Today’s profile subject is one of the many “A-list” behind-the-scenes professionals working in entertainment today. You may not know his name, but when Adam Sandler wants to make sure the music for one of Happy Madison’s projects is edited in just the right way, he contacts J.J. Longtime readers of YII will recognize the humility and collaborative spirit of most of the Inside Scoop subjects who are at the top of their game. Everyone will enjoy his “brush with greatness”…

Current position/project: Owner and Supervising Music Editor, Mad 4 Music, LLC. Currently working on THE ZOOKEEPER.

College & degree: U.C.L.A., Bachelor of Arts, 1988

Professional Organizations: A.M.P.A.S., M.P.S.E., A.F.M.

First job in the entertainment industry: At Segue Music, Inc., I was a Production Assistant, Music Librarian, and Driver.

What was it that got you into music editing and what made you think you would be good at it? I took a part time job at Segue Music just to see what the job was like. I guess I was born with an obsessive tendency that most editors have at least a little bit of, because no completely sane person would sit and watch the same scene over and over for days at a time. I’ve also always been an observer. I’m sensitive to subtlety and detail in a way that serves me when I look at film. It was a great and talented group at Segue that taught me the craft. During that process I found that while I had a lot to learn about the mechanics of the job, there was an instinctual part of me that understood how powerful music was in the storytelling process. And that pushing too hard,almost never worked. The trick is most often to have your work felt but not noticed.

Big break: I don’t think I can point to one specific “Big Break,” unless you count meeting my wife. My career has been a 23-year series of opportunities that I have done my best with. And, as I said, I think part of the job comes instinctively to me.

Eureka moment: I had always sort of wondered if people would take my resume seriously because of all the comedies I work on. I jokingly mentioned this to a composer that I really admire and he responded: “J.J., anybody who works with film music knows there is nothing more difficult.” Wow, that was nice. I embrace those credits now.

Career path: As an assistant I worked with Michael Kamen’s music team. He was such a  huge talent and personality. The work schedules on LETHAL WEAPON and ROBIN HOOD were so insane, you learn to stay focused on the task at hand, regardless of the avalanche of work falling around you. When you emerge with a finished film score it gives you great confidence in the process and all of the artists involved.

In the early 90′s, I had the good fortune of working on “Batman: The Animated Series” for Warner Bros. Shirley Walker supervised or scored every episode of every season which is very rare in animation. The scoring stage experience was invaluable and the music, in my mind, was and still is exemplary.

I worked for Frank Oz on a movie called BOWFINGER and we did all the post work in Manhattan.  It was pretty humbling to know that he and the studio valued my work enough to fly me out from Los Angeles. Frank was quite the gentleman, and confident in his decisions. In my experience, such traits are rare in the “comedy world.”

More recently, I have had a good run with Happy Madison Productions, Adam Sandler’s company. He is the most loyal person I have met in this business and has assembled an enthusiastic group that understands his style and humor. His work ethic is great. It’s  amazing to see someone in a position like his pushing so hard, not just for his own success, but for the whole crew. The Happy Madison movies are challenging because they are very music driven, yet usually call for subtle comments on Adam’s characters. And if you get the balance “wrong,” the boss is never shy.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: One of the nice things about music editing is that every day is a little different. Typically, I have my mobile Pro-Tools set up on a dubbing stage or in a cutting room on a studio lot. I use it to track temp music, prepare reels for the composer, or hold meetings where the filmmakers give their input and opinions about musical tone and placement in the film. I keep detailed notes and paperwork that is continually updated in order to keep the music team operating as an efficient unit. During the dubbing process, my Pro-Tools system is tied into the mixing console and runs in sync with the film, allowing the re-recording engineer to mix the music into the sound track with all the other sound elements. If, for creative reasons, a music change needs to be made, it can and usually is done on the spot.

Best thing about your current  job: I love working on movies that my kids can watch. They are quite young so it is rare…but this is a good one.

Worst thing about your current job: With the economic slow down, the business has gotten extremely competitive. It’s no fun to see friends and co-workers struggling.

Brush with greatness: I work with so many people that are brilliant in their fields. Regardless of their status as celebrities, they all become “stars” to me. I will say I was pretty surprised when I was working on FREE WILLY 2 and the Director said, “J.J., Michael’s on the phone for you.” I’m walking to the phone thinking, “Michael who…don’t they see how busy I am?” I answered and it was Michael Jackson. He had a few suggestion about how to cut his song for the end titles. I think I stopped listening to the sound of his voice and started listening to what he was saying about halfway through the conversation.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Be positive about what you are working on now.  It’s really hard to predict what is coming your way in this industry. And drink good coffee.

Next move: I am constantly trying to keep up with music trends and film styles. I watch a lot of movies and listen to all kinds of music mostly because I like to, but partly to stay in the competitive loop. Also, as I said above, I believe a positive attitude breeds new opportunities. I do know a number of former music editors that now work as composers, re-recordists, studio executives, and college professors so I guess anything is possible.  But for me, I’m enjoying the THE ZOOKEEPER and my work at Mad 4 Music.

For more information on J.J., his credits, and the editors he works with, visit the Mad 4 Music website.

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Tags: Adam Sandler, Happy Madison, JJ George, Mad 4 Music, music editor, The Zoo Keeper

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 9:45 pm and is filed under crew, Industry Pro - film, Industry Pro - music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.