Jacob
Wilkinson-SmithLook Mom I Can Fly
Using Arturia’s software instruments
to score Travis Scott’s tour, shows, and
studio life.
We spoke to Jacob Wilkinson-Smith about his creative process, and how he composed and produced the score for “Look Mom I Can Fly”, the Netflix documentary on US hip hop icon Travis Scott.
As we’ve often found with our other interviewees, Jacob found his passion for music-making at a young age. When he was 13, his friend next door used an early version of FL Studio, which inspired him to try it out for himself.
"It was just like playing a video game except I had something at the end of the day I could listen to. FL Studio to this day is still my DAW of choice!"
HIGHEST IN THE ROOM
Wilkinson-Smith first became involved in what would eventually become “Look Mom I Can Fly” toward the end of 2017. His best friend, White Trash Tyler, who went on to direct the film, had been on tour with Travis Scott and BTS, filming their concerts and documenting life on the road. When they looked back at the footage,Travis and Tyler thought they had something bigger simply creating assets for social media. Tyler sent Jacob a hard drive, and they began the process of creating mock trailers, and sequences for a potential movie.
"The sound played a big part in those initial days trying out different options. Using Arturia’s synths to help transition between Travis’s music and the newly produced score. One of those early ideas ended up becoming the first song in the documentary that’s on Netflix now."
"A big part of making this all work was listening. Taking time to understand all the synths featured throughout Travis’s amazing catalog. Decoding the sounds and working within that world. Mini V sounds helped me achieve a lot! Over the past two years, I learned so much about picking the right sounds to convey a feeling and not overcomplicating things.""
Using Analog Lab as a starting point for many of the sounds, Jacob found that its workflow saved him a lot of time. Using the browser, he would be able to search for specific things: only “key” sounds from CS-80 V, for example. The browser also lets you set “favorite” sounds while you explore the huge number of presets, so you can easily revisit the ones that inspired you later on.
"I’ve had a chance to use my favorite synth of all time, the CS-80, in person… to have it inside my computer whenever I need it is great! The hardware weighs about a ton so I’m happy the Arturia version is so light!""
BUTTERFLY EFFECT
In many creative roles, Jacob has worked with the likes of Kanye West and The Weeknd, to name a few. When working with such high profile artists, he finds it important to be fluid with what he does, and offers that advice to others looking to make a name for themselves in the industry.
"If you're a producer or engineer looking to get your foot in the door, think about your skill set and what you could be doing to bring value to these artists. Everyone’s shooting for that hit record."
"Why not try something different?"
In the early days, Travis took on all tasks and was never afraid of a fresh challenge. Sometimes it was sound design, the next job could be scoring an indie film. Often, he’ll be called to edit an artist's song so it can be used in a commercial. That’s how he has been able to keep so active, and work with so many different artists and brands.
"I’m a producer that just happened to stumble into this world of composing. So the tools I used to make beats are the same tools I used to score and do sound design. With almost 7,000 presets, it’s easy to find the sound you need in all circumstances."
"No matter the job, I use Analog Lab to get it done."