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Targetting the people who matter in television
As a regular reader of your magazine for many years and the owner of a small studio, currently upgrading to 24-bit, I read with interest all the articles you publish highlighting composers of film/media music. As a composer myself, I find it extremely frustrating trying to get to the people that matter when circulating my music. Sending demo CDs is a fruitless exercise -- there is no way of knowing if the material gets to anyone, or indeed if it is listened to at all. On the odd occasion that I have managed to get through, it is a question of either 'don't waste my time' or 'what have you done?' On one occasion, I was told by a very efficient secretary that the person I needed to speak to was the MD of the company. When I asked if I could speak to him, I could not get an appointment, and indeed was eventually told that he didn't have time (a rather insulting level of stonewalling, I felt). Some even ask for videos of work, which I feel is missing the point altogether. It is impossible to present a video of music composed for, say, a television programme if you do not have a video to work with. How legal is it to tape a programme from the television and then dub your own music on top? I don't feel that this would go down too well with the original production team.
I am classically trained, and have composed music for large orchestras as well as small ensembles, but from reading your columns, it seems that a musical education is the last requirement. If it is a matter of luck, then could you suggest any way that I may be able to positively change the odds? Are there any agencies or companies looking for composers? Failing this, what personnel at the television companies are responsible for commissioning music for their programmes, and is there a list available? With the advent of digital television, surely there must be some way in. I fully understand that producers stick with the talent they know, but believe me, there is a lot more out here, and judging by some of the rubbish I hear, room for improvement.
Neil Day
via email
Big George Webley replies: Neil, welcome to the wonderful world of TV and radio composition. It's a jungle out here.
As I've alluded to in my articles, the average TV executive has absolutely no idea about anything. However, they surround themselves with highly articulate people who grin and bear their ridiculous pronouncements. So if you want to work in this industry you will have to come to terms with the fact that whatever they say, they're right and you agree wholeheartedly.
I've written a forthcoming piece for this wonderful magazine entitled '20 Things To Remember When Writing For The Media', which I hope will answer all your questions, allay your every one of your fears, and get your foot in the door, but as for some of the specific points you raise:
Can you dub your own music onto a programme taped from the television and send it in as a showreel? Yes you can, as long as it's not for sale, or for broadcast. It's the reverse of a 'temp track', which is what a production company would give to you. Usually when you're called in by a documentary maker to score a programme, they'll have cut sequences to a soundtrack of the kind of music they feel would be appropriate. They could never use this temp track, as it would be impossible for them to obtain the rights -- it may well have John Williams conducting a 90-piece orchestra on one of his box-office smashes for one section, Weather Report on another and the massed band of the Highland Pipers on another. All they want you to do is give them some music which will fit the pictures, with an original feel in keeping with the temp track, all for less than the price you paid for your sampler.
So if you want to show off your musical vision, feel free to pick the best cinematography Oscar-winning Hollywood blockbuster and lay your music on top of it. Not that anyone will watch it, but the practice is good.
As for the advent of digital TV, I'm sure most of it will be cheap American and Australian imports and repeats. With regard to to the small number of new productions, I reckon we will see commission fees plummeting, blanket copyright deals being bought out for a one-off fee which will probably be less than the cost of your cheapest effect module, and a general lowering of standards. Remember, composers are like pebbles on a beach, there are literally millions out there looking for their first break and, when they've got it, waiting for the phone to go again. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
Lastly, always read the end credits of TV programmes, get an understanding of who does what and then try sending stuff to 'Associate Producers', 'Researchers' and 'Runners'. Runners, I hear you scream, the lowest form of television life. Wrong. The runners of today are the big-shot directors of tomorrow -- well some of them are, anyway. Good luck.
