Music by Sean Callery



Music by Sean Callery is a special feature found on the Season Five DVD.

Music by Sean Callery
The feature begins with Sean Callery, the composer for 24, explaining the sort of music he uses on the show. He demonstrates his working area; a room with several keyboards, a mixer for working on sound design, and several television monitors showing what he is adding the sound to. He also shows what he calls his "isolation booth", with an old style, real piano that also records everything he does so that he remembers all his work.

Callery then begins to talk about his work for 24, saying that he began on the Pilot in Spring 2001. He explains that Joel Surnow explained the real-time concept to him and he began to think up ideas, all of which he felt did not live up to the real show when he saw the first images from it. He explains that his greatest complement is that the music is a character in the show, which he feels is the perfect balance to not bring a scene down or to lead a scene, but to subtly appear in the background.



He shows a scene from Day 5 11:00am-12:00pm in which Jack Bauer and Audrey Raines see each other for the first time since Jack's return. He shows the scene with no music and explains that at scenes where he feels an emotion, he adds music. He then shows the scene with music that is referred to as the "Breathless version", with music showing Audrey's strong emotion at first seeing Jack. He then plays a theme that he wrote for Jack and Audrey for Season 4 over the scene. He plays a third version which would fit into the story that Audrey tried to kill Jack, and has just found out she had not. Therefore the music is a lot more sinister, and Callery demonstrates how differently the scene can be viewed just because of the music. A final version is shown that he refers to as the "Warm and fuzzy version", which are rare for 24. The mood is a lot lighter and further demonstrates the power of music.

He then explains that each episode of 24 has between 38-41 minutes of music, and he has five day to compose each one. Larold Rebhun, the scoring mixer is shown, and Callery explains that he is the last person who listens to the music before it goes to the mixing station. Rebhun explains that he has to make sure all dialogue can be heard over everything Callery writes. It is then sent to the mixing stage where all the sound effects and music are added. Paul Gadd, the co-producer, is shown at the mixing stage assisting the addition of music.

Callery concludes by saying how lucky he feels to work on a show that always inspires him.