet? While school teachers have to spend their own money for classroom supplies and drive shitty cars? While fire-fighters and cops and first responders etc. make a descent living where there’s literally saving lives? Is it possible that what technology has done is level the playing field and so while it’s true that music is being devalued compared to how it was before, the market is simply correcting itself? It’s simply the forces of supply and demand and we have a lot more supply than we ever had.
Third, “the quality of music is worse”. I don’t think so. I think there is still plenty of great music being made. There are innovative artists doing great things, and in our specific profession writing gorgeous innovative scores. I think what’s happened is that since it’s so much easier for people to get into the field and get their material out (see my first point), the downside is that we now ALL have access to a lot of the crappy work that previously we never would have heard because it wouldn’t have made it past the gate-keepers. It’s not that the quality has gone down, necessarily, there was always bad music out there, it’s just that we now have access to material that previously wouldn’t have gotten mass distribution.
Finally, those artists who rise to the top find ways to use these tools to their benefits. In our field, I’m thinking of Bear McCreary, for example, who brilliantly used (and still uses) social media to create awareness for himself and build a career. I’m thinking of things like the Women Who Score concert, which I have a hard time imagining happening 10-15 years ago. Or Tori Letzler’s The Future Is Female concert, which was crowdfunded! Hell, I crowdfunded my own debut album of concert works (Musical Fantasy) which never would have seen the light of day under the old system and has now earned radio-play around the globe and two live performances so far!
Is it harder in many ways to make a living as a composer or artists than before? I’m honestly not sure. I think if one relies on old models to do so then the answer it’s a definitive yes. Sales are down, streaming is up but pays a fraction of what sales did film scoring fees are down for the most part. So in those regards, yes it’s harder.
On the flip side, it’s much easier to become a working artist or film composer today. There is much more music education than before making those entering the field far better prepared than before and having alumni networks to help open doors. Just about anyone can buy a laptop computer and some software and be up and running with very little investment as compared to days of old. There is more content being created today than ever before, which means more opportunities. There is more sync licensing, concerts and other revenue streams available to artists than ever before. So in those regards it’s easier.
Bottom line, while I think there are very valid concerns about the changes we are experiencing in our industry, there are really two types of approaches to what’s happening. Bitch about how bad it is and try to stop the change, or embrace the change and be part of the change (which includes affecting how changes are implemented) and figure out how to make it work for you. I choose the latter.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Varèse Sarabande will release the JASMINE – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally on July 14, 2017. The album features the film’s original music composed by Shie Rozow (#FOLLOWFRIDAY, BALLISTICA).
“This was my first time doing an all-electronic score, and in many ways the score also needed to double as sound design,” explained Rozow. “I took various orchestral sounds and effects and processed them very heavily to turn them into something very electronic and quite different. And in order to really get the emotion I wanted, I felt I needed a bowed instrument. There’s something about how a bow pulls across a string to generate a sound in a way that no other instrument can. Since I wanted to stick to the electronic palette I used an electric cello that is also quite processed, and that’s featured throughout the score.”
A year after his wife’s murder, once-successful Hong Kong businessman Leonard To (Jason Tobin, THE FAST AND THE FUTURE: TOKYO DRIFT) is still reeling from the tragedy. Having lost his job, friends and all sense of order in his life, Leonard becomes obsessed with a mysterious stranger (Byron Mann, THE BIG SHORT) he sees at his wife’s grave, believing him to be responsible for her death.
“The film is called Jasmine, yet we never actually see Jasmine in the movie,” said Rozow. “We see a couple of photos of her, and her gravestone. But she died before the film even begins. So one of the tricks was to create a ‘Jasmine theme’ that would emotionally connect our main character, Leonard, with her.” In addition to Jasmine’s theme and variations, “we also have Leonard’s motif, which is just a four note ascending line that sometimes plays as counterpoint to Jasmine’s theme. And we have the therapy theme, which comes back whenever we see Leonard in group therapy.”
Born in Israel, composer and music editor Shie Rozow has taken a different path than most leading him to work on major international blockbusters including AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, HUSTLE & FLOW, and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS.
After completing Berklee’s four-year program in just five semesters (“being broke is a great incentive,” he explained), Shie graduated and moved to Los Angeles. His tenacity would earn him a job as Composer, Music Supervisor, and Music Editor at Alan Ett Music Group (now called The Music Collective). In the years he worked there, Shie was responsible for over 650 hours of television music for series including INTIMATE PORTRAIT, BIOGRAPHY, HYSTORY’S MYSTERIES, and MODERN MARVELS. He also wrote music for many of these shows as well as the in-house music library.
Shie left Alan Ett Music Group to go freelance. He later became music editor Richard Ford’s assistant, helping on such films as TRAINING DAY and ABOUT SCHMIDT, eventually becoming an in-demand music editor himself on films including CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, THE KINGDOM, and THE DICTATOR. As a music editor, Shie has earned 15 Golden Reel Award nominations, including two wins (CHICAGO and IMAX: DEEP SEA).
Though his career in music editing was taking off, Shie continued to write music, often adding additional music for movies or TV (including the hit series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), writing for music libraries, for documentary and feature film productions. His scoring credits include the direct to DVD film BALLISTICA, the documentary DEAR MR. PRESIDENT and the award-winning indie feature JASMINE.
Guided by his inner voice, Shie was inspired to write and record music this time for himself. The album, Musical Fantasy, was released by 4Tay Records on May 20, 2016 and includes Expedition for String Quartet, which received its debut performance by The Lyris Quartet at a concert for the Contemporary Performance Collective and its New York premiere by the Amernet Quartet.
Indican Pictures presents JASMINE, currently in theaters in limited release. Varèse Sarabande will release JASMINE – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally on July 14, 2017.
Made for TV Film
US Premiere: May 29, 2017
Based on the best-selling book, “Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson” in His Final Days, “Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland” will premiere on Memorial Day, May 29 at 8pm ET/PT. Told through the eyes of the King of Pop’s trusted bodyguards, Bill Whitfield (Chad Coleman) and Javon Beard (Sam Adegoke), the movie will reveal firsthand the devotion Michael (Navi, the world’s #1 Michael Jackson tribute artist) had to his children, and the hidden drama that took place during the last two years of his life. Suzanne de Passe, Madison Jones and Robert Teitel executive produce with Dianne Houston directing from a script by Elizabeth Hunter.
Role: Music Editor
Composer: Zack Ryan
Director: Dianne Houston
Cast: Chad Coleman, Sam Adegoke, Navi
Following its win at the Berlin Independent Film Festival, Jasmine has been acquired by Los Angeles Based distributor Indican Pictures. The film is expected to be in theaters in June.
A year after his wife’s murder, once-successful Hong Kong businessman Leonard To (Jason Tobin) is still reeling from the tragedy. Having lost his job, friends and all sense of order in his life, Leonard becomes obsessed with a mysterious stranger he sees at his wife’s grave, believing him to be responsible for her death.
Jasmine continues it’s award-winning run taking top awards at Top Indie Film Award. Shie won for Best Music. The film also took home awards for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writing, Best Editing, and Best Sound
A year after his wife’s murder, once-successful Hong Kong businessman Leonard To (Jason Tobin) is still reeling from the tragedy. Having lost his job, friends and all sense of order in his life, Leonard becomes obsessed with a mysterious stranger he sees at his wife’s grave, believing him to be responsible for her death.
Shie’s score to Elizabeth Dean’s film short 1943 has won the Award of Merit for Best Original Score at the Accolade Global Film Competition. The film stars Sarah Navratil, Edwin Modlin II, William R. Dean, Hannah Polster.
In 1926, Adolf Hitler established the Hitler Youth to instill German children with the ideals of the Nazi Party, amassing 7.7 million members by 1938. In 1943, Ingrid Schindler would courageously defy her fate to rescue her children and aid the Allies in defeating the evil Nazi regime.
Feature Film
US Premiere: February 10, 2017
Legendary Hitman John Wick is forced back out of retirement by a former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international Assassins’ guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where he squares off against some of the world’s deadliest killers.
Role: Percussion Editor
Composer: Tyler Bates
Director: Chad Stahelski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Common, Ruby Rose, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo
Creak was named Best Horror Short for January 2017 at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. The film by director Elizabeth Dean stars Bill R. Dean, Sarah Navratil and Todd Knapp with a score by Shie Rozow.
Shie has earned his career 14th & 15th MPSE Golden Reel nominations for his music editing work on Arrow & Just Add Magic. He has previously won twice, once as assistant music editor on the musical Chicago, and again as music editor on IMAX: Deep Sea 3D.