Are you watching the shows you are targeting?

[Paulie]

During the rally supervisor Jonathan Weiss mentioned that it is important to watch the shows you are writing for (or targeting) and to keep up with the Billboard Top 10 to see what is current. Some libraries will give you specifics to write to, while others will just specific a genre. This week I watched an entire episode of the Kardashians and took note of ever single cue that I heard. (I actually did this twice, I somehow lost the first document and had to start over). The single episode I watched included 71 cues, some just a few seconds, others more than 20 seconds. Here's the list to give you an idea of what happens in a single episode. I strongly suggest doing the same if you are writing for a show, or have a particular show that you want to send music to. I've always been an analytical, numbers person, perhaps this is a little OCD? But, it works for me. The notes are not detailed, i typed this realtime while watching the show.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Season 12 Episode 16 Love At First Fight 4 September 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUdh_WU7Jf4

1. Hip Hop with orch hits, stinger
2. Hip Hop fast hats, uplifting synth
3. EDM aggressive synth, stinger (sub boomer)
4. funny dramedy bells, pizzi
5. Theme Song
6. EDM transition
7. pizzi pluck hip hop
8. Hip Hop. slow in 3/4
9. Hard hip hop hits build up
10. EDM transition 3:40
11. Synth intro to hip hop electro simple beat, stinger
12. Synth string intro hip hop
13. BD hip hop, low EQ, 808 long tones
14. Hip hop HH SD, pulsing sustain 1/2 step movement (lounger cue)
15. Hip Hop transition
16. Hip Hop sad piano, low not stinger
17. EDM string intro transition (8:51)
18. Trap synth intro, then beat (longer cue)
19. Trap/Dub drop transition
20. Pizzi hip hop dramedy (longer clip,20+ sec) MINE!
21. Bouncy EDM dance intro
22. EDM transition sidechain
23. Hip Hop orch hits with scratches
24. Hip Hop w/pluck synth intro
25. Dance EDM intro transition
26. Reflective piano trap (minor key) builds to pulsing bass
27. EDM transition
28. Hip Hop Transition 18:02
29. Trap intro
30. Happy hip hop
31. EDM build up and transition with plucks
32. Hip Hop with synth pads with stinger
33. Synth drama with plucs
34. Trap reggae transition
35. Trap transition with hi hats
36. Trap with quarter note keys
37. Synth trap intro, uplifting (major key)
38. Trap transition
39. Synth pop
40. EDM tube bass synth intro
41. Trap intro with deep bell
42. Hip Hop with porch hits
43. Trap intro transition
44. Trap hi-hat intro, aggressive
45. EDM happy pop intro
46. EDM gltich transition
47. EDM intro transition
48. 80s pop/EDM hybrid
49. EDM energetic intro (low pass filter near end)
50. Energetic dance transition
51. Shuffle Trap with quarter note keys pattern with stinger
52. Trap pulse groove
53. Trap transition with low piano stinger
54. EDM/trap synth hybrid melody
55. EDM/pop groove
56. String 8ths hop hop intro minor key
57. EDM intro transition
58. EDM snare buildup and drop
59. Hip Hop groove, stinger
60. Synth EDM intro to pluck melody, then arpeggiator
61. Trap intro with horn-ish riff, then groove, stinger
62. slow hip hop intro, piano 16ts
63. Bass synth melody EDM intro, gets happy and hopeful as drums drop out
64. Dance pluck groove
65. Reflective piano EDM-ish intro, builds to happy EDM chorus (long cue)
66. Trap transition
67. EDM reggaton intro
68. Hard trap
69. Trap groove
70. Slower trap groove
71. Trap groove, hard snare ending

[admin]

And when Michael tells everybody on TAXI TV to watch shows with a legal pad on their lap, does anybody listen? Well, at least Jon Weiss broke through, and yes Paulie, you're OCD in the best possible way! Hats off to you!

best,
Michael

[Russell Landwehr]

Holy Cow, Paul!

Interesting, that amounts to an average of about :35 per cue. (if there is music wall-to-wall)

[Kolstad]

Yeah, I do, but perhaps not being that particular
I'm sure that OCD will pay off, Paulie!

[Paulie]

And when Michael tells everybody on TAXI TV to watch shows with a legal pad on their lap, does anybody listen? Well, at least Jon Weiss broke through, and yes Paulie, you're OCD in the best possible way! Hats off to you!

best,
Michael

Thanks Michael! I usually take notes when watching tv, but never at this detail, The HARD part is struggling to ignore the intensely vapid dialog. I'm also writing for an MTV show called Bad Girls Club... the content there makes the Kardashians look like a PBS Frontline documentary by comparison. That's actually my next list to make. Pray for me, I may lose a few IQ points during that one.

Paulie

[ochaim]

well done, paulie!

[markhimley]

awesome, Paulie! I need to do this sort of stuff more often, great insight.

[sansharbour]

Ok Im getting a pad out

Great exercise Paulie

Don

[mojobone]

It does seem a little OCD, Paulie, but only until I consider the amount of time I take pausing and rewinding TV and movie credits to scrape library and supe infos; I make a game out of it and raise a glass every time I see a Taxi member credited. Hopefully, I'll be raising one in your honor, real soon, now.

[Lawrence]

Thanks for the reminder! I tried this several times & need to do a better job of not getting caught up in the dialogue.