Why Does A Music Supervisor Have An Important Role?

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You’re watching a movie in a theatre with your friends and you are totally engrossed in it.  That’s mostly due to the fact that it’s good writing and a good looking actor or actress, but a reason that you are totally engrossed in the film that often goes unnoticed is the music.  Think about it.

If there’s a random salsa song in the middle of a sad scene…it’s going to throw you off and distract you from what you’re watching, right?  As such, choosing the right music at the right levels for those scenes is critical to the movie’s overall effect.  That job belongs to the music supervisor.  Here’s everything you need to know about the job of a music supervisor on a movie.

 

  • It’s often post-production

While there are some movies that require a soundtrack/musical score song to be played during the scene to make sure it is acted correctly, majority of the music that you are hearing is applied to the movie after the fact – or, post-production.  So, while a movie is being filmed, the music supervisor’s job is to get a feel for the movie, the atmosphere, and choose the perfect soundtrack for each minute of film.  As you can imagine, it can be an intimidating job at many points.

 

  • A lot of it is a gut feeling

Despite what many music supervisors like to think, a lot of what they do comes from a gut feeling.  They’ll know what the right song is, often times, when they see a finished scene post-production.  They’ll watch the scene and hear the perfect corresponding song in their head.  It’s similar to a “Eureka moment” that many creative souls have at certain points in their career paths.

There is training to be a music supervisor, of course, and a lot of what they do comes from having access to a vast music library in their memories.  As such, hearing the fresh and new music is a very important part of being a music supervisor.

 

  • Gaining the rights to a song can be hard

As you may know, many of the songs that are in films – even if it’s just the main theme – are from other means.  So, the music supervisor has the perfect song in mind for a scene, but the tricky part of the job comes when they have to approach the proper people to see if they can buy the rights to the song they want to use so that it can be featured in the movie.  As you can imagine, sometimes buying the license to a song can be expensive work.  This often means that the “music budget” has to be rather high to make sure that the licenses for the perfect songs can be bought without compromising on a second music choice.

The music supervisor is a key player in selecting licensed music such as Premium Royalty Free Music

 

  • They do the dirty work with clearance

There can often be a lot of “nickle and diming” when looking at going through music clearance.  This is because many of the famous artists out there who own the songs (or the record labels behind them) will try to get the largest amount of the money they can for their song.  When a music supervisor is fighting to get a dozen songs, all of which expect a large payout, working with a budget can be really tricky work.  It’s also a really frustrating job when it doesn’t go according to plan.

  • They need a lot of creative license

In order to do their job right, a music supervisor needs a lot of freedom to scan through the song library in order to find the perfect one.

As mentioned, this is often a “gut feeling”, and the music supervisor will know when s/he’s picked the right song for that particular scene.  When someone in this position finds that their creative freedom is being limited, however, it can often be endlessly frustrating, because the production supervisor or the director are not seeing things the same way.  As the director and producer have the last word on what goes into the movie, many music supervisors are told to pick a “more preferred” song for a scene, even if it’s not the right one, or the one that the music supervisor would have picked to set the mood correctly.

 

The best producers and directors out there simply give the music supervisor a great budget tell them to do whatever they want.  They understand that it’s a creative process that requires a lot of work and intuition that only a music supervisor has.  Those are the ones that every music supervisor loves to work for.

 

  • They’re the first ones to get blamed for a scene falling flat

Despite the fact that the director may overrule a music supervisor’s decision, the music supervisor is always the one who gets blamed for when a scene in a movie doesn’t go over well.  As mentioned at the beginning, you don’t notice the music until it is distracting, and the music supervisor’s job is to make sure that you don’t consciously notice the music at all – that’s how one knows they’ve done their job correctly.

A music supervisor can often face a lot of reprimand from directors and producers if a scene doesn’t go across to the audience correctly…even if the problem was the actors or another element, entirely.

Suffice to say, being a music supervisor can often be a tricky job, but it is just as often rewarding for those who have a passion for the job.  It is exhilarating for them, and each music supervisor knows the importance of their job, even if the audience doesn’t always recognize the importance of the job themselves.

When that next sad scene comes on in the next movie you watch and makes you cry, consider the fact that the reason you’re crying is because the movie scene is accompanied by the perfect sad song to elicit those tears in the first place…

The Role of the Music Supervisor in Film, Television, and Advertising.

Above all, Music supervisors oversee the music-related aspects of films, television, advertising and video games. They are qualified professionals in charge of interpreting the producer’s vision, finding the perfect track, and negotiating contracts and publishing deals for the film’s music with the composers/artists

check out our Cutting edge trailer music for music supervisors

What do film producers do, exactly?

MUSIC-SUPERVISOR-FILM-PRODUCER-ROYALTYFREEMUSICWhat do film producers do, exactly?

Ask any movie fan what position they’d like most in the film industry, and the chances are that
they’d choose to be a director or actor. The fact is that a film can’t be made without the producer.
The film producer is the catalyst that makes it possible for a project coming together, get through
production and release. Sounds impressive doesn’t it? So, have you ever wondered what film producers do, exactly? Well, it’s quite a lot. . . read on.

Film producers are responsible for managing every aspect of the creation and production, including
the conception and crafting of the story, acquiring funding and the artwork intended for retail
release. Even though there are a lot of other industry related professionals who help film producers,
like editors, directors and cinematographers, the film producer is the one that needs to make sure
that all of the production aspects are functioning in concert, through every stage of the filmmaking
process.

Budgeting
The budget determines how much work can be contracted out by the film producer. A tight budget could
mean that the producer will be handling everything from raising funding to organizing meals. A hefty
budget on the other hand will make it possible for the film producer to free up time that could be
better spent focusing on the bigger picture. One of these important “bigger picture” tasks would be
marketing the script to studios and/or investors in order to raise more funds for the film.

The Development Phase
Once the right to develop the source material has been acquired, the producer works with the writer
to “produce” the screenplay. As the script develops, a director is typically brought on board who
will in most cases offer input into the future development of the screenplay. The development phase
can take years without any guarantee of the project ever hitting the theatres.

On Completion of the Film
Once the film has been completed, the film producer takes control again. If they had negotiated and
come up with the funding, it is in most cases their product to promote now. An excellent producer
works with a marketing team to establish a strategy to create an audience and buzz, in addition to
submitting it for festivals and if possible a tour. Once the film is marketed, excitement has been
generated, and its earning potential has been exhibited for distributors, the film producer will
negotiate its percentage points, distribution rights and a release plan. Then, the producer will work
together with the original investors, actors and/or the director, basically anyone who has stakes in
the project, together choosing the most effective path for the film with the end results being a
healthy return on investment.

There are many things in life that aren’t certain and making a memorable film is definitely one of
them. That said, even the chance of producing a film that makes the film producer, his creative team
and investors proud makes it worth all the effort. So, what do film producers do, exactly? They
dream, they multi-task, they push through even the most uncertain times and in many cases, they
produce a fantastic film worthy of the “buzz”.

Finding your film’s sountrack: What Do Music Supervisors Do?

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What Do Music Supervisors Do?

A movie without a fantastic soundtrack will never win awards. Let’s face it – it’s the music that makes a movie shine. That said, have you ever wondered how the music winds up on a film in the first place? That comes down to music supervision. So, what do music supervisors do?

A music supervisor job is a coveted position for those who are passionate about music and have a talent for placing it perfectly into media that includes television programs, movies, commercials and video games. These sought after individuals also need to be able to handle less exciting parts of the job, including the administrative aspects, including nurturing vital relationships.

A successful music supervisor communicates well, excels at negotiations and understands the need for sensitivity when it comes to the egos of the rights holders, artists and directors involved. Even more important, they make it a point to realize the message the director is trying to get across in his film. They arrange and negotiate the appropriate licensing for the songs that will be used in films

Experience Required
Like the majority of music professions, there’s no clear path when it comes to being a music supervisor. Some who have chosen to go after a career as a music
supervisor take music business classes to learn all the ins and outs of music licensing rules which can definitely help. In addition, most look for music industry internships, which provide the perfect opportunity to learn the ropes, make important connections and eventually obtain paid work. Those who are new to the career
field are often willing to start out by accepting low or “no pay” positions in orderto add to their portfolios. For example, a lot of new music supervisors do freelance work in order to present their experiences to potential clients.

Another important asset for any music supervisor is to be well-versed in a wide variety of musical genres. To succeed in this field, it’s important that you stay current, so you will want to go out to the clubs, comb the trades every day and listen to current music genres online. Taking a few music history courses would be invaluable as well.

The Licensing Process
When the producers have specific tracks in mind or only have a basic idea of the style of music they want or think they want, they call on their music supervisor.
Then, the supervisor sets out to find the appropriate music and starts the licensing process. In some cases, a number of licenses are required per song, and the final approval can’t occur until filming has been completed. In addition, music supervisors will only have a small window of time to acquire licensing before a movie’s
release date.

Salary
Music supervisors characteristically get paid flat fees for their services and the amount of money they make is based on the project’s budget. For example, the majority of television music supervisors earn a few thousand dollars per episode, while on the other hand the most popular music supervisors earn around $200,000 for their services when they take part in major film productions. In some cases, music supervisors negotiate soundtrack royalties and are given bonuses if the productions they’re working on exceed pre-determined earning thresholds.

So, What Do Music Supervisors Do?
If they’re good at what they do and are lucky enough to lead a handful of high-profile projects to successful conclusions, they’ll enjoy financially rewarding careers. They have a key role acting as mediators between Production  and composers, music publishers, labels or record companies. They research and obtain all legal rights to source music for films. 

The music supervisor is the number one person responsible for all the musical aspects from creative to legal copyrights. They provide a unique service to the director to find the perfect music that are right for the film.

Their have the Legal knowledge of music copyrights and licensing agreements necessary to succeed and exist in the music industry.

We’ve compiled a list of the best music composed recently …
pretty much the highest aspiration any composer can want out of their new tracks.

Enjoy 🙂

Preparing for battle

Season of change

Epic motivation

Alive

The universe

We will win

I’m Happy

Eternal justice

Colors of the world

Second chance

8th wonder

Footsteps from here

Inner beauty

Something creative

We are strong

Moment to shine