CONFERENCES: NEW DIRECTIONS IN FILM SCORING AND MUSIC SOFTWARE
plus Cassavettes Jr.
by Alicia Dara
At the 2007 Composer’s Expo in Los Angeles on July 25, change was in the air. Panels on the latest in music composition software and technology dovetailed with speakers’ thoughts on the director-composer relationship and the current state of music in film to reveal an industry coming to grips with amazing new possibilities.
The conference, held at the Skirball Cultural Center and presented by the Turner Classic Movie channel and Film Music magazine, kicked off with a keynote panel featuring current industry leaders in the field of film composition, such as Aaron Zigman (The Notebook), Mark Mothersbaugh (The Life Aquatic), Mychael Danna (Fracture), and Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica).
Other panel topics included “The Art and Craft of Composing For Films,” “Music For Video Games,” “New Technology Roundup,” “The Composer/Editor/Director Relationship,” and a music supervisor’s roundtable.
Across all the panels, most of the speakers seemed to agree that music in film is moving in a more minimalist direction, away from the sweeping orchestral scores of the last 50 years. In independent film especially, many felt there is an increasing amount of room for experimentation. Danna, whose work combines traditional orchestration with electronic sounds, had a strong piece of advice: “Don’t underestimate your audience.” Current audiences, he said, are knowledgeable about many kinds of music and have come to expect innovative and engaging movie music.
In a market flooded by new, more democratic technology, panelists said some in the industry fear there are too many new films appearing than can be adequately distributed to consumers, making what seem like new opportunities for film composers just an illusion.
But according to agent Christine Russell, “There are all kinds of new media forms opening up, and each one of them needs content. Composers can contribute to projects that didn’t exist 5 years ago.” Panelists listed some lucrative examples like scores for webisodes, audio books, instructional videos, and ringtones.
Music and film attorney Steve Winogradsky noted that the highest courts are currently debating new sources of music royalties, including streaming and downloading. He advised composers to sharpen their negotiating skills. “Educate directors about the actual cost of your work,” counseled composer Sharon Farber.
Professional composers at the conference said they tend to experiment with a range of technology platforms before settling on the choice that’s right for them. Many have settled on Pro Tools or Digital Performer. Among the examples demonstrated at the conference were the latest releases from Digital Performer, Ableton Live, and Logic.
In the wake of sweeping technological changes, the panelists stressed that the director-composer relationship is more important than ever.
Director Nick Cassavetes (Alpha Dog, The Notebook) had plenty to say about the composer-director relationship: “[As a director] people bring tons of things to show you, like the color of a couch, or a lighting design, then you say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ But the composer’s job is probably the most important, in terms of the emotional success of your movie. Force your director to communicate with you.”
Aaron Zigman, Cassavetes’ composer, added that he considers Cassavetes’ knowledge of music and music history to be extensive. The two men agreed that they enjoy a “mutually respectful friendship.”
“[Cassavetes] knows more about music than most directors,” Zigman said. “And he’s not shy about expressing his opinion if he doesn’t like something I’ve written.”
“Film scoring is a collaborative business,” added Cassavetes. “In a room full of smart people, the smartest idea wins.”
2007 Composers’ Expo, Skirball Cultural Center, July 25, Los Angeles
Composers:
Mark Mothersbaugh (The Life Aquatic), Aaron Zigman (The Notebook), Mychael Danna (Fracture), Yoav Goren (Spiderman 3 trailer), Sharon Farber (Passions), Penka Kouneva (The Third Nail), Mark Adler (The Rat Pack), Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica), Michael A. Levine (Cold Case), Garry Schyman (Destroy All Humans!), and local Seattle veteran Hummie Mann (Robin Hood: Men in Tights). The featured speaker at the young composer’s dinner and award ceremony was Hans Zimmer (Gladiator).
Other panelists:
Director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook), editor Alan Heim (Network), TV host Ben Mankiewicz (Turner Classic Movies), music supervisor P.J. Bloom (Nip/Tuck), agent Jeff Kaufman (Hans Zimmer), and attorney Steve Winogradsky (Association of Independent Music Producers).