In the world of music, music scoring can be a great way to get your name out there. Here is how you can break into this world.
Have you ever wondered how songs from your favourite television show and film were created?
Writing music for television and movies seems to be a perfect career for ambitious musicians and producers of the next generation.
It is an aspiring way to make a living as musicians could earn good money while having a wide range of potential projects to work on.
From action films and travel documentaries to romantic comedies and low-budget sci-fi, can a music artist create a substantial career in making music for film?
Here are a few tips on how music artists can enter the cinematic world of music scoring.
Networking
The answer depends on what kind of film projects a musician would consider involving their musical efforts.
Does the artist want to collaborate on high-paying commercial work? Creative movies?
Each film or cinema element has a different set of approaches. However, one thing that correlates within these various film avenues is networking.
Networking allows more chances for the artist to create the opportunity to work on a project.
Judging from experience, networking is one the most powerful tools artists can develop.
Through word of mouth, started by a friend that values the artist’s creativity, to an artist being heavily involved in music communities both online and local, networking is crucial.
Make A Showreel
To show off an artist’s musical skills, it is important to create a showreel.
According to DigitalAgencyNetwork.com, a showreel (also known as a demo reel) is a short video that shows someone’s artistic portfolio.
Through song and other music implications, the showreel is created to attract and convert potential customers.
Many music artists risk creating music scoring over an already produced film However, regarding a music artist’s showreel, there are major problems that could occur.
One factor could be that without a CC license, the footage can be highly illegal.
Many film studios would not want their movie replicated in such a manner. Another factor surrounds the showreel authenticity.
When pitching a showreel of an already produced movie, many film studios assume none of the work is actually done by the artist presenter.
To avoid these cinematic issues, musicians must find “real” creative projects to work on.
Unfortunately, money will not be pouring down like rain on a cloudy day at the beginning of an artist’s film endeavours, but at least the material is honest.
This notion shows potential clients the artist’s ability to carry visuals through music in a fresh, new, and exciting way.
Music artist’s monumental connections are with the directors. The directors have a prominent vision for how the visual footage will be birthed, however may lack the musical knowledge in musical aiding to powerful scenes.
The famous director Steven Spielberg could only imagine how impactful, piled with perfection, the musical scoring of Jurassic Park or E.T would be.
Those key music elements are one of the reasons the movies maintained their popularity for many decades.
Musicians should create these relationships with new directors rather than trying to get attention from legendary directors such as Spielberg.
Instead, artists should begin a growing relationship with unique and new creative directors with similar movie genre interests. How can a musician find new directors?
Artists can build these connections through local filmmaking groups, festivals, and online communities.
Payment
Once an artist has a few film projects under their belt, it is important to establish a general rule (question) of approaching new projects.
How much are films willing to pay? Many directors have budgeted their various projects implementing a budget for music usage.
Some creatives recommend that even a large percentage of the overall budget should be spent on music.
As music is the backbone of many amazing films, music should be valued as such.
According to Soundtrack.Academy, a musician should approach quoting a project (the amount of money for musical services) based on charging per minute of music and working out an hourly rate depending on the time of the artist.
If you are also requiring help from other musicians, the music artist must factor in their contribution for their form of payment as well.
Music has always been the driving force for my viewing habits when it came to discovering my favourite cinema.
Through the value of networking along with an authentic showreel, musical scoring may be an artist’s true destiny.
It is my artistic opinion that music can easily make or break a cinematic masterpiece. Music should be treated in high regard when it comes to the creation of music for film and television. Therefore, artist should be paid for their creative attributes efficiently.
The most exciting part about musical scoring is that any music artist can achieve it! Through songwriting, to strictly instrumental happenings, independent artists can dive into the impactful world of film.
Photo: Shutterstock
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