Music for Film and TV: A Report from the Hollywood
Reporter/Billboard Conference

By Scott G (The G-Man)

"Forget the name of this thing," one audience member said of The
Hollywood Reporter Billboard Film and TV Music Conference, "it's
really all about the politics and money it takes to put your
music in a flick." More than one attendee privately agreed.

The underlying truth of that position may explain the
conflicting points made by the more than two dozen speakers. For
example, Glen Ballard was optimistic while maintaining a healthy
dose of pessimism. Mark Mothersbaugh was elated yet often
reliant on quietly humorous sarcasm. Chris Douridas was excited
while being realistic and determined. And so it went during the
two-day event held at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, with
every panel member upbeat about many aspects of the industry
while acknowledging that there are lots of problems.

Good News/Bad News. The dichotomy of "good news/bad news" was
handled by each presenter in his own way. Stewart Copeland
(former member of The Police and now noted film and commercial
composer) and Garry Marshall (director of hugely successful
films such as "Pretty Woman") used humor to make their points
about the economic realities of the business putting pressure on
creative decisions.

"Every musician wants to work on 'A-level' projects," Copeland
said, "but the fact is that many of us in this room will most
often be working on 'Swordslayer 6' where your decisions might
be very different." Film composer John Debney ("Passion of the
Christ" and Marshall's "Princess Diaries" films) also noted how
your career choices are influenced in unusual ways as you
progress from first-time writer to recognized professional.

Writer/producer Ballard may be best-known for working with
Alanis Morissette on "Jagged Little Pill," but he has an
impressive list of credits in music, film, television, and live
music. Stepping in at the last minute to deliver the Vanguard
Address (replacing Dave Stewart, who had to remain out of the
country on other commitments), Ballard noted that the record
industry is experiencing problems, "some our fault, but some
not." Of the former, the main cause is "releasing too many
albums not worth $15 or 45 minutes of an audience's time." The
primary problem that cannot be avoided by the record industry is
the proliferation of other entertainment choices. The only way
to combat this, he feels, is through creativity and quality in
the music.

Ballard struck a strong chord with many in the audience when he
noted that "Blazing creativity is rarely recognized in the
beginning," warning that "If imitation replaces inspiration,
then we will elevate mediocrity far beyond what we've already
done."

Using the journalistic concept of suppression as a stepping-off
point, Ballard said "we've let the marketplace create a
'creative prior restraint' on what we think and what the
industry will accept from an artist." While calling for a total
dedication to the art and craft of music, he cautioned that
"anybody can make a multitrack recording" but that there are
"essentials: storytelling, melody, lyric, structure, and
performance."

With the current industry recognition that commercial radio is
horrible for music, Ballard further noted that artists should
not even consider radio when composing. "The minute you go into
writing, if you're thinking about radio, you're in the wrong
place. Radio is in a different business from us. They sell
advertising space and we make music. Occasionally our goals
converge, but not often."

On a positive note, Ballard pointed to the increased
opportunities for marketing music in games and telephones. Music
in phones may be an especially important market, with "millions
upon millions in China alone."

View from the Executive Suite. Lia Vollack is President of
Worldwide Music for Sony Pictures Entertainment. A former music
editor and music supervisor, she has the ability to step in for
hands-on assignments in addition to overseeing all aspects of
film music and soundtracks for Columbia, Screen Gems, and Sony
Pictures Animation. Additionally, she works with Revolution
Studios, Sony Pictures Classics, and all Sony Local Language
Productions.

Although she readily admits to the downside of the business,
many of her statements were quite positive: "Artists are more
committed to quality," Vollack noted, adding "Inspiration is the
main point up front, and then comes the deal." She urged all
those in the profession to "aspire to brilliance."

Chris Douridas is still most widely known for hosting radio
programming on National Public Radio stations, yet it is his
work as music supervisor and consultant that makes him notable
in the industry. Among the many films on which he has worked are
"Shrek 2," "Under the Tuscan Sun," "One Hour Photo," "American
Beauty," the "Austin Powers" films, "As Good As It Gets," and
"Grosse Pointe Blank." He is a consultant for Apple's iTunes and
a part of Dreamworks.

"The challenge," Douridas points out, "is finding films directed
by people with a vision that includes the music." Using examples
of how music selections have interacted with filmmaker's
concepts, he emphasized that it is "important to have the artist
invested emotionally."

The Mark of the Composer. From his days with Devo, the most
dadaistic rock group ever released on a major label, up to his
latest film score, Mark Mothersbaugh has brought a unique
perspective to sonics and the business of having a career in the
music industry. He has composed for a wide array of film and
television projects, including "Rugrats" (TV, film and stage
versions), "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Rushmore," "Thirteen,"
"Happy Gilmore," and the forthcoming films, "Lords of Dogtown"
and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."

Responding to insightful and often humorous questions from
Melinda Newman, Billboard's West Coast Bureau Chief,
Mothersbaugh covered a wide range of topics, including composing
for commercials: "I always liked the creepy way commercials work
their music into your brain." He agreed with Newman that
"They're subversive." On the needs of filmmakers: "Directors are
looking for music that compliments the universe that their movie
has created." On composing for so many children's television
programs: "There are advantages to scoring kids shows. You can
mix mambos and heavy metal."

Newman pointed out that Mothersbaugh did the music score for
several films dealing with young women who were coming-of-age,
including "Thirteen," "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,"
"Drop Dead Gorgeous," and others. "Is it difficult to get into
the mindset of a teenage girl?" Newman asked. "Well, wardrobe is
important," Mothersbaugh replied.

Also participating during the well-organized conference were
such industry notables as Burt Berman, President of Music for
Paramount Pictures, Darren Higman, Sr. VP of WMG Soundtracks at
the Warner Music Group, Robert Kraft, President of Fox Music,
and music editor/music supervisor Curt Sobel.

Additional observations included:

"Only go into this industry if you wake up with an ache to write
or create." - Tamara Conniff, Co-Executive Editor, Billboard.

"If you're inspired to write something brilliant" for a film,
even if it doesn't get utilized, "you've got another copyright
for your vault." - Laurie Soriano, of entertainment law firm
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

"The final song in a film's end credits might be called 'the
janitor's song.'" - Lia Vollack.

"When I first started working in music at an ad agency, I
couldn't figure out why so many mediocre people were getting to
work on some great projects. Then it hit me: it was all about
their connections." - Josh Rabinowitz, of the Young & Rubicam
advertising agency.

"I like using great songs in my pictures. You know, not the ones
that are there for the marketing that you bury by having five
seconds of it on the radio as a car drives up to the camera." -
Garry Marshall.

"A lot of this business is agent-driven, so we in legal are just
scriveners." - Laurie Soriano.

"Imagine watching a movie without the music. It would lack
drama, intensity, and excitement." - Tamara Conniff.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com http://www.billboard.com
http://www.glenballard.com http://www.mutato.com
http://www.stewartcopeland.it http://www.grooveaddicts.com
http://www.kcrw.com http://www.dreamworks.com
http://www.johndebney.com http://www.yr.com
http://www.manatt.com http://www.apple.com/itunes

# # #

About the author:
Scott G writes and records as THE G-MAN, and his work may be
found at http://www.narip.com, http://www.delvianrecords.com,
http://www.myspace.com/thegman, and his own site:
http://www.gmanmusic.com.

Author : Scott G (The G-Man)
Site : www.goarticles.com

BobPaton.com � 2010
Hosted by Midsouth Marketing

Online Games | New Media Blog | City News Magazine | Collierville Advertising | Collierville Dragons