Watching the Rhythm and Hues bankruptcy and the rightful backlash from the Oscars unfold, I have taken an odd comfort that the problems we face in the VFX industry are consistent, regardless of scale and budget.

As a small …]]>

VFX work for “Ain’t Them Body Saints” Directed by David Lowery

Watching the Rhythm and Hues bankruptcy and the rightful backlash from the Oscars unfold, I have taken an odd comfort that the problems we face in the VFX industry are consistent, regardless of scale and budget.

As a small VFX shop in New York (I mean small, we are a core of 4), the bulk of our work is in independent film and cable television. Although the budgets are much, much lower, time frames more compressed, the quality of work and effort in how that work gets done is the same. As if you step on a small independent set, or graduate to a larger budget with more crew, locations and equipment, the work does not change.

VFX work for “Ain’t Them Body Saints” Directed by David Lowery

Unfortunately, the structural and financial problems that exist in Hollywood, also exist for us as well. The bidding process rarely occurs in the sense that you cost out projects to provide X work for an X number. More often than not, you are given a number and either agree to a flat rate (including unforeseen overages, countless revisions, any number of inherited technical issues) or lose the work to a shop who will, or more commonly in the indie world, “ the friend of a friend”.

VFX work on “Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel” Directed by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt

So as we in the VFX world nod our heads, you take the work and hope that you line something up to keep the cash flow moving. It is a tenuous, vicious cycle, and the financial burden inevitably cascades down when it fails. As everyone watches this scenario play out on a much larger, devastating scale in Hollywood, I do think this is an opportunity to address this epidemic in our business and look to ways to repair the relationship of how films get made.

Much of the core problem stems from the “vendor” mentality with VFX. It is more often than not viewed as a commodity to be priced out, and not an important artistic relationship (akin to the Director-Cinematographer, Production Designer, etc.) VFX artists are gifted and creative filmmakers as well. At least the good ones are. Those who understand this are our most successful partnerships. They bring us in early pre-production and we engage creatively and financially so we achieve the director’s vision as well as a bottom line reality. The more filmmakers value our unique contribution to the work, the healthier our industry will be on a whole. VFX is not going away, and as we see more and more, it is now a common need on the smallest films.

VFX work on History Channels “Titanic at 100″

As young filmmakers include the VFX house/artists as an invaluable component to their core creative team from the outset, this is truly a place where indie film can lead on how the industry evolves.

For us in VFX world, we must do all we can to engage and yes, insist on the value of those partnerships. If we don’t have the directors and producers behind us, we will continue to be on the outside of the solution.

Not every director is suited for low-budget indie filmmaking, and that’s OK if you’re Terrence Malick or David Fincher. But chances are, you’re not…or not yet, anyway. I get a fair number of calls from biggish directors and producers who are having trouble raising money for their …]]>

Video Village, Indie-Style

Not every director is suited for low-budget indie filmmaking, and that’s OK if you’re Terrence Malick or David Fincher. But chances are, you’re not…or not yet, anyway. I get a fair number of calls from biggish directors and producers who are having trouble raising money for their films and want to explore how to make them on the super-cheap. I’ve entertained some of these requests, collecting funny anecdotes along the way, like the director who wanted to fly in stars from another country and rent large trailers for them, but forego unions and production insurance. Or the producer who wanted to cast an actor whose agent demanded $12,000 worth of perks, when our entire costume budget was just $4,000. As much as I want to work with these namey folks, I usually end up politely declining because I know that it will be difficult for them (and for me, especially) to make a movie on a fraction of the budgets to which they’re accustomed.

I’ve now worked with twenty different directors on mostly low-budget indie projects–some of whom I’d like to work with again and again; others, never again. By now, I can tell when a director is lying, even if he or she doesn’t realize it–”it’ll be 70% handheld,” “we can just run and gun it with a skeleton crew,” “all I need is an extra half day for second unit stuff.” Yeah, right. Most of the director foibles I’ve dealt with are due to inexperience and will likely resolve themselves with time. But sometimes, I wonder if some people just weren’t meant to direct–at least not low-budget indies.

So what are the traits that I think make a director “indie-friendly” (and more generally, “producer-friendly”)? Besides the usual traits that all directors should have–passion, confidence, focus, a high E.Q., a collaborative spirit, a sense of humor, the ability to command respect, an openness to feedback balanced with decisiveness–here are the traits that are especially important when working with limited resources:

1. Fast Writer

I’ve worked mostly with writer-directors, which offers an efficiency that’s often missing when the writer and director are different people. So much rewriting is done not just during development and prep, but also during production. Some of my directors have had to rewrite whole scenes minutes before shooting them. There is probably a lot more production-directed rewriting in the indie world since we are constantly trying to figure out how to stretch a budget. Development periods are also a lot shorter for us because they have to be–typically, no one gets paid during development; we only get paid if we’re in production. As such, it’s nice to work with speedy writers who can discuss, digest, and incorporate notes quickly to produce a shoppable draft.

2. Adaptive

Anything can happen in filmmaking, especially if you have limited resources–extras stand you up, location owners change their minds at the last minute, the G&E truck takes a wrong turn and shows up 2 hours late. So it’s critical for a director to be able to adapt to these exigent circumstances and figure out how to make lemonade from lemons. I’ve worked with directors who refused to shoot because a featured extra didn’t show up. Even after I’d come up with workable solutions, the directors still resisted, insisting that the entire film would be ruined without this extra. Really? You have a set, a camera, equipment, and a cast and crew of 50 at your fingertips, and you’re just going to cross your arms and pout? You’re a creative person…create something! If it ends up sucking, then reshoot it. But for now, use what’s right in front of you and try to make something. (By the way, I’ve never had to reshoot any scene that called for an unexpected last-minute fix like this.) Being adaptive and thinking on your feet also helps when there are happy accidents. Filmmaking is organic and unpredictable, and when the right mix of elements strikes on set, a good director will know how to capitalize on it.

3. Editing Experience

It is so valuable for a director to have editing experience because she or he will know on set what’s important and what’s not, what can be sacrificed and what can’t. Indie films are scheduled so tightly that it’s often very tough to make the day. All of my feature productions have been between 19 and 24 days, shooting between 4-7 pages and 15-35 setups per day. Sometimes, shots and even scenes have to be cut on the day of shooting. A director who also edits will have a much better sense of which shots are expendable, and how to make up for losing them.

4. Ability to Visualize

This seems obvious, doesn’t it? But you’d be surprised how many directors can’t do this. Many indie directors I’ve encountered come from writing or theater backgrounds–they can write great dialogue and work well with actors, but they have no idea how to compose a frame. Yes, this is what cinematographers are for, but it’s much more efficient when a director can actually visualize what shots will look like before crew and cast go through the trouble of setting them up.

5. Doesn’t Sweat the Small Stuff

This is probably the most controversial trait on the list. Artists are, by their nature, perfectionists–and they should be!  However, the reality is that perfection is tough to achieve on a small budget. Of course, we should always work very hard to achieve it, but the obsession over minor details–like the way a curtain drapes over a windowsill in the background–should not compromise more important things like the actors’ performances or the entire shooting schedule. Except, of course, if you’re making an art film in which the position of curtains is paramount. But if you’re making a traditional narrative film where the writing, acting, and storytelling are the main events, then those are the things you should focus on. A production’s budget and schedule are a zero-sum game. It’s rare to get everything you want; it’s usually very give-and-take. So it’s important for directors to choose their battles wisely.

6. Highly Prepared

One of my favorite first assistant directors,� Nicolas D. Harvard, has a great motto: “Fix it in prep.” Indie films benefit immensely from directors who are incredibly diligent about doing research, shot lists, storyboards, and the like during prep. Some directors I’ve worked with have refused to do shot lists because they don’t want to be “locked in” to doing those particular shots on the day of shooting. This is silly because a good producer and crew understands the importance of being flexible on set and allowing for the organic nature of filmmaking to take its course, and would not pressure a director to stick strictly to his or her shot list. On the contrary, a shot list is what allows a director the freedom to improvise on the shoot day. Going into production without a shooting plan is very dangerous because it could easily throw the entire schedule (and consequently, the budget) off the rails.

7. Solid Work Ethic & High Stamina

Making a movie is hands down the hardest work I’ve ever done. That’s why I’m so picky with my projects. I cannot imagine working so hard on something I don’t care about. So when I take on a project, I expect to work very hard on it, and I expect no less of my director. Once, during late-stage prep on a film, the director kept checking into bars and restaurants on Foursquare, and tweeting about how much fun he was having hanging out with his friends. I did not like this one bit. If I and your crew are working our asses off on your film, then you should be too. Indie directors must have a very solid work ethic, and a high stamina for long hours spent doing what will likely be the most intellectually, physically, and emotionally challenging work they’ve ever done.

8. Vast Knowledge of Film

It’s important for all directors to know the language of cinema. By knowing what’s been done before and what certain shots have traditionally communicated, a director doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. He or she can then more easily pay homage to, do variations on, or reject conventions. Being able to refer to certain films, scenes, or shots also makes it much easier and quicker for a director to articulate his vision to the crew and cast.

9. Articulate

In all productions, but especially indie ones, a director often has to defend the creative decisions that conflict with budget or schedule limitations. As such, a director should be able to clearly articulate why he needs 5 picture cars instead of 2, or 21 shoot days instead of 20, or a Steadicam instead of doing it handheld. A good producer will listen and OK the expenditures if the director provides a strong rationale for them. Of course, it’s also beneficial when directors can clearly and efficiently communicate what they want to their actors and crew, and woo financiers with a pitch. Directors should practice untangling the creative jumble in their heads to form coherent thoughts and actionable requests (that, or find a producer who can translate for them).

10. Publicity-Friendly

Being articulate also helps when a director is promoting a film. Communicating your vision to the media and the public can be a difficult thing to do, especially if you can’t afford fancy publicists to guide you. Some directors I’ve worked with are great at making movies, but can’t write loglines or synopses, pitch their own films, or conduct coherent Q&As, so I’ll have to pinch hit. But it’s really nice when they can do these things, because no one cares about the producer! Distributors also expect directors to play an active role in film promotion, especially now that the landscape is so difficult, and so much rides on the cult of personality. Bonus points for the director who is active in social media. There is no substitute for authenticity, and when a director can tweet in his or her own voice, it generates a lot more interest and engagement.

11. Technically Adept

Knowing how to use Twitter and Facebook is part and parcel of the overall technical aptitude that’s important for an indie director to have. Indie directors and producers often have to be jacks of all trades–more so than ever now that so much of marketing and distribution falls on our shoulders. When you can’t pay your Web designer, graphic artist, or assistant editor enough to be on call (or when you can’t afford these folks in the first place), you should be prepared to do the job yourself. So if you have some spare time, learn how to use video editing, photo editing, illustration, and web design programs, and of course, social media tools. You should also try to stay abreast of the latest camera and post-production technologies because in indie land, post supervision often falls to you and your producer.

12. Appreciative

Directors can be spoiled, bratty, entitled people. There is no place for that in the low-budget world, where everyone is working very long hours at very reduced rates. Directors who consistently show appreciation and respect for their cast and crew effectively motivate them, and that motivation is necessary fuel for low-budget productions. The director–not the producers or the actors–is the one who ultimately sets the tone of the production. If he or she is an unappreciative jerk, then everyone is miserable and left to wonder what all the suffering is for. An appreciative director also shares the limelight, and gives credit where it is due. And if/when Hollywood comes a-callin’, an appreciative director will remember the “little people” and “give back” by continuing to work with those who believed in his or her vision before anyone else did.

So there you have it! If you don’t possess most of these traits, please don’t call me–unless you are David Fincher or Terrence Malick. Actually…no, never mind, not even then. I will just enjoy your brilliant films from afar.

Music  supervisors are a tremendous resource for any type of media project. This interview is dedicated to displaying their value in our current industry. Carrie Hughes may very well be the QUEEN music supervisor for reality television.

She has worked on such TV Shows as The Sing Off, Fashion Star, The Hills, The Hard Times of RJ …]]>

Music  supervisors are a tremendous resource for any type of media project. This interview is dedicated to displaying their value in our current industry. Carrie Hughes may very well be the QUEEN music supervisor for reality television.

She has worked on such TV Shows as The Sing Off, Fashion Star, The Hills, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, The Real L Word, America’s Best Dance Crew, Braxton Family Values and upcoming projects Wake Brothers and Buck Wild as a music supervisor.

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Jordan Passman: Let’s start with the basics: What is a music supervisor and why would I need one for my project?

Carrie Hughes: A music supervisor oversees all aspects of music in a project.  This includes creative decisions such as shaping the signature sound of the show.  This is done often in conjunction with a composer and based on direction from the executives.  We work to clear all the songs used in a project. We track the cost of all music related expenses to make sure the production does not go over budget.  We also manage delivery schedules with composers etc..

Every project should have a music supervisor, no matter what.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been called to “clean up” a show that didn’t hire a music sup initially.  The bottom line is most producers and editors (love em all) don’t know any real truth about clearance…there are so many mis conceptions out there…”I thought we could use it for like 10 seconds before we have to clear it”…”but the network has an ascap license isn’t that all we need?”..”but they are my friend and said it was cool”.  I could go on and on!

I have also encountered multiple projects that just have artists sign materials releases, which is completely different than a master or sync license and completely invalid for music licensing.  If you need a financial reason Music Supervisors have the experience and knowledge to know what things cost so when you have a music supervisor on a project you can rest easy that you are getting the best deal.

Lastly there is the creative aspect, we can offer insight on music that the average person can’t.  We can take a project to the next level musically and have a substantial impact on the show overall.  I like to give The Real L Word as an example, season one did not have a music supervisor it was basically all library music. Season 2 they brought me in and we completely revamped the shows musically.  It’s one of the projects I am most proud of, there were so many comments online about how much better the show was with the new music direction, that was such a great feeling for me and really shows how a show can benefit from someone thinking about music.  Additionally we are in constant contact with labels and publishers so we know what is being released before the general public and can incorporate that into a project to give it a fresh sound.  I also think we as music supervisors are generally less biased when it comes to music placement.  We are trained to step back and examine the placement and how it works for the project overall versus just putting in a favorite song.     Anyway there are about a million more reasons why you should always hire a music supervisor but I’ll stop there.

JP: How much money should I set aside for licensing music and hiring a music supervisor on my tv show? (I’ve heard your music budget should be 10% of your total budget– is that an accurate rule of thumb?)

CH: It depends, every project is different.  I have heard that 10% number before as well but I have no idea where it came from.  It really depends on the creative vision of the show and the type of show.  Show’s like America’s Best Dance Crew or The Sing Off had to have a decent music budget because they are very music driven whereas shows like Around The World in 80 Plates has a much smaller music budget and relies primarily on composed score.  This is another reason you should hire or at least consult with a music supervisor before you budget your project.  You need to determine what the musical vision for the show is, how many songs do you plan to use and for what rights do you need to clear, all that factors into the budget.  You may determine you can’t afford the music you want for the rights you need so maybe the show needs to do a rescore in which any pop music is replaced with library music for dvd’s or syndication airings.   That is what we did with the hills, they used all major label pop songs in the main broadcast version and then I had to rescore everything with cheaper alternative songs for the dvd’s, so there are just many factors and discussions that should happen before you budget a show that it is impossible to give a general number or percentage.

As for budgeting to hire a supervisor it can vary, some sups get paid weekly, some per episode and everyones rates are different.  It’s similar to producers, both parties just have to negotiate to where they are happy.

JP: Allow me to play dumb for a moment–If I am currently using a very famous song, and it works perfectly with my scene, can I just use it? What are the repercussions if I don’t pay for it? What’s the broad range of fees for music licensing (from baby bands to stadium rockers)?�

CH: No you can not just use it.  Repercussions would be rather expensive lawsuits.  Licensing fees have such a broad range because it all depends on the level of the artists, the type of use, the rights you are requesting it can be as low as $500 for an indie band up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for bigger bands.

JP: The price of a song will always vary depending on the terms of use within the project…what terms of use do you suggest going after for lower budget indie projects?

CH: Well you can deal with lower budgets a few ways.  For TV if you can reduce the rights you are clearing for to maybe TV only for 2 years that is significantly cheaper than clearing for All Media/World Wide/Perpetuity, but then you do have to figure out a plan if you intend to put the show on itunes or dvd and what you will do once the 2 year term is up.  You can also reduce the number of songs you use, If you were hoping to use 5 per episode maybe you can only afford 2 but cleared for the broad rights.  Lastly you can use cheaper music, there is so much great indie music that works just as well as major label pop music but can be licensed for significantly less.  Certain shows can’t get away with that like Dance Crew, Sing Off, Fashion Star, those are big stage shows that people want to hear big recognizable pop songs in but we use all indie stuff in Real L Word and it works very well.  So there is always a way to work with a small budget it’s just a matter of prioritizing.

JP: Do you still see value in music soundtracks? Are these a potential moneymaking avenue for a show or indie film today?

CH: I think there is definitely value in soundtracks, just look at the Twilight soundtrack or Glee.  I think the key is having something special to offer and making sure that the project is the right project to put out a soundtrack.  Not every show should do a soundtrack, it should be a show where music is a key element otherwise it doesn’t make sense.  It should also be mutually beneficial to the artists and the company putting it out.  For example we discussed putting out a soundtrack for The Real L Word but given our low music budget we use all unsigned artists on that show so would that make for good soundtrack sales? I don’t know.  I’d like to think it would do well just based on the reaction of the audience to the music in last season but at the end of the day there is more to it than that.  We wouldn’t have a custom track by Bruno Mars to help promote it and we are also not a network powerhouse show like Glee so is the money we would have to put into marketing it worth it?  We decided no at this point but maybe we’ll re-evalutate after season 3, who knows!.  But I do think if done right they are great for fans of music and as another tool to promote a project or have an additional revenue stream.

JP: What song is stuck in your head right now?

CH: Gotye “Somebody That I Used To Know”…because it’s on the radio every two seconds, it’s ok though I am not sick of yet.

JP: What are some of your favorite bands right now?

CH:  I have quite a few I feel like there is a lot of great music out right now

JP: Where is the best music on TV right now?

CH: I loved song selections in How To Make It In America, Shameless, Sons Of Anarchy, The Secret Circle, just to name a few.  Those are the shows I am most excited about as a music supervisor I feel like every single song placement on those shows is perfect!  The music sups on those do a phenomenal job!

JP: THANK YOU!!!

From the 2011 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Passman: What is ASCAP? What do they do and how can they be a resource to filmmakers?

Devine: ASCAP is America’s leading performing rights organization. We’re a membership association owned and run by our more than 420,000 …]]> Jordan Passman (scoreAscore.com) interviews Sue Devine, Senior Director, Creative Services, Film/TV for ASCAP in NYC.

Passman: What is ASCAP? What do they do and how can they be a resource to filmmakers?

Devine: ASCAP is America’s leading performing rights organization. We’re a membership association owned and run by our more than 420,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publisher members. We’re home to the greatest names in American music, in all genres, past and present — from Duke Ellington to Katy Perry, George Gershwin to Stevie Wonder, Leonard Bernstein to Beyoncé, Marc Anthony to Alan Jackson, Henry Mancini to Howard Shore — as well as many thousands of writers in the earlier stages of their careers. Through agreements with affiliated international societies, we also represent hundreds of thousands of music creators worldwide.

We’re the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled entirely by our members, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership. ASCAP’s President & Chairman of the Board, Paul Williams is an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning Hall of Fame songwriter.

Our core job is to protect the rights of our members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. In other words, we pay songwriters and composers royalties when their music is played in public. ASCAP’s licensees, the people who pay us, encompass anyone who wants to perform copyrighted music publicly. That includes radio broadcasters and TV networks, bars and live music venues, websites and streaming music services (e.g. YouTube and Spotify), even Disneyland – most anywhere that music can be heard.

That’s the big picture, but we do much more than collect and distribute money. ASCAP’s Creative Services Department focuses on artist development for composers and songwriters. We interact with filmmakers frequently, helping them connect with the right film composers and songwriters for their projects, and we regularly feature our members at film/TV industry events worldwide. We also run several workshops a year that foster the next generation of professional composing and songwriting talent.

Passman: What licenses for music do filmmakers need to get? And can ASCAP help?

Devine: There are three basic music licenses related to a film or TV production. The first is the Public Performance License, administered by ASCAP and described above. The broadcaster, not the filmmaker, is responsible for this license. I can’t stress that point enough: filmmakers do not need to interact with ASCAP at the licensing level. It’s the broadcasters of film, like HBO for example, that must get a public performance license. That license would cover the use of all ASCAP music in all HBO programming.

Filmmakers are responsible for securing two other types of licenses, and must pay very close attention to them. The filmmaker must get a Synchronization License (synch) from the publisher of the work and a Master Use License from the owner of the master recording of the music (usually the record label or the artist themselves). These two licenses are not administered by ASCAP.

ASCAP can help filmmakers learn about this process. Read the ”How to Acquire Music for Films”, and “Music, Money, Success and the Movies” articles on our website for a solid overview. Filmmakers can use our ACE Title Search to find the writer and publisher information for a musical work they’d like to use in a project.

Passman: Let’s talk now about your Creative Services Department, and connecting filmmakers with film composers.

Devine: While ASCAP’s main role is to license and administer public performance royalties for our members, and to represent it legally and legislatively, ASCAP also has a very strong Creative Services Department that helps develop our members at all stages of their careers, across all genres. In addition to our many emerging songwriter workshops, songwriter retreats, and music industry showcases, several of our programs may be quite useful for filmmakers.

We run three highly competitive film and television scoring workshops. Each is an intensive program, widely recognized as a major educational and networking opportunity for aspiring film, TV and visual media composers. We feature prestigious workshop leaders, mentors and guest speakers from the highest levels of the film and television music industry, side-by-side with hands-on experience with both the technical and creative requirements of scoring to picture.

Filmmakers are welcome to sit in on certain workshop sessions, particularly the scoring sessions. I can’t emphasize enough how useful sitting in on these sessions could be for a filmmaker. When it comes to music in film, filmmakers need to feel the difference music can make, viscerally. That can be experienced in some of our workshop sessions, where you watch the same scene repeatedly with a different score each time. Having an intellectual appreciation for the film music process is very different than experiencing what music is (or is not) contributing to your film.

NYC-based filmmakers can sit in on the first two sessions of the ASCAP Columbia University Film Scoring Workshop, where we walk a select group of thesis filmmakers through the process of hiring their film composer. Anyone interested in  attending one of our workshop scoring sessions can contact me at sdevine@ascap.com.

Every year we run the ASCAP “I Create Music EXPO” in Los Angeles. It’s the premier conference for songwriters, composers and producers within the music industry, and we always feature numerous film music panels that filmmakers would find educational and constructive. It’s a great place to network with composers, too.

Additionally, we recently launched the ASCAP Composer Spotlight on our website, a powerful resource for film, television and video game producers to discover and connect with some of the best and brightest emerging composers. The Composers to Watch section highlights a select group of outstanding composers from our scoring workshops. You can find bios, resumes, website links and sample cues for each composer.

ASCAP also produces the official music programming for the Sundance Film Festival, called the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, along with the ASCAP Composer Spotlight @ Sundance. You can even listen to a Spotify mix of all the featured songwriters and composers.

Passman: Filmmakers constantly struggle with pricing the music for their projects. How do you suggest they go about this difficult process?

Devine: Director Alex Steyermark, formerly a top music supervisor on films for Ang Lee, Spike Lee, Jim Sheridan and many others, once said that filmmakers should be dedicating at least 5% of their overall budgets to music. That is a minimum. If your budget is very low, that percentage will be greater, as you must allocate a minimum budget to cover music. That will include the creative fee for the score, as well as the recording costs for the players, music editor, mixing, etc. It will also include license fees for any songs you use, and those can vary greatly depending on what songs
you’ve set your sights on.

To learn more about this, I highly recommend reading a chapter called “Pricing Your Work” out of ASCAP Board member Richard Bellis’s book The Emerging Film Composer.  While written for a composer audience, that chapter will be quite valuable for filmmakers as well.

Passman: How do filmmakers find film composers?

Devine: There are far more extremely qualified composers who want to score your film than most filmmakers realize. I have long observed a wide gap between the film and music communities at the emerging level: emerging filmmakers and emerging film composers rarely know how to find each other. As a result, many an acclaimed filmmaker has hired his next door neighbor to score a film, because he happens to play piano or slide guitar. While that may suffice, you can
certainly elevate the level of score you bring to your project. We created the ASCAP Composer Spotlight precisely to bridge this gap. Please take a look at The Composers to Watch feature and peruse the Composer Spotlight @ Sundance as well.

And now, a plug for my interviewer: I am very excited about ScoreAscore.com, as it brilliantly cuts through much of the high anxiety that a filmmaker faces that often makes them delay the process of hiring their composer (“I’ve never done this before! How do I know what works for my film?”). You post your clip, you check back in three days, and there will be sample scores for your scene. *Magic.* Right away, you get a feel for which ones work for you, and you can begin a
conversation/interview with those composers.

Beyond that, you can reach out to agents who represent composers that are further along in their careers, from mid-level all the way to the top composers in the industry. If you hire a music supervisor, they will be consulting these resources. Plus, they will have the scoop on the latest up-and-coming composers.

Passman: How do you feel about popular artists like Trent Reznor & Jónsi making a significant impact on the composing world?

Devine: ASCAP works with a wide variety of composers, both classically or otherwise formally trained, as well as songwriters/artists-turned-composers. Many composers have come from backgrounds in television or Broadway music, or in rock/pop or urban songwriting. Great scores certainly come from all of these, and keep the field fresh and exciting. You’re looking for the unique sound, style, composer or artist that resonates with the voice of your film. It’s hard to predict where that will come from.

Passman: Every filmmaker should know about cue sheets. What are cue sheets, why do they exist and how do you file them?

Devine: A cue sheet is a schedule of the music contained in a film or television program. It’s the essential document that ASCAP requires in order to distribute royalties to a film’s composer, any songwriters with songs placed in the film, and the publisher of the score (which is often the film production company). It is normally prepared and delivered to ASCAP by the production company. You can find out everything you need to know about cue sheets at the Cue Sheet Corner section of our website.

Passman: What are some of your favorite film scores of all time?

Devine: I’ll answer a slightly different question, since I was quite struck by a comparison relatively recently. This may illustrate the power of understanding what a score can bring to your film.

A favorite (relatively) recent film score was Carter Burwell’s score to Twilight. It was sweeping, dreamy and dramatic in a way that elevated the film, and held all of its moody, staring-into-eyes scenes together while propelling the movie and characters forward. I watched the film again specifically because of the score.

Compare that to its sequel, New Moon, where the filmmaker chose to have top artists/bands write songs specifically for particular scenes. While strong song placements can often work extremely well, and having the songs custom-written to scenes was intended to further fine-tune these placements so they would carry the film, in this case I feel it didn’t do the narrative justice. While any one of these songs may have nailed the moment and made for a great individual scene,
much was lost in the context of the whole.

Without unifying score/themes/melodies interwoven through these scenes, connecting them from the wider perspective of the arc of the film, these scenes remained as separate islands. Nothing tied them together and helped them build momentum or crescendo sequentially. Nothing integrated them with the scenes that did have score.

As such, in my opinion, the invisible tensions between the characters was lost, the drama was lost, and we were left with characters’ empty staring into eyes, which fell flat. In this case, with fewer song placements and more room for a proper dramatic score, I think the film might have played much more strongly.

Pictured (l-r) at the 2009 ASCAP Film & TV Music Awards: ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams, Twilight composer Carter Burwell and director Catherine Hardwicke, director Bill Condon, ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento. Photo by Lester Cohen/Wireimage.com.

Bloodshot eyes

After we wrapped WELCOME TO PINE HILL I was pretty shell-shocked. When people asked me about it I held back a tic and smiled. “It was great.” I’d met other directors who were battered by a tough shoot. I just never thought I would …]]> (with titles from Pat Benatar)

Bloodshot eyes

After we wrapped WELCOME TO PINE HILL I was pretty shell-shocked. When people asked me about it I held back a tic and smiled. “It was great.” I’d met other directors who were battered by a tough shoot. I just never thought I would be one of them. But making it wasn’t without its lessons.

Hit me with your best shot (just not too many shots)

The first day was supposed to be an easy eight-hour shoot. I’d written the script. I’d done my research. Worked with the cast and crew. Everyone was on time. The PA’s mom dropped her off on time.  Easy day. Nothing could go wrong. We wrapped 16 hours later.

A no-budget shoot needs to cram a lot in each day. But you also have to be realistic: good shots take time, performances need moments of calm, and everyone needs to be focused. Even after we went back for another full day a few months later, we didn’t get all the shots on that first list.  Some movies supposedly do a page a day. We were working with what would have been 5- 15 a day. That’s possible, but probably not a good idea.

Fight it out

PINE HILL was shot in a way that required intense coordination, sensitivity and clarity. We shot with three cameras in long, improvised takes of up to 45 minutes, with a very fluid sense of what was happening with the cameras and in front of them. My hope was to have everything feel real, from the way we shot it to the performances to the final product. I worked hard in pre-production conversations to explain what I was going for. It all seemed clear to me, but it just wasn’t to everyone. That was my fault. Everyone who worked on PINE HILL was amazing. Really. I trusted them. They were all doing great and I could see it. But every time I felt something off and didn’t say something, I saw it later in the edit and couldn’t work around it. The deep respect, trust, and admiration I have for my friends shouldn’t get in the way of challenging them. If it’s not the best it can be, fight for it and make sure it is.

If you think you know how to love me (you also need to know when to shut up)

Even though I should have fought for what I wanted, you should also trust the people around you and shut up when you need to.

Shooting a scene in the backyard of a house in Jamaica, Queens, a resident of the house named Willie wandered in front of our cameras and delivered an amazing unscripted and unplanned monologue that moved our lead Shannon so much he began to cry. As it happened I was too focused on Willie to notice Shannon. Shannon’s a pretty tough guy -a 6’4”, 300 pound 22 year-old who makes his living as a bouncer, both in PINE HILL and in real life. I tip-toed over to Lily Henderson, one of the three DPs, and whispered, “Get Willie!” She basically told me to shut up. She was right. Seeing him cry was intense, beautiful, and real.

Love Is A Battlefield (so is a set)

We could have used about ten more people each day. DPs had to dump footage on the computer when they should have been resting or setting up another shot. Our AC was the only one who could drive a stick so he was picking people up instead of assisting the DPs. We worked with what we had. But that’s why the movie ended up the way it did. The toughness of Shannon’s performance was mirrored by everyone on the set. There were some casualties, but every shot was fought for with love and passion, and that’s the quality I wanted in the movie.

Heartbreaker

You’re the right kind of sinner, to release my inner fantasy
The invincible winner, and you know that you were born to be… a heartbreaker

A year and a half later, I’m pretty sure that even with all the planning I can do for the next film, all the lessons learned, I’ll end up with the same amount of problems and challenges, I just guess they’ll be different. Watch Lost in La Mancha and Hearts of Darkness. If it happened to Terry Gilliam and Francis Coppola, it could happen to any of us. And I can’t wait to do it again. Does that mean I’m Out-a-touch?

If you want to learn more about WELCOME TO PINE HILL take a look here: kickstarter

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Or go to our website.

Why you should care: You’ve worked hard to create a great film! Music does make a difference; think of your favorite soundtrack (maybe The Godfather) and how it …]]> Here are cliff notes for music licensing that will help you secure the ideal music for your phenomenal film, plan in advance, manage your budget!

Why you should care: You’ve worked hard to create a great film! Music does make a difference; think of your favorite soundtrack (maybe� The Godfather) and how it enhanced the film. As a creator, when your film is released you want to be paid fairly, so do music artists and composers so… approach artists and musicians from a place of respect and collaboration from one creator to another.  If someone pirated your film or screened it without your knowledge, you’d want collect!

Budgeting for Music: Be sure to set aside a music budget that fits your tastes and wish list. The general guideline is 10% to 15% of the overall budget.  If you don’t use it all, great, but at least you have wiggle room.  Using a composer to score the entire the film including cues may provide the most favorable negotiated fees for music (especially if it’s work for hire). If you’d like to incorporate licensed music in addition to a score, look for cool unpublished and unreleased music rather than top 10 popular songs. Popular songs released from popular artists will blow the budget and it’s best not to even use it for temp music, especially if the lyrics add context for a scene.

Seek Out Professional Help: The process for clearing commercially released and unreleased music differs. Clearing music can be a complicated process even with this cheat sheet. LaRonda Sutton, Music Supervisor and Music Licensing Consultant shares,  “The business of music licensing is an integral part of your film from pre to post”. Using a professional music supervisor or licensing consultant is advised for during all stages of your film including pre-production, completion, general and festival screenings, digital, home entertainment, and theatrical releases. Sutton further adds that, “this will save significant time, money and potential lawsuits. This is an area of expertise that can’t be overlooked or underestimated”.

Song Ownership:  A song has many parts: Artist (s), Songwriter (s), Record Company, and Music Publisher (s).  Each of these entities must provide approval to use a song. The best way to save time and money is to evaluate the songs popularity and owners in advance. The more artists and writers, the more time, money and approvals are needed. As an example, it will be more efficient to clear a song that an artist wrote and performed alone with no music samples. If the writer is signed to publisher X, and another writer is signed to publisher Y, you need approvals from Publisher X, Publisher Y, and the Record Company (who also secures the Artist approval).  Conversely if you select a song that has 4 writers, performed by 1 artist, and they are all signed to different publishers you will need a total of 5 approvals (4 publishers and 1 record company). It’s even worse if a sample was used (requiring additional publisher and record label approval for the original song). And you have a major project if someone has passed away and you have to locate an administrator of an estate who represents the artists or their publishing. So keep it simple!

Affordable Quality Music sources: Performing rights societies ASCAP,
BMI, and SESAC Film & TV Divisions, along with Orchard Music, Pump Audio, Jingle Punks to name a few. The performing rights organizations provide great music by emerging artists who are really talented, and if the band is not signed to a major label, you can obtain the master license directly from the band. In addition, most major publishers (Universal, Sony ATV/EMI, Warner Chappell) offer film and television production music.

Clearances Needed: Record company (Master owner), Artist (must provide permission to use their song which is usually secured by the record label), Music Publisher (s), and Songwriter (s).

Synchronization (sync) License: Quotes for the sync license can be obtained from the music publisher and this information is available via the performing rights societies ASCAP, BMI, SESAC who provide songwriter and music publisher contact information.

Master License: The entity that owns the recording, typically the record company. The record company must also secure the artist approval for use of the song.  If the artist is not signed to a label, the artist or production company is typically the master owner (contact info is available via the performing rights society).

Usage and Territory:� Be sure to discuss the type, length and scope of usage with your Music Supervisor or Music consultant. Costs vary based on promotional vs. commercial use, placement (opening or closing credits, etc.) in the film, duration of the song, digital, home entertainment, theatrical, television and domestic vs. international.

Red Flags!: Using music from deceased artists could require estate approvals and some are easier to seek approvals from than others.  You should factor this into the clearance wait period.

Unless you have a hefty, I mean hefty music budget, do not use music from major recording artists or popular artists signed to major publishers. These fees can begin at $5,000 (older song from B list artists) and go upwards of $50,000 (Beyonce, Pink, Cold Play, Kanye West) and that’s just publishing (and maybe for 1 writer not all 4). Remember you have to pay the label and artists, and the publisher! It doesn’t matter that they are your friend  – the label and publisher want to collect as much as possible.  One way to reduce the fees associated with a popular song is to find the same song recorded by a less popular recording artists, or having the song re-recorded by a band but you must factor in the recording and musician fees. You will still have to pay a sync fee to the music publisher but not clear the master.

References: Music Money and Success by Brabec and Brabec, music supervisor, music consultant, music clearance company, and your attorney.

Final advice: Have fun with it!  I’ve seen the good, the bad and the down right ugly and  launched Hitco Music Publishing’s (owned by music industry icon and X Factor’s LA Reid) Film & TV Division, and marketed film soundtracks. This is a cheat sheet to provide you with a layman’s overview so you understand the basics.  It is important to review with your producer, attorney, music supervisor or music clearance company.  Music clearances impact your ability to license and sell your film.

Dear Filmmakers:

This is the second of three posts addressing what you can and should do to make the most of your film festival premiere for your film and for your career. My last post covered essential …]]>

Robert Redford and Bill Gates at the Sundance Director's Brunch, 2010 Sundance Film Festival

Dear Filmmakers:

This is the second of three posts addressing what you can and should do to make the most of your film festival premiere for your film and for your career. My last post covered essential preparation necessary before you bring your film to its festival premiere – including developing a PR/promotion strategy, potentially hiring a publicist, setting up a website, putting together a presskit, utilizing social media, possibly engaging a sales rep, and deciding if you should make DVDs available to the press before or during the festival screenings. This and the next post moves beyond preparation to your time on the ground at the festival, and what you should be doing to maximize your experience.

First of all – if you have gone to the trouble of making your film and sent it around for festival consideration, there should be no question that you should attend your festival premiere. I realize travel and accommodation is expensive, so you should have considered this financial aspect as you formulated your festival strategy. As indicated in previous posts for IFP, you should have done your research and selected reputable festivals that are supportive of filmmakers and their work, and you should have a very clear sense of what the festival’s audience is like, and what you should and should not expect from your time there – ie, it’s a festival that is largely community-focused and there’s no industry to speak of vs it’s a festival set in the heart of a smaller European city that draws a handful of local distributors vs it’s a large discovery festival that is on the calendar of every single film industry professional in NY and LA. It’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into – if you show up to the Smallville Film Festival thinking you’re going to clinch a deal for your next feature, you’re going to be sorely disappointed, but if instead you recognize that you’re playing that particular festival because it’s going to allow you to interact with a grassroots audience that can help spread positive word of mouth about the film, and you’re ready to have a great Q&A and more informal discussions with that audience, you’ll have a much better time.

An important note here – if you’ve perhaps not done your homework sufficiently before submitting to a festival, but you start reading up on the event after you’re accepted, and you don’t like what you’re finding out – ie, past filmmaker participants have written about their terrible experiences, the organizers don’t seem to be particularly interested in film but instead might be bilking filmmakers for submission and participation fees – it’s ok to say “no.” Better you don’t premiere your film for a little while longer than bring it to an event that you’re reasonably sure is not going to be a positive place for either your film or for you.

All this said, let’s assume a reputable festival has chosen your film, and you’ve done your research and have at least some sense of what to expect. If you have questions – and you will – ask your festival representative. Most festivals, as understaffed and volunteer-run as many are, will follow up their acceptance notification with information about who to contact for various things – print trafficking, press/promotion, and hospitality. Make use of these services. Even if they’re extremely limited in what they can do for you, ask them questions. Ask for recommendations on where to stay (if they’re not already offering travel assistance), ask about what press is coming, ask about what industry is coming (if applicable), ask about any special events you should be prepared for – ie galas or filmmaker receptions.

The crowd at the SXSW Film Opening Party, 2008 SXSW

Keep track of all correspondence you receive from the festival. Note the basics – when you should arrive, where and when you can register to pick up your badge and tickets – so you can make sure that you’re clear on what to do from the moment you get to the festival. Pay attention to any advice the festival organizers provide you, especially if it’s coming from the Festival Director or Artistic Director. It’s in these individuals best interest that you have a good experience at their event, and the advice they impart is usually the result of years of experience at their festivals. Don’t take it lightly when John Cooper strongly urges you attend the filmmaker’s brunch at the Sundance resort, or if Janet Pierson recommends you show up at the SXSW awards ceremony.

Some fests are packed with events from day one, others not so much. As a filmmaker you ideally should have access to just about everything and it’s in your best interest to take part in as much as possible – this makes you a visible, and, hopefully approachable, presence at the event; allows you to meet other filmmakers, who might end up being collaborators on a future project, or might be able to introduce you to a future collaborator; and puts you in a position to get to know the festival staff, who might introduce you to significant contacts or do you favors, if your personalities gel. This is important – yes, you’re attending the event to work/network, but try to stay true to yourself. Don’t affect a new personality – especially if you’re at a larger event that draws seasoned industry professionals. Industry vets can spot a fake, and they’re not going to want to work with a fake. Don’t pretend to know things you don’t or people you don’t – chances are the people you’re trying to show off for might really know those things or people, and you don’t want to be caught in a lie when you’re trying to sell your film or make inroads to getting your next one made.

Regarding events, absolutely make sure you take part not only in the giant galas, but also and especially the smaller filmmaker-only events – the retreats, the cocktails, the dinners – whatever special/exclusive events the festival has put together to recognize and honor you. It’s often at these lower-key events that significant friendships or partnerships can be forged, outside of the relative chaos of the larger parties with all of their distractions. Some filmmakers might get a bit freaked out by everything that’s going on. Furthermore, they might have just worked non-stop for the past several weeks to finish their film in time for the premiere and are understandably exhausted. Some filmmakers may just be more introverted and not huge fans of parties. I acknowledge this – know your limits and, again, stay true to yourself. You personally don’t need to be at every single party, but you also can’t retreat completely in your condo/hotel room. Someone from your team – your producers, your actors, your subjects, your friends, even your family – should try to maintain some kind of presence throughout the festival at various events and receptions. This has always been the reality for independent filmmakers, and even moreso in the last five years – you are responsible for actively promoting your work. Your job doesn’t end when you lock picture. The impact of you, or some more outgoing member of your team, attending a party and talking to new people about your film, is hard to measure in a quantitative way, but it’s there. If your team isn’t advocating for your work – the people who know about it intimately – who will?

The next post will focus on your actual premiere, and how you should be prepared to handle both the actual screening, and what comes after.