What is a Music Supervisor?

AFX Industrial (film scores)

Does your film need a music supervisor and if so why?  In this blog I'll be looking at the roll of the music supervisor, and how directors who take on the task of music supervision often wish they hadn't.  

 

 

Score or Soundtrack?

Technically, the score is original music that has been written specifically for a film.  The term soundtrack generally describes the songs that appear in a film.  These songs may already be in existence and are brought together to enhance the film, either commercially or aesthetically.

What does a music supervisor do? 

You may have already heard the term music supervisor used in relation to a film’s score or soundtrack - but what exactly does a music supervisor do?  Simply put, a music supervisor takes care of all of the musical cues in your film, but, as many films have extremely complicated musical requirements, there's a lot more to the job.

Complicated soundtracks

Soundtracks can often get very complicated.  For example, Marie Antoinette (starring Kirsten Dunst) used songs from The Strokes, New Order, The Cure and many others to enhance the film's appeal.  I imagine there were moments during the film where a standard orchestral score was also needed.  Along with a solo mandolin or a string quartet, (playing either a specific piece from the classical repertoire or a specially composed work to fit into a certain time period) it soon gets complex.  

On top of that, contemporary films often call on actors to mime to the backing tracks of professional singers.  Bollywood takes this to the extreme with Shah Rukh Khan having a different singing voice in each movie.  

Maybe there's a scene in your film where a live Jazz or Rock band is required and where timing is critical.  In fact, the musical requirements for a film are often so diverse it can quickly become an area where directors are out of their depth ... Cue the music supervisor!

Music clearance

So, you want to use music by The Strokes in your film?  Then it's down to the music supervisor to seek out a license to use their music.  Maybe you want your star to sing a cover version of 'My Heart Will Go On' by James Horner?  The music supervisor will secure a license to do this, and also find a high caliber band that can put the backing track together to a professional standard.  After all, you wouldn't want the music to sound like those cheap backing tracks the contestants use on the X Factor would you?

Music supervisors do all the mundane stuff, like ensuring the singers have the lyric sheets and the musicians have the music they require.  The music supervisor will also track down that solo lute player and arrange a recording session to capture their performance.  Music supervisors (in conjunction with the director) set up on screen timings for each piece of music, they will also rehearse the band/singer/soloist ready for either the on screen or studio performance ... Music supervisors are mostly trained musicians themselves and will have an intimate understanding of the nature and the mechanics of music.  The music supervisor will therefore ensure that all of the musical keys (C#/Fmin etc.) used within each piece are compatible with all of the instruments used.  They will also pay particular attention to finding the correct key for a singer's range.

'Music supervisors need to understand the complexities of copyright law, royalty distribution, publishing rights and public domain usage.' 

A music supervisor will work closely with your composer to ensure all of the musical parts that the orchestra require are printed up and readily available when the score is recorded.  Due to budgetary constraints it's not unusual for your composer to take on the role of a music supervisor.  Even though they may not seek a credit on the end of the film, many composers are required to step in and supervise the music - to ensure it's done correctly and legally.

Music supervisors need to understand the complexities of music copyright law, royalty distribution, publishing rights and public domain usage.  Without this legal documentation to back it up, your film could easily lose any performance or distribution rights until the soundtrack is verified.  Misunderstanding copyright law is all too easy and so many films are shelved because of this, the music supervisor will ensure all of these loose ends are tied.  The legal issues surrounding music are not an area the director should have to get involved with.  Equally, they are not an area amateur music makers should be dealing with at all.  Quite often the roles of music supervisor and composer are interchangeable and, as I mentioned earlier, a professional composer is increasingly expected to wear the music supervisor's hat during the score / soundtrack production stage.

Do I Need a Music Supervisor?

I know that many directors are control freaks and there's nothing wrong with that, in fact it's an important quality if you want to be a director.  But, music supervision can be an extremely grey area and it's very hard to control an area of film making that you are unfamiliar with.

I would say the more ambitious you are as a film maker then the more you'll need to employ a music supervisor.  And apart from all of the aspects I have discussed, music supervisors can bring ideas to the table that you may have never thought of.  Ultimately, professional directors like to leave the specialisms up to the specialists, it takes a huge weight off their shoulders and allows them to focus on the all important visual aspects of their film.

If we break film making down to an even more basic level, then there seems to be a direct correlation between the quality of the film and the amount of people that worked on it.  Last week I touched on IMBD credits and I always find it quite amusing when only one name appears in the cast and crew list, like this:

Directed by......Jim

Starring......Jim

Visual FX......Jim

Grip......Jim

2nd AD......Jim

Runner......Jim

Production designer......Jim

Music by......Jim

Sound department......Jim

Narrator......Jim

The best films arise from a collaborative effort between individuals who share a lot of different disciplines.  Of course, one individual with an unlimited amount of time and an inexhaustible amount of money could, in theory, create the best film we have ever seen.  But, in the real world, film makers never have access to those two luxuries ...

I suppose to be fair, one person with an unlimited amount of time and money could, hypothetically, create the ultimate film.  However, it's a bit like the old adage that a billion monkeys with a billion typewriters could create or surpass the works of Shakespeare!  As you know, a billion internet users with a billion keyboards have already disproved this theory ;0)

But still, there is one monkey you'll need to trust with a keyboard - and that's a music supervisor...

Remaking Planet of the Apes?  You'll need a monkey supervisor too!

- David

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