Soundtrack Production

What makes a filmmaker see their characters when they hear your music? 

The basic concept is simple: people have a personality and music conveys a personality. The characters in a show have bold parts of their personality which are apparent immediately in their actions, plot lines, fashion, dialog, and attitude. They also have nuances in their personality that are subtle and require more attention to pick up by an audience. These are often the details that writers use to create depth or deception in the arc of a story across a series.

Music shares those same attributes. There are bold sounds, chords, rhythms, and lyrical messages that state the obvious message. There are also subtle details, imperfections, harmonic dissonance, unique choices in lyrical approach, metaphors, tonal temperatures, and slight tempo shifts. This is where the depth of connection takes place through the eyes of the filmmaker. 

The characters in a plot are not perfect. They are rife with...

This blog will focus on the core concept of my course techniques. It’s the foundation of my success, and one of the most valuable tools I use every day when I am writing for film and television. Make sure you’ve downloaded the e-book Getting Started in Music For Picture, and worked through those exercises first. They are the foundation you will need to understand the concepts here, as I explain how I combine my skills as a composer and music supervisor in every song I write and produce.  Here is the link to the free e-book:

GETTING STARTED IN MUSIC FOR PICTURE

I begin by thinking of a specific show, or shows that I want to target for music placements. I have already gone through the process in the e-book:

• Analyze the work of the filmmakers and understand the creative vision.
• Made a list of mental notes on style, storylines, and characters.
• Played my existing instrumentals against picture to confirm my instincts, or find a basic direction.

Now I enter the...

In the business of song placements, publishers and music catalogs have created an information system with music supervisors referred to as “The Brief”. A Brief is a short description of a pending need for music. It could be a basic overview of a new series or advertising campaign in very general musical terms, or it can be a specific scene, trailer, commercial, or piece of content with detailed information and musical references. It can also be anywhere in between, or have no resemblance to the final music selection, which is the frustration I call Chasing The Brief.

Today you will learn why ‘The Brief’ is an ever-changing news flash of the latest creative ideas in progress, which are often dead in the water long before you ever write the second line of your lyrics. This will offer some insight on the key factors to consider every time a brief comes across your desk: 

THERE ARE MANY DECISION MAKERS: Information is always changing on a production....