$$$ Scoring Film

[k o star]

So I passed my demo cd to the Supervisor (mentioned above) abt 2 weeks ago & just saw her again yesterday & in her own words told me that she is "extremely impressed" with my works & feels that my stuff is very suitable for film music so she asked if she could pass my demos to the film department at her company... and I told her that becos most of my works are already in a couple of libraries in the US, I'm not quite comfortable with them being used here yet... (and becos I only started writing "film" music 3 months ago, my collection isn't big enough yet) and she said, no worries cos they'll probably pass me movies to score music over instead of placing my current tracks over their film/films... So now I'm wondering if anyone here knows if this is a good way to work in terms of $$$wise versus placements and also...What do composers earn ard... say for scoring music to a 60min film?I just need some rough estimates, just to get an idea...I'm thinking that it be good for me to know... in case someone contacts me and ask me what I charge for that kinda work?All feedback welcometh & appreciated...Cool Peace,-Kel

[mazz]

First off you need to learn the lingo of the business so you understand the terminology when you are discussing things with these folks.As far as scoring films: if you've never scored a film, a 60 minute film is a huge bite to take for the first one out of the gate. That's not to say you can't pull it off, but it's not like writing a bunch of library tunes and putting them over scenes (unless that's the kind of film it is!). You have to play the emotions of the scenes, do you play with or against the visuals, are you inside the head of the character or are you playing the outside scene, and so on and so forth. You're really a dramatist in a composer's body when you're scoring a film.And in the film business, they always edit until the last possible second (and beyond) and then give you a very short time frame in which to complete your score (brilliantly, of course!). Can you write 30 or 40 minutes of great music for a film in 30 days? Including the inevitable rewrites and meetings and discussions? How familiar are you with your gear when it comes to syncing to film? Do you know how to seamlessly integrate Quicktime movies in to your DAW. What if they deliver a different format, can you convert it easily? You don't want to be answering these and a multitude of other questions when you're under the gun of a deadline, and you will be under the gun of a deadline at some point. A hotshot assistant would be a good investment.Then there's the matter of pay. How long will it take you to write that much music and how much is your time worth during that period? What's it worth to be out of the loop for however long it takes to write the score (no TAXI listings, no library submissions, etc.)?This is a fantastic opportunity for you and I think you should go for it. I'm not trying to scare you off but there are lots of things to consider that you may not have considered that you need to have together before you commit to a large scale scoring project. You'll probably do just fine, but be as prepared as you can with backups, contingency plans (what if your computer crashes) and so forth. What would a professional film composer do? Just do that!! Congrats!!Mazz

[k o star]

Thank U Mazz...and I thought abt Ur very valuable feedback on this situation and the diff. aspects highlighted... then I realized on the technical side of things... my current system would most likely crash and burn tryna run a 60min film on my DAW...I've done 5min cuts before and it was already pretty shaky... hmmm, seems like I've still got lots of other stuff to also consider for this situation...Appreciate Ur expert insight...Kel

[dommydom]

Hi Kel,I'm in victoria too, and whilst I dont know how the licensing etc works either, I did recently meet someone through my day job who has been doing all that over here for a long time... I have had a few chats with him about all that sort of stuff and he is very accommodating, and i'm sure he would be happy to help you if you have any questions.. pm me if you want his contact details.

[k o star]

hi Dom,Thanks for the offer... really appreciate that...I think for now... I might give this Scoring Film chance a pause... seems like a very time consuming kinda work & I already have a lot on my plate... hmmm, I don't know... got lots to think about... to consider... abt doing Scoring...Always good to get more info though... I'l pm U yea! =)Love Ur works btw... I checked out Ur site...Kel

[mazz]

Film scoring is FUN! But it does take a lot of time and at the start doesn't pay much if anything. And it will take you away from creating music that has a better potential of generating backend royalties than an indie film that may or may not get broadcast or even hit a theater (in the US there's no performance royalties from theatrical performances like there is EVERYWHERE ELSE in the world!). I've managed to retain publishing on my last film score, which is a rarity and I've tried to adapt the film cues for library usage and it's really tough because if they are written to follow the action, they change too much for a library cue generally.If you did get a job as a house composer for a production company, then at least you could get paid for writing, but those jobs are as rare as hen's teeth. It's kind of like a Supreme Court Judge, it's a gig for life once you land it!!! LOLAnyway, I think you should look in to it more just to learn what the parameters are. Maybe if it's one or two films a year, it might be worth the plunge, particularly if you can make enough to upgrade your setup and still make ends meet.Mazz

[bmete]

Hi Kel,Some great advice here.... looks like you have an excellent opportunity and right in your backyard.Martin and Mazz hit in the nail on the head, reading and learning...that's what I'm doing....Here's a good read, I'm enjoying right now...Complete guide to film scoringRichar DavisBerklee pressGood Luck.... keep us postedBob

[k o star]

Thank U so much Mazz... and Bob and Everyone for Ur very useful feedback... Lots to learn here... so much to learn...Will check out the reads too =)Kel

[suzdoyle]

Hey Kel -- this sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you if you can make it work along with the other things you have going. It may be they might start you with some short films or Public Service Announcements, which would be less pressure than full films . . . Anyhoo, I highly recommend "The Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle" by Joy Butler:http://sashaycommunications.com/permiss ... ion.htmand her book "The Musician's Guide Through the Legal Jungle."Both are very user friendly.And here's a publication about fees and rates for commissioned music:http://www.meetthecomposer.org/publicationsAm excited to hear how this all unfolds for you!Best regards,Suz

[k o star]

Thanks for e encouragement & for sharing that awesome info Suz...I'm gonna keep an open mind on this one and see what happens...Even if I don't take on scoring work... at least I know my works are being appreciated somewhere with active media activities... so maybe I can still try for placements or other forms...Well... lots more to learn... will just continue writing for libraries, read study research and see what comes next...Thank U Everyone who have been giving me so much priceless advice & Info here xxPeace Cool Metal,Kel