Behind the Scenes: Interview with Robbie Whiplash

For this post, we asked Robbie Whiplash to join us. Robbie pulls double duty on Shotgun Mythos. He plays Ari and he composes the music for Shotgun Mythos.

Robbie:  "Annnnnnnd done! Another episode in the bag."

Clint:  Good to hear. So, what's it like playing Ari?

Robbie:  "Well, we filmed an awesome scene with Nate Nelson this week (AKA Gryson). I wish I could say what exactly was in the scene but I can't give anything away! And, since you're editing this blog entry, my guess is you'd just take it out anyway. Which I think is really the hardest part about both scoring Shotgun Mythos, as well as acting in it. I get to see all the episodes before anyone but you has seen them, so it’s tough to not talk about any of it even to the other actors, cause I want them to be surprised as well! It’s hard keeping my mouth shut on set."

Clint:  What goes into the scoring process?

Robbie:  "It's pretty simple really. Once you assemble the episode, you send it to me and I drop it in Garageband and I watch it … over and over and over again. I keep watching until I figure out how everything feels rather then what’s actually going on in the scene. I think it’s more about making an audience feel what’s going on so that they are absorbed by what they hear, and it takes you back to the same kind of zone when you were a kid …you would just zone out and daydream. I aim to poke at the emotions of the audience and make them feel what’s going on:  Summer being hyper and happy, Amadan being dark cold and riff raff like, or Thales wise and mysterious. I've never acted before, nor have I ever scored a series or anything for that matter. But after all the Industrial metal, or Psychobilly Rock and Roll, or Power 80s metal that I play with my bands, Shotgun Mythos is where I get to lay out everything that I can't release in the bands that I'm in. Picture if you will, a solo album written by some one, then take all the music and make an orchestrated version of it, and that’s what comes out."

Clint:  What about your acting process?

Robbie:  "As far as the acting goes I try to put my self in that place , What does Ari's dungeon look like … what kind of sounds are going on around me … and I go to that place every time you say action."

Clint:  So, you and I hadn't met prior to Shotgun Mythos. How did you get involved in this madness?

Robbie: "Months ago, I saw a Facebook post shared by Nate Nelson describing a young man between 20-30 , tall , dark and what not, I never thought by commenting on the post with "<----- right here",that I would land one of the most awesome gigs I've had the pleasure of taking part in. Though I don't see how I fit the description that I read in the script book once I met with you, but you have a vision and when you said, "you are Ari." Then, I just didn't question the vision. So now I get the pleasure of being the spit in the face of Slau Pharmaceutical and be a little defiant smart ass with an attitude problem. I mean how would you feel if you where just tossed in a dungeon to have Gryson pound you in the face every day, wouldn't be happy would ya?

Clint:  How did you end up scoring as well as acting?

Robbie:  "I wasn't even the original choice. To be honest I have no idea who was going to do it before, but I do remember when we stepped out for a smoke and you mentioned that the score guy had not been in contact with you for quite awhile, DING! So I spoke up, "Hey man, why don't you just let me do it .. I won't disappoint you". And, so far I really hope I haven't."

Clint:  You haven’t.  Not by a long shot.  Any closing thoughts?

Robbie:  "There is a long, long road ahead of us for my self and the rest of the Shotgun Mythos team and I wouldn't have it any other way. Although, I haven't gotten to interact with most of the cast, I feel like I get to hang out with them every Thursday when a finished webisode comes out. I've gotten to hang out with Steve Matos, Ray, Nate, Marcus, Monique and Chris for a couple minutes but that’s about it. Sucks being in Baltimore sometimes, cause I would love to just come up every weekend there is filming to hang out with everyone and watch as things are actually filmed. I was told this past weekend that I looked like a little kid glued to the TV during a cartoon, the way I was zoned in watching Ray bring Amadan to life like I don't think anyone else could. I made it a point, "No, we can't leave till Ray gets here" .. just so I could watch him and Nate go at it.

I really could go on forever and ever about how awesome this is and how I go about scoring the series, but I'd rather you go watch more episodes then read my babble. I'd like to take this time to say thank you to everyone that I have met so far and to Clint, Darla and Marcus. Thank you for letting me be a part of this and assist in setting the mood for this world you have created.

Damn..."

PS:  The story behind that final line is funny and a testament to Robbie's work ethic. He drove two hours from Baltimore one Saturday to film one line...and that one line was "Damn...", once we were finished, he said, "thanks, gotta get back." And, off he went, no complaints.