Posted by Steve King on 01/30/07 05:43

<tysonjm@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1170115740.473978.134970@j27g2000cwj.googlegroups.com...
> I'd agree too. So is there a happy medium in there between the
> "canned" stuff and the original music approach? i.e., is a service or
> website that offers a collection of high quality clips that could be
> customized to a dregree help cure the blandness of the generic library
> music sound? I know some sites offer alternate variations of their
> clips, but what if this went a step further: Say you find a clip
> that's close to what you need for a project in style, tempo, texture,
> etc., and you download it in it's original form for comp purposes.
> Then, working with the very musicians who actually wrote/recorded the
> music clip, you "customize" it to your specification. It wouldn't be
> commissioned music starting from scratch, so the cost and time
> requiements would be less.

How so? The composer would still have to spend time 'customizing' the
music. The arrangments (unless you're in Nashville) would have to be
written. A studio and engineer would have to be hired. The musicians would
have to return to the studio, at least some of them. Now, instead of from
$20 to $150 per track a producer could be looking at well into four figures
or more, unless everyone's working for free.

> Is this a better scenario, or if we back up here, is the real need
> just to have a better selection and higher quality (real instruments)
> music available online and in CD libararies? Not the prestige of a
> Hollywood film, but more professional, nonetheless...
>
> I ask because I've been interested in creating a stock music service/
> library online, but don't want to just reinvent the wheel. I want to
> know what people desire, who don't have Hollywood budgets. :)

I find that there is a wonderful variety licensable music available. Much
of it using real instruments. Admittedly much of it all electronic, too.
And dreadful. But, if one cares to look among the many, many libraries
there is quality music to be had. For me, the real cost of a good library
music track is in my time spent making the choice .

>> Waiving the right to remain silent, Bill <t...@chromehorse.net> said:
>>
>> > If what you're doing isn't important, it's probably not an issue. If
>> > you want your work to stand out, go hunting for some of the local
>> > musicians who are always hungry for work and capable of creating and
>> > recording some original music tailored for your production. It would
>> > almost certainly cost more. Maybe not as much as you think, since a
>> > lot
>> > of musicians have their own mini-studios in their homes and can play
>> > multiple instruments. Is the additional prestige it adds to your work
>> > worth it?

I've heard a few sound tracks created by "my neighbor's kid has a rock band"
types. The recordings were not something that would add any prestige. Much
the opposite, in fact. My experience is that composer-arranger-musician
types who can create tasteful, high impact scoring for film and video are
about as scarce as proverbial hen's teeth. Add to the desirable qualities
of such a person the ability to work to a deadline, and they become even
more rare than that. I know a few. They are awesomely talented. They have
fortunes invested in high-end music making and recording equipment. And,
strangely enough, they want to be paid comensurate with their talent and
tools. Such people are absolutely the right people to call if the project
has very long legs, that is, when the video will be seen by either very
large numbers of people or by a smaller audience of highly influential
people with the expectation that the film or video will have a large,
positive monetary impact on its sponsor. With this kind of project, I
begin at the earliest stages discussing music and sound design with the
client. I have often pointed out with good effect that the typical
corporate video budget includes more for cast, crew, and client
representative meals than it does for the sound track. I find that budget
allocations made early are easier to protect than if considered later in the
pre-production and budgeting process.

Steve King

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