Score or iPod on Shuffle?

Does your film's score play like a schizophrenic iPod on shuffle?  You may have just fallen into another fatal film scoring trap, read on.

So, your film looks great, its beautifully shot on five RED Epic cameras.  With various lenses, long shots and close ups - you considered everything, everything that is except the score.  According to research 50% of the film directors questioned admitted to finding the music side of film making a little boring ... How could they find the concept of a V7-I chord progression via a secondary dominant (II7) boring ... I'm joking of course.  But like the concept of color which can be broken down into simple words such as 'red', 'green' and 'blue', music can also be broken down into 'words', except it's a numerical language.

The iPod on Shuffle Score.

The 'iPod on shuffle' school of film scoring consists of a selection of musically unrelated sound bites jammed back to back, as they attempt to relate directly to what is being seen on screen.  Its kinda like having an annoying older relative in the room who insists on explaining what it is you are seeing ... If Paris appears on the screen, then your much loved older relative is compelled to say: "That's in France you know!".  You get the idea.  Another even more troubling trend is when a film is scored using choices from the limited and dated record collections of its creators.

Subtlety is always the key, or you end up having conversations like this:  


"Oh, I'm all for out there suggestions and Fleetwood Mac were, of course, a great band in their time ...  But, this film we're making, it's about the trials and tribulations of Jesus Christ and his legacy and influence on the Third Reich during 1942."  ;0)


The worst culprits for this sort of thing are documentaries, here is one possible scenario:

• Shot 1. - 16 seconds long - intro titles (Music cue: Piano, stuff like Coldplay)
• Shot 2. - 4 seconds long set in the Middle East (Music cue: Random wind instrument)
• Shot 3. -13 seconds long set in a Nightclub (Music cue: My fave Dance Tune from the 90s)
• Shot 4. - 3 seconds long set in a lovely house (Music cue: I dunno, Strings?)
• Shot 5. - 0.5 seconds long set at terrorist HQ (Music cue: that Gladiator Music)
• Shot 6. - 8 seconds long set in prison (Music cue: Serious Shit)
• Shot 7. -11 seconds long transition shot (Music cue: Coldplay Clocks)
• Shot 8. - 9 seconds long set in France (Music cue: Dunno ... Accordion.)
• Shot 9. - 4 seconds long set in Algeria (Music cue: Fuck knows, just something with Bongos)
• Shot 10 - 6 seconds long set in USA (Music cue: A Banjo)
• Shot 11 - 8 seconds long set in the Philippines (Music cue: That instrument that goes 'Ping')
• Shot 12 - 12 seconds long set in the Congo (Music cue: Fuck knows! Coldplay again)
• Shot 13 - 11 seconds long set in a Military installation (Music cue: Snare drum)
• Shot 14 - 5 seconds long set in Ireland (Music cue: Titanic theme)
• Shot 15 - 1.5 seconds long set in an Aircraft (Music cue: Top Gun theme)
• Shot 16 - 9 seconds long set in Uganda (Music cue: Coldplay Clocks)
• Shot 17 - 11 seconds long set in a Military installation (Music cue: Coldplay?)
• Shot 18 - 6 seconds long set in Istanbul (Music cue: Coldplay Clocks)
• Shot 19 - 21 seconds long set in Eritrea (Music cue: Fuck it - Something with an 'E')
• Shot 20 - 4 seconds long set in a Rock Club (Music cue: AC/DC)
• Shot 21 - 3 seconds long set in 1780 (Music cue: Classical shit)
• Shot 22 - 7 seconds long set in 2082 (Music cue: Coldplay Clocks)
• Shot 23 - 11 seconds long set on a bus (Music cue: 60s Music)
• Shot 24 - 18 seconds long set in a Nuclear Reactor (Music cue: Fuck it! Coldplay)
• Shot 25 - 5 seconds long set in a Military installation (Music cue: Coldplay Clocks)
• Shot 26 - 29 seconds long interview with Coldplay (Music cue: Can we use Coldplay??)
• Shot 27 - 32 seconds long end credits (Music cue: Coldplay?, Classical Shit, Snare Drum, Top Gun, AC/DC, 60s Music, Titanic Theme, Serious Shit and Gladiator. )

This is the musical version of tourette's syndrome and a sure way to fry your audiences brains!  Are you really telling the story this way?  The next step on from this would be to have a voice over that just shouts out what it sees on the screen ... Imagine that, it just says exactly what it sees, like: "HAMMER" and "INDIA" and "BUS" and "MILITARY". 

I am very interested to hear your thoughts.  As film makers do you like this style of scoring or is it driving you nuts?  And audiences too, are you entertained by all of these random pieces of music?  Or do they drive you crazy during a film?


-David.

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The Dark Knight Rises

AFX Industrial (film scores)

I just heard from my publisher that a piece of my music will be used to support a private company's pre screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Minneapolis on the 19th July.  I expect it will be played during the discussion afterwards etc.  The global release date for this film is 20th July.

You can listen to the piece in its entirety here: The Lair

This is a exactly why I do this!  It's a real buzz to have my music played along side such a high profile movie and through a great set of speakers.  So that is my buzz for the week :0)

Paperwork.

Of course, if you read my blog you'll know I'm pretty hot on the paperwork that goes along with the music industry.  Without paperwork, the supporting role my music is playing in the pre screening of this much anticipated movie would have been impossible ...

- David.

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The Considered Score

AFX Industrial (film scores)

The considered score is a term I use for a film score that displays a degree of consideration and an understanding of the narrative of the film.  But, everything comes at a price and as always, getting it done for free may lead to a score that is the antithesis of considered.




Consideration.

One of the dictionary definitions for the word consideration is: 'thoughtful and sympathetic regard',  I think that sums it up nicely.  Films that are scored for free generally fall down in this area simply because a considered score takes time.  And we all know, especially in this time starved society we live in today, time is money.  Having time to sit down and consider to a minute degree, what will make your film sound better and come across more powerfully takes such a large amount of time that you will never truly have a considered score on your film unless you buy that time.

But the concept of buying time that belongs to somebody else, still seems strangely alien to many of us.  We all like to buy something 'tangible' something we can 'touch' like an iPhone and music is unfortunately neither.  This is where the problem lies, because with music what you predominantly pay for is the one thing you can never touch and that is time.  Added to that, music doesn't really exist as a tangible 'object', it exists in the ether, and sadly music just like time it itself cannot be held in your hand.

You could look at my role as a film score composer and compare it, in a functional way, to the role of a psychiatrist.  After all, if you visit a psychiatrist you will be expecting an allotted period of time, during which you would also expect 'thoughtful and sympathetic regard' or consideration of the problem in hand.  Which is exactly what you pay them for.  But still, you effectively go away 'empty handed' as the psychiatrist can offer you nothing 'tangible', except peace of mind.


The free score problem.

I had a call recently and the film makers had just a few days to find music for their film I don't recall why but I do remember there was a rush on.  AFX always do our utmost to give you the score you want but it isn't instant.  There are contracts to sign and licenses to consider and unless you accidentally made a film without realizing it in your sleep or something, then surely you knew at some point that you were going to need a score?  So, back to that phone call, well, all I could offer in the time frame was a license to use a preexisting work from the back catalog.  So four days before the film is due for completion I get another call saying they want a score specially written for the film in the next two days - and that they have 'no money'.  The initial option of licensing a beautifully recorded preexisting work was the best way to go, as it would have given the illusion of a considered score, thus satisfying the audience.  Unfortunately, leaving it to the last minute like this always results in a score that has little or no bearing on the actual film content itself.  I couldn't take the job as the only viable solution was to license a piece to them and that isn't a free option.

Even more worrying than churning out a bespoke score written in two days, is the need to record it in a rush as mixing, recording, editing and mastering are massively time intensive processes.  In the time it takes to come up with and record an ill-fitting one, clever editing of a preexisting work can give the illusion of a tailor made score - with all the benefits of it being recorded and mixed to perfection.

You see, what impresses an audience is a score that sounds expensive no matter where it originated.  Being too dead set on rushing to have a bespoke score is often detrimental to a film.  The people you need to impress are often people like me, and if somehow you managed to license a piece by Clint Mansell or Zimmer then not only would you impress an audience but you would also impress other film makers.  To assume that being 100% original with your score impresses anyone is merely idealization, it doesn't.

I do hope you make your next score a considered score ;0)

For confidential advice you can email me directly here: mail@dchewitt.com

- David C. Hëwitt

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