November - December 2002

RADAR REPORT

TIME IS MONEY

Composer Sean Callery Talks About Composing for the Hit TV show "24"

When Sean Callery was approached by executive producer Joel Surnow in 2001 to compose music for a television pilot depicting a single hour in the life of a counter terrorist agent, he thought that sounded pretty intriguing on its own. Then, Mr. Surnow threw in the catch: "Oh, and we're going to tell the story in real time. It'll be cool, don't you think?" Callery hung up the phone and immediately started drafting some ideas. As he got more and more involved in creating the music for one of TV's most innovative series, it became one of the best working experiences he has ever had. Here Callery talks to ASCAP's Mike Todd about his career and what lead him to "24."

How did you get started in the music business?

I moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the New England Conser-vatory in 1987 and began working for New England Digital, the company which made the Synclavier Digital Audio workstation. My job was to train people on how to use the Synclavier and I had the privilege of meeting composers like Mark Snow, Alan Silvestri and James Newton Howard during that time. In 1989, producer John Farrar asked me to collaborate with him as a composer on the Disney movie of the week, A Mom for Christmas, starring Olivia Newton-John.

After a brief job writing music for the Siegfried and Roy magic show in Las Vegas, I took a job as a sound effects designer/editor for the series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in the early nineties. It was there where I learned a lot about how sound effects, dialogue and music all work together on the mixing stage. I actually learned about being a better composer sitting on the mix stage while working as a sound designer under Emmy winner Jim Wolvington. DS-9 had very high production values and our crew ended up with an Emmy nomination for the series.

Do you prefer composing for TV over feature films?

I have no preference whatsoever. They both present different sets of challenges and I love composing for both TV and films. More importantly, I like keeping busy.

Who are your musical influences?

That's a hard question to answer. As a child, I was a great fan of John Williams, Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith. In college I enjoyed studying Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartók, and Sergei Prokofiev. I very much appreciate the music of Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel.

How did you get your break in television?

Mark Snow listened to some of my music from past projects, and he recommended me to executive producer Joel Surnow, who was launching the series "La Femme Nikita" for the USA network. Joel and I did not know one another and Mark's recommendation was really pivotal to my even being considered for the job, given that I had no episodic experience on my resume. We all have to start somewhere, and that was my jumping off point. I owe a tremendous amount of thanks to Mark. He is a first class gentleman.

How did you get your break on the show "24"?

Joel Surnow is the executive producer of "24" and he called me in early 2001 (while I was composing for the syndicated series, "Sheena") and asked if I would write music for the pilot episode. Joel and I worked together on 5 seasons of "La Femme Nikita" and over time a natural synergy developed. This dynamic extended to the "24" series and it served us extremely well when we were crafting the musical sound for the first episode. Director and executive producer Stephen Hopkins was also brilliant in communicating his vision for the series to me and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. Both Joel and Stephen truly inspired me. Ironically, the final picture cut of the pilot was the 24th version and it was locked on April 24th.

How does the nature of this show being in real time each hour affect the way you compose?

Each hour is completely different in terms of style and texture. Some shows are more thematic and epic while others are more moody and ambient. The one common thread that binds all of the episodes together is the relentless story lines of suspense and tension. The challenge for me has been to evolve sonically as the story evolves with the characters. Thankfully, the producers encourage me to explore many different styles. For example, in season one, the first six episodes were from midnight to 6:00 a.m. It was only at the end of the sixth show that I saw the characters as well as the city in the daylight. Everyone is exhausted, but the city is now busier. This produced a whole bunch of different opportunities musically and stylistically which presented itself as the show changed each week.

Also unique to the show's format is the absence of space for a traditional main title sequence. The stars' credits that would normally occupy a main title sequence were moved and shown in the first act of the show. To accommodate this, many episodes begin with some type of opening montage that these credits would appear in, thus creating its own unique main title sequence. As a result, the main theme I wrote for "24" is often integrated and arranged differently for each episode's opening cue.

Do you know how this season will end?

Actually, I am encouraged not to read the scripts and to just take each episode as it comes. The producers like this because it's better if I DON'T know who the bad guy is or who is going to die. They don't want me to reveal anything, musically speaking. So, in reality, I'm just as much in the dark as everybody else.

Has "24" grown into any new opportunities for you with other projects?

Well, more people know of me and of my work because of the series. I was honored to have received an Emmy nomination for my work on "24", and there's no better demo reel for yourself than having a series on the air. I really enjoy scoring for the show and am truly grateful to be working with such talented people. They are also very generous people; Kiefer Sutherland threw a Halloween Party for the entire cast and crew.

Pop Music Awards Photos
Complete List of Winners and More Event Coverage
Video Clips from Behind the Scenes at ASCAP's 2002 Award Shows

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