Berklee's Film Scoring Department Collaborates With Boston University On Sitcom Pilot for MTVU

BOSTON, March 29, 2006 — Axel Tenner, a Film Scoring major who graduated from Berklee College of Music in December '05, wasted no time putting his degree to practical use.Tenner spent his first post-Berklee months scoring a sitcom pilot written by Boston University student Liz Coopersmith. The sitcom, titled "Roller Palace," won a contest sponsored by MTV's campus-based TV network mtvU and MSN Messenger, who teamed up to present a sitcom written, acted, and produced by students. Viewers voted on entries from Boston University's Advanced Television Writing class, and Coopersmith's script, about a spoiled New York teen who moves to New Jersey after her mother marries the king of the Roller Palace Hot Dog empire, received funding for production.

Before filming began, Charles Merzbacher, chair of the Film and Television Department at Boston University, contacted Don Wilkins, chair of Berklee's Film Scoring Department, about collaborating on the music for the show. Wilkins turned to the faculty for student recommendations and decided to choose a departing senior rather than a current student, because of the time demands of the task. Says Wilkins, who served as music supervisor for the project, "There are 16 or 17 minutes of music in the 22 minute show. It was a lot of music to write, and a very short turnaround time." Tenner was tapped for the gig and received the script just before the holiday break.

Press: to inquire about photo availability and usage, please e-mail us. Axel Tenner Photo provided by artist

In January, Tenner was given a DVD work print copy of the show, which was still in production, and set to work developing the thematic direction and mood for the music. He met with the director, BU Associate Professor Paul Schneider - an experienced TV director whose credits include Beverly Hills, 90120, JAG, L.A. Law, Baywatch, and many made for TV movies - and collaborated with writer Coopersmith, the producer, and other BU students involved in the project. Says Wilkins, "There was a lot of back and forth; the music had to work and had to be right for the show. It was a very realistic collaboration."

Ultimately, Tenner only had about two weeks to write and produce all of the music to match the completed version of the show. Much of the pre-production work was done at home on his laptop, and the live portions were recorded in one day in a Berklee studio using student musicians. The group included drummer Jesse Magnusson, bassist Holger Scheidt, keyboardist Axel Schwintzer, guitarist Santiago Mocorrea, and saxophonist Alex Terrier. Scott Martin, Assistant Audio Engineer in the Film Scoring Department, engineered the recording and mixing session, which was completed a few days later.

Says Wilkins, who plans to use the film as a resource in introductory Film Scoring classes and his online Berkleemusic course, Film Scoring 101, "We are a small part of the production, but without the music the show just doesn't flow."

The BU sitcom pilot "Roller Palace" can be seen on the mtvU network and online at www.mtvu.com.

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