Know The Film Score

Logic Pro Cranked Up To X

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 00:15:00 -0400

When working as a music composer, beat maker, or orchestrator in the music industry during this digital age of technology DAW’s become second nature. Therefore, when you need a level of control at your fingertips look no further than Apple’s Logic Pro X. So, what is Logic Pro? Well it is a digital audio workstation that has an enormous collection of plug-ins and sounds, which can flesh out any musical idea conceivable. This DAW provides the user with the ability to compose sounds from scratch, start with a sine wave and transform it into an industry standard. This feat is accomplished with the advanced options of the sequencer in Logic Pro that lets you record, edit, and manipulate MIDI performances any way imaginable. For that orchestrator in you instantly convert MIDI data into notation within Logic Pro while still being able to edit notes extensively with input options to enter the music manually. Music notation tools with a full notation layout allowing instrument transposition, drum notation, and lyric input, this feature also allows printing of sheet music. With all of these defining features nothing else is needed in creating your next hit or single with this DAW.

Now that Logic Pro is cranked up to X what can be expected of the new Logic layout and interface. Well, for one The Logic Remote app lets your iPad or iPad mini wirelessly pair with your Mac, giving you the freedom to control Logic Pro from anywhere in the room. The Logic Remote app forwards many possibilities to the user, such as mobile auditioning of your tracks and audio mixing your sound. Logic Remote gives you all the controls needed to macro and micro mix right from the vocal booth.

That is not all, what else does being cranked up to X offer the user? Track stacks, this cool new feature keeps your sessions better organized through consolidating related tracks into one group track. For example, you have multiple guitars such as a lead GTR, a lead GTR2, an acoustic GTR, and a bass GTR; this feature will place all of those tracks into a stack under a single new track format. This feature will even allow you to route the track stack to an auxiliary track for submixing, thus giving the user better management of the session while keeping sections of the session well organized. Getting your music out to the masses has never been easier.

With Logic Pro X you can now upload songs to your SoundCloud account right from your session. The media browser in Logic Pro X lets you effortlessly move assets to Final Cut Pro X or other Apple related apps. This is all thanks to the support of the MusicXML format in Logic. If you have compositions that are organized with markings and enhancements will now transfer over to other notation software applications completely intact. The biggest new feature that has always been a fan favorite in Avid’s Pro Tools is flex pitch. With flex pitch you can practically never get stuck on a performance, you can now fine-tune the pitch in your audio tracks. Smooth out, add, or increase vibrato. Or even create or remove pitch slides between notes. This can all be done constantly without switching tools, just hover over any wave form you wan to edit and begin to flex pitch. So now that you know the power of being cranked up to X with Apples Logic Pro, what will you be using it for in your sessions.

DOWNLOAD FROM APP STORE

Native Instruments The Ultimate Production Suite

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 05:13:00 -0400

Digital based composers develop amazing sounds but just how do they accomplish this without the use of actual instruments and synthesizers. When thinking about creating that next big sound for your project, consider checking out the ultimate production suite. Komplete 9 Ultimate is a package that delivers the entire collection of Native Instruments 65 instruments and effects through Komplete. This package encompasses a complete creative suite for audio production featuring 16,000 sounds totaling at 370 GB all placed on a single dedicated external hard drive, so no more massive disc installations. As an added bonus Komplete 9 Ultimate is the most inexpensive way to obtain Native’s libraries saving over 80% on all 65 products, compared to buying them individually.

Industry pros trust Native Instruments Komplete

So if industry pros trust Komplete, then it is a virtual sound library worth looking into. Frank Klepacki is a video game music composer and sound director best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series. Frank stated in an interview “I think Komplete is definitely a go-to for television, video games, and film” Komplete is a package that gives you all of the tools needed instruments and style that can make anything possible in the audio realm. Jacob Shea is a video game music composer and sound director who is known for his work on the Gears of War Judgment video game, and another industry Komplete Ultimate user. Jacob used Damage for the percussion aspect of Gears of War, this interface was used to bit-crush and saturate the percussion to give it a darker sound. To catch more in these amazing interviews check out the above video. Lets dive into some of the flagship products of Native.

The highlights of Komplete 9 Ultimate are their two star products Reaktor 5 and Kontakt 5. Reaktor is a modular synthesis studio that unlocks a creation of sound with unlimited programming options. Reaktor interface has over 70 unique synthesizers; sound generators, grooveboxes, sequencers and effects that are at your disposal. An added bonus to this product is that existing instruments are customizable; you can even create your own individual sound generators from scratch through the use of Reaktor’s modular architecture.

Kontakt is an vast instrument library and according to Native the industry leading sampler, this platform allows the creation of extraordinary instruments and powerful expressive sounds. Kontakt 5 paralleled to its predecessor, the interface has over 37 new filters, four new on-board studio effects, updated time stretching, and a new 16 channel instrument bus system with all-inclusive routing possibilities with integrated insert and send effects. So when you are about to begin a new project and looking for something new to bring to the table think about the ultimate production suite, Komplete 9 Ultimate by Native Instruments.

The Magnum Opus Of EastWest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:15:00 -0400

Have you ever wondered how a digital based composer developed such amazing orchestral sounds without an actual orchestra, while having access to those hard to find ethnic sounds from instruments across the globe? Well the Complete Composers Collection 2 is where the search should begin; EastWest is the resource to use for instruments of the world at an industry level. Created by founder and producer Douglas Rogers, EastWest is the number one distributor of virtual instruments software with clientele such as renowned composers Bryan Tyler, Danny Elfman, James Howard and John Powell. Complete Composers Collection 2 is composed of 7 of EastWest virtual instruments, and can have additional virtual instruments added at a discounted price. Choosing the Complete Composers Collection 2 is the most inexpensive way to obtain some of EastWest’s Libraries at more than 70% off the individual virtual instruments retail price. The standard medium for the Complete Composers Collection 2 is a 1TB external hard drive. Seeing how versatile putting together your personal collection can be I chose to go over the personal collection I gathered for the Complete Composers Collection 2. My collection choice is as follows, Hollywood Strings Gold, Hollywood Brass Gold, Ra, Silk, Ministry of Rock 2, Stormdrum 2 Bundle, Symphonic Choirs Bundle, Voices of Passion, and Symphonic Orchestra Gold.

For those of us who enjoy that rich orchestral sound without an actual orchestra, then the Symphonic Orchestra Gold and Symphonic Choirs Bundle are just what you need. Symphonic Orchestra Gold is a 16-BIT 33GB library of sounds recorded in close a mic position and houses an intuitive custom interface. The Performance section of this library includes play styles such as Portamento, Repetition, Legato, and Round Robin Reset. In addition, Convolution Reverb with pre-delay and additional Master control can be used to route reverb to all instruments in an instance. As for the Symphonic Choirs Bundle many of the same features transferred to this virtual instrument library from Symphonic Orchestra Gold. However, the New WordBuilder software is an added feature that makes this the best choir instrument to have at your disposal. WordBuilder is word-building software that enables Symphonic Choir users to type in words for the Choirs to sing, giving versatility of an actual choir in a MIDI DAW setting. For those of use who want that extra kick of orchestral sound that is used throughout Hollywood, then here is your chance. Hollywood Strings Gold and Hollywood Brass Gold are both virtual library collections that were recorded at EastWest Studio 1, the same studio where many big Hollywood soundtracks and television themes took place with live orchestras.

On behalf of those skilled music composers who need ethnic sounds, then Voices of Passion, Ra, and Silk, are the virtual instrument sound libraries of your wildest dreams. Voices of Passion is a sound library with over 7 GBs of vocals from Female Vocalists from Wales, Syria, India, Bulgaria and America. There are over 1000 ethnic phrases from singers who were recorded with a Telefunken Elam 251 and a RCA 44 ribbon microphone for tonal variation. Ra is a sound library that offers music composers an array of unique instruments from Africa, Europe, India, the Americas, Australia, the Far East, the Middle East and Turkish Empires. While, Silk on the other hand offers remarkable and detailed Silk Road instruments from China, Persia and India. The most ambitious ethnic instrument ever created from EastWest

Lastly, from my Complete Composers Collection 2-bundle Ministry of Rock 2 and Stormdrum 2 Bundle are great additions to any collection with various styles of guitar and numerous percussion sounds, Essential for film, TV, and interactive video game projects. Ministry of Rock 2 houses various virtual instruments from drum kits to guitars and bass guitars. MR2 features legato bass and guitar samples with legato and staccato repetitions. This sound library consists of Octaplus Toms, Ayotte, Ludwig and Gretch drum kits. Additionally, the bass guitar consists of a Fender P-Bass, a Fender 5 String, Specter, Kubiki and a Musicman. While the guitars consist of a Fender Telecaster, a Fender Stratocaster, Gibson Les Paul Standard and Deluxe, Ibanez Universe 7 and PRS. Stormdrum 2 Bundle on the other hand is an acoustic percussion based virtual instrument that is essential for use with film, TV, and interactive video game projects. Stormdrum 2 has stunningly recorded sounds that range from those big huge powerful and punchy sounds, to those smaller appropriately delicate and elusive sounds. In closing when you are working on a project and need that all around go to sound library, look no further than to EastWest.

Publish And Distribute, A Composers Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 10:22:00 -0400

Self-publishing is becoming a popular market amongst the independent professional community. Print-on-demand (POD) and aggregator websites have become vast over this past decade. Self-publishing has its advantages over obtaining publishing deals the traditional way. As visited before, to get a publishing deal the traditional way, a query letter needs to be created to obtain an agent. Once the agent is attained, a press kit must be created to showcase your identity as an artist, something like a resume. This will allow an agent to shop your works to a publisher, in hopes of getting a publishing deal. As for Self-publishing, it is possible to publish works without the involvement of an established third-party. Self-publishing forwards the author responsibility and control over the entire publishing process. This process includes design, file formats, price, distribution channels, marketing and public relations. The author can either do it all themselves, or outsource the process to companies that offer these services.

Self-publishing through outsourcing to a POD or an aggregator website, really only has two requirements and that is having the material ready at an industry professional level. Likewise, the material must adhere to copyright guidelines, which requires that you own or have obtained all rights to any content you wish to publish. When it comes to print on demand and aggregator websites that strictly pertains to music, there are many digital businesses worth mentioning. Businesses such as CDBaby, Tunecore, Createspace, Mondotunes, and that are just to name a few. However, for this discussion our focus will pertain solely to publishing and distribution through CDBaby.com.

CDBaby has various levels to the services they offer such as single, single pro, album and album pro. These options are as follows; album sign-up is for $49 per album and offers you CD, Vinyl and download sales on CDBaby.com, with worldwide digital and physical distribution. Upgrading to the pro album sign-up for $99 per album, offers the same benefits of the album sign-up. However, this option includes song/songwriter registration and global royalty collection, which relieves the stress of dealing with a PRO. Single song sign-up for $12.95 per single offers download sales on CDBaby.com and worldwide digital distribution. This option however does not offer physical sales; it does offer a UPC bar code for an additional $5 for those that need it. Pro single song sign-up for $39 per single offers the same benefits of the single song sign-up, but with the inclusion of song/songwriter registration and global royalty collection.

Want to know how much does CDBaby keep in revenue and what do you keep in revenue. Well, when selling CD or Vinyl, CDBaby keeps $4 per unit sold. So for example, if you sell your album for $13, you get paid $9 per album sold. CDBaby downloads works like this; CDBaby keeps only 9% of each sale, while you keep 91%. However, Digital distribution sales from CDBaby partners such as iTunes, Amazon MP3, Facebook music store, Google play, Spotify, etc., entitles CDBaby to keep 9% of the net income, while you keep the other 91%. CDBaby offers many other services such as disc manufacturing, which for various price tiers grant you a set amount of CD’s in Jackets with shrink wrap. Additionally, you can also buy HostBaby web hosting, which is web hosting for musicians, a site-design Wizard, unlimited bandwidth, email, and a mailing list manager. This will grant you to have all you will need to begin a full-fledged website to promote and keep fans updated on your works.

Sync Licensing is a feature that CDBaby offers catered to those artists who prefer to compose for television and film. This incredible feature allows your songs to be available for placement in Hollywood films, TV shows, and video game productions. On top of this, if your music is used you will get paid. In addition to placements, Ad revenue can be made when your music is used in videos on YouTube, it does not matter who uploads your music it will be recognized and money will be made from it. This will also forward you the opportunity to license your tracks to content creators for usage as background music in online videos, presentations, and photo slide shows. With all that being said about the Sync Licensing feature, you keep 100% ownership of your compositions and recordings, with the option to cancel and opt out at anytime you see fit. According to (CDBaby.com, 2013) “CD Baby delivers to more retailers and offers more options than any other music distributor, and unlike other services, we'll never charge an annual fee.” (P, 1) CDbaby.com is a sweet deal for any novice artists who wants to self-publish their own works.

The Traditional Way To A Publisher

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:35:00 -0400

On the road to finding a reputable publisher, there are steps that must be taken in order to reach those reputable publishers. First lets state that the entertainment industry is all about the connections you have and what you know. As a rookie music composer ready to attempt at finding opportunities in the music industry, a certain connection is needed to mediate between the publisher and us. Most production companies will instantly refuse to review unsolicited works, which most likely will be thrown in the trash once received. Getting to the first step at finding a publisher, find a reputable agent that best thrives in your field of choice and at your skill level. An agent is the go between that can successfully solicit works to production companies. Agents have those vital connections to the industry that is needed to get to that next level.

When researching for that special agent in your life, there are many resources that can be used, such as agent directories and websites like the National Music Publishers Association. Once you get a list of agents that relates to your skill level and career focus. It is time to begin sending out query letters. First, lets understand that each agent has set in place certain guidelines that must be followed before attempting to make contact. Guidelines such as how much of a following you may have, or having works already thriving and in rotation throughout the industry, that’s just naming a few.

Now that it is understood what requirements are needed to send out a query letter, lets understand what a query letter is. A query letter is a single page cover letter, introducing a little about yourself, your work and your skill, That is it. A query letter consists of two to three concise paragraphs, the hook/sizzle, a small summary bio, and thankfulness. Please do not stray from this path or you may risk losing the agents interest. Once you nab that special agent in your life, it is time to seek out a publisher. In order to seek out a publisher, it is now time to create an EPK or a physical press kit. Just as a side note an agents commission ranges between 10% - 20% commission on gross revenue made. A press kit is simply an information packet about a business or product. A press kit is something like a resume for your company. This information will address questions from the media, investors, potential clients and anyone else who may need it.

What is in a press kit, lets break down what a press kit consists of:

A cover letter is something like a pitch letter, which represents the first impression the reader will get from reading it. In this instance, lets think of the cover letter as the query letter that has already been sent out.

The cover page of the press kit is a summary of a short introduction of you or your band and displays what your career focus is.

The bio speaks for its self; it’s a biography, which is a comprehensive explanation and account of your life and career as an entertainer.

Including a band photo is as serious as the biography, a professional photo of you as an entertainer displays how you conduct your self as an industry professional and places a face to the bio.

An equipment page is needed to display the equipment you use for your career focus and when you perform live.

Booking information is crucial because any interested potential clients will need a detailed way of contacting you; it is good to have multiple means of contact.

A 3 to 4 song demo of your best material is needed to showcase to venues and potential clients to get an idea on your skills and music.

Testimonials are used to show venues and clients what you have done and the people who notice your work. This section can consist of news clippings, reviews and notable mentions.

Business cards are also self-explanatory, which is another means of contact and a way to easily distribute your calling card to anyone of interest.

All of this content once gathered should be complied together in a professional folder layout and placed in a professional envelope. Once your press kit is ready for the masses, it is time to begin sending out your press kit.

PRESS KIT DEMO

The Copyright, The Public Domain and The Heirs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 29 May 2013 22:22:00 -0400

Novels made into film adaptations have become the go to means of producing for new films in the entertainment industry. Film adaptations of novels have led to many legal disputes over the years. These disputes are based on if copyrights are still protected or are the works in the public domain, due to the works dating prior to 1923. Adding to this heated dispute lets add some more fuel to the fire by reviewing some of these cases in detail. There are a lot of works out there in the entertainment market related to the character Sherlock Holmes. Works such as feature length films and the TV show Elementary, which is based current day in New York City. What most people don’t know is that the character Sherlock Holmes was first introduced in 1887 and was featured in four short novels and 56 short stories dating from 1887 to 1927. The question that is constantly disputed is whether Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain or not. Based on changes to our US copyright act everything prior to 1923 is in the public domain, which is where most of the confusion stems from with the character Sherlock Holmes. With that being said, the characters Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson’s relationship on what they did and how they worked together were created prior to 1923. However, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is saying between 1923 and 1927 versions of the Sherlock Holmes story, are being featured in the current book scheduled for publication by random house.

Lets first mention that the current U.S. law is, life of the author plus 70 years or 95 years after publication, whichever is earliest. Leslie Klinger, a Sherlock Holmes expert who was a consultant on the Warner Bros recent two films brought this case too Illinois federal court. Klinger is hoping for a candid judgment stating that the copyrights have expired on the Sherlock Holmes story elements. Klinger also wants a ruling that relinquishes the Doyle estate from further proclaiming certain rights. The reason this case has landed both parties in court stems from the Doyle estate contacting Klinger and Random House. The Doyle estate is demanding a license agreement be made for the novel that is in preparations called In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, which is a sequel to the first installment called, the Annotated Sherlock Holmes. Many people from Klinger’s group believe the estate holds no valid rights on Sherlock Holmes. However, to avoid court troubles Klinger, attempted to make a deal with the Doyle estate, but ultimately received no deal. The confusion of Sherlock Holmes is based on the various publications between 1921 and 1927 that comprise The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. This is a case that will most definitely carry on into the future. Hopefully the result will benefit the public domain, which will benefit the world. This will allow the Sherlock Holmes works from between 1921 and 1927 to be used without a license. This may come to past, due to the character elements of this publication being fleshed out prior to 1923.

In a similar case, there is a dispute going on over the character Zorro rights. The story published in 1919 called the curse of Capistrano was the initial feature of the Zorro character. Filed in Washington federal court, a lawsuit is in play by Robert Cabell, who has published a musical titled Z The Musical of Zorro in 1996. Cabell’s musical is based on the author Johnston McCulley's first Zorro story published in 1919 along with Fairbanks film The Mark of Zorro. John Gertz, who owns Zorro Productions Inc. and has produced four of the Zorro films since the 1980s, in addition to that Gertz also has a musical of his own featuring Zorro. Cabell stated that after licensing his musical so that it can be performed in Germany over the summer, that Gertz threatened him with a lawsuit. In a ruling dating 2001, the judge said that it appears that works such as McCulley's story The Curse of Capistrano and Fairbanks's movie, The Mark of Zorro, both copyrights have already expired. However, it is stated by Cabell that despite the ruling in court, Gertz deceitfully obtained multiple trademark registrations on the character Zorro. This illegal action has undoubtedly led to preventing others from utilizing expired Zorro IP that resides in the public domain. With another threat issued by Gertz over Cabell’s musical, has led them both to court once again. This time Cabell is pursuing a testimony of non-infringement, an undying restrain reprieve, and a cancellation of trademarks currently held by Gertz.

When dealing in a business that thrives on works that are in the public domain, or even a novel film adaptation. Law is power, and knowing the law and your rights will take you that one step further. Dealing with works prior to 1923 or estates whom original authors have died, it is a good rule of thumb to know where you stand incase a litigation try’s to throw a wrench in your million dollar plans. Lastly, always check with either your copyright office or Trademark and Patent office to make sure you indeed have legal right over a work.

Court Is Now In Session For IP Law

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 9 May 2013 19:38:00 -0400

In recent news the court system has been receiving their run of industry court lawsuits. Today lets narrow in on a few of these cases, preferably ones dealing with and affecting the entertainment industry. The European Court of Human Rights has supported the conviction on one of the world's largest sharing torrent file websites, Fredrik Neij, and Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi, two of the co-founders of The Pirate Bay. Neij and Kolmisoppi were both charged with Connivance to commit crimes in violation of the Copyright Act. Their sentence was for one years incarceration and a 3.3 million euros (4.3 million US) fine. This sentence was later reduced but the fine was raised to 5 million euros (6.5 million US). Neij and Kolmisoppi then filed an application arguing that under Pirate Bay they received and provided information to Internet users about torrent files, which led them to believe that liability for IP infringement fell on Pirate Bay’s users. They both believed their right to communicate information was protected by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which dictates that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right also includes the right to embrace opinions, receive and convey information and ideas without restriction by public authority, regardless of borderlines. What Neij and Kolmisoppi didn’t take into account is that the same article also states that this shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. The ruling says, (Eriq Gardner, 2013) "Since the Swedish authorities were under an obligation to protect the plaintiffs’ property rights in accordance with the Copyright Act and the Convention, the Court finds that there were weighty reasons for the restriction of the applicants’ freedom of expression."

Just as Pirate Bay, so does Gary Fung founder of Isohunt, a BiTorrent indexer come under fire for IP infringement. Lets explain why Fung will not be eligible for safe harbor under The Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Sadly for Isohunt, tech services can encourage copyright infringement. Judge Marsha Berzon of the Ninth Circuit said (Eriq Gardner, 2013) "Each time a torrent file is added to IsoHunt, the website automatically modifies the torrent file by adding additional backup trackers to it," Berzon additionally stated that on Isohunts message board Fung had a service, which regularly updated popular movies and TV shows through a list. Fung argued that his service was only just indexing what was on the Internet. However, Fung is still liable for contributory infringement, for encouraging others to infringe on copyrighted material. This is so because unlike other copyright laws such as freedom of expression, Inducement liability is not limited. In fact on top of indexing popular movies and TV shows, Fung also allowed once clicked for a user to upload said movie or television show for others to download and view. With that being said Fung was unable to gain legislative safe harbor from copyright liability, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Piracy of any IP is a case that needs to be taken seriously. I understand when it comes to my business, as a music composer secret is key. Any material I receive in an effort to support the creation of a score will need to be held dear to me and made confidential. With that said I will be running a tight shift in my studio with IP material only being made available to those Individuals who are currently working on the project. This may not change much as far as piracy but it will put a damper on those every now and again films like, X-men’s Wolverine making it out of the studio before its initial theatrical release.

On to other news, Veoh wins an important copyright case against Universal Music Group. The case being presented here is that UMG does not believe that Veoh can qualify for safe harbor protection from copyright claims under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Veoh’s software does not fall under infringement of copyrights due to its user-submitted storage capabilities. This is so because user-submitted storage is a feature of Veoh’s software offers and through the discretion of the user submitting material is how IP’s are being infringed upon. In addition, Veoh in the case presented proof that they removed countless infringing IP’s after receiving takedown notices from UMG based on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The only way Veoh may have been in the red flag is, (Eriq Gardner, 2013) "If this notification had come from a third party, such as a Veoh user, rather than from a copyright holder, it might meet the red flag test because it specified particular infringing material. As a copyright holder, however, Disney is subject to the notification requirements." UMG persistent on proving that Veoh indeed did not qualify for safe harbor presented the court with their principle on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. UMG theory is that the Act should be interpreted narrowly to also include web-hosting services. In the end, Veoh’s hosting user-submission content feature and the general understanding that their services could be used to share infringing content was insufficient to constitute a red flag.

A big take away from this proceeding is the understanding of how unintentional circumstances can still affect you and your business. When running a business based on hosting user submitted content, it may be best to place previsions or some sort of security that can weed out what IP users own and ones they do not own. For example if a user wants to upload IP material have them prove they do own such works or at least have a provision pop up whenever a user attempts to upload IP material they do not own. This pop up can be used as a way to notify them of the consequences to uploading material they do not own. I know any future business venture I take too I will make sure to include such previsions to keep from dealing with such legal issues.

Video Game Music "IS" The New Film Score

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:57:00 -0400

Once an afterthought in terms of game design and overall music culture awareness, video game music is now an authentic industry of its own. Today, worldwide prominent orchestras perform concerts of music composed specifically for video games and features top of the line film composer soundtracks. Like the purpose of all great scored music, it's supposed to appeal to your heartstrings and drive your emotions wild. Video game music has become over this past decade so indistinguishable from scored music for films, that many have begun to envision a video game to be on the same level as a feature length film. In the past video game music was limited by its hardware but that all changed with the introduction of the CD-ROM. Furthermore, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) decided in the year 2000 to let interactive games compete in the annual Grammy awards.

If composing for film and video games are so similar now, then what makes them different? Well its still the same process between both when composing? Video games just have a few extra techniques that need to be addressed when composing. Films are linear, which means that everything composed happens the same way each time you hear it. When an explosion occurs at SMPTE 3:01:38 it will always happen at SMPTE 3:01:38 nothing can ever change that. As for video games the composition process is non-linear even though the music composed is not. Video game music has to be composed in such a way that it can appear non-linear, which means a sound can happen at anytime depending on what you do and when you do it. In a video game you can have a fight start then a chase followed by an explosion. Or have an explosion then a chase followed by a fight start. Non-linear sound can happen differently each time its dependent on what the player does to make it happen.

The process used to make linear music appear nonlinear is called Horizontal and vertical music composition. Horizontal music composing is a style of composing involved with building music in sections. The music created is usually based on a theme and only played one section at a time. This style of composing is more similar to the traditional style used in film composing, thus horizontal music composing is linear. This style of composing is used for motif, intro, and ending credit themes, more importantly horizontal is used most often with shooter, arcade, and casual, video games.

However, Vertical music composing is a style of composing involved with on going music that introduces new elements matching the player’s actions. Each new layer is faded in on top of the other depending on the player actions. For instance you start with an ambient them then build on top of that fading each theme in and out accordingly. Vertical composing is used mostly in open world exploration games; vertical composing is also a form of creating non-linear sound in a linear domain. Whether composing music in a video game or composing for film with a studio orchestra, there are more ways to make a living making music than ever. All it takes is hard work and talent. Video games provide a fantastic new venue for talented composers to express their craft.

What Can Artist Management Do For Composers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:35:00 -0400

You have to ask yourself, if performing artist’s use artist managers, what can an artist manager do for a music composer. Essentially promotion will be the focus in managing a composer. Due to artist managers working with various clients they have the contacts to Send your music out, talk to directors about your music catalog and look for commission project opportunities. However, for a composer like myself I prefer to employ an artist manager to handle the business aspect of my career. This will allow me to focus on the creative process, which is the music. There comes a point in a composer’s career when they know that they cannot push their skills as hard as somebody like a manager can push. When a music composer feels overwhelmed by the amount of project details and has countless commitments in a short period of time, in my opinion is where an artist manager can place their worth.

Another facet of using an artist manager stems from when you’re considered a relative new composer. In today’s industry it is hard to get anyone to listen to your work without already being industry relevant. So as a new composer how can you bridge the gap between your work and an industry professional? You guessed it right; you can have an artist manager on the payroll to bridge that gap. Even when a composer is well known in the industry there is a need for someone to advocate for them cause there is always directors and orchestras who do not know who you are. Another benefit for a composer using an artist manager is that a manager can have social prerogative to speak more freely and push harder stakeholders and potential stakeholders because it’s their job. As a composer your skill may allow you to speak with many people but as a manager, they can speak to twice as many people as a composer can. For example, you would love to score the next X-Men film but don’t have a connection with the director. That is another avenue the manager can tread through; there may be people involved in the film that the manager works with regularly. So what can artist management do for composers? Well they can become the manager, the agent as well as the business. This will allow you to concentrate on what they should be concentrating on, writing music.

Negotiating For A Better You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:50:00 -0400

William Ury’s Negotiating for Sustainable Agreements presentation discusses the strategies he has developed at the Harvard Negotiation Project for creating sustainable agreements in diplomacy and business. Ury discusses how much time we already dedicate to negotiation in our everyday lives. Conflict has been suppressed over the years and is now coming to the surface. We have a choice to resolve conflict through family feuds, lawsuits, and wars. Or we can deal with conflicts constructively through listening, dialogue, collaborative problem solving and non-violent actions. You can learn from Ury’s presentation that objective criteria can be used in more ways than just preventing wills from clashing. Using a third side to way in concerns for both parties can also use objective criteria to express concerns in a negotiation that can benefit all negotiators. Learning not to react and gaining the ability to listen will take any negotiation to the next level. This allows you to focus on interest and not positions to learn what is wanted and better assess the direction of a negotiation.

Getting to Yes Negotiation 2nd half presentation discusses the negotiation techniques presented in the Getting to Yes book. These negotiation techniques range from topics such as objective criteria, separating the people from the problem and BATNA. You can learn from this presentation the uses of an objective criterion, which in this presentation is based on independent industry standards. You learn that industry standards can be used as a sword to persuade the other side why your proposal is fair for them. You can even use industry standards as a shield to protect and explain why their proposal doesn’t feel fair to you. Negotiation techniques can also help in separating the people from the problem. This can be accomplished through being hard on the problem and soft on the people. So in negotiations focus on the problem not the person you are negotiating against. Additionally, learn from this presentation that negotiating preparation is key in knowing what you will do if you walk away from the agreement. Having a BATNA can accomplish this. So know your best alternative to a negotiated agreement, explore your alternatives and consider the sides of the other negotiators BATNA.

Entrepreneurship Part 7 Negotiation podcast deals with negotiation for entrepreneurs and basic practical tips used in negotiating. Topics such as the concept of your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement, The values of objective criteria and inventing options of mutual gain are all critical topics used in this podcast and through negotiating. You can learn from this podcast that in negotiations both parties have something they want to get out of the negotiation. During negotiations if you find that it is not going to benefit you, then you would still have the option available of using your BATNA. In the podcast objective criteria teaches us the value of appealing to objective standards and avoiding a contest of wills. Instead of relying on a contest wills we can use independent third party standards to make an unbiased decision. In negotiations you need to prepare an outside objective in advance and focus firmly on it but be flexible to the standard of the idea. Win-win negotiations are the only way to get any lasting agreement that will work for both parties. When negotiating have empathy for the other parties and broaden the options to decide on the best option that will allow for the most amount of mutual gain.

After reviewing these presentations I learned that the negotiation techniques discussed could be applied to my industry. As a film score composer I can apply objective criteria in my negotiations with potential clients. This technique will help me when negotiating the price I charge to compose for a project. Additionally, this same technique can be used when dealing with how long will be needed to accomplish the project. Using this technique will keep me from being stagnant in negotiating by relying on independent third party standards to make the decision. Separating the people from the problem is another technique that can be applied to my industry. I can use this when conducting business for new ventures such as a script for a film or opening a business. Focusing on the problem and not the person can be accomplished when getting permits and licenses and conducting ratios of how well the product or service will sell. Having a BATNA is one of those interesting techniques that will become most useful during my career. When in negotiation for a job as a composer for film, I can prepare in advance a BATNA incase the agreement doesn’t go as planned with the client. Lastly, mutual gain is another important technique that I will use during my career. I believe if you don’t have mutual gain in an agreement then the agreement will not end well. I will practice this technique in all of my negotiations to ensure that all of my negotiations are presented fairly for both parties to acquire mutual gain.