One of Hollywood’s leading music supervisors, Thomas Golubić, a five-time Emmy nominee and two-time Grammy nominee, held an exclusive masterclass before a packed audience at Ložionica.
The Thomas Golubić masterclass was organised by Ložionica in cooperation with ARC (American Resource Center).
Golubić, who has shaped the musical identity of some of the most influential television productions of the past two decades, including Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Silo, Pluribus and many others, spoke about the importance of choosing the right song for the right moment and the role music plays in building atmosphere, characters and the story itself.
The job of a music supervisor is not to find the best music, but the music that tells the story most truthfully.
He also took the audience behind the scenes of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, explaining what the creative process looks like – from reading a scene to making the final music selection – and how important collaboration, trust and a deep understanding of the story are throughout that process.
He reflected in particular on his long-standing collaboration with Vince Gilligan, whom he described as his favorite collaborator and the Stanley Kubrick of our time, highlighting the atmosphere Gilligan creates within his team – an environment in which everyone is encouraged to contribute and where a good idea can come from anyone.
Speaking about one of the fundamental principles of his work, Golubić said:
Music should never get in the way of the story. If the music belongs to the place and the moment, it creates authenticity in the scene instead of a false image of reality.
Speaking about the role of music supervisors, Golubić emphasised that they are, above all, storytellers who tell their stories through music.
We often face limited budgets, but limitations can lead to the most interesting creative decisions. Sometimes I tell a better story when I don’t have access to well-known songs, because it forces me to find something new, unexpected and cool – something that ultimately makes that particular series unique, Golubić added.
The masterclass at Ložionica offered a rare opportunity for Serbian filmmakers, composers, producers, directors, students and other creative professionals to hear first-hand experiences and learn from one of the world’s most influential experts in music supervision.