NO AI WAS USED IN THE WRITING OR EDITING OF THIS ARTICLE.
In 2024 I was approached by Searchlight Films to be the audio specialist, gear tech and consultant on the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” What started as a simple vendor and tech gig, turned into a utility knife position that had me coaching Timmy and the other actors on how to work recording studio magic, fixing broken guitars mid-scene, soldering the recording console VU’s and building props from scratch!
This is where I got to meet the amazing Mike Jortner (prop master) and Tod Maitland, as well as Tod’s nephew Terrance. In all my 30 years as an audio content creator (which I would include production, multi-instrumentalism, writing and arrangement), never have I met such an incredibly talented people. They defined what it means to be dedicated, professional and ardent about their craft.
Though my boss on the film was technically the incredible prop master Michael Jortner, Terrance and Tod Maitland (and the whole sound dept.) became like family to me. So much so that after the film we immediately went on to work on the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere” starring Jeremy Allen-White, followed by Timothee Chalamet’s “Marty Supreme.” After that movie wrapped, I kept in touch with the sound dept. and am currently building a consulting brand for Tod which will be unveiled later this year.
This week, my company JML RECORDING was written up in a handful of news articles such as Mixonline.com, Clublicious.com and the following Sound Production Magazine article which reads, “…The rehearsals were also when we first got the chance to test the dozens of period vintage mics we used over the course of the movie. These were sourced by and cared for by our excellent property department, led by Michael Jortner, and Joshua Lutz, the operator of JML Studios, an encyclopedia of vintage microphone knowledge, and the owner of most of the mics we used.”
My life has been a blur lately. Throughout all the pain and suffering we endure in this world, there are moments where the clouds clear and you get to see we are actually walking the ridge of the tallest mountains. Some moments in my life have been marred by great pain and trauma. It’s involvement with films like these that give me hope and get me through to the next clearing in the sky. I’m extremely grateful for these opportunities and can’t wait for the next one!
Click HERE for the original Sound Production Magazine article link.
Next up we have a great JML Studios / Joshua Lutz mention from Clublicious.
EXERPT: Jortner also worked with Joshua Lutz, a former Electric Lady Studios engineer who maintains an incredible collection of vintage mics. “Josh was instrumental for us, coming to our Studio A set every day, helping to set up all of the equipment,” Jortner notes. “He built one or two racks for us, for the control room part of the set, with equipment we had assembled.”
A total of 43 period microphones were used throughout the film, both in studio sequences and in live performances.
Click HERE to read the entire article on their website.
Below is a quick one minute screengrab of footage from the Searchlight Oscar Consideration featurette on Netflix and Hulu, featuring Joshua Lutz of JML Recording!
Next is an article about the audio techniques used in A Complete Unknown from Mix Online Magazine. Notice my name is sandwiched between the great James Mangold and prop master Mike Jortner! Not a shabby place to be 😉 Click HERE to read their full article.
Below is a YouTube video I made showcasing exactly which mics I used in the film.
The incredible custom JML Reverberation Plate is available for sale for the modern recording studio environment.
There are 7 Frequencies of Resonant Tone Healing that humans have discovered that resonate throughout the universe.
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