ok not always. Just sometimes.

How am I supposed to write a 3min trailer with absolutely no video footage whatsoever?!

He called and said, "I need 3min. You know... a bit fight sequence music, a romantic theme... anyway you know what I mean - a bit of this and a bit of that"

Seriously. That's pretty much what he said.

So I thought I'd vent a little here while drinking my 3rd coffee and smoke my millionth cigarette trying to think what to do... 

Pfffft. John Cage would know what to do.

Do what any good coffee house member would do...

make up your mind and then send him some becan and
three minutes of Am.

Just put together any three minutes as fast as you can so he'll be able to finally tell you what he really wants.

craigb


Just put together any three minutes as fast as you can so he'll be able to finally tell you what he really wants.

Yes. And in all honesty I already sort of have almost 2mins of it i.e. from sketches I sent him in the past 2 weeks. (I posted a couple on this forum in Songs).

Thing is I obviously can't follow the cuts, transitions, etc... so he either cuts to the music or else hey ho.... I'll have to redo everything all over again most probably.

The problem is not composing - it's orchestrating. Cutting out one bar would involve going into each track and smoothing out MIDI CC data and whatnot.

Part of the job I know. But it could be avoided if some people work in a more sensible chronological order :(

You have to be able to do this it is as simple as that. Especially if you want to be a very effective Production Library Music composer. There will never be any visuals. You will only get briefs and you will have to come up with the music. In fact in some ways it is better and liberating and you are much more free to do what you want.

They will often cut to the music ie the other way around from working where they cut the vision first and we do our thing to that edited vision.

Use your imagination. It is not about tempo mapping or hit points any more, it is now about coming up with the right musical ideas to suit the situation. If you don't learn this technique you will be left behind in the dust.

I first encountered it when I was asked to create a 3 minute piece for a promo that was advertising Australia in movie theatres in other parts of the world. I found it hard at first because I was always used to working with visuals but after a while I got it sorted. I only had a brief to work with. It took a few attempts too.

Watch a few scenes on Youtube etc that have got the music vibe right and the visuals are there to give you some idea. Just listen to the music to get the feel for what they are after.

Want me to give Danny Elfman a call?  I know I still have his number here somewhere...

I did that once. For a whole documentary, w/ no cue but the script. He'd heard my work before and trusted me w/ that one.

When I finally received the tape the day before the deadline, I was pretty much done. I only needed to finalize everything and mix it down - which still meant a lot of work. And much to my surprise, my musical cues fitted perfectly. At least I thought so.

Come the deadline, I sent the guy all the files (internet, late 90s connexion). 

He liked one piece a lot and asked me if I could re-write rearrange all the rest (5 pieces IIRC) like that particular one he and his wife dug (obviously, that particular piece was the closest to a filler, imho). 

Oh and he wanted that for the next day. 

18 hours to re-write/re-arrange, mix down/master and upload via a 56k modem.

I never saw the final results, but he loved the material.

So it can be done. ;)

Hate seems like too strong a word.

bapu


Hate seems like too strong a word.

yeah don't go all 'showbiz' on us