Editing Trailers to Music.

AFX Industrial (film scores)

If you're not editing your trailer to music then what are you editing it to?

So far in my career one of the most successful trailers I've worked on has been viewed an astonishing twenty three million times on You Tube alone. But why are some trailers viewed millions of times while others get only a few hundred views? As the composer behind this trailer I'm very familiar with the music and this puts me in the unique position of being able to analyze just why this trailer has been so popular.

Every film maker wants to make an awesome, influential trailer so let's consider some of the fundamental qualities that transform a mediocre trailer into an awesome one. 

Approach I. Editing to silence

After many years of watching mediocre and amateur film trailers I can usually spot the trailers that have been edited in silence and had music added on top afterwards. The major problem with editing to silence is pacing. Have you ever noticed a metronome on top of a piano? A metronome simply helps a performer find the pace of a piece and the interval of the metronomic clicks are divided into BPMs (beats per minute). Of course, if a piece of music is played at the wrong speed by the performer then it leads to audience dissatisfaction ... 

One of the first things I discuss with any musician or composer I collaborate with is the speed or pacing of a piece of score. And, it is well known in musical circles that the rhythm of a selection of notes can often overshadow the importance of the actual notes themselves.

So here you are with a stack of footage for your trailer all shot in lovely high definition, but where do you start? How do you divide this footage up into specific chunks of time with the sole intent of pleasing an audience? You may decide to chop it into five second chunks, or you may not have a system at all, either way if you're editing to complete silence how can ever you be sure that it will have the impact you're looking for? 

What if you enjoy editing to background music (like the radio) and you inadvertently cut a few edits to the beat without even realizing it? The trouble with editing to your favourite radio station is that when you come to add music later, no matter how hard you try, the new music may not make any sense in conjunction with your trailer's pacing. Now let's look at the alternative, which is editing your trailer to music.

Approach II. Editing to music

Earlier I mentioned that a composer will often use a metronome to set the pace, and although a metronome can keep perfect time, editing your trailer to a metronome may not result in the desired effect. When music is discussed you'll often hear the words 'feel' and 'timing', when respected Jazz or Blues artists are mentioned it's often with a certain reverence to their sense of timing. For instance, a chap named WC Handy (great name) is considered the 'father of the Blues', but if we played a recording by him (if there are any) alongside a metronome I'm certain his timing would drift considerably. 

So, how can we say a great artist has good timing if, in reality, this is scientifically proven to be incorrect? This is one of the great paradoxes of music, when we say a famous and respected virtuoso musician has great timing what we interpret as 'great' is their ability to play around the beat. So, paradoxically, great timing is not the ability to play in time, it's the ability to play out of time in an empathetic, pleasing manner.   

Audiences respond to well timed entertainment. Trailers, comedy, music, the list is endless ... and generally if it's well timed then it will be more successful. If you really want to appeal to an audience you can apply a sense of timing to your trailer by editing it to a piece of music that has the 'feel' you are looking for ... Job done.

Of course, you need to have written permission (or a license) to use the piece of music you have chosen to edit to, if you don't (or are not sure) then beware as this may be a pointless exercise! 

Please go and take a look at my War Thunder Trailer. Notice how the editor has paid special attention to the timing of the Russian words that fall in and out of the frame. Notice how the words have motion, and observe how quite often the motion itself comes to rest on the beat, rather than allowing the words to appear on the beat. 

The editor is not only paying attention to the timing he is also editing around the timing (in the same way our virtuoso musician would play around with their timing). So, this effectively gives you two levels of timing variation. The first one is decided by the composer and is set in stone when the music is recorded. The second level of timing comes from a clever editor, who, much like a musician has an innate sense of rhythm which he uses to deepen the level of interest and audience attachment to the trailer.

Speed of light vs. speed of sound!

One fundamental editing error I see time and time again is the failure to understand that light waves travel faster than sound waves. Next time there is a thunder storm please stand at your window and observe the delay between the moment you see the lightning and the moment you hear the thunder.

Sometimes, especially if it is a very bright flash of lightning, the delay can easily be fifteen seconds or more! Now apply this principle to your trailer editing skills. Of course the delay between the light entering your eyes and the sound entering your ears will be milliseconds, but our senses are very sensitive, even at these speeds. 

How does this relate to editing a trailer? Good question! Well, let's imagine you want to edit a few cuts very tightly to a particular beat or sound within your trailer - but for some reason it doesn't seem to have the impact you're looking for ... If you have exhausted all other avenues to get it to work then maybe you need to consider light speed vs sound speed. 

Ok, what to do? Right, this is where you need to reverse your way of thinking for a moment. If you want the audio and the video event to coincide at EXACTLY the same time, then you must, effectively, put them out of time to do this! 

Now, the theory is fairly simple. We simply shift the audio a few milliseconds AHEAD of the video so now the two edit points APPEAR to coincide. But, like everything in film making it's an illusion, it's hyper reality. Light and sound cannot arrive at the same point at the same time (think how awesome thunder and lightning would be if it did). But, as film makers and composers we CAN make that happen, it's just another tool in our box which will ultimately impress our audience even more. 

Try it out on your awesome new trailer today!

Until next time - David.  

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Why use Pseudonyms?

AFX Industrial (film scores)

Many artists have pseudonyms they release work under, but why release music under a fantasy name? This may seem strange and counter intuitive, after all don't we work hard to make a name for ourselves? So why make use of a pseudonym at all?

 

 

 

Blue or Red?

Naturally when you push your art (music in my case) to different extremes, for the listener some of the results can be a little startling even disconcerting. It's all too easy for composers to become inadvertently associated with one particular genre or style of music, simply because the listener had only ever been exposed to a piece by the composer written in that particular style.

Let me simplify. For instance, if an artist  paints a canvas completely blue and sells a million copies, people may find it hard to come to terms with (or even believe) that the same artist has also painted another canvas completely red. No one buys it.

Now, the only way our artist can sell the red painted canvas is to create a pseudonym. Maybe their manager suggests that they simply adopt the pseudonym 'Red'. So now we have a new artist on the scene whose name is Red, who is selling a piece of art (also entitled 'red') which consists of the red canvas our artist painted way back in their blue stage. Now, under the pseudonym 'Red' the same artist sells a million copies …

There's an urban myth that horror writer Stephen King realized he had a passion for writing children's books. But what parent in their right mind would by a Stephen King book for their young, impressionable child? If this myth is true then your children are already reading Stephen King - just under a suitable pseudonym! Don't be afraid.

Quite often (every time in my case) it's the publisher that decides what our pseudonyms will be and this can often depend on the style of music and the territory they're selling it in. In fact over 90% of my income arrives from outside of the UK (where I live) that's just how the business has panned out for me so far. Talk to any other composer and I'm sure they'll have a favourite territory which they constantly sell in. 

Of course, some of my pseudonyms are tailored for selling to the larger continents (like America and Australia) and as far as my own name goes I generally save David C. Hëwitt for the film score credits. 

The Business of Pseudonyms

You often hear artists say 'I love creating music but really hate the business side', to me this doesn't make any sense. Every industry has a business side to it and if you don't embrace it you'll never fully embrace your chosen industry. Not being able to separate 'music' from 'business' is to me like not being able to separate driving a car from walking! It's hard to describe as the joy of both has to be experienced on a daily basis to be truly understood.

Pseudonyms are just another aspect of the business, they are like different brands or flavours. I may not  necessarily want to be associated with a particular type or style of music that my studio (AFX Industrial) has created. But I still need to sell it to a hungry market so a pseudonym can be the ideal way of concealing my true identity in a perfectly legitimate way. It's also very important not to dilute the authority that comes from appearing to specialize in one particular musical style. But, pseudonym or not, because I own the rights to EVERY piece of music that is created by my studio, I always have total access to these anomalous works - works that would normally be hidden from view. 

The music could be as diverse as traditional Greek wedding dances or lowest common denominator advertising music. Generally these are styles that I don't want to be directly associated with but still need to own the worldwide copyright to - so I can use them if and when they are called for. 

There is nothing more satisfying than the mixture of high level music (film scoring, classical arrangements) and business. I appreciate every transaction, global buyout or film I have ever worked on from both the artistic and business angle. When you can turn your art into something that people across the globe want to pay for, it's a satisfying and unexpectedly humbling experience.

The Legality of Pseudonyms

I would imagine the use of pseudonyms to sell products has been around for as long as the word pseudonym itself. Actors change their names, rock stars adopt stage names, in fact using a pseudonym has, in certain sectors of the entertainment industry become not only accepted but expected.

I think if there's any confusion over the legality of pseudonyms, it's fuelled by the assumption that a name you adopt must, ultimately be reflected on a legally recognised document such as a birth certificate or passport. There really is no need to go this far. And what if you wanted to use more than one pseudonym?

No, the legally binding nature of any pseudonym is crystalized when both (or more) parties agree to use  the name to sell product X. It will then be legitimised by a detailed and specific contract signed by all of the parties involved.

To track usage, artists like me are given a number such as '42217659' by the copyright protection agency that deals with the territory in which the artist currently resides. Any pseudonyms created will have their own unique number which will ultimately link to the artist's original number. Pseudonyms have to be applied for and verified by a copyright protection agency, also known as a PRO (which stands for performing rights organisation).    

It can appear to be a bit of a rabbit hole, but what I'm describing here is the business side of music, this is it. Think about insuring your car or filling in an application form for a credit card, if neccessity determines that we MUST understand something then we have to find a way to understand it.    

  

The Importance of Pseudonyms

There are many constrained and localised markets in which a product can easily live out its shelf life using just one brand name. But, with an internationally recognized product (indeed language) such as music, it positively demands different names to sell it! Simply put, if Vladomitkavichkz Kovishtzhaztavwodkz wants to sell his hard core Rap music in the USA. Then it may be advisable for Vladomitkavichkz Kovishtzhaztavwodkz to adopt a more accessible name that his fans can relate to ...

So, we can see that although pseudonyms may at first appear underhand or even corny, I can assure you that this is because the nature of the pseudonym is misunderstood. Music (like any other product) simply needs to appeal to it's target audience to ensure it (like any other business) keeps making money - and pseudonyms enable this to happen. 

Until next time - David.

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Is Amateur Music Crushing your Film?

AFX Industrial (film scores)

For most people music is a very personal thing and it's often difficult for film makers to be objective when dealing with their score. So how do you tell the difference between amateur and professional music?

'Doing' it yourself.

I haven't touched a musical instrument in two months. If you look at my home office, apart from a few old manuscripts that I'm currently working from you will see no indication that I 'do' music at all. Most of my work is actually conducted in complete silence … Of course this is not the general image people have of a composer. If we take the 'doing' element away from music (playing drums, guitars and keyboards etc.) then music's universal appeal quickly disappears. It's the very act of 'doing' music, the instant gratification of strumming a chord that people find so magical. But for me that was always the most unsatisfying element of music - that it could easily become random chaos simply because it had to be 'done'.

I was always much more interested in how composers appeared to have total control over music, they could prevent it from becoming random - unless they desired it to be! I then realised when you distance yourself from the physical aspect of playing or doing, you slowly start to become more analytical about music and composition in general …

Incredibly, freeing ourselves from the limited and often repetitive nature of physicality (especially where musical instruments are concerned) can be liberating … By taking away these physical constraints and allowing music to be manipulated in the virtual world of your imagination (and manuscript paper) you can achieve the impossible. Contrary to popular belief, traditional music notation presents you with a seemingly infinite array of possibilities. If I picked up a guitar and started strumming I would lose interest after a while but sit me in front of a sixty piece orchestral score that I'm currently writing and the possibilities (and the hours) just whizz by.   

     

How can you tell what amateur music is?

As a film maker this is the question you need to be asking on a regular basis. Music can win awards, it can make a movie and as my title suggests it can also crush the film that your dedicated movie making team have worked so hard to produce.

But how can you tell? What if the music on your film right now is perceived as amateur by everyone who watches the film except you? Now that's a scary thought! What if the music you thought was dramatic simply turns your film into a comedy or a parody and you hadn't noticed? Sickening thought eh? You have now successfully crushed your film into an unrecognisable genre and the audience have no clue whether to laugh or cry!

I want to help you to understand what amateur music is so you can avoid it.

We all understand that the definition of an amateur is someone who doesn't get paid for the work they produce … But what if the composer in question does get paid and by that definition is now a 'professional' composer, yet the music they produce is still amateur? That would be terribly confusing. For instance, if you paid your tone deaf sister in law to write the music for your new film then it would make her a professional composer right? Even if the music was painfully amateur it would still be professional music … Wouldn't it? Well, if we agree that the definition of a professional is one who gets paid then damn right - her music appears professional! But ... still sounds amateur.

So, now you have amateur music crushing your film that was created by someone who you just defined as a professional by paying them. This is an easy mistake to make - yet it sounds ludicrous when you write it down like this doesn't it? 

I think from a distance there is also a tendency to homogenise music, most see it as an instantly accessible hobby. For many, music is, after all, just music … However this is a little like believing that chemistry is just chemistry and banking is just banking. But just like chemistry and banking, music is a multi faceted subject containing a microcosm of different areas in which people specialise. Imagine the myriad of subheadings you could place under the word chemistry, similarly music has a myriad of subheadings, divisions and specialisms.

If we look at the subheading of 'popular' music, an anomaly that film makers are constantly surprised by is our deep rooted belief that musical fame and musical ability go hand in hand when they so often don't. Think back to our earlier scenario where you paid your tone deaf sister in law to write an (unintentionally) amateur score for your film. Now lets take the same scenario template and replace it with a mega-star like Michael Jackson (may he rest in peace).

Of course Michael 'did' music, but if you could have isolated Michael with a copy of your film and asked him to score it totally alone, I guarantee the results would have been embarrassing and amateurish. I'd imagine no one would ever dare tell him that! And again, as a director you would have ruined your film - because rightly so it's hard to believe that someone of such status and perceived musical ability, simply couldn't score your film to a professional level.

As you can see it's hard to define the nature of amateur music, especially when amateur music has been created by a professional artist. However, if we're looking for the definition of a professional (in any field) then they could be defined by an acute understanding of their own limits. If we understand our limits and exploit only our strengths, then the risk that our output will appear amateurish is greatly diminished.      

 

The Band Are 'Doing' the Music.

This is a very common scoring mistake. The director kind of likes the music created by a band with a line up consisting of (say) three banjos and a penny whistle. Then the director mistakenly employs the band to write his film score. And the serious nature of a film, that has taken years to produce, is instantly turned into a parody like this:

Love scene = banjo cue

Fight scene = banjo cue

Panoramic tracking shot = banjo cue

Horror moment = you get the idea!

But it's all 'music' isn't it? Please don't fall into this way of thinking, when it comes to scoring films there are a multitude of different disciplines required and a vast and seemingly baffling array of options available to you. Directors' always like to keep tight control over their productions and I often think by employing a band to 'do' the music, they're subconciously ensuring things don't step too far away from a musical idiom they feel comfortable with. Once you start employing professional scoring teams and orchestras you are forced to step outside of that comfort zone, and for many directors this can be daunting.

I know that many of the disciplines to do with film making can be picked up by a director over the course of their career, but I think as scoring exists on the periphery of film making, it can be one of the hardest elements to get a handle on. I imagine (unless the band's music is integral to the story) this is why lower level film makers tend to use a band to score their film. 

But, if we think about how expensive and time consuming making a movie is, and how many people are involved in the process. Then it's scary to think that ultimately, the music alone indicates to an audience whether your film is to be received as a professional or amateur work. There's a lot more hanging on the music than you may have initially realised ...

For an audience, your score needs to appear as aspirational as the vision you had for your film. Audiences are very fickle and many go to the movies just for the music. If an audience feels cheated by an amateur score then it could put them off seeing any of your future work. And, for so many film fans the score is unquestionably part of the total experience, don't disappoint them with a badly recorded indie band instead of a score - they can hear that anywhere!

Until next time - peace to you all. David.

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