CineConcerts is committed to bringing you the best in entertainment and providing a selection of curated, informative content about the relationship between sound and image. We recently had the exclusive opportunity to talk to Emmy™-winning music supervisor Evyen Klean about his work, his favorite experiences, and his own win for HBO’s Bessie.

Read our interview with Evyen below, and be sure to follow CineConcerts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and -- of course -- our website for more insider info on the amazing world of film music!

CineConcerts (CC): How did you start your career as a music supervisor? 

Evyen Klean (EK): I was already in the music space from having an independent record label and publishing company, as well as having a recording studio in Hollywood. My roommate/writer/friend at the time, Karl Schaefer, wrote a pilot script, sold it, came back to our apartment and said, “Help me with the music.” That was how I initially got involved in film and TV music. The project was “TV 101.”

The show got picked up, and soon after I partnered up with the now-president of Warner Bros. Music, Paul Broucek. We worked as a team -- Klean/Broucek Music -- for about a decade, until he went to New Line Music, and at that point I went solo. 

CC: Do you often know the composers before you start a new project? And how early in the development process do you start working on a series or film? 

EK: As I have been doing this for a long time, there is a pretty good chance I will know (or know of) the composer. In many cases, if there isn’t already a composer hired on a project when I get involved, I am a part of finding the composer. That is, of course, if that’s something the filmmakers want from me. 

Regarding the second part of the question, I usually start a project at the script phase. We will break down that script and start to facilitate the needs of that project from there. 

CC: What is the relationship between the music supervisor, composer and music director? 

EK: Hopefully it’s good! Again, because things manifest themselves in different ways, sometimes music supervisors are brought on early, or sometimes we are brought on later. My relationship with the composer depends on the origin of that composer. If I’m hired on a project and there is no composer attached, and I am asked to help find one, then our relationship starts at the very beginning of the project and goes all the way through. If I’m brought onto a project and the director, showrunner, or series producer says, “I always work with X,” then my relationship with that composer on that particular project is different and potentially less involved. 

It really is a case-by-case situation on how I interact. The request might be, “We aren’t sure what kind of music we need, score wise,” which would have me bring them score-type ideas. Or they might say, “We want an epic orchestral score,” or “an EDM score,” and in that situation I might say, “What about these composer ideas?” I might be involved in the conversation with the composer I know directly or the composer’s agents, or putting together a list of composers. I might know the composer, I might not know the composer -- it kind of depends on the dynamic of the project and what I’m asked or needed to do. 

CC: Do you have a favorite part of your job? Or a favorite project you have worked on? 

EK: My favorite part of the job is creating music. I’m more about being in the studio with artists and composers, being on set with directors and dealing with music on camera. Engaging songwriters to write a song, and overall figuring out the musical design or sound of a film or TV series -- that’s when I feel most excited about a project.

Some of my favorite projects are Bessie and Behind the Candelabra -- which is a movie about Liberace. The Rat Pack. Primarily because these are music intensive films and there was so much work that went into the music before we even shot a frame. We had to figure out the songs, including the licenses. We had to go into the recording studio, where I’ve been able to produce a bunch of music. We had to be on set for weeks at a time. And those tend to be my favorite, those really engaging and very involved creative projects. 

CC: You have a long history with HBO, including an Emmy win for Bessie. How did your relationship with HBO begin? 

EK: My relationship with HBO started when Paul Broucek and I were partners. A friend had referred us to a movie they were working on that was challenging musically, and we helped them in that process. It went really well. They asked, “Would you read this script, and advise us?” and that rolled into a 25-year relationship!

Paul left for New Line and ended up being the president of Warner Bros. Music, and I continued my relationship with HBO after those first couple of projects that Paul and I did together. That’s how it developed into a relationship where [my company] Neophonic has become the de facto music department for HBO. 

How Bessie came along is interesting. I got the script, and when we broke the script down, we realized it was incredibly musically intensive. I went and met with [director] Dee Rees and Queen Latifah and talked about the challenges and the goals of the film, and based on those initial meetings, I kind of organically moved into the music supervisor spot.  Queen Latifah is an amazing artist -- a super versatile, amazing actress and musical artist -- and Dee Rees is incredibly creative and focused and talented. I spent a lot of time in the recording studio, recording the music and working on the mixes, and a full summer in Atlanta on set. 

CC: That must have been very warm! 

EK: [laughing] Super warm. It was amazing because they would have air-conditioned tents, so people could go in and cool off. But the result of that was after about two weeks, half the crew had colds, because we would go from extreme cold to extreme hot. I was wondering why everybody was sneezing, and it was because we would go from about 100 degrees and extreme humidity to an air-conditioned room. Crazy stuff! 

What was so great about Bessie, and why it worked for me as a music supervisor, is how creatively intensive it was. We put together multiple artists and we got to cast bands. We created seven different on-camera bands, and we produced more than 20 different pieces of music using different artists. We recorded in Los Angeles, we recorded in Atlanta -- it was really challenging and really fun. 

CC: Bessie won Emmys for Outstanding Music Composition and Sound Mixing, which is pretty amazing. Did you know the composer, Rachel Portman, beforehand? And what was it like to collaborate? 

EK: I had worked with Rachel previously on a movie called Grey Gardens, and I was a huge fan of Rachel’s music. She’s extremely talented and a great human being. I thought of her for Bessie and suggested her to Dee and the producers, so I was part of that conversation from the beginning. We went and recorded the score in Prague. A great experience, very cool indeed. 

CC: That’s awesome, and you both won Emmys! Do you feel like anything changed after the win? 

EK: Nah, not really. It was fun to go to the party! But I don’t think that how I work is any different. 

CC: What are the most challenging and the most wonderful aspects of working with composers as a music supervisor? 

My favorite part of starting a project is being part of the process of figuring out who the composer should be, and helping the filmmaker or studio in the casting process. That includes understanding what the director or showrunner wants (or if they don’t know, figure that out together), and how I can match them with someone who is unique and interesting to the project. I can play casting director or matchmaker in a way that creates something unique for the show, and I think that when I do that, when it stays organic, the music and the experience for everyone tends to be more rewarding and special.

CC: What, if anything, would you like people to understand about music supervision? 

EK: It’s a skill set that involves more than just picking songs that already exist. I think that might be one of the biggest misconceptions. That is part of the job, but there are a lot of tools that people need in their toolbox to be a music supervisor. 

CC: What’s your advice for someone who wants to become a music supervisor?  

EK: My advice would be: Don’t do it! [laughs] Just kidding. There are some classes you can take about music supervision, but I would do my best to align myself with -- and work for -- a working music supervisor. You will understand the ins and outs of the job, the politics and you will discover whether it’s something you really want to do, because you’ll break the fourth wall and really understand what it is. For someone who’s not a music supervisor yet, it’s the best training ground imaginable.