News

  • Proud to Sponsor ACLU SoCal

    The ACLU SoCal’s 2020 Bill of Rights Awards Virtual Gala sponsored by The Hit House.

    The Hit House is proud to sponsor the ACLU SoCal’s 2020 Bill of Rights Awards Virtual Gala

    Words matter, but so do actions. Living in an election year that is also fraught with the tragedy of the COVID-19 Pandemic & the resulting deaths of now over 200,000 Americans (1 million worldwide), as well as the continued police brutality & racially motivated violence against black people, The Hit House knows that standing up for our collective constitutional rights is now more important than ever before in recent memory. While we continuously seek to learn about the hardships that those less fortunate endure & also then contribute both our time & donations to their alleviation on an on going basis, we are grateful to be in the position to assist publicly an organization that defends & preserves the rights guaranteed by the Constitution & U.S. laws for all. For over 100 years the ACLU has litigated & lobbied on behalf of those whose civil liberties are at risk. As their motto states, their reason is, “Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself.” This fully aligns with The Hit House’s beliefs in Criminal Law Reform, Disability Rights, Free Speech, HIV anti-discrimination, Human Rights, Immigrants’ Rights, Juvenile Justice, Racial Justice, including but not limited to Black Lives Matter, LGBTQIA+ Rights, National Security consistent with the Constitution, civil liberties, & human rights, Prisoners’ Rights, individuals’ Privacy & Technology Rights, Religious Liberty, Reproductive Freedom, Smart Justice, & of course Women’s Rights. All these & more are continuously & tirelessly advocated on behalf of by the ACLU, & for that we are happy to lend what support we can by sponsoring the ACLU SoCal’s Gala.

    The 2020 ACLU SoCal’s 2020 Bill of Rights Awards Virtual Gala will be hosted by Billy Porter & will feature a star-studded lineup including Judd Apatow, David Byrne, Jane Fonda, Jason George, Khizr Khan, Norman Lear, Tom Morello, Rita Moreno, Martin Sheen, Aaron Sorkin, Barbra Streisand, Justin Tranter, Lily Tomlin, Diane Warren, Sam Waterston, & more in a tribute to the social justice & civil rights work of the ACLU of Southern California. There will also be entertainment by Charlie Puth, Phillipa Soo & Steven Pasquale, Deborah Joy Winans, The Chicks, & Shea Diamond (in order of appearance). It will also include special presentations from the upcoming films of HBO’s American Utopia & Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. Lastly, there will be a very special tribute to the late great Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by spoken-word poet Alyesha Wise.

    Join us in support of our collective civil rights & RSVP for Free: http://aclusocal.org/borawards

    Please also be sure to register to vote & know your voting rights: https://www.aclusocal.org/en/vote-for-our-future

  • Layers of Metal & Sound

    Amazon Prime Video’s “Sound of Metal” Official Trailer arrives with The Hit House’s Sounds

    Even moments of stillness need sound as bookends. Thus when Amazon Prime Video launched the Official Trailer for the upcoming Sound of Metal film, Jax Film turned to The Hit House for just the right music to highlight the plight of a punk-metal drummer slowly going deaf. Fortunately, we had just what they needed & composer Steve R. Davis’s “Sapwood” & “Cork” from our RE:ACTION LAYERS album were the perfect fit. The results reverberate for themselves in this stirring trailer.

    Directed by Darius Marder, Amazon Studios’s Sound of Metal, takes on the harrowing journey of Ruben, a drummer who begins to lose his hearing. After a series of late night shows during which his hearing starts disappearing, an auditory specialist tells him that his prognosis is bleak. Faced with the reality of probably losing a sense that not only ties him to his passion, but also his band-mate girlfriend Lou, his tenuous grip on post-heroin sobriety seems to be at risk. From love & the need to have him survive, Lou checks him into a sober house for the deaf, where Ruben grapples with the reality of his new identity & the loving acceptance of a community that he’d initially prefer not to be a part of. Sound of Metal delivers tour de force performances by stars Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff & Mathieu Amalric.

    The irony is not lost on us that The Hit House was privileged to contribute to a trailer about the loss of sound. But the beauty exists within the knowledge that we had created music for the periphery & boundaries of what is needed in our industry. Being able to participate in promoting this Amazon Studios film through Jax, allowed us to demonstrate the true breadth of our sound offerings. From near silence to the most grandiose of trailer & video game music scores, The Hit House has you covered. No matter the scope of your next project, do not hesitate to ask us for the ideal music, sound design, or music supervision. Because if we don’t already have it in our vast library, we’ll certainly be happy to create it for you. Until then, we look forward to experiencing Sound of Metal which arrives in theaters on November 20, & on Amazon Prime Video on December 4.

  • Brave, Loyal, True: Mulan

    The Hit House contributes Again to Disney’s “Mulan,” with a new TV Spot

    With Disney’s Mulan premiering on Disney+ on September 4, 2020, the ideal music was needed to prime the audience for its arrival. After having contributed to Disney’s Mulan Teaser Trailer it was a wonderful opportunity for The Hit House to be able to contribute to a final TV Spot announcing the Mulan premiere on Disney+. In our new collective reality where movie premieres may (for the time being) no longer occur in cinemas, but rather on streaming platforms, informing the audience is critical. It is exciting to be able to contribute to a new wave of marketing that aims to redirect the audience from anticipation in theaters to the benefits of enjoying a movie opening from the comfort of their own home whether on a TV, hand-held mobile devices, or tablet screen.

    Originally scheduled to open in theaters on March 27, Disney’s Mulan found a new premiere home on Disney+ with Premier Access. The 2020 big-budget, live-action remake of the 1998 animated feature is directed by Niki Caro & tells the tale of a legendary warrior who is so much more than just that. As a loyal, brave, & true daughter, leader, girl, soldier, sister, woman, & fighter, Mulan embodies the essence of a phoenix that constantly rises to new challenges. For Mulan her path is chosen as she seeks to bring honor to her family while earning her nation’s respect by helping the Imperial Army to defend from Northern invaders. Disguising herself as a male warrior, she fulfills her family’s obligation to have a man from each family serve in the Emperor’s military, & thereby not only saves her father, but possibly also her whole country! The film stars Yifei Liu as Mulan, along with Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, & Jet Li.

    Our affinity for Disney’s classics is great, but when an animated version is remade as live-action for today’s circumstances, we are even more enthralled. Even if we hadn’t been able to contribute to the Official Teaser Trailer or this TV spot we would have still been amped for the opening, but to also be able to participate in our own way, well that makes it all the more meaningful. Right now we all need heroines & heroes in our lives, so to see a young woman take on the mantle & battle the forces that would seek to destroy her & her nation takes on a whole new meaning in our current times. It was The Hit House‘s distinct honor to contribute to Mulan, but know also that for your next trailer or other project, we’re available to provide that perfect piece from our vast library, find or craft one bespoke for your project. Until we get your call, email, telegram or carrier pigeon, we’ll be here, watching, mesmerized by Mulan’s strength & determination, & of course watching it all on Disney+’s Premier Access.

  • The Hit House Ranks in Inc. 5000

     

    Inc. 5000’s Annual “America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” List this Year includes The Hit House

    From The Hit House’s humble beginnings of creating music in a Southern California garage in 2005 to now having had over 1.69 billion views/listens of our music, sound design, & music supervision on our clients’ official YouTube channels alone, it’s been a long journey to Inc. 5000’s annual list of “America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies.” What started as a 2 person endeavor by founders Sally House (Executive Producer/CEO) & Scott Lee Miller (Creative Director) has expanded out to include a tightly interconnected team of composers, sound designers, vocalists, & music supervisors that have worked remotely in a distributed fashion from Los Angeles to NYC & London to Seattle & beyond.

    Even pre-COVID The Hit House realized that to garner the requisite talent & to more effectively serve our clients, a cross-timezone group of experienced creatives could deliver a competitive advantage, not only from a near round-the-clock collaboration standpoint, but also from that of a quality of lifestyle perspective for our team. Working from home & avoiding the stress of commuting, improved not only quality of life, but also saved time & money. In the same vein The Hit House’s clients come from all over the world as the variety of content in our playlists of our trailer music, commercial music, & video game music can attest. From the largest films in China to blockbusters in the United States, the Official Trailers to which we’ve contributed have broken records in the competitive 24 hour viewing cycle to the tune of hundreds of millions of views, which then of course translates to tickets sold, streaming premieres downloaded, & video games purchased. The appreciation of the fans for the auditory content, extended as well to the peers of our industry as our clients gave us the opportunity to participate in & win a myriad of Clio Key Art Awards as well as Golden Trailer Awards (both of which set the bar for standards of excellence in the advertising & trailer music world). To create this wonderful dream was never easy, but through our extensive music & sound design library we are able to minimize pain points for our clients & always either have the perfect sounds & tracks on hand, or be able to craft a custom creation that ideally suits their needs.

    The Hit House is honored & grateful to have been ranked among America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies in Inc. 5000, but this accolade jointly belongs to our terrific team, luminous composers, generous collaborators, & of course our enchanting clients, who, without hyperbole, are more like family. We are truly blessed to create music, sound design, & music supervision on a daily basis with people we hold in such high esteem. Plaudits of course go as well to all our fans who listen to, love, & support the sounds we make!

    To find out our latest & greatest, we’d love to have you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitter, & YouTube. & of course, when you next need that ideal song, sound design element, or seek music supervision help, just give us a shout. We’re available & can’t wait to embark on that next project with you.

  • This. Is. Hamilton!

    Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” Streams July 3 on Disney+, & The Hit House got to contribute by scoring the arrangement for the Official Trailer!

    It all began with Lin-Manuel Miranda reading Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton. Miranda was then inspired to bring Hamilton’s story to life in the form of a musical. On January 20, 2015 Hamilton previewed off-Broadway to a sold-out audience & officially opened on February 17 to critical acclaim. The rest is history as it rocketed to a record-setting 16 nominations in the 2016 Tony Awards, winning 11, including Best Musical, as well as the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, & a multitude of other prestigious awards. To state that it was an privilege for The Hit House & composer William August Hunt to score the arrangement for the Disney+ Hamilton Official Trailer would be an understatement. As if that wasn’t enough of an honor, Alex Lacamoire, the Music Director, Orchestrator, & Conductor for the Broadway production, as well as co-arranger of the score, graciously tweeted out, “The task of arranging the music bed for our #HamilFilm trailer was left to the specialists. Massive shoutout to @HitHouseMusic c/o @yebomustang [Sally House] and #WilliamAugustHunt for their epic scoring! (That key change, tho!) 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼.@disneyplus @HamiltonMusical.” Subsequently, Lin-Manuel Miranda himself retweeted Alex’s tweet with, “#ThatKeyChangeTho“. Sure, it may seem innocuous for some, but for us fangirls & fanboys at The Hit House, well we’re not admitting to tears of gratitude & joy being shed… but tissues were definitively damp.

    Hamilton, for the uninitiated, is a two act musical with the music, lyrics, & book created by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Its music is inspired by hip hop, R&B, pop, soul, & traditional show tunes to tell the story of America’s founding father, Alexander Hamilton, along with other historical figures such as U.S. Presidents George Washington, James Madison, & Thomas Jefferson, as well as Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, Aaron Burr, John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler, Peggy Schuyler, & Philip Hamilton. The cast of the show are predominantly non-white actors portraying the Founding Fathers. The show which will stream July 3, 2020 on Disney+ was filmed in June 2016 at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. It features Tony Award winners Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr, Tony Award nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Jonathan Groff as King George, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, & Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton. The cast also includes Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart, & Ephraim Sykes.

    In these fraught times, Hamilton the musical gives us hope that passion will spark action & a brighter more just future. The Hit House is beyond grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to this incredible event & we can’t wait to stream it on Disney+ on July 3! Hamilton will doubtlessly inspire future leaders, feed conversations, & hopefully foment real-world change in the present & not just as a beautiful musical legacy.

  • JBL’s Sounds of Victory

    JBL’s Quantum Gaming Headsets Spot Arrives with The Hit House’s Music & Sound Design

    For 70 years JBL has led their industry in successes & built their brand on innovations in sound. It has all culminated in this, the JBL Quantum Range of Gaming Headsets, designed to provide the competitive advantage every gamer needs. It’s safe to say JBL takes their sound seriously as it is their passion & life’s work. So when they needed to communicate this fact to the world, of course they wanted a team that treats audio just as sacredly as they do. Enter The Hit House composer David Andronico & 7 time Emmy Nominated sound designer Chad J. Hughes. Together they knew the mission, so David fastidiously composed the music, & Chad meticulously crafted the sound design for this JBL Quantum TV spot.

    With JBL’s Quantum Range the competitive advantage that every gamer needs is delivered. But there is much more complexity that goes into creating these headsets, & JBL took every aspect into account to produce the ultimate in gaming audio delivery. This includes engineering spacial audio with individualized algorithms for total immersion, a boom microphone & echo noise suppression for fidelity & clarity, lightweight & durable premium memory foam ear cushions, 360 quantum sphere surround sound & an integrated head tracking sensor, proprietary software personalizing each gamer’s surround sound, mic, & light customization, active noise cancellation, game-chat for Discord, & of course compatibility for all platforms, including PC, Mac, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, & VR.

    Clearly JBL gives audio their all for their fans, as in today’s fiercely competitive world of gaming not only is your reputation on the line, but literally millions of dollars. We take music & sound design just as seriously. So get yourself some JBL Quantum Headsets today, stay safe, & when you next need the ideal music & sound design to highlight your company’s passion & compliment your spot’s visuals, well, know that we’re here for you, ready to combine forces to deliver victory.

  • Huzzah to The Greatness of Catherine

    Hulu’s Official Trailer for “The Great” incorporates The Hit House’s Music

    The newest miniseries by Hulu, The Great is a wild satirical ride through the anti-historical adventures of Catherine the Great. Seismic Productions created the trailer to reflect this series steeped in comedy & drama. Thus a quirky, upbeat, & fun, while simultaneously zany, fanciful, & adventurous serving of trailer music was required. Luckily The Hit House composer William August Hunt’s “Drogon” from our Epic “Funny Bone 3: Orchestral Escapades” Album ideally fit the tone that helped to elevate the trailer to energetic new levels of mirth.

    The Great is based on Executive Producer Tony McNamara’s play from the Sydney Theater Company’s eponymous 2008 production. With occasional historical facts peppered in, the series traces the ascent of Catherine, an 18th century Austrian royal plucked from the obscurity of rural living, to the throne of Russia. Having only idealism & romance in her heart she arrives in Russia to wed Emperor Peter, who shows himself to be the exact opposite of what her dreams of love & wedded bliss had been. The court & its denizens are filled with wild eccentricities that often become outright evil. Thus she is transformed, from a creature of sunshine to an expert at scheming & hatching plots to simply survive. Catherine’s story progresses as she decides to take on not only her husband the Emperor of Russia, but also the resolute church, the staunch military, & the crafty courtiers all of which seek to waylay her progress. However, through her tenacity & cunning the time for her reign is all but written & luckily we get to watch the wild ride! The Great stars Elle Fanning as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Sebastian de Souza, Bayo Gbadamosi & Belinda Bromilow.

    It was her time & she seized her greatness with aplomb, absolutely confounding her nay-sayers & for that Catherine amply deserves the title of “The Great.” Hulu has truly created a gem fit to adorn a royal crown in this wacky, uproariously funny, & absolutely binge-worthy comedic drama. We’re grateful Seismic Productions came to us for the music & happy that we could provide it for the latter half of this official trailer. On May 15, The Great arrives in 10 episodes, only on Hulu, & you can bet we’ll be binging it all night & throughout the weekend. Until then, we’ll continue to be the loyal vassals, creating music for all manner of trailers & commercials, but bear in mind, if you also need music for an occasional coup d’état, well, we’ll be happy to support & we may just have something up our sleeves, & definitely in our library as it were.

  • PSA – S.T.F.A.H.

    Singing it out for all…

    A PSA from The Hit House to your house…

    Featuring in sequential order Jesse Goodwin (maracas & vocals), Scott Lee Miller (lead vocals & guitar), Dan Diaz (guitar & vocals), Chad J. Hughes (sound design & vocals), William August Hunt (cello & vocals), & Sally House (creative director & vocals).

    Stay safe, stay healthy, stay the **** at home.

    Feel free to Stream, Download, & reuse as you like from SoundCloud:

  • The Legend of “Jungle Cruise” is Real

    An Adventure of our Lifetimes Awaits in Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” with The Hit House’s contribution to the Official Trailer!

    Not all expeditions go as planned, but for Disney’s Jungle Cruise, the Official Trailer is an action-packed entertainment laden success! Launched by Dwayne Johnson & a boat full of skippers from The Disneyland Resort’s Jungle Cruise attraction, it gave the perfect introduction for the film arriving in July. The Hit House is proud to have contributed to the trailer & after seeing the final cut, we are ready to go on any journey with The Rock & Emily Blunt!

    Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Jungle Cruise is based on the famous Disneyland theme park ride. This film tells the tale of a legendary Tree of Life that riverboat captain Frank (played by Dwayne Johnson) has been fruitlessly searching for longer than anyone. Smash cut to the fearless Lily Houghton (played by Emily Blunt), a scientist, & her brother McGregor (played by Jack Whitehall), who hire Frank to lead them into the heart of the Amazonian darkness. With the key to the magical tree’s location their expedition seems to hold success within their grasp. A series of misadventures befall the intrepid trio as they battle the dangers of the jungle as well as an evil German expedition with a Uboat! Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons, & Paul Giamatti also star in the film.

    Having experienced the ride of Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, & now having seen the Official Trailer for Jungle Cruise, we could not be more excited to watch the whole adventure. Frankly, we’d go anywhere with Emily Blunt & Dwayne Johnson in a heartbeat, but add in the adventure of a wild jungle, a dastardly enemy, & the possibility of a tree that heals? Let’s just say we’ll be there for sure when Jungle Cruise steams into theaters on July 24. Until then, our music studios are here & ready for your next project’s sound design, music supervision, or custom music needs. We just know that any adventure on which we jointly embark will get us all to our destination & end up a smashing success!

  • ALL THE RIGHT (HIGH) NOTES

    Focus Features’s “The High Note” Official Trailer by Seismic Productions with The Hit House’s contributions smashes boundaries!

    Too often people are told they can’t do this or that, because it’s just “not done.” But Focus Features’s newest movie, The High Note, trounces those conventions by telling a story of a singer who’s reached her proverbial peak, but with the help of the “least” of her entourage strives for even more. Seismic Productions created a dazzling Official Trailer for The High Note, & The Hit House was happy to contribute custom layering to help perfect the music for the trailer.

    Directed by Nisha Ganatra, The High Note tells the story of the superstar singer Grace Davis (played by Tracee Ellis Ross), who is at the top of her game, but for whom the only perceivable next step is a slide down from the heights of fame. When all others, including her management & other entourage only see a “standard” continuation for her career, Maggie (played by Dakota Johnson), Grace’s personal assistant, envisions more potential for Grace’s future. With a background in music, Maggie seizes the opportunity & works to help Grace create a new album which could catapult the trajectory of both their careers forever. The High Note also stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Zoë Chao, Ice Cube, June Diane Raphael, Deniz Akdeniz, Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard, & Diplo.

    This particular project spoke to our hearts at The Hit House since it tells the story of the production, creation, & nurturing of something near & dear to our own hearts, namely music. A movie trailer that extols the power of music, how it can move us, change lives, & alter people’s outlooks for the better is one that we are proud to contribute to. We know that all stories must be told & that each is unique & precious, but the story of the creation of music is one that strikes a particular chord that only a fellow musician can understand, but one that can be communicated to all others through the very universal power of our medium. When your story next needs that perfect stroke of inspiration, that undercurrent of emotion to move the viewer to the next level of emotion, look no further. The Hit House is here for you. That said, on May 8, 2020, when The High Note arrives in theaters, you better believe we’ll be there (quietly) munching on popcorn & loving every second of this story about our beloved music industry.