Reviews
Our film is underlaid by the subtle exploratory soundscape by Tom which masterfully interweaves the sounds of winter, the human voice, electronics and tibetan meditation bowls into an evocative and delicate exploration of the audible soul of winter and solitude.
-Alexander Palache Gutterman, Director, In Winter
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Tom and has crew at Undertone Music for our post-production sound on The Legend of Swee' Pea. Their mixes of our expansive New York and and Las Vegas cityscapes sounded tremendous in the theater. The intimate moments of verite were superbly measured. Tom is an artist and will elevate your project with his attention. We'll definitely mix our next project at Undertone.
-Ben May, Director, The Legend of Swee Pea
Tom is tremendously talented in all areas of post production sound and his studio is easily the best in Minnesota, likely the Midwest. In addition to the uncommon breadth of Tom's talents, he also brings a deep passion to each project such that he goes above and beyond simply providing superior service -- he pushes the end result to the highest level possible. For my most recent feature film, Tom was able to create a level of sound quality that matches or exceeds that of many studio films with 50X the production budget -- a remarkable achievement.
-Dave Ash, Director: Twin Cities (Feature Film)
I was really impressed with the soundtrack Tom Hambleton created for TPT's documentary, Kevin Kling: Lost and Found. The score is an important creative element of the documentary, adding so much energy, emotion, and drama. Tom showed a real understanding and sensitivity to Kevin's story and his music vividly captures Kevin's highly original outlook on life and his art. The variety and originality of musical tracks and themes Tom created was impressive especially given the very tight production timeline. Tom has real skill and versatility as a composer and he's also a pleasure to work with.
- Catherine Allen, Senior Executive Producer, Twin Cities Public Television.
His work kicks ass!!!
- Charles Maynes, Sound Designer : Twister, U-571, Spiderman, Fantastic 4, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima, Moneyball.
Best sound designer in the world!
-Rosto, Director: Jona/Tomberry, Beheaded, The Monster of Nix, and Splintertime
Dude, these are soooooo cool.... wow. I would totally buy this score on iTunes as complementary tracks to the final mixed soundtrack.
-Andrew Chesworth, Dir. The Brave Locomotive, Animator at Disney
Thrilled and amazed by the incredible sonic storytellers at Undertone Music, Inc.. They took great care in elevating our film with a phenomenal sound design and mix. Great sound will pull you into a story like nothing else and these are the professionals that you can trust to elevate your vision. Huge thank you to Tom and his team!
-Jesse Roessler, Director: Music is My Voice, The Starfish Throwers
Tom is a true professional in every sense of the word. His studio is state of the art and the only Dolby approved stage in the Midwest. I've done three films with Tom, 2 features and a short. He treated both projects with the same first class integrity despite the budgetary differences. I would recommend Tom and his team at Undertone Music, Inc. for any post-production sound job. Whether it’s a film, television program, commercial, industrial, or any other professional project, Tom and his crew are sure to deliver results.
- John W. Bosher, Producer Beverly Ridge Pictures and Throughline Films : Chicago Overcoat; The Small Assassin; Using; Animals; Lucky Number; Lost in Austin.
I don't even have to walk into Tom's shop to know how talented he is. For 4 films we've had a great exchange, whether he's scoring from animatics or words that describe, he always seems to hit it. I have always enjoyed waking up to wav files in my in box of what he's scored the day/night before to studio time to finally his awesome stage and before you know it, there it is ~ his original score, sound design, 5.1 mix all coming to life! He brings a whole new dimension to our projects and a great collaboration.
- Melissa Butts, Director, Melrae Pictures; Mars 3D; Sun 3D; Space Junk 3D; Electropolis
Tom Hambleton is a very talented mixer/editor. His knowledge of the craft is impeccable. He supervised the Foley on a film that I mixed and it easily compared - if not exceeded - the tone of work done by many major facilities in Hollywood. He's truly is a powerhouse of talent. He takes his work seriously with every film and it shows!
- Tim Hoogenakker , Re-recording Mixer, POP Sound: Family Weekend
Just listened to the final surround sound mix of Twin Cities - feature film at Undertone Music, Inc. If you can get these to work on your movie, I highly recommend them! Listening to it all after the final mix - it was a whole different movie. Different nuances in the actor's performances came out, the world around the characters grew, and everything just flowed together. It was just a really incredible experience. So - keep them in mind when thinking about your post sound.
-Jason Schumacher, Producer/Editor, Twin Cities (Feature Film)
I loved what you did with the music and sfx and dialogue. It worked really well. The work is great. And its been a pleasure working with you. You did some really nice, innovative sound, and music.
-Harry B. Miller III, Editor, Electropolis for National Geographic
Tom Hambleton is the most meticulous, dedicated and talented sound designer and re-recording mixer I have ever worked with. During production, David Russo insisted we had to hire this Sound Designer from way out in Minneapolis that he had worked with before. I understand how important it is to work with the right people… so I said of course. Now I know why David insisted we hire Tom Hambleton. From the first day I spoke with Tom I could tell he was going to give 200% to the project - and this is what he did.
What I now realize, however, is that this is what Tom does for every project. For any future projects, Tom is someone I would insist on having on board.
Tom is a clear thinker, excellent communicator, and has a crazy sense of humor, aside from being the best sound designer and mixer you could find. I knew I could call him at any time with the latest problem or challenge of the moment, and he would leap into action to help us figure out the best solution. You will have fun working with Tom, and you will also have an incredible, rich soundtrack. You will hear sounds and jokes and dramatic
moments you never imagined possible for your film!
-Peggy Case, Producer, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle
…pretty cool opener. Combine that with a decent opening kill (the sound effects for it are superb) and it looks like we’ve got ourselves the start to a darn good horror movie!
-Review of Matthew 18 by Angel Van Croft, Horrornews.net
Great work, Tom, as always. You move time and emotions, at will, with extraordinary result. Any work is lucky to finish on your bench.
- David Klassen, Dir. Corporate Branding content and Commercials.
As the senior producer and co-executive producer of the MonsterQuest series, which airs on History, I would strongly recommend Tom Hambleton / Undertone Music for your project.
Tom created a number of large packages of music, stabs and stings that were used to great effect throughout our series. He was able to produce a range of sonically different pieces that helped enhance our stories through building out the mood of a scene, adding energy and pacing.
The music he created has been used to great effect throughout the series and I believe really helped move the show to the next level in a dynamic and creative way.
- Will Yates, Senior Producer, MonsterQuest.
I received a demo of (your) work and I wanted to let you know I was very impressed . A talented man on numerous levels. You are the complete package, music_and_sound. Great job!
- Marti D. Humphrey, CAS, The Dub Stage, Burbank, CA: The Grudge; The Strangers; The X-Files; Everybody Hates Chris; Mad About You, Ellen.
An independent filmmaker, usually stretched to the limit in terms of financial resources, must find highly talented and committed craftsmen with whom to collaborate if his work is to have much chance for success in an increasingly saturated film and video market worldwide. Tom Hambleton and his group at Undertone Music in Minneapolis have proven to be such collaborators as demonstrated so satisfactorily with the recently completed Sabina K.
Sabina K., a feature film shot in the Bosnian language, was filmed in its entirety in Bosnia and Herzegovina and required great attention to detail in terms of dialogue editing, Foley work, hard effects and overall sound design. Tom did a superb job in overseeing all of these aspects and I could simply not be happier with the final result. There is no doubt in my mind that the crew at Undertone – and Tom Hambleton in particular – will be my go-to guys for future films!
-Cristóbal Krusen, Director Sabina K
His creativity is second to none and I love the fact that I can go to one person who can bring my productions to another level. He listens to and understands my vision and on many occasions outperformed what I had envisioned and communicated to him for many of the scenes.
- Gene Teigland, Dir. Arnolds Park
Tom Hambleton executes creative sounds that bring new dimensions to visual storytelling. Combining a keen ear for film, prodigious musical skills, and state-of-the-art technology, his contributions to all productions, from voice recording to sound design and scoring, raise the values immensely.
- Jerry Smith, Dir. Non-violent Peacekeeping; The Real Story; Changing Patterns.
(I just watched the documentary) Slavery by Another Name. I was mesmorized by the audio. Typically I wouldn't write this kind of email, but as a voice talent, I was stunned to hear such bold clarity and beautiful eq on the narration stem. I…have yet to get that type of full sound, so I'm writing to ask: Can you direct me to the person responsible for treating (the) narration? I'm certain much of it is in Fishbourne's voice, but now that I've finally heard someone do it, I know it's exactly the type of clean polish I would like to send out.
- Kevin Genus, Voice Over Talent
Undertone’s sound quality is world class, meeting or exceeding the big studios on the coasts…
- Lane Raichert, Freelance Creative: Artist, Writer, Co-Founder, Raichert Media
I enthusiastically recommend Tom Hambleton for any audio project that requires artistic sensitivity, high production standards, and diligent attention. Tom immediately grasped the goals of our project and coached our voice talent to deliver what we needed with skill, persistence, and good humor. He was ready to lend his professional advice at every step along the way, from identifying voice talent in a specialized niche (we were looking for an Ojibwe tribe member) to finessing the finished audio to hide a few hiccups—much appreciated expertise since this project was the first of its kind for our organization. He works hard and quickly and is an excellent communicator. We could not have asked for a better partner and look forward to having another opportunity to work with him.
-Diana Johnson, for the Minnesota Museum of American Art
Tom Hambleton and Undertone Music helped with audio content for a cell phone tour of our museum. Content experts came to Undertone's studios to be interviewed for tour content, and Tom recorded and edited hours of interview time down to focused, fascinating snippets. Tom was a resourceful, intuitive, and enthusiastic colleague on the project. Despite limited background in the specific content, he quickly grasped the themes and threads we sought to pull out, and helped to elicit and distill the information, ultimately creating compelling bits for visitors. I highly recommend Tom for his professional approach and technical know-how.
-Nina Clark, Director of Programs and Exhibits, The American Swedish Inst.
As a former agency producer and now principal at a leading media production company, I have had the good fortune of teaming up with Tom and Undertone Music on a wide range of work. From short form to long form, webcast or broadcast Tom has consistently developed an amazing array of audio solutions for my projects. When needed, Tom has been open to working with aggressive timelines and aggressive client demands and has always come through.
Whether a hybrid of library and original work, or, all original effects and score Undertone Music adds the audio signature I need to help my projects stand out.
-Casey Thompson, Briefcase TV
Thanks again for everything, Tom. Marek and I really love and appreciate all that you've done with The Good Father. We are fortunate to have had you on board, and I hope we'll be able to work together again on the next film!
-Daniel Bielinksi, Director : The Good Father
This has got to be one of the best recordings I have ever done…My entire life I have wanted to interpret songs written by my generation and this is exactly what I imagined. You have made a dreamers dream come true.
With sincere and utmost respect, admiration and affection,
- James A. Rocco Vice President Programming, Producing Artistic Director | Ordway Center for the Performing Arts