Friday, August 14, 2009

How to break into the music for film biz

I have learned over the years after all the tours selling, music at gigs, getting college radio airplay and the endless practice and not to forget the many drummers who have come and gone. I was a drummer when I started my music career, I often wonder why the drummers are so temperamental and the one job that many bands find them self's in need of, next is the bass player what is it with the rhythm section? Just food for thought.

There is a way to make a living doing solo music and get paid. In this blog I want to tell you one way and how to go about it, after years of trial and error I have found a odd way to break into the music for film biz so hears the secret I do not care to hide my new find, but share it openly so, I hope this helps.

Question, if you wanted a song of yours in a film what would you do? How would you go about it?
I used to use my songwriters market book and deal with publishers and film co. and had no answer backs and the dreaded great stuff, but not what were looking for, so out of a whim I tried something different, from this simple thought came a simple formula that has already landed me some jobs so hear is what I did.

1. Go to Craig's list (I kid you not) look under the posting for creative, gigs etc you will see them.

2. You must get your music out there on the screen and the first few times you will be paid little or most likely nothing, but not for long, the film industry is always hungry for good music for film.

3. Look for mostly Indy film co. Posting looking for extras, or any film job, what you do is email them and say, Hello I am so and so and I saw your post for extras I am a musician that would like to offer some of my original music when you get to the post production part of your film give a Web link to your songs and say hay add me in your Rolodex I am hear when you need some free music, say free at first.

4.Out of 10 people I emailed I got 2 responses and one that will be using a song of mine in a little INDY film, hay you must start somewhere. Keep this up and Craig's list is a great place, remember the film process is a long one and if the film is looking for a make up artist or general help and extras, the director has given a lot of thought to the post production part where your music will be played and perhaps featured in the open or close credits, that's the brass ring if your song is in the open or close credits that is what you want.

5. Commercial music, and web music your mind would be blown on this one. Not jingle's, but that pays well. Production company's that do commercial accounts spend big dollars on music  if it is a well known song, but someone else is singing it, it's all about saving money. Moby made millions as did Dirty Vegas from Car commercials, in fact Dirty Vegas launched their career and award winning debut CD due to that catchy car commercial song clip,

OK now to demystify what film music is and what we tend to think of it as.

Look at example one in post production a film will always have a music producer that handles the music you hear through out the film, like Hans Zimmer he does it all, and it is standard film music contemporary classical with samplers, synths, brass and timpani as we have come to love. Much music in the film style on the net is smooth and has that atoms-ambient sound; these songs are great but are used as filler music for the most.
Any song in any style, Rock, Pop, country, Rap, you name it, and if it is catching your song would be the feature credit roll you want. do not think it has to be ambient music esp. in a INDY film or a action film with a low budget your song maybe just what they are looking for.
This new info I learned has turned my career 180 degrees in a direction I never really thought much about.
I am now doing videos, learning more post production (audio to film) stuff and love it, I am even starting to edit videos in pro software like Sony Vegas and adding my own music , so when you write a song, think how would this set in the credit roll, listen to credit roll music and start to study what’s really being used in film, you may already have many songs a director is just waiting to use, start small, start free, start now and do local commercial and web music and get paid big now. My songs being considered as I write are
1.The Hunted
2.Arther's Haven
3.Worlds apart
4.Oh India
listen and see, aside from the hunted, the rest are just songs I wrote ....to hear these songs and others my link button that says boost will take you there.

Best of luck any questions or help drop me a line