Watching TV to learn

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Paulie
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Watching TV to learn

Post by Paulie » Fri Jan 12, 2018 3:14 pm

Or should I say, "listening" to TV to learn. :)

Michael has mentioned in the past how he will sit down in front of the tv with a notepad and jot down things he hears during shows. I did that again last night while watching "Moonshiners." If you want an education in swamp cue writing, watch that show for an hour. :)

I only took notes for two segments... 13 cues in on five minute segment, 24 cues in the next nine minute segment. So, if you triple those minutes you get a good idea how many cues were used in this one episode. In this case that would be about 111. I heard some repeats, but in our business that's a good thing.

Here's the list in my personal shorthand to give an idea:
  • slide guitar (cigar box guitar), slow, sustained
  • tension drone, some hits, pulses, then stinger
  • tension drone
  • scraping tension then slide guitar
  • dobro, harmonica
  • acoustic guitar
  • violin transition, long notes
  • full swamp ensemble with drums (longer cue)
  • fiddle, bass, guitar
  • dobro, cbg guitar, acoustic strumming
  • tension pulsing drone
  • tension drone, no tempo
  • tension drone, sounds like Damage rhythms building to commercial
  • same tension drone (after commercial)
  • tension drone, pulsing, stinger end
  • tension drone
  • tension pulsing drone, percussion enters later
  • acoustic swamp playing, lower strings
  • harmonica transition
  • banjo, bass drum, happy feel, longer cue
  • slide guitar / cbg
  • swamp ensemble
  • CBG solo, grows to ensemble
  • tension stinger
  • CBG
  • bass drum bas, guitar, ensemble, country twang
  • banjo, mandolin
  • strings, long
  • tensjon swamp, with hits, then fiddle
  • bass drum, group claps ensemble
  • CBG
  • hit, tension drone
  • cbg then add percussion
  • tension slide guitar
  • guitar, dobro, drums, dancing feel
  • harmonica, acoustic guitar
  • acoustic guitar
  • tension drone builds to commercial break
The notes are not complex, but I know what each phrase means. Again, this list was about 14 minutes worth of tv content. After I wrote this list I put the pad down and started posting out each cue change to my wife (also a musician). Then I told her that we are halfway through the show, probably about 50 cues used already. Pretty eye opening... and I've seen the same volume, or more, with shows like Kardashains or MTV Challenge.

There's a LOT of business out there to be had! Hope this is useful. :)
Paul "yo paulie!" Croteau
"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." Beethoven
http://www.yopauliemusic.com | https://www.taxi.com/members/paulcroteau | https://youtube.com/@yopauliemusic

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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by funsongs » Fri Jan 12, 2018 4:39 pm

WOW - that's what I'd call "doing your homework"... someone's gonna appreciate and take courage from those numbers, I suspect.
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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by thegajman » Fri Jan 12, 2018 5:49 pm

Thanks for posting that Paulie! Very interesting and definitely encouraging.

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Casey H
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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by Casey H » Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:47 am

Paul watches these God-awful reality shows like the Kardashians for the cues. Uh huh... I used to read Playboy for the articles. :P ;) :o

Seriously, this is EXCELLENT homework and we all can learn A LOT from it! :D :mrgreen: Write not what you want to write, but what end users want to hear. That is, if you want more placements!

:D Casey

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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by funsongs » Sat Jan 13, 2018 11:33 am

Casey H wrote:Paul watches these God-awful reality shows like the Kardashians for the cues. Uh huh... I used to read Playboy for the articles. :P ;) :o

Seriously, this is EXCELLENT homework and we all can learn A LOT from it! :D :mrgreen: Write not what you want to write, but what end users want to hear. That is, if you want more placements!

:D Casey
WOW, Casey - almost channeling your JFK right there :? :) - another way of stating it might be:
"Ask not what your Country can do for your guitar; ask what your guitar can do for your Country!"
(write, submit, forget, rePete!) :? :shock: :lol: ("It don't mean a thang if it aint got that twang!")
Happy Saturday, everyone.
Peter Rahill - aka "funsongs"
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https://www.youtube.com/@peterrahill9263/featured
https://soundcloud.com/funsongs-1
https://peterrahill.bandcamp.com/

“The future aint what it use to be.” - Yogi Berra

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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by Kolstad » Sun Jan 14, 2018 10:25 am

Watching more tv is work - count me in! 8-)
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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by StuartBenbow » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:48 pm

I’m green as they come to tv cue writing, and really appreciate the insight.

Until recently, I’ve focused on writing things for me to play out, so I’ having to change mental gears. I haven’t had time for tv, but I think I’ll be making time. The thought of having to watch reality tv is suddenly bearable when focused on the music and not the plot.

Thanks for the idea, and the insights into just how much music cues are used in modern tv programming.

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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by DeanT » Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:30 pm

Thanks Paulie. What a great lesson in how to do your homework!
Dean Turner

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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by LamarPecorino » Tue Jan 23, 2018 4:24 pm

Thanks for sharing your insights, Paulie! :D
Onward and upward!
Lamar

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Re: Watching TV to learn

Post by zarronkhan0 » Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:45 am

Casey H wrote:
Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:47 am
Paul watches these God-awful reality shows like the Kardashians for the cues. Uh huh... I used to read Playboy for the articles. :P ;) :o

Seriously, this is EXCELLENT homework and we all can learn A LOT from it! :D :mrgreen: Write not what you want to write, but what end users want to hear. That is, if you want more placements!

:D Casey
Thank for sharing the insights I love reading articles about watches and I found many best watches under 5k article and had many great reviews.
Last edited by zarronkhan0 on Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

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