Screen composers Adam Gock & Dinesh Wicks on Masterchef, software and how they’re helping Aus composers
The duo behind the scores for almost every reality TV show in Australia and countless titles internationally will be honoured at this month’s Screen Music Awards with the International Achievement Award. Music Producer and TV Composer Dinesh Wicks and Composer and Producer Adam Gock, who formed their US-based company The DA’s Office in 2006, chat to TMN about their international commission for Masterchef, the current shifts in music production and why their scores for Beauty and the Geek were just as interesting as working for National Geographic.
You both moved to the US two years ago, have you had more opportunities with Australian producers since the move?
Adam: Actually, we have a few offices around. We have offices in Sydney, Los Angeles & New York. Dinesh moved over to Los Angeles in 2012 to start the 2 USA offices. We have had more opportunities with Australian producers since opening in the US, which has been great & a lot of fun to be had!
Dinesh: Showing that we can stand and deliver internationally has probably given potential clients back home an indication of the quality of our work, but that said, our business and client base is still driven mainly by word of mouth coming from our existing clients as well as producers just seeing our work and basically thinking, “I want to work with those guys ….”
How big is your team of writers who work out of your New York and LA offices?
Adam: There’s a core of about two or three people in the New York & Los Angeles offices
Dinesh: We have a central team of three writers in LA and 1 in NY, the nature of the business means we have a core team but also work closely with regular freelance writers. We also farm the work out to our other offices, so you will often find our Australian team working on US shows and vice versa.
How did you come to work on Masterchef?
Adam: We were first approached to do Masterchef for the Australian version in 2009, which was actually our first reality show. I think the producers really wanted a whole new take on composing for this type of series. It was a great opportunity to work with some very creative people who basically let us go to town on the show. From there we ask to compose for various international versions of Masterchef, one of them being the US version.
Dinesh: We were asked to put forward a pitch for the show, we did the pitch showing the producer our vision for the music, and the day we were set to hear back as to who they were going with, I was like a cat on a hot tin roof. Adam found my anxiety about landing this gig both amusing and puzzling, and all I could say in way of explanation was, “Dude, I know it’s a cooking show but, Paul Franklin (the EP) said this thing is going to be BIG, and I kinda believe him.”
What’s more satisfying for you, your works on top-rated reality shows like Masterchef and The Biggest Loser or your documentary scores for National Geographic and Discovery Channel?
Adam: Each type of show has it’s own unique set of qualities. On a creative level it’s very satisfying and a privilege to be able to work on a variety of work, be they documentaries, reality, drama, etc. It makes things a lot more interesting.
Dinesh: I love the different feel of either writing to picture or building tracks for custom built libraries. There’s a certain freedom in one, and there’s a creative impetus with the other. Everything we do has it’s own challenges and rewards.
For a work like Masterchef, which was internationally commissioned, what was the writing process like, are there certain guidelines you work with?
Adam: For Masterchef, the original brief was something like, “…. the music has to be BIG, I want to feel the emotion!”. Our job was to interpret that & make something that was going to sound uniquely Masterchef. The process & schedule to make a 60-80 episode series didn’t allow for scoring directly to picture, which is our background. So we had to imagine scene scenario’s, such as Judging scenes, cooking challenges, tasting etc., then compose a variety of music to be used by the editors, as if it were scored to picture.
Dinesh: We build a sound, with a show like Masterchef, the brief was super simple, like Adam said they basically said “Contemporary, Emotional, Grand” so we gave them a musical palette for the show that operated within those guidelines.
What were the emotions you hoped to bring forward with it?
Adam: Anticipation, excitement, adrenalin, action, empathy, celebration. A tear to the eye!
Can you remember much about the brief you were given for Beauty and The Geek?
Adam: Big and cinematic; then we added some awkwardness & something geeky to it.
What are the greatest difficulties you’re concerned with when commissioned to score a TV show?
Adam: I think our focus is firstly to have a great relationship with the producers we’re working with. Most people we’ve worked with seem to hold the same view, hopefully translating up the chain, therefore creating a chance to work through any difficulties.
Dinesh: The hardest thing is always locking into what someone means musically when they are using non musical terminology, Once you’ve learned to translate an individuals non musical speak into a direct course of action musically, all the difficulties disappear.
What is your favourite music software to use when it comes down to recording?
Adam: That depends, if it’s purely recording, then probably Pro Tools. In saying that I mostly use Logic, although I also don’t like not to depend on any of them.
Dinesh: Haha I’ve been using Logic, since it was called Notator and was on an Atari.
What shifts in music production have you noticed in recent years?
Adam: Less live players, or virtually none, which is a little sad, but a sign of the times
Dinesh: Great virtual instruments have meant you can really REALLY emulate live playing.
Which score was the most challenging to write?
Adam: The most challenging are the ones where the overall direction of the show itself is being lost. Apart from that, each has it’s own challenges to deal with. If we’re personally challenged on a creative level, then you keep writing & writing till you find it. Creating a score should be a challenge.
Dinesh: There are times as Adam said, when we are looked at to save a floundering show musically. Bad Music can make a great show bad, but even great music can’t make a bad show great.
Has the crossover into film composing happened yet?
Adam: We wrote for a film The Final Winter when we first started, small independent film. I think we’re just about to compose for some films in the US, Dinesh is a little more up to date there.
Dinesh: Our LA Office is focused on feature film at the moment and we have a few superb projects currently underway. It’s an exciting new thing for us.
You’re helping other Australian composers get work, how exactly are you doing this and why is it important to offer others a leg up?
Adam: Basically we like to collaborate with others. Having another creative around brings out another cool vibe.
Dinesh: We’ve enabled composers we work with to come work with us in the US and to work on international projects. It’s critical that we foster Australian composing talent, there’s a wealth of amazingly talented people and it’s our duty wherever possible to give them a shot on the world stage.
That said, we don’t work with people just because they’re from Australia, we work with them because they are great talented people. Coming from our hometown so to speak is a bonus.
What projects are you currently working on?
Adam: I’m really excited about the film work coming up. There are a few great documentaries, factual, content pieces we’re all working on, although I’m not sure if we are allowed to mention at the moment. There are few series we’ve just finished that are yet to air here like Life on the Reef, Great White Matrix, Once Upon A Time Carlton. A few on air recently like Recipe to Riches, The Big Adventure, Living With The Enemy. I think there are some others that are earmarked for next year as well.
Dinesh: We’re also working on Masterchef, Shark Tank, Sesame Street and a feature film called The Sand
What advice would you give those who would like to get into music production and film scoring?
Adam: You’d better love what you do!
Dinesh: Be passionate, be creative be original.