Here's the listing:
The track is "Motor Up" on my taxi page (link in signature).Major New York Ad Agency U-R-G-E-N-T-L-Y needs a (quoting the agency here): "Hip, driving, and rhythmic INSTRUMENTAL TRACK, grounded in ROCK. DO NOT give us anything too clubby, too electronic or over produced! The footage for this TV spot is very raw and the music needs to be in line with that. Give us something that's got sort of a machine-like, industrial feel to it, and has a SLIGHT bit of darkness. Don't get carried away with the darkness though!" TAXI Tip: We know the agency likes ASPECTS of this track:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqFAMyngGlwWe'd STRONGLY advise matching the TEMPO, GROOVE, and the ACCENTS. We'd also advise you to NOT give them as many sectional contrasts as you'll hear in the reference track. Check out the section from 2:45 forward, for about 30 seconds, and create your own ORIGINAL TRACK that has that TEMPO and GROOVE combined with your own ORIGINAL MELODY. Give them a signature motif (hooky- but not overpowering) and that machine-like, industrial GROOVE we mentioned before, but don't make it overly busy. Concentrate your efforts on the GROOVE!!! The TV spot features some sound effects that are somewhat machine-like, and your track needs to leave enough room for those SFX to be featured in the final mix while lining up nicely with your track's GROOVE. As always, DO NOT rip off the reference track in any way, shape or form. Use it ONLY as a guide for TEMPO, TONE and GROOVE. ESTIMATED FEE is $60,000 for this spot. This is DIRECT-to-the-Agency, so you'll KEEP 100% of this deal with NO Publisher Splits! Broadcast Quality is needed (excellent home recordings are fine). You must own or control 100% of the Master and Composition rights. TRACKS that are at least 2 minutes in length and have faded endings are preferred. DO NOT title your track like you would for a music library. Give it a cool, re-mixer-like title. If you ARE chosen, the Ad Agency or the Music Supervisor will contact you DIRECTLY. Please submit one to three TRACKS online or per CD. Please include lyrics. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS. NO FULL CRITIQUES FROM TAXI due to the extremely short timeline. Submissions must be received no later than TODAY, NOVEMBER 28th at 4pm, (PDT). TAXI Listing #Y111128IN
And here's the critique:
This one really smarts. I feel like the track does have lots of space for about the first 40 seconds, and then another break after 1 minute, and then fills out from there. I thought I had provided enough variations on "groove plus X" where X is some combination of the other parts.The listing seeks tracks that are sparser to allow for existent special effects to be featured, though this track is fun and could work really well for another listing - I find it very appealing and hope you find the right placement for it! There are a lot of elements that are on the nose here, it's just that the listing is really specific about leaving room for the SFX.
But I can say that for the listing from two weeks ago, the one that Michael featured in last week's Webcast, I must have read the listing 20 times while working on the piece, and changed direction a few times accordingly, and got forwarded.
But the big lesson here is for all the newbies: Never, ever assume that the screener will hear your track and go, "Oh, it's perfect other than that one instrument, so I'll forward it, because it's easy to mute the instrument and rebounce it." Or, "it's perfect other than that vocal, when they wanted an instrumental." I know that much; I just wasn't careful enough about the listing parameters. So I will have a stomach ache for the next few days knowing that I came so close. But that's this business.
