06/13/22
CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
Step inside the brain of...Music Supervisor, Rob Lowry
Meet Rob Lowry, the man behind the music in CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH (on Apple TV+ this Friday, Jun 17!). He’s been a music supervisor on everything from RAMY to the new GOSSIP GIRL, and honestly, his job sounds like a fantasy. We asked him to break down exactly what a music supervisor does all day, and how he got into this dream career. Plus, we insisted he answer an impossible question and pick out the three greatest soundtracks of all time.
What’s the purpose of music in film?
Ultimately, at its best, music can really deepen and enhance your relationship with a film or show, and with what you’re seeing and relating to on screen. It’s an irreplaceable element of storytelling.
How do you use music to help set the tone and convey specific things in a film? Can you give us an example of a specific song/scene from CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH?
You’re using music to tell people how to feel. You don’t want to be too heavy handed—unless the scene calls for it, and that can be fun, too. But more often, music is a guide to the tonal world that we are living in. In CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH, I really love the Big Red Machine “Forest Green” sync, because the entire song is a journey that really soundtracks and spans a lot of different dynamics, and also acts as a score.
We feel it with Andrew and Domino, and with Andrew as he kind of reflects, and then we feel it in the dynamic between Andrew and his younger brother David. The song does a perfect job of scoring scenes without overwhelming, and tonally, it’s incredibly emotional so it puts you in a very specific time and place—and mindset.
What was the music selection process like for CHA CHA? What vibe were you going for?
First and foremost, Cooper [Raiff] has great taste and vision. And when we first met, it was immediately apparent that we’d have a fun and fruitful collaboration. Cooper had scripted many songs in the film, so my first order of business was figuring out what the priorities were, what of those we could afford, and where we could make swaps or even improve upon initial ideas.
But tonally, all of Cooper’s ideas and references were on point. We immediately started sharing music back and forth, both for on camera stuff as well as post-production needle drops and also just for fun. I think if I had to describe the vibe of the film, it’s very much a coming of age story, and so the music reflects a lot of those ideas: Who was I before; who am I now; and who am I becoming?
How did you get into this line of work?
Music supervision has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so it’s something I was always chasing, or making decisions toward, even if I didn’t know what the exact path was. I was a writers’ production assistant on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and PARENTHOOD (my second job in LA), and I befriended a lot of the writers and editors, reading their scripts and making them mix CDs, sitting in the edit bay and pitching songs, just generally talking music, seeing shows together, and introducing people to new things. Those relationships—and that experience—proved to be invaluable, and my first gig came from an editor on FNL who introduced me to a friend of theirs who was doing a small independent film that needed a music supervisor. I got hired for the job, and that was my crash course in music supervision.
What are some of your favorite films or shows that you’ve worked on?
There are too many to choose or name. CHA CHA is truly one of my favorite and most fulfilling experiences. I have a film coming up for Netflix called DO REVENGE that is up there as well. GOSSIP GIRL, RAMY, THE BOLD TYPE, HER SMELL…I just feel endlessly lucky to be a part of so many incredible projects with insanely smart and talented creatives.
Okay, moment of truth. Give us your top three soundtracks of all time.
Impossible to narrow down to three, but ones that immediately come to mind as being very influential on me…
THE OC genuinely changed music supervision, especially in its visibility in pop culture as well as its attractiveness to artists and licensors. I think for a lot of people in my generation, that show and Alex Patsavas’ work on it, was a real eye-opener to this career as a way to introduce new artists to viewers everywhere.
ALMOST FAMOUS was the film that really brought the power of music in film to the forefront and made me think: Wow, I want to do this. The way each song was interwoven with the storytelling, and an inseparable part of the narrative—there was comfort and familiarity, but also excitement in being introduced to many new songs. And Nancy Wilson’s score is timeless and beautiful.
For my last one, I just want to really point out supervision from today that’s just excellent, and having such a strong impact on music, film, TV, and culture in general. Specifically, I’m talking about shows like EUPHORIA, I MAY DESTROY YOU, HIGH FIDELITY, FARGO, and so many others. I am truly inspired and challenged by my peers every single day, watching all of their incredible work. I’m so lucky to have this job, and I love that I can walk into a movie theater and two hours later, walk back feeling completely invigorated both spiritually and professionally.
