Behind the Scenes
Music for Film
First of all...
What is it Good For?
Creating a Mood
Establishing Pacing
Supporting the Action
Heightening Tension
Emphasizing Moments
On the Flipside...
Distracting from Poor Acting
Smoothing Abrupt or Awkward Transitions
Trying to Force an Emotional Response
Don't do this.
Melting Pot
Film music is the omni-genre.

There is no specific "style" that
defines it and it does not need
to adhere to strict principles if
you don't want it to.
Don't be afraid of innovative approaches
(Even though sometimes they will totally suck)
But let's take a step back...
What does a film score consist of?
Composed Music
Licensed Music
There are two parts
Different Kinds of Licensed Music:
Source Tracks
Music Libraries
Production Music*
A Brief Aside On the Topic of Marketing
Music is an important part of your
advertising too. Trailer music has become
an entire industry unto itself. There are
concerts of trailer music being held.

So when it comes to your promotional
material, don't get lazy and reach for
generic stuff unless it's deliberate.
Your composer can and will
help you to craft a customized
score for trailers and commercials.


You may want to consider it, because...
The composer will already be familiar with the film
You don't have to fiddle with editing and looping pre-made music
The style will be consistent with what's in the real film score
You can foreshadow themes, ideas, etc. so they have greater impact
Source Tracks
The cornerstone of licensing music involves putting
famous (or not so famous) songs into your films.

The advantages are obvious: it's reconizable, popular,
and can be used to trigger nostalgia and other specific
emotions in your audience if the music is well chosen.
How Does it Work?
You contact the publisher that owns the license
OR, you contact the artist directly (especially if they're not mainstream)
If it's happening through a publisher, you prepare a lot of paperwork
Then you pay them a lot of money (usually) to obtain a "sync license"
Be polite, cooperative, and honest
Not quite as straightforward as we might have hoped,
but it's necessary if you don't want to get yourself sued.
Music Libraries
Music libraries are the poor man's excuse for not hiring a composer.

They offer convenience, dirt-cheap pricing, and fast workflow.
Uh, Okay, Where's the Bad News?
The music tends to be mediocre — you get what you pay for
You can't customize tracks beyond basic length edits and looping
The music will only ever fit your film by accident
They tend to encourage laziness when it comes to handling music
They completely remove the excitement of working with someone
Now for the fun part...
Composers
A User's Manual
So You Want To Hire A Composer
First of all: congratulations! You're about to take your film to the next level!
What a Composer Will Do For You
Write beautiful (or not) music that is perfectly suited to your film
Communicate with you to ensure that they understand what you want
Do their best to help you convey your vision
Work with the budget you give them to get you the best sound possible
Lend their expertise during the final mix to help you keep things balanced
Entertain you with witty jokes and funny stories about other directors
What a Composer Will Not Do For You
Laundry
Dinner with your mum
Your taxes
...Actually, Just One Major Thing:
Composers will not copy other people's work for you
The easiest way to start off your director/composer relationship on a sour note is to ask them to make something "just like" such and such. It sucks.

It also makes no sense. If you really like that piece of music, just license it. The whole point of hiring a composer is that you work with them to produce a more meaningful, customized musical score.
How Many Do I Need?
Working with a composer is all about collaboration,
so sometimes it can be tempting to hire more than one of them
Multiple composers can bring multiple areas of expertise to
the table, but it also means more links in the chain of
communication.

Often, it also means more time to get everything delivered
since they will have to not only make their music consistent
with the film, but also consistent with the other's work.
How To Talk To Your Composer
Don't speak music (unless you know what you're talking about)
Describe scenes in terms of intended responses and emotions
Don't re-state the obvious: we can see that it's sunny — what else?
Help us dig down to the underlying layers: what's the subtext?
Help us get to know the characters and their motivations
The closer you get us to your depth of understanding, the more in tune the score will be with what you're envisioning
When giving feedback, do so constructively and as precisely as you are able
Things To Give Your Composer
Creative Direction
Flexibility
Feedback
Trust
Money
A bit more about
Trust & Creative Freedom
We know that trust is earned and will work hard to impress you
If you nurture our creative side and challenge us to be innovative, we will strive even harder
Once you establish a strong working relationship, you will feel more confident about allowing your composer creative input: the sooner you get here, the better
Don't be afraid to let your composer surprise you
(They often will whether you like it or not)
And now the uncomfortable part
Money
Contrary to popular opinion, composers actually do eat and sleep.

We cannot pay for these things with "copy & credit" any more successfully than you can.

Just something to keep in mind when you're deliberating over...
Budget
Where It Goes and Why
Your composer's first goal is to provide you with the best sounding score possible. In order to achieve that, they have several options. The best sound will always come from hiring live musicians, and that goes for any genre of music, not just orchestral film scores. This is also the priciest option.

If you can't afford that, they will use virtual instruments, sample libraries, and synthesizers to approximate the live sound as best as they can. Technology is frighteningly advanced, and in some cases can be a worthy substitute and/or addition to live recordings. This is by far the most popular option.

In either case, your composer will spend the money you give them responsibly and carefully: finding the perfect balance between expense and result is a key aspect of our job. If we're asking for what seems like a large budget, don't be afraid to ask us why — we can and will be happy to explain.
Bringing it all Together
Now that we've covered the basic elements, here's a quick rundown
of the actual film scoring process...
1.
Scouting &
Spotting
The first step is finding your composer.

Once you've got one (or more), you sit down with them and introduce them to the world of your film. Talk about it, watch it together, and tell them what you had in mind in terms of the music. Make use of their expertise to come up with the best solution.
2.
Drafts
Because you've brought your composer on board nice and early in the process (right?), you have plenty of time to have them refine their approach while you focus on filming and editing.

Try sending some demos back and forth and see if you change your mind about how to tackle the music.
3.
The First Attempt
One day, after being buried in their studio for weeks, your composer will emerge triumphant and proud with their first take on the material. They will give you quality mock-ups and expect you to give them quality feedback.

Sometimes, especially if you've tossed some demos back and forth in step 2, their first attempt will be essentially perfect. If not, then sit down and discuss what worked for you and what didn't, and repeat until you're satisfied.
4.
Recording & Polish
Once the green light is lit for all the cues that make up a score, one of two things happen. Either the composer goes and records the score with live musicans and invites you to participate in what is truly a unique and rewarding experience, or they burrow back into their studios to polish up the virtual/synthetic mock-ups to the best of their ability.

Either way, once they emerge again, your score is finished!
5.
Dubbing
Just because the score is done, doesn't mean the process is quite finished yet. There is still the fun task of laying it against the picture and the sound effects and the foley and making them all play nicely together.

Do yourself a favour and include the composer in this process if you can: they have a good ear and can provide insightful feedback. When all is said and done, don't forget to keep in touch...you never know when you may be able to help each other out again.
Temp Tracks
The power of
Silence
Speaking of which...
Hi, I'm Marius
How To Find Me
www.mathazzar.com
Thank You!