ON THE TRACK ON THE TRACK A GUIDE TO CONTEMPORARY FILM SCORING Second Edition

Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright Revised by Fred Karlin Foreword by John Williams New music examples engraved by Doug LeBow

Routledge New York • London Published in 2004 by Routledge 711Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 www.routledge.com

Published in Great Britain by Routledge 2 Park Avenue Milton Park Abingdon Oxfordshire, OX14 4RN UnitedKingdom www.routledge.com

Copyright ᭧ 2004, 1990 by Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright.

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Karlin, Fred. On the track : a guide to contemporary film scoring / Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright ; revised by Fred Karlin ; foreword by John Williams.— 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-415-94135-0 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-415-94136-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Motion picture music—Instruction and study. 2. Composition (Music) I. Wright, Rayburn. II. Title. MT64.M65K3 2003 781.5′4213—dc21 2003011579 To Doris, my wife and fellow artist

RW

To my wife, Megan, who brings so much vision and insight to everything I do

FK CONTENTS

Foreword by John Williams xiii Preface to the First Edition xv Preface to the Second Edition xvii Acknowledgments for the First Edition xix Acknowledgments for the Second Edition xix Introduction xxi How to Use This Book xxv

I PRELIMINARIES 1 The Filmmaking Team 3 Meeting the Filmmakers. The Director. Communicating with the Director. Support and Guidance. Two-Way Dialogue between Director and Composer. The Producer. The Producer’s Power. Communicating with the Producer. The Film Editor. The Music Editor. Music Executives and Supervisors. 2 The Script, Meetings, and Screenings 15 The Script. The First Meeting before Screening the Film. The First Screening. First Cut, Fine Cut, and Assembly. The First Discussion after Screening the Film. Composing before the Film Is Finished. 3 Role Models and Temp Tracks 21 Specific Film Scores or Cues as Role Models. Specific Film-Scoring Styles Used as Role Models. Specific Classical Pieces or Styles Used as Role Models. The Composer’s Use of Role Models. Evoking a Role Model Inadvertently. Role Models and Plagiarism. Temp Tracks. Music Editors and Temp Tracks—How It’s Done. Why Filmmakers Use Temp Tracks. How Composers Work with Temp Tracks.

vii viii CONTENTS

4 Spotting the Film 33 Talking It Over. Making Decisions. When To Use Music. Starting a Cue. Ending a Cue. Short Cues, Transitions, and Long Cues. The Importance of the Acting. The Director Communicates. Spotting Notes and Timing Notes. Changes in the Spotting after Scoring. Score Lengths.

5 Budgets and Schedules 51 Cost Factors. Figuring Costs. Working with a Small Budget. Scoring Union or Nonunion. The Assumption Agreement. Working with the Contractor. Composing Fees. Budget Estimates. Time to Compose. Copying Time.

II CONCEPTUALIZING

6 Developing the Concept 63 Characterization. The Central Character. The Single Dramatic Theme. Two Dramatic Themes. Ethnic/Geographic Considerations. Musical Styles. Combining Two or More Stylistic Elements. The Process of Elimination. Scores for Study.

7 Demonstrating the Score: Mockups and Electronics 101 Electronic Mockups. Mockups for Communication. Changes.

III TIMINGS

8 Timings and Clicks I 111 Free Timing. Using Clicks and Clock. Metronome Equivalents. When Timings Don’t Sync. Requirements on Extremely Accurate Hits. Ritards, Fermatas, Accelerandos.

9 Timings and Clicks II 121 Music Editors. Cut Back Cues and Split Chases. Tempo and Mood Changes within Cues. Meter Changes within Cues. Timings with a Calculator. Using Videorecorders, Digitized Video and SMPTE Time Code. Drop-Frame or Non-Drop-Frame? Avoiding Confusion in Math Problems. Hardware and Software.

IV COMPOSING

10 Playing the Drama 129 Audience Expectations. Don’t Tip the Story. Tone. Main Titles. Whose Point of View to Play? Playing the Overview. Playing What the Scene is Really About. Getting Inside the Character’s Feelings. Playing the Environment or Location. Playing the Situation. How Intensely to Play the Drama. Less Is More/Understating the Drama. Avoiding Emotion. CONTENTS ix

De-emphasizing a Scene. The Power of Silence. Playing through the Drama. Phrasing the Drama. Hitting the Action. Highlighting. Red Herrings. Scoring the Film Like a Ballet. Underscoring the Dialogue. Scores for Study.

11 Genres and Source Music 179 Genres. Action. Comedy. Documentaries. Historical and Period. Horror. Source Music. Interweaving Source and Score. Scores for Study.

12 Composing 189 Creative Considerations: Work Process. Intuition and the Subconscious. Writer’s Block. Preparation. Planning the Score. Organizing the Score. Unity and Variety. Research. Tempo or Pulse. Personal Taste and Style. Beginning the Sketch.

13 Using Melody 197 Motifs. Multiple Motifs. Unaccompanied Melody. Two-Voice Texture. Giving the Melody Character. Adapting a Theme. Hit Records. Scores for Study.

14 Using Harmony 223 Harmonic Languages. Harmony Resulting from Linear Writing. Harmonic Pedal Point and Ostinatos. Using Harmony for Characterization. Using Harmony as a Theme. Tension. Scores for Study.

15 Using Rhythm 279 Tempo and Pulse. Sketching the Rhythms. The Percussion Section and Electronics. The Orchestra as Rhythm. Rhythm as a Thematic Idea. Rhythmic Ostinatos. Uneven and Changing Meters. Polyrhythms. Scores for Study.

16 Using Orchestration 297 Characterizing the Film’s Dramatic Theme. Suggesting Locale with Color. Symphonic Orchestration. Fresh Sounds and Interesting Combinations. Change the Color, Change the Emotion. Orchestral Effects. Small Budgets. To Orchestrate or Not to Orchestrate? Sketches. MIDI Sketches. Transposed or Concert Pitch-Scores? The Art of Orchestration. The Composer/Orchestrator Relationship. Orchestrating from MIDI Sketches. Using Synths and Orchestra Together. Typical Orchestra Setups. Know the Instruments. Short Cuts. Orchestration Schedules. Changes. Other Practicalities. The Business Aspects of Orchestration. Scores for Study.

17 Technical and Practical Considerations 333 Technical Considerations. Streamers. Recording. Practical Considerations. Preparing to Record. Save Your Music. Checklists. x CONTENTS

V RECORDING

18 Recording: The Scoring Stage 341 The Scoring Stage. Underscoring, Prerecording, and Set Recording. Scoring Primarily or Completely with Electronics. Prerecording Electronic Tracks. Prerecording Acoustic Tracks and Soloists. Planning. The Mixer. Producing the Music. Conducting. Conducting Aids. Film Sound. Recording Format. Headset Mixes. Rehearsal Protocol. Creative Responses. Working with the Director. Changes on the Scoring Stage. Recording. Working with the Mixer. Playbacks. Overdubbing (Layering or Stacking). Prerecording an On-Screen Performance. Time Pressures on the Stage. Recording Away from Home. Timing Corrections while Recording. Postmixes and Sound Processing. Using Samples in Final Mix. Remixing for a Soundtrack Album.

19 Dubbing: The Final Mix 359 The Composer on the Dubbing Stage. The Dubbing Stage and the Participants. Preparing the Music for Dubbing. Predubbing. The Music Mixer. Dubbing Stage Sound. First Adjustments during the Mix. Overall Music Levels. Changing/Losing Cues. As the Director Sees It. Dubbing Stage Protocol. Dubbing with Dialogue. Losing a Score. Dubbing Schedules. Previews. Scores for Study.

VI ELECTRONIC AND CONTEMPORARY SCORING

20 Using Electronic Music 369 Electronic Instruments as Acoustic Re-creations. Electronic Instruments for Unique Sounds. Blending Electronic and Acoustic Instruments. Scoring with Electronics. Recording Electronic Music. Scores for Study.

21 Using Contemporary Music 381 Using Contemporary Rhythm Sections. Contemporary Scores. A Closer Look at Three Contemporary Scores. Scoring with a Solo Artist. Scoring with a Group. Contemporary Source Music. Scores for Study.

22 Scoring for Television 425 Television Series. Main Title Themes. Composing. Working with the Producers. Dubbing. Scoring with Orchestra. Scoring Long Form. The Use of Songs. Television/Film Differences.

VII SONGS

23 Musicals and Prerecording 439 Prerecording (Prescoring). Prerecording Grease and Fame. Postrecording (Postscoring). The Classic Musicals and Beyond. CONTENTS xi

24 Songs 443 The Functions of a Song. Content. Songwriting Collaboration. Syncing the Lyric to the Visuals. Rewriting, or Writing Another Song. Demonstrating the Song. The Artist. Hits and Big Business. Footloose: An Original Compilation Song Score. Yentl: An Original Song Score by One Team of Writers.

VIII THE BUSINESS

25 The Business 459 Getting the Job. Moving from Television to Films. Demos. Being Heard. Agents. Film and Television Deal Points. Commercials. ASCAP and BMI. Music Budgets. Licensing. Soundtrack Albums. Music and Business.

Epilogue: On the Track 471 The Interviewees and Authors 473 Appendix A. Study Assignments 485 Appendix B. Footage/Timing Conversions 491 Appendix C. Calculator Method for Timings 493 Appendix D. Drop-Frame 495 Glossary 497 End Notes 503 Bibliography 506 Web Sites 508 Music Excerpts 509 Index 513 FOREWORD

I am often asked by young composers how they might gain entry into the world of film music. The answer, of course, cannot be simple. While there is no magic formula, good training, patience, and a large measure of assistance from lady luck will be indispensable. To begin with, knowledge of the great films and awareness of current trends in the field are solid prerequisites. After that, experience will be the best teacher. Because practical experience is difficult to come by, the next best thing would be the aid of top-caliber professionals willing to share ideas and techniques that have been gleaned from years of experience. On the Track does just that. It sums up the experience of these professionals and offers the reader the opportunity to learn about film composing from their inside point of view. In the past, most composers approached the world of film music from a variety of back- grounds. They began by studying concert music or playing jazz, rock or pop music, orchestrat- ing for other composers, writing arrangements for vocalists and big bands, working on theater productions, creating and producing television commercials, and in general, exploring all styles of music. They also studied the great film scores that led the way for all of us. The broad experience gained from this eclectic background was, and is, probably the best preparation for a film composer. Today, as new composers begin their careers in film, they have access to extremely sophisticated synthesizers and computer technology, but they may find that their background is more limited in scope than their predecessors’. To offset this, these musicians will undoubtedly work in areas other than film in order to gain a wide range of useful experience. Although the study of music will be ongoing throughout a composer’s career, he will need the information contained in this book to understand the usage and function of film music as it exists today. Writing, conducting, and playing music while learning about drama through the study of great literature, theater, and films are all essential in preparing for the challenge of scoring films. Karlin and Wright encourage the reader to apply his or her knowledge by practicing scoring film segments from available videotapes. Because their book is organized by topic, it is easy to use as a reference manual or textbook, yet can be read chapter by chapter if you wish. The many musical examples and references to specific moments in a variety of films make the book a tremendously valuable source of study. One final note. In the past we’ve noticed that many of our best musical minds were not interested in film scoring. This was probably the result of the fact that these composers found too many restrictions and technical problems in the film medium, and for some, the practice was simply too “low brow.” I do, however, think that in the future we will see more and more “serious” young composers willing to devote some of their energies to film music. If this happens, and I think it will, the resultant music may have an effect, hopefully beneficial, on the development of the art of music itself. Media music is here to stay. It is part of our musical future for better or worse, and this book can help to make it better. For these and other reasons, I celebrate the publication of On the Track.

xiii xiv FOREWORD

I wish this book had been available when I started in the film industry in the 1950s. It collects and presents so much painfully acquired knowledge that it is a signal advance in the study of our field. Finally, I wish all students and readers of this book great joy and much success as they enter what is a universe of sight and sound that we are all just beginning to explore.

JOHN WILLIAMS PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

This book has been written to fill a gap on the film music bookshelf. Rayburn Wright had not been able to find a text for his film scoring courses at the Eastman School of Music. He wanted a book that discussed traditional film-scoring methods and also the current contempo- rary practices in the new era of computers, synthesizers, MIDI, and song scores. Coincidentally, Fred Karlin had started a book on film scoring in answer to many requests for information explaining how films were scored in contemporary Hollywood. As two longtime friends and colleagues, we decided a collaboration would be ideal. Our aim has been to create a comprehensive and practical manual detailing the prevailing techniques in the art and craft of contemporary film scoring as practiced by today’s leading composers and lyricists. To achieve this goal we have interviewed forty-one composers and lyricists. In addition, because we sought to offer a well-rounded picture of what it is really like to be a professional composer or lyricist in the film world, we have interviewed thirty-six talented professionals from other aspects of the working environment: producers, directors, writers, film editors, music editors, music executives and supervisors, network executives, recording engineers, dubbing mixers, musicians, music contractors, copyists, and composer’s agents. Network and music executives’ titles are given as they were at the time of their interviews. To make these candid interviews most useful, quotes have been integrated into our text by topic; for example, quotes about dubbing by composers, directors, and dubbing mixers will be found in Chapter 19. We have of necessity edited the tape-recorded comments (with permission) for purposes of clarity and readability. We do not mean to slight in any way those of our colleagues who did not participate in these interviews; any such omissions are due solely to space limitations or, in some cases, scheduling difficulties. We have limited our discussion and score excerpts to approximately 150 films, most of which are currently available on videocassette. We have not necessarily selected our favorite films and scores (although all the films and scores included herein have much to recommend them). Rather, we have chosen a well-rounded cross-section of works that have yielded invalua- ble film-music examples. We have placed soaring symphonic scores and funky contemporary scoring solutions side by side, believing that musical style is the language through which the score speaks, and that each film score should find its own appropriate and sometimes even unique musical language. We have made few distinctions between composing for motion pictures and television. We have pointed out those differences that affect the composer, but the process of scoring a film is basically the same in either medium. To provide a historical frame of reference, release dates are indicated parenthetically for all motion pictures and television films the first time they are mentioned in each chapter. This book is addressed to women and men alike. To make this clear we started writing “he/she” and “himself/herself” before reluctantly recognizing that this procedure was both

xv xvi PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

cumbersome and unreadable. Until a nongenderized pronoun comes into usage we are using the generic “he” and “him” to include all people. More and more women are now becoming active in all phases of film production, and we hope the information within this book will encourage women to compete in a field which historically has been heavily dominated by men. Although our primary goal has been to create a textbook by and for film composers and lyricists, it is our hope that all those involved in or interested in filmmaking and the process of scoring films will find this book helpful in developing a deeper understanding of the art and craft of film scoring and of the men and women who dedicate their lives to this highly demanding profession. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

The function of music in films has changed somewhat from the forties, the sixties, or even the eighties. Different generations of filmgoers bring to the movie-going experience different levels of awareness, emotional needs, and expectations of what that experience might be. An emotional moment that would have been emphasized in a film made in 1948 would not necessarily be played with the same emotion in 2003. This is to a considerable degree due to the differences in the films as much as the audience. When films are made that reflect the emotional values of past generations, the music is invariably in tune with those values. The Harry Potter series and the Lord of the Rings trilogy are clear and convincing examples of this, and there are many others. That is not to say that the music is dated, which it isn’t by any definition, nor are the films. In fact, those films use every technical advancement possible to tell their stories. But when a filmmaker takes a different point of view, creating a film that speaks to the audience in a different way emotion- ally, then the music must come from the film and do the same. American Beauty (1999) is one such film, and the music Thomas Newman created for it is completely appropriate to its story and method of storytelling. With its abstract mallet and percussion sounds and emotional understatement, it is perfectly suited for the film written by Alan Ball and directed by Sam Mendes. High tech films, fast cutting, digital imagery used for style as well as content—these elements can signal the creation of films demanding like-minded musical sounds and ap- proaches. Scores inspired by these films may well have been difficult or impossible to create twenty years ago, just as the technology didn’t exist to make the films. In this regard there have been changes and developments in the scores created at the turn of the twenty-first century. By and large, however, the values inherent in a fine film score remain constant: a strong concept, a deep connection with the film and its emotional core, the appropriate expression of those emotions (whether understated or played full out), and an organic empathy with the film’s characters and story. In this revision of On the Track, I have deleted some, but not many, references to films from the seventies and eighties; the lessons these scores and excerpts teach are timeless. To offer the best overview of film scoring in 2003 I have supplemented these resources with many excerpts from the nineties through 2002. In updating this second edition it has been necessary to omit Alex Brinkman’s click book. Although still useful, especially in learning the craft of film music timing(s), almost everyone writing music for any sort of film or video project today uses a computer as a timing aid, relying on various sequencers or the Auricle program to do so. In a book that is still over 500 pages, it just isn’t practical to include it. I have also deleted material about television commercials and other special applications of music with images (and I have not added a section on music for computer games, a growing business). This is not to imply that these fields are unimportant; in fact, there are film composers who have learned a great deal about

xvii xviii PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

scoring films by writing music for commercials. Space limitations have precluded a discussion of these subjects, but the reader will find that the techniques and philosophies discussed here will prepare you well for work in those other related fields. Scoring for television, on the other hand, has its own new chapter (Chapter 22). I have done a moderate amount of reorganization, giving ethnic and genre music a separate chapter (Chapter 11), for instance, and adding a great deal of material on the creation of electronic mockups. The two chapters on electronic music have been completely rewritten, now being represented by “Using Electronic Music.” The “Filmography” has been replaced with a section listing “Music Excerpts,” which contains all the excerpts included in this text accompanied by their Figure numbers. Films mentioned within the text now can be found in the Index. This text was never intended to be a survey of film scores. My choice of films to discuss and to illustrate with musical excerpts should be taken strictly as examples that illustrate points and techniques discussed within the text. A section entitled “Scores for Study” will be found at the end of some of the chapters, and these, too, should in no way be considered an all-inclusive survey, but rather, as the title suggests, a guide to contemporary film scoring. On the Track does not offer a tutorial on writing melodies, nor will you learn from studying it how to create effective harmony, rhythms, or orchestration. These are all requisite skills requiring study and analysis. If you need help with the latest electronic hardware and software, you will need to study the available monthly journals (see the Bibliography), enroll in a course for this purpose, or learn with the help of a friend. The same is true of the arts of composing or conducting. Our purpose is to help you to learn how you can best use all these musical elements in motion pictures and television. If you can do so, we will have fulfilled our goal.

Fred Karlin ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOR THE FIRST Special thanks to Alexander Brinkman, who programmed and printed the click book pages reproduced herein, and to Marc EDITION Gebauer, whose “Click-Calc” chart of digital delay timings we We wish to extend special thanks and gratitude to our seventy- adapted for our Appendix C. seven colleagues who shared their experiences with us so can- Our thanks also to Electronic Musician (Berkeley, CA), Key- didly. Their generous comments during our taped interviews board Magazine (Cupertino, CA), Mix Magazine (Berkeley, CA), have made it possible for the reader to benefit enormously from and Elmer Bernstein (Film Music Notebooks) for permission to their professional experience and know-how. include several excerpts from previously published interviews. Many music copyright owners, administrators, and print li- April Rhodes and Ken Warnick were of great help in tran- censers have generously permitted us to reprint many excerpts scribing some of our lengthy interviews, and Ed Suchow of Cap- from their motion picture and television music catalogs. In most tain Video in Montecito, CA, assisted us in making available cases these musical examples are not available through any other many of the hundreds of films on videotape that we studied. source, and permission to reprint them here has allowed us to Our special thanks to our friends and colleagues who read integrate these invaluable educational reference materials into our completed manuscript. Williams Russo’s and David our text. Our thanks to ABC-TV, Almo Publications, Wright’s many fine suggestions have been incorporated into the Brooksfilms Music, Buttermilk Sky Associates, Inc., Chrysalis final text. Doris Wright and Megan Karlin functioned superbly Music Group, Columbia Pictures, Columbia Pictures Publica- as overview readers; several readers, including Norman Gimbel, tions, Famous Music Corporation, The Guber-Peters Company, Harry Lojewski, John Richards, and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, Hemdale Film Corpora- read one or more chapters and were most helpful. Especially, in tion ITC Films, Inc., Lorimar Telepictures Music Group, MCA that category, we wish to thank Clark Spangler, whose advice Music, MTM, New Century Entertainment, The Richmond helped shape Chapter 19. And finally, our deepest gratitude to Organization, Screen Gems-EMI, and Warner Bros. Music. John Milligan, whose editorial insight and suggestions regarding Our thanks to Ruby Armstrong and Harry Lojewski at organization, style, and clarity have been incorporated through- MGM/UA, Bob Bornstein and Eldridge Walker at Paramount out this book, and contribute greatly to its overall readability. Pictures, Julian Brataluvitch at Universal Studios, Harriet Craw- We wish to extend our appreciation to Schirmer Books; Mari- ford at Columbia Pictures, Danny and Joel Franklin at Warner beth Anderson Payne, editor-in-chief; Robert J. Axelrod, associ- Bros., and JoAnn Kane at Twentieth-Century Fox for the formi- ate editor; Michael Sander, managing editor; and Julia Palmore, dable effort of finding, duplicating, and assembling these manu- copy editor, for their editorial contributions and invaluable assis- scripts for inclusion in this text. tance. Especially helpful were the talented composers who assisted us in researching television commercial writing and television ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FOR THE SECOND theme writing: Keith Foley, Bernard Hoffer, Michael Karp, John EDITION La Barbera, Rod Levitt, Manny Mendelson, and William Wara- noff. We wish to thank Douglas Newton, art director of Hol- I have again relied upon the shared experiences of my profes- land & Callaway Advertising Inc., for permission to reproduce sional colleagues, adding more than fifty new interviews to those the sample storyboard. already integrated into this text, and I am very grateful to them. Our thanks to photographer Gay Wallin, who provided us Their contribution to this project is enormous. You will find with all the photographs illustrating the equipment and work them represented with a small sampling of credits in the section environment that is so much a part of the scoring process. entitled “Interviewees” near the back of the book.

xix xx ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Without the cooperation of the many music copyright own- tion. And Louise P. Danton at the Academy of Television Arts & ers, administrators, and print licensers represented in this second Sciences generously consolidated all the necessary documenta- edition, there would be no way to illustrate this text with relevant tion regarding Emmy nominations and awards. John La Barbera and updated musical examples. Very little film and television gave me input about the academic community. music is available for study, which makes their enthusiastic sup- I have integrated some first-person quotes from interviews port of this project all the more significant. My thanks to Cherry published in the three major film music journals, and wish to Lane (Rebecca Quigley) DreamWorks Music Publishing LLC thank these fine resources for their permission to do so: Film (Todd Homme and Jennifer Schiller), Hal Leonard Publishing Score Monthly (Lukas Kendall), Music from the Movies (Paul Corporation (Chrissy Swearingen), StudioCanal Image (Barbara Place), and Soundtrack (Luc Van de Ven). The authors of these DiNallo at StudioCanal U.S.), Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. articles include Rudy Koppl, Randall D. Larson, and Jeff Bond. (Joel C. High), MCA Music Publishing, Miramax Films (Joe Thanks to Keyboard Magazine (Greg Rule) for permission to Rengel), MGM/UA (Jonathan Watkins, Chad Greer, Julie quote James Newton Howard’s comments about sampled or- Wadley), New Line Cinema (Lori Silfen, Jessica Dolinger), chestras (in an article by John Krogh). These journals do an Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Fox Music, Inc. (Ted Spellman outstanding job of bringing to life the world of film music. All and Mary Jo Mennella), Universal Television Network LLC citations from these journals in this second edition are attributed (Brigitte Urbina), Spyglass Entertainment (Paul Neinstein), in my End Notes. Walt Disney Music Publishing (Jonathan Heely), Warner Bros. Without the empathetic efforts of those who coordinate the Music (Jay Morgenstern), and Warner Bros. Publications (David schedules and publicity efforts of some of these artists, it would C. Olsen). be impossible to interview them, and I thank them very much It is no easy task to locate and retrieve scores from studio for their assistance in this regard: Bill Bernstein, Margo Campillo and copying service archives, or from the composers’ private (Fox Music), Ronni Chasen, Meri Gavin, Cathy Kerr, Patrick libraries. It is only through the thoughtful care and preservation Leader, Mo Nakamoto, Julia Quinn, Jamie Richardson (and of these valuable resources that they are available to students Christine Lusey), Francesca Robison, Monique Ward, Gia and professionals to study, and I am very appreciative of the Russo, and Jeff Sanderson at Chasen & Company, and Helen assistance given to me by so many of my friends and colleagues Stotler (Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown). in this regard: JoAnn Kane and the JoAnn Kane Music Service The business of film and television scoring is always complex (and especially Jim Hoffman and Bonnie Cook), Todd Homme and evolving, and I wish to give a special thanks to contractor and Cindi Smith at DreamWorks, Ridge Walker and Bob David Low; RMA president Phil Ayling (and Marc Sazer and Ximena Marin); Chief Executive Officer/Administrator of the Bornstein at Paramount Pictures, Danny Gould at Warner Film Musicians Secondary Market Fund Dennis Dreith; Diana Bros., Joanna Beck and Darren Otero at the Sony Pictures Music Szyszkiewicz (ASCAP), and agents John Tempereau and Mi- Library. Many composers were also very helpful in fulfilling my chael Horner of Soundtrack Music Associates for bringing their requests for particular cues from their scores: Elmer Bernstein experience to this difficult subject. And thanks to JoAnn Kane (and Lisa Edmondson), Brad Dechter, Anne Dudley, James and Mark Graham for their input regarding music preparation. Newton Howard (and Kira Lewis), Laura Karpman (and Ray I found virtually every DVD and videocassette I needed for Odell), Mark McKenzie, Mike Post (and Colleen Lightfoot), my research (many three or four times over the course of a year) Donna and Lalo Schifrin (and Niki Duwick), Howard Shore at A Video Store Named Desire in Los Angeles, and throughout (and Chris Rinaman), Scott Smalley, and Christopher Young all that time Elvis Le, Michael Tonai, and Sue Chae were patient, (and Samantha Barker). helpful, and interested in my research. In addition to providing the original scores, several composers I always hope for a few readers who will bring a fresh reaction and their associates helped to recreate MIDI information so that to my manuscript when I am finished with the draft, and I the resultant score reductions could become a more complete especially wish to thank my friend and colleague Bill Boston, and accurate study reference. This required considerable time whose practical and artistic editorial suggestions throughout and effort for which I am very grateful: Jeff Poyne at Edward were very helpful in bringing additional clarity and readability Shearmur’s studio, Trevor Morris and Adam Howell at Hans to this second edition. He also corrected many other details Zimmer’s Media Ventures, and Kira Lewis and Jim Hill at James such as dates of film releases and nominations/awards credits, Newton Howard’s studio. although I take full responsibility for any such errors that I might My thanks to Doug LeBow. After I reduced all the new music have let slip by in spite of our best efforts. examples to short score, he did an elegant job of music engraving, Megan Karlin contributed many fine editorial suggestions. creating the perfect text font and making adjustments as neces- Thanks also to Rebecca Condit, who did the copy editing for sary to be certain that the music was as clear and easy to read Routledge and Henry Bashwiner for shepherding this manu- as possible. Thanks also to Tony DeGeorge, associate production script through production. manager at Routledge, for his invaluable assistance. I am truly pleased to be working with Richard Carlin, execu- My thanks also to Daniel Allan Carlin and Segue Music for tive editor of music and dance at Routledge. We met when he providing the spotting and timing notes and the dubbing log joined Schirmer Publishing just before my book Listening to that serve as real-life examples in this edition. Carlin and his Movies was published in 1994, and from that time on he has associates at Segue Music also provided a great deal of research continued to take an active and enthusiastic interest in this material on the subject of music editing in 2002. Richard and project. He is a real friend of all those who consider film music Ron Grant were also very helpful in providing technical informa- a subject worthy of greater understanding and appreciation. INTRODUCTION

If you’re going to go for it, you better have the goods unexpected ways. Preserving the artistic integrity of a :30 cue the day somebody knocks on your door and says, ‘Can when the editor has just trimmed :07.4 from the scene requires you show up tomorrow with a cue?’ a flexible approach to the art and craft of film composing. Educa- —Robert Kraft, President, Fox Music tion and experience are useful only if the composer can accept these changes as part of the filmmaking process. If guys really want to be successful, the single biggest Rarely will the composer feel he has enough time to compose, factor is being able to work well with people and having and there are many situations which require writing a great people like you. It is not a matter of what you know amount of composed and orchestrated music in a very few days. about music as much as it is how well you work with A dramatic one-hour television series episode may be ready for people. the composer to score a week prior to dubbing, but there are —Mark McKenzie, Composer/Orchestrator times when there may be as little as three days to score an episode. What does it take to be a film composer? First and foremost, a film On many projects, features even more so than television, ongo- composer should have a natural musical talent and an inherent ing film editing changes can add further time pressures to an dramatic sense. A well-rounded technical background is a neces- already difficult schedule. sity, but to be successful, a film composer’s technical skills must be The filmmaker’s or studio’s desire for a chart-busting single supported by emotional and psychological disciplines. Technique or soundtrack album can exert a great influence on film music isn’t enough. The composer training to work in films must also decisions, even before a composer is selected to score a film. If the be prepared for high levels of stress. There are time pressures, com- composer is asked to create one or more songs, the marketplace is mercial pressures and artistic pressures, and the effectiveness with an ever-present pressure from the time the composer begins a which the composer deals with these realities will determine to a project, influencing every creative discussion and decision. An- considerable extent his artistic and professional achievements in other force at work, the pressure to conform to a director’s pre- the world of motion pictures and television. scribed vision of what the score should be, can be difficult to Flexibility is essential. There will always be more than one accommodate artistically. In general, film composers must work way to score a film. Finding the “right” way will depend in part with the constant push and pull between the artistic and collabo- on the tastes and vision of the director, the producer, and possi- rative elements of the motion picture and television industries— bly other decision makers involved with the film. If the director that’s how it is. Nevertheless, there are many times when the believes that a symphonic score is right for his film and the film composer will be working with producers and directors who composer cannot demonstrate that there is a better way to score really expect and hope for a score representing the highest artistic it, the music for that film will probably be a score that uses a standards. symphonic orchestra. This doesn’t preclude creativity—it just It is not wise to rely too much on the filmmaker for artistic defines the medium. The composer must be flexible enough to validation. Sometimes the filmmaker may not be aware of the compose within superimposed (and sometimes arbitrary) guide- potential contribution of a great score, and therefore may settle lines. for much less. “They say, ‘It works,’” says Ira Newborn. “And Filmmaking evolves, usually through a series of changes; it’s true, it work—five percent. As long as it works five percent, changes in the script, changes while on location, changes in the they think it works. It’s like the pass/fail system. They don’t editing room, and, of course, changes in the score before, during have the appreciation, because they’re not into it like we are— and after recording. There will be changes until the film is ready they don’t realize that something can work ninety-five percent, for release, and some of these changes may affect the music in something can really work, almost as perfectly as it possibly can,

xxi xxii INTRODUCTION and squeeze the juice and magnify the scene, or bring something for Gerald Fried and Rubinstein; like some, Elmer Bernstein new to the scene that really makes it intense. They don’t quite and Bruce Broughton developed their abilities as classical pian- understand that.” ists; and some are conservatory-trained as well. Brendon Cahill, former Universal Television Vice President, No matter how artistically and technically prepared the com- Television and Home Video, believes composers should strive poser is, he cannot expect to know everything he’ll need to know for excellence whenever possible, and take the chances sometimes when he begins his first film scoring assignment. The fact is that necessary to achieve that excellence. “The composer who comes most composers learn most of what they know about film scoring in today and bases his foundation on the traditional great mas- on the job. The successful film composers know what they need ters’ compositions has to be versatile enough to take a chance. to learn when the time comes, and have excellent dramatic in- The custom and practice for the composer during the last fifty stincts which carry them through as they are learning. years has been that if you stay with the tried and true you can’t It is instructive to learn how some of the established film go too far wrong. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It all goes composers got into the field. Alan Silvestri’s first experience with back to the director and producer; you hope they’ll say to you, scoring a film was on Romancing the Stone (1984). “I got a call ‘Look—take a chance. Instead of playing the flute, let’s play a one night from the music editor, Tom Carlin, who said they clarinet. Instead of putting a string pattern there, let’s put a had been looking for a composer, and listening to tapes for a synthesizer there. Or try to look at things differently. Here’s the long time and were still not happy with anything they had heard. piano and the mic is normally above the piano; let’s turn the And I mean, they had everybody’s tapes on the floor when I mic upside down under the piano and let’s see if that creates a got over there. So he said “Look why don’t you try something.’ different sound. Maybe the knock of the hammer on the string So I said, ‘Fine.’ And he put Bob Zemeckis on the phone and gets a different sound from the string itself. Take the chance.’” Bob said, ‘I’ve got this one scene with this guy and this girl and This is good advice. they’re running through a jungle and they’re swinging away with Robert Kraft, President of Fox Music, recognizes that it is machetes at bamboo and the bad guys are shooting at them. not easy to get started in the field. “If you want it, if it’s in the Can you put together three minutes of that and be here for pit of your stomach and you can’t sleep unless you’ve got to lunch tomorrow?’ I said, ‘What the hell do I have to lose?’ So have it, then you’re going to go for it. And you better also be I did this little demo. It was real makeshift with a LinnDrum prepared to wipe out. I mean, if there was an easy trail of bread and a DX7 and I didn’t even have any facilities at my house. I crumbs, here’s how you make a million dollars a picture as a literally had the LinnDrum and I had an 8-track machine, but film composer, you know the line would be all the way out no board, no echo—nothing. And I put together a three minute to Pico Boulevard. There’s no secret, you’ve just got to keep Latin-flavored rhythm track. And I went in the next day to see hammering away and hope to God you’re lucky. Get the shot the guys and that was it. They loved it! They signed me to do and when you get the shot you have the goods.” the picture the next day.” Kraft urges aspiring film composers to be prepared. “At this In this story Silvestri illustrates the ability to do whatever is point, I think there are enough film music programs that there’s necessary to become a successful film composer. He was willing no reason not to learn your craft there. I mean, there are a lot to try to put something together for the director overnight, with of guys from the rock world who show up and say, ‘Hey, man, inadequate equipment. The director must have sensed his self- can I jump aboard this film scoring thing? My record career’s confidence. in the toilet.’ I say, ‘Oh, you know, it’s a real skill to score a It’s no surprise that most film composers have been interested film. It’s not just being a songwriter.’ But, if I hear that a guy in music most of their lives, whether rock and roll, classical went to Berklee or went to the University of Miami or USC, it music, jazz, or an eclectic mix. Howard Shore became interested puts them one yard ahead of the competition because you see in all kinds of music, and also the manipulation of sound, at an he’s been serious, he’s studied, he’s maybe been an apprentice early age. “I grew up in the fifties, and it was the period of Hi or he’s been on a student film. I think it helps.” Fidelity and stereo. Tape recorders were accessible to almost The film composers currently working in motion pictures everybody. They didn’t cost that much. and television come to film scoring with a variety of back- “And I had a library near me that had a wonderful collection grounds. Some may have gone to conservatory, some come from of classical and popular music, and so as a kid, 10 or 11, I would film music schools like those at Berklee College of Music and go into this library and I would just pull out recordings of artists the USC one-year postgraduate program, while others are more I didn’t know. Because I was just interested in music. And I or less self trained, yet they all have paid their dues one way or had this wonderful source material right there. And they had another. But how? everything categorized. And I started pulling out records of Ta- Some have a theatrical background (John Morris, William kemitsu and Cage and David Tudor, and Stockhausen, and I Goldstein, Arthur B. Rubinstein, David Shire); many have jazz would tape them cause I had my tape recorder and I would backgrounds, including Johnny Mandel, Jerry Fielding and Pa- make my own edited versions of their stuff, and then I started trick Williams (and many others, like Bill Conti and Shire, were to make my own tapes, to try to emulate them. When I was 12, performing jazz musicians as well); Jerry Goldsmith, got his early 13, I was using a razor blade and quarter-inch tape. training at the end of the golden age of radio and the beginnings “And then I started recording my own pieces. I got two mi- of television; still others came to films from rock and roll and crophones and a stereo and I started playing my instruments contemporary music (Anne Dudley, Trevor Rabin, Graeme Re- and recording stuff and recording other pieces. The recorder vell, Lisa Gerrard, Pieter Bourke, Mike Post), records (James had overdubbing, you know, sound on sound they called it back Newton Howard) or commercials (John Powell, Peter Nashel); then, and I did that for years and years. So I’d actually built up performing in symphony orchestras provided solid grounding a real early catalogue of samples and recordings. Naked Lunch INTRODUCTION xxiii was done in 1990, but there’s a recording that I made on my recorder.’ He said, ‘Yea, but I cut my main title to it. And it tape recorder in 1963 that’s in the film, part of a piece that I feels so good.’ So my first shot, in terms of Hollywood, was this wrote. And I’ve actually been doing that for years. I mean, even scratchy thin—I never heard of the movie, never read the script, in movies like The Cell, I would take a piece of music (and I the guy’s leaving for the plane in an hour, and I improvised about did this very much also for Naked Lunch)—and it’s basically an three or four minutes, and that’s what comes on the screen.” electronic technique) I would overdub something else onto it.” There are several other disciplines other than scoring for tele- Sometimes the most efficient way to prepare to be a pro is vision and motion pictures that can provide excellent experience to study privately. During Craig Safan’s early days as a film and training. John Powell started his career writing music for composer, composer Fred Steiner led him to study conducting commercials, and stresses how helpful that experience was for with Hans Beer. “I studied conducting with him for half a year. him. “One of the things I enjoyed about doing jingles and the When I’d conduct I had very bad posture—I used to bend way reason I would always recommend it to composers is that you over when I’d conduct. I was supposed to stand up straight. He get very varied requests. Today I might need to do something would put me against the wall and say, “Now conduct in four,” that’s a William Orbit style track and then tomorrow, ‘Can you and I would still bend over. So he went to his file cabinet and do Greek?’ And you have high pressure deadlines. It is very took out a ten-inch bayonet—a real bayonet—put it up against different, you know. Coming out of doing 30 second, one min- my chest, and said, “Now you vill conduct!” He was actually a ute tracks to doing Face/Off and doing two hours of music that perfect teacher for me—I can keep the orchestra together and hit had to link up in some way and have some kind of construction all the streamers, and slow down and speed up and get everybody to it, it’s a terrible shock. You then have to sort of apply all started at the right time.” these different muscles that are about, just being able to keep Safan is largely self-taught, but he was an indefatigable stu- going. Stamina. And you suddenly realize how tough it is. I dent of motion picture music. “Early in my career I just haunted don’t know when, if ever, I’ll ever feel it’s not an exhausting all the stores. I used to buy every score. I had a huge collection process. of soundtrack albums, and I’d study everything—every score.” “I did that from 1990 till ’95, till I came out to Los Angeles, Like most film composers, Bill Conti has a very diversified and I still did it a little bit while I was here, with ISDN lines. background. He has a bachelors degree, two masters degrees, They used to send me the film as a Quick Time movie and I’d and a doctorate in music. But his studies and musical activities score it in a day. cover a wide range of interests and skills. “For my bachelor’s “I think it develops lots of good technique that’s really going degree, I was on scholarship, but it was a bassoon scholarship. to help you, everything from being with difficult clients to un- And was a keyboard and composition major. I went to Louisiana derstanding what ‘Could it sound more like an avocado?’ means. State, and then I went to Juilliard. At Juilliard I had to switch The more you get into the difficulties of language and personali- to composition. While I was getting all these degrees, I was ties and dealing with clients who are stressed and don’t really working playing jazz at night, for about 15 years. So, the music know quite what they want from the music and time pressures turned me on in both areas [jazz and classical]. It was a back- being put on that, budgetary issues, quick changes. And ob- ground in all kinds of music.” viously things like failure and being cast over, having things This background helped prepared Conti for film composi- being thrown out. It’s all a very good education. There’s ob- tion, but it was no guaranteed entrie into the business. Often viously lots of stuff it’s not going to teach you, but how else do it is the unexpected twist of fate that gets you started. “In Venice, you get that information? I’m sure some people are born just Italy, I was the Italian music supervisor when they were shooting understanding the nature of film and how music should work Blume in Love [1973]. So, I end up coming back to the States with it. But I think for me it was a great training ground.” and staying with this still photographer from the film. So I’m Mark Mancina found himself scoring trailers. “You know sleeping on his couch and he is going off on a one day shoot that was really, really good school work because what would for Harry and Tonto [1974]. He says, ‘Why don’t you give me happen is they’d give you a four minute big movie trailer, and a piece of music to bring to the cutter. I know the cutter; maybe within that four minutes you’d have to have themes and you’d he’ll slip it in during the dailies.’ I said, ‘But I don’t even have have to develop your themes, you’d have to really run the scope the script.’ ‘What do you need to know, it’s about an old man of an entire score. I used to think that when I’d finish a trailer and a cat?’ ‘Well, man, I’m supposed to know more than I only wished I was going to do that score because the amount that...’Anyway, that day, as he was leaving, he forced me to of work that would go into all the thematic writing—that’s the improvise at the piano, just so he could bring a tape. He said, work in doing a score. I would write my own themes and all ‘You know, make it mellow, there’s an old man, there’s a cat, my themes were original themes for myself for every trailer, and there’re no chases.’ So I did something mellow. then, of course, somebody else would score it. I did some really “Now, maybe six months later, I get the job. I actually get successful trailers, and I got noticed from them, because people the job based on that tape. When the director [Paul Mazursky] would want to know, ‘What is ‘Oh, it’s not from a movie, it’s asked, ‘What is this piano stuff, where did it come from?’ the a piece Mark Mancina wrote for this trailer’ and they’d go, editor said, ‘This guy. . .’ So, I told the director, ‘Well, look, I ‘You’re kidding.’ One of the ones I did was Geronimo [1993]. can really do you a great Main Title, I can really. . .’ and he The music for that trailer was really powerful, and I got so much said, ‘No, no, I like the piano. I said, ‘But, no, no, I understand, work from that. It really kind of launched me. Then I did a this is big time, this is motion pictures.’ He said, ‘Look, I like movie called Monkey Trouble, which was a children’s movie, that the piano.’ So I did a take-down of the piano, and I replayed Ridley Scott produced, and then right after that the director the piano [for the soundtrack], and he said, ‘Yea, but I like the from Speed came to visit me and he had heard some of my work way it was.’ And I said, ‘But that was an old cassette on a funky and wanted to take a chance on me doing his movie. On the xxiv INTRODUCTION trailers I didn’t have any orchestra—all synth on almost all of pany’s business. As a result I helped Mark Snow one day get them. Once in a while we would go in and supplement if I had sounds together for a show that he was doing, and then I would a choir or if I had string players, but not often. And of course fly up to Skywalker Sound and help train them on sound effects I learned to do quite good mockups at that point. design, on the very same box.” “When I look back on it, I hated doing trailers when I would Callery learned a lot about scoring films by being around get hired for one because it was like doing an entire movie in these composers, and eventually got a job as a sound effects four or five days, and working sixteen hours a day trying to get editor on “Star Trek.” “I sound-effects edited for about two and it done. But I realized then when I went on to big feature films a half years, and I was basically working on a show that people that’s how you work. You don’t put in three hours a day. You like Dennis McCarthy and Jay Chataway were scoring, and so work your butt off and that’s the way it is. So it was really, really I got to sit on the mixing stage and I loved studying their work. good teaching.” I also learned very much about how the effects and the music Sean Callery’s pathway to scoring was far from predictable. worked together on the mixing stage. That led me to Mark He studied composition and graduated from the New England Snow, who needed some arranging help with some sound design Conservatory with a major in piano performance. ‘I was at a and I met him and I did some stuff for him and he saw that I trade show in 1987 wearing my alma pin, when the president had some ability and we became friends, and he became a mentor of a company called New England Digital saw me, and he said, to me. And I was his apprentice. When I connected with Mark ‘Are you a keyboard player?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am.’ ‘Well, we need I was able to put down the sound effects work and exclusively a product specialist in Los Angeles.’ And it was just one of those focus on the writing. My first writing job was one that he helped moments where you just know it had to happen even though me get which was for ‘La Femme Nikita’ on the USA Network. you’re afraid of moving. So I lobbied very heavily for the position And that show ran for 41⁄ seasons. And there I really cut my and I got it. And for the first six years in Los Angeles I learned 2 teeth on an hour long action series where schedules were very the Synclavier Digital Audio Workstation, one of the very few devices in the late eighties that provided two things: it provided tight and I progressed from there into other projects.” In 2001 polyphonic sampling—only two products were doing that at the Callery began scoring the Fox series “24.” time, Fairlight and Synclavier. And it was also the first product Just how the composer goes about scoring motion picture and to make available to the consumer hard disc recording, although television projects will be the focus of this text. When scoring any it was prohibitively expensive. And to make that even more film, the composer has a responsibility to himself and to the enticing, the sequencer and the hard disc recorder worked to- filmmakers to provide the finest, most creative and artistically gether. satisfying musical solution for the film. This requires a very fine “So my job was basically to train, once a sale was made, people balance between the client’s taste, the needs of the film, and the from all aspects of the industry, whether they were musicians like composer’s personal vision as a creative artist. Although personal Chick Corea, or giving tech support to people like Stevie Won- experience will prove to be the best teacher in learning to achieve der (one time). Then it became very clear in the late eighties this goal, it is our hope that the reader will benefit from the that this product was also a very powerful sound effects tool. combined experience of many of his colleagues and other mem- And eventually a dialogue editing tool. So the hard disc recorder bers of the film community before he faces his first (or his next) and the sound effects part became a very large part of the com- scoring assignment. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

We have tried to make this book as practical, realistic, and up- films. Continue taking notes, as this will help you identify and to-date as possible. Here are some suggestions for using it as a understand your reactions. powerful learning tool: Most of the musical examples have been reduced from full score to short score or sketch format. All score reductions are in Use the DVDs and Videocassettes concert pitch, with as much information indicated as is practical. In the text when we or those we are interviewing discuss specific Although in some cases orchestrational touches (including elec- film music, we are speaking about the way the music sounds in tronic textures) have been omitted, all musical material is given conjunction with the film. The text offers important information that a composer would be most likely to include on his sketch. about the music and the film, but the reader needs to experience Most electronic elements are never written down, and become the cinematic effectiveness of the music to understand and feel very difficult to notate accurately after the score has been its dramatic usage and function. If you are interested enough in recorded and dubbed. When studying the score excerpts with film scoring to read this book, you will more than likely already picture, listen for electronic lines and colors not indicated on the score reductions provided here. Pages from full scores re- be studying film music on video, in theaters, and on CDs. Most printed in the text are all in transposed pitch unless otherwise significantly in a study program, you cannot learn about film indicated on the score. music without watching films to experience and understand the interaction of music and film. Add Your Own Music You will find a supplementary resource at the end of some If you have a stereo VCR with two discrete inputs, you can add chapters, “Scores for Study.” Some of these cited illustrations are your own music to the second track of a film or television episode discussed in the body of the chapter, while others are additional you have taped off the air. You will not be able to play dialogue referrals for your study. They are not a survey of examples, but and effects on the other track if a section of the film you wish rather a representative sampling cited to illustrate specific aspects to add music to is already scored, but you can add music to of film scoring. scenes that are not scored, or add music to a scene and play back for study without the original soundtrack. Study the Films and Music Examples We recommend that you study the films and music examples Listen to the Soundtrack Albums along with this text. Screen two or three of the recommended Soundtrack albums are an unrealistic reference as a primary re- titles at a time. The cues referred to are not recommended as source for studying film scoring because music in films is very the only possible musical solutions for each scene. They represent nearly always competing with sound effects and dialogue; none- the release-print score, and as such they are valuable reference theless there is great value in studying an album after studying the score as it plays in its film context, especially to appreciate materials. Don’t ignore cues and scores (or films) you don’t like; the musical subtleties that may not be audible on the film there is a great deal to be learned from a cue that you believe soundtrack. This is the study of film music. Music included on doesn’t work, and every cue you study is an opportunity to the soundtrack album may not even be in the film, is sometimes observe your reaction to the specific techniques and dramatic abridged, or may be inaudible under sound effects or dialogue. attitudes discussed in the text. With that in mind, take notes on the relative effectiveness of each cue, and analyze your value Read Other Books judgments. Then look up the chapter references and reread those The bibliography includes a short list of selected books and passages in the book, studying the specific music cues in the periodicals. Reading the latest periodicals and trade papers is

xxv xxvi HOW TO USE THIS BOOK essential in order to keep informed of current developments, numbers can be confusing at first. Computer programs also need especially in electronic and contemporary scoring. to be practiced. Use the Glossary Listen to Those Who Know All words set in boldface type can be located in the Glossary at The value of anyone’s opinions depends on his credibility. The the back of the book. 123 professionals interviewed for this book are among the out- Practice the Math standing experts in Hollywood filmmaking. All work success- A guaranteed way to be clear about timing problems and film fully in the field, and all have a self-evident, deep interest in math is to work through the book’s practice problems in Chap- films (see the list of interviewees, with their photos and selected ters 8 and 9. A guaranteed way to be confused in this area is to credits, beginning on page 473). Their quotes and the musical skim those chapters without doing the problems. It takes practice examples provided should be an immense help in revealing the to get a real understanding of the math, and handling these techniques and aesthetics of fine film scoring. I

PRELIMINARIES

1 1 T HE F ILMMAKING T EAM

If I were a composer I would always deal with the direc- MEETING THE FILMMAKERS tor—the man who has the vision. —Paul Wendkos, Director The first step in film composing is usually a meeting with one or more of the filmmakers, although you may have been sent a How did the director and I get together and solve our script to read prior to this meeting. Filmmaking is a team effort, differences? We got together in the following way—since and the team includes many experts: actors, cameramen, design- I owned the film, that’s the way it went. ers, costumers, writers, recording technicians, dialect coaches, —Gerald Isenberg, Television Producer dancing coaches, special-effects persons, sound-effects people, and many more. But the two who have the greatest influence If you listen to the wrong guy and walk onto the scoring on the musical style, tone, and attitude of the film—crucial stage, and the guy who really is going to call the shots factors of concern to the composer—are the director and the says, “What’s that? I didn’t tell you to do that,” you’re producer. Others who may directly influence the score’s out- in a lot of trouble. —Allyn Ferguson come are the writer, the film editor, the music supervisor, the music executive, and the music editor. The first substantial talks about the film’s music will probably NY COMPOSER WHO SERIOUSLY wants to compose for films, be with the director, at which time he may give the composer A and is intent on preparing himself for that work, needs to the script, screen an early cut of the film (formerly called a rough understand just how film scoring is done, from beginning to cut but typically referred to as a first cut), and/or discuss his end. ideas about the film and its musical needs. In the course of By the time he feels “ready” he should not only have studied developing the score, the composer will encounter varying per- composition and be able to write in a large variety of styles, but ceptions of what music is right for the film. These different ideas also have studied the best examples of film scoring and should may come from the different people on the team or, surprisingly, have a background of practical local/regional studio work: al- from the same person, as his thoughts about the music change bums, singles, commercials, concerts, and orchestration projects. in the course of the composer’s work. You must know who has He should know as much as possible about how the film industry the overall authority as well as the authority during each phase works. To understand what it is like to work in this field and of your work. Be observant and tune in to the reality of the to know what is expected of him, he first needs to look at the situation. Here are the possibilities: actual process that a composer goes through in scoring a film, 1. The producer. and to understand with whom he will be working on film 2. The director. projects. 3. The executive producer. This person may not play a In presenting a comprehensive guide to film scoring in this major role in the day-by-day genesis of the score, but book, we begin with the chronological steps that a composer may actually turn out to be the final arbiter. takes in a typical scoring project: 4. The film editor. The editor may at some point in post- production be given relatively great authority to super- • Meeting filmmakers, reading script, screening the film vise dubbing and/or other related tasks. Almost invaria- • Spotting the film bly, however, final approval will come from someone • Planning budgets and recording schedules else. • Conceptualizing 5. The music supervisor or music executive. Their roles • Considering timings/synchronization depend on their background, abilities, and responsibili- • Composing ties; the specific production company’s situation; and • Orchestrating whether the music supervisor is employed by the produc- • Recording tion company on a freelance basis or is a salaried execu- • Dubbing tive. Then we go into the special areas of using electronic and Determine the Authority contemporary music, television, working with songs in films, Don’t assume that all executive producers are the final authority. prerecording (lip-sync) techniques, and details of the business. Most will defer to the director of a motion picture on most issues.

3 4 PRELIMINARIES

The director of a television miniseries or made-for-television film The Score’s Function will normally make most of the post-production decisions. Some Determining the function of music in a film is the single most executive producers may not even come to the scoring session, important decision or group of decisions the composer will but will exercise final approval over all aspects of dubbing in- make, because these decisions affect the very nature of the score; cluding final music volume levels, placement of a cue (or score) its style, musical idiom, and harmonic language, as well as the in the film, the relationship between music and sound effects, outer limits of conservatism or creative freedom. On the surface, and other creative details. determining the score’s function may seem easy, but understand- Like every other aspect of the filmmaking process, it is not ing what the director wants and what the film needs can be always easy to determine who is in charge because there are no difficult. absolute rules. Astonishing as it may seem, the power structure The director’s insight is crucial. Paul Wendkos explains his sometimes changes over the course of the project, and the com- point of view as a director: “The sounds of the score deepen the poser has to rely on his powers of observation to determine what experience that you are already witnessing on the screen—to each person’s function on a project truly is. deepen it, to reinforce it, and not necessarily to comment on it externally. You are trying to get inside the scene. So the music becomes a part of it, not an addition to it. I don’t like music THE DIRECTOR to be outside; I don’t like doing the score externals. I don’t like What the director is hearing and feeling is to be re- the score walking or crying or scoring car chases. That’s boring. spected at all costs. —Bill Conti I’d rather get down into the visceral essence of what the chase is about and capture that element, capture the heartbeat of the I’ve learned never to say things like “I hear a music chase, capture the life and death aspects of the chase. There are box.” I wouldn’t dream of telling any distinguished all these emotional colors that music can express so well, rather composer exactly how to do his work. than just the visual excitement of a lot of tires screeching and —John Erman, Director car crashes, which can become so melodramatic. I like films where the score is very definitely pushed inside, capturing the The director is responsible for envisioning and/or approving all dark corners, the landscape of the mind. I think that’s where creative decisions and overseeing all creative activities on a film, the director and composer have a very intimate relationship, in relegating duties to specialists in charge of each area (including defining that and translating it into musical terms.” composing, editing, sound effects, dialogue looping, and remix- ing), but these trained professionals are functioning as the direc- The Director/Composer Relationship tor’s representatives, fulfilling his wishes and realizing his vision. Some directors are screamers; others are soft-spoken and under- The decisions made by the director are not necessarily unilateral, stated; still others have more variable personalities, and you never as he often works very closely with the producer, editor, and know what their response will be to a particular situation. The the other creative artists. In a television series, the producer may ideal atmosphere is one in which communication is open, reflect- be responsible for many of the creative decisions; in these cases, ing mutual respect and thoughtfulness. The late Alex North, the producer is really functioning as a codirector, so the follow- when describing his longtime relationship with director John ing points relate to the television producer as well. Huston, recognized that the director who inspires a composer’s confidence creates a mutually beneficial partnership: “Huston What the Director Expects from the Music was a very musical and all-around creative guy, who gave the Directors want the score to reflect and emotionally enhance their composer trust in attempting a certain unorthodox approach idea of what the film is about. The director wants the score to and concept to a score.” reflect the values, texture, and central idea of the film as he sees Director John Erman consciously strives to create this com- it. Maurice Jarre defines this as the distinction between concert fortable atmosphere, knowing that this is his best chance to get music and film scoring: “I must say, my philosophy is really the the greatest contribution from his composer: “I’m a believer in philosophy of the director. And the only thing you have to what they call in psychological terms ‘validation.’ And I think do, you have to use your imagination and your talent or your the worst thing you can possibly do to a composer is say, ‘Well, technique to satisfy his ideas. When you are doing music for a that’s all wrong.’ Because it isn’t all wrong. It’s just not what film, you have to understand it’s just a part of the film, and you had in your head. But it’s what he had in his head and you are not going to write the masterpiece of your life; if it’s a maybe you hadn’t communicated what you had in your head. masterpiece you are lucky, because you are part of a masterpiece So what I try to do is first say all the good things I feel about which has been made basically by the director.” the cue. And then say, ‘In these ways, I don’t feel the cue fulfills Like many directors, Oliver Stone (who directed Nixon my notion of what this scene is about.’ That way, the composer [1995] and JFK [1991]) looks for a dramatic theme (that is, a doesn’t get his feelings hurt, doesn’t feel let down or put down, literary concept). A film’s dramatic theme can be defined by because the moment you feel put down, it just stifles your crea- describing what it is really about. The theme may not be obvious tive impulses. And particularly when the poor composer has to to the composer on first viewing, so it is always a good idea to redo his cue right there, because generally that’s what happens encourage a discussion about this significant issue. As Stone says, when we do these television movies. There isn’t time to say, ‘Go “Writing music is much like writing a movie—you wrestle with away, and two weeks from now we’ll get all these musicians the theme. You have to convey to the composer what it is you back.’ Usually I will just say things like ‘I feel you’re overstating wanted to say. In Platoon [1986] I really wanted to hit on the the music; the scene doesn’t need that much.’ Or, in contrast, youth theme—the passage of innocence.” I have often said, ‘I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted in THE FILMMAKING TEAM 5 this scene. What can you do to help me give this character a But there is no absolute definition of “romantic” music for little more heart?’ Or whatever. And I’m always thrilled at the films. If twelve composers each write a romantic cue for twelve way a composer reacts to that. That’s just human nature.” different films, you’re going to get a lot of different takes on In general, the connection between director and composer the meaning of romantic: everything from Randy Edelman’s described by North and Erman is ideal, and will invariably serve music for two dogs in Beethoven’s 2nd (1993) to Shaiman’s score the film well. Danny Elfman presents a similar ideal from the for The American President (1995) to John Barry’s music accom- composer’s viewpoint: “If they want to get a really good score, panying the exploits of James Bond. they have to allow me to stretch out. If they’re really nervous about everything all the time, I’m going to have to contain Insecurities myself and they are not going to get my best work. . .” The director often suffers from some amount of anxiety during the weeks when the composer is writing the score. Historically Sometimes Directors Don’t Want What They Say speaking, no aspect of the movie-making phase can cause more They Want anxiety for the filmmakers, because in the past they couldn’t David Raksin tells this story: “The new director turned out to become very involved in the process of creating the score itself. be an amiable roughneck, about my own age, bright and shrewd, And so they waited, hoping it would turn out all right. Harry talented, and still New Yorkish enough to need to let me know Lojewski, former vice president of Motion Picture and Televi- that he was not about to have ‘any of that Hollywood music’ sion Music, MGM/UA, stresses this concern: “Directors are very in his picture. What he wanted was ‘something different, really insecure. And also, music is the last element that’s added to the powerful—like Wozzeck.’ To hear the magic name of Alban film, and it could be disastrous. It is important that the director Berg’s operatic masterpiece correctly pronounced was to doubt feel confident that the composer he has selected is someone that the evidence of my ears; here was a nonmusician who was not is artistic, and is sensitive to the emotional content of his film, only aware that Wozzeck existed but actually thought of his film and that he is going to be as creative with his score as the director as one for which so highly expressive a musical style might be has been in shooting the film.” appropriate. Now, with synth mockups of the score being commonplace, “So there we were in my living room, with drinks in hand, most of this anxiety is a thing of the past. Nonetheless, the the phonograph playing, and the conversation taking its time composer must be aware of the director’s need for reassurance. to get under way. I remember thinking that this was the way Communication is essential, and this will be discussed further things ought to be: I liked his script, I admired him, and I as we look at the process of scoring a film. couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say and to get working on The director’s vision—and confidence in it—can help the musical material for the score. Suddenly irritable, he said, composer handle this difficult period. Considering his relation- ‘What’s that crap you’re playing?’ ‘That crap,’ I replied, ‘is Woz- ship with M. Night Shyamalan when they worked together on zeck.’ ” The Sixth Sense (1999), James Newton Howard learned that the director trusted his film. “He made a very quiet picture. And it Many Times They Do Want What They Say They allowed me to write very quiet music for woodwind ensemble, Want for instance, that I never could have done in a typical thriller This is true not only with regard to the overall concept, style, movie. And something that is enormously valuable to a com- and dramatic approach of the score, but often with very specific poser is to have a confident director. ‘This is what I like, here’s details as well. Just how a particular dramatic moment is to be the space that I need you to occupy,’ and he sticks with that. played can be a great concern to a director. And that really helped enormously with The Sixth Sense.” Even orchestrational details may come into play. As Chris- tophe Beck has discovered, “Directors can have their favorite COMMUNICATING WITH THE DIRECTOR and least favorite instruments. On a movie I recently did the director came over about once a week to hear cues, and there Often the directors are really at a disadvantage if they were a couple of cues with flute and by the time he heard the can’t verbalize what they want. —Burt Bacharach second cue with flute and he said he didn’t like the flute, it was If a director says, “Oh, that temp music sounds perfect,” like, ‘You know, I think I pretty much don’t like flute.’ And I and you have a better idea—well, you’d better blow him said, ‘Okay. So noted.’ ” Mockups give the director the opportu- out of the saddle if he’s already happy with something. nity to respond specifically to orchestrational detail prior to scor- —Bill Conti ing, which is helpful. As an orchestrator, Mark McKenzie also has experienced di- Words used to describe music have different meanings for differ- rectors’ reactions to a specific instrument. “Tim Burton has be- ent people. That’s why composers and filmmakers so frequently come much more finely tuned as to what he’s asking for. For communicate by referencing music and playing mockups; how example, on Planet of the Apes [2001], he just said, ‘I don’t like they do this is the subject of Chapter 3. In most cases, though, trumpets.’ So the note was, ‘We’re not using trumpets.’ And meetings and discussions precede the music. you think, ‘Well, he doesn’t really know what he’s saying,’ but Sometimes the director can be very specific about his wishes. actually he does. It is bizarre, you know, but on Sleepless in When you’re using music to communicate, you can get very Seattle [1993] with Marc Shaiman, Nora Ephron didn’t want definitive responses from the director. But when the talk turns harp glisses. It was very specific and it was a very romantic film technical, don’t assume the director has mastered the language and it was like, ‘What do you mean you don’t want harp and of music, no matter how basic. Maurice Jarre tells this cautionary harp glisses?’ ” tale: “One day a director said, ‘You know, Maurice, I would 6 PRELIMINARIES like to have the clarinet playing that.’ So I said, ‘Fine. I can give Directors Communicate Their Musical Vision the clarinet that melody.’ When we went to the recording session Sometimes the director has already decided on a musical ap- he said, ‘But I thought you told me you were going to do this proach to scoring his film. More often than not the film’s temp theme here with the clarinet.’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s played by the track will reflect many of the director’s musical wishes (see Chap- clarinet.’ ‘No, no, it’s not the clarinet, it’s not the sound of a ter 3). clarinet.’ I said, ‘Look, it’s a clarinet player.’ And after that he Sometimes the director’s musical visions can be confusing, didn’t say anything. And so then the oboe played, and he said, as Mark Mancina discovered while working on Training Day ‘That’s it, that’s the clarinet.’ ” (2001). “During the big chase sequence, one of the things that If such specific words can fail us, how can we possibly hope Antoine [Fuqua] kept saying to me was he really wanted to do to discuss the more significant, elusive issues of concept and it like a Bernard Herrmann score. And I wrote a really interesting design? Mark Mancina expresses the frustration of many com- thing that I think was great. And he didn’t like it at all, because posers who try to discuss their ideas with the filmmakers. “It’s he didn’t really want that. He just didn’t know that he didn’t always the old cliche´, that the composer can say to the director, want that. You know, in his head, ‘I love that Hitchcock thing,’ ‘What do you want to feel? How do you want to feel? What do but when you give him that Hitchcock thing he’s, ‘No, I don’t you want from the music here?’ But when you ask a director really like that, that’s too dissonant and it doesn’t have any that, there’s only a limited amount of words that they generally theme.’ ‘Well, yeah.’ So, that didn’t work and we ended up will say—‘Momentum,’ or ‘Emotion,’ or ‘Drive,’—and what do doing something else that was really pretty interesting, pretty those things mean? They can mean different things. You can edgy and had a lot of tension to it.” In this case, it was music drive with the cello. You can drive with percussion. You can that led them both to a successful musical solution for the scene. drive with a synth.” It can be difficult, but there are ways to communicate more accurately. The Composer Describes His Musical Vision Nevertheless, even with the best of intentions, complete mis- The composer can contribute to a greater extent creatively if he communication is possible. Music editor Johnny Caruso has brings his own unique, fresh point of view to a project. Hans seen it both ways. “I’ve seen directors and composers sit there Zimmer states this very firmly. “I think the composer’s job on and both be really clear that there was an emotion that they a film is you have to come in with a point of view. It can’t be were looking for that a film conveyed. And then it’s wonderful. the director’s point of view, because you can’t do a direct secre- And I’ve also been in places where you can see two people talking tarial job of the director’s point of view. They have to morph and you know that there’s going to be trouble down the line. into each other.” With temp tracks and mockups on almost And sometimes [as a music editor] you can do something about every film, this is an extremely important consideration. Time it and sometimes you can’t.” and again the composer will find himself in a situation in which he will be asked by the director to do certain things musically. Directors Communicate Their Dramatic Vision These may relate to specific moments in a film or may be more Some of the most effective directors communicate most success- general in character, including adopting a specific musical ap- fully with composers in terms of the drama. What does the film proach or style for the entire film. You must satisfy the director, mean to them? What does the scene mean to them? Through but there may be other, sometimes even better ways to accom- describing their vision of the film and the drama, they hope to plish the director’s goals. Zimmer continues: “With Ridley Scott convey their vision of the score and its role in their film. [with whom Zimmer has worked on a number of films, includ- Elmer Bernstein’s description of his experience with director ing Gladiator (2000) and Thelma and Louise (1991)], he never John Sturges while scoring The Magnificent Seven (1960) shows tells me what to do. Which is I think a very European thing. how effective a communication tool dramatic references can be. He expects me to come to the movie with what I think I should “He would tell you the story of the film before you ever saw be doing. In other words, I take on the director’s job at that the script, just tell you the story. But the telling had such enthusi- point. He’s not going to go and muck around in my stuff because asm and such love and such excitement that it was terrifically he wants something that he can’t imagine.” stimulating. By what he was telling you and the way he told you, he was defining the character of the film, and to a large SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE extent the delineation of the main characters in the film. You would not be in doubt as to what he was looking for, what the I have been ready to abandon ideas when a director dramatic content of the film was.” will step up and say, “No, don’t be so quick to move Individual scenes can be discussed in much the same way. away from that. There’s something really good there.” —James Newton Howard Director Richard Michaels describes his work method: “I com- municate with a composer pretty much the same way I do with There are times throughout scoring a film when the composer actors. And that is in the sense of the feeling of the scene. Rarely, doesn’t yet have the answer to particular creative questions. At if ever, do I give actors instruction on how to read the line. those times, working with a sympathetic director can be particu- Usually, I find the way to reach them is to tell them what the larly helpful. Harry Gregson-Williams describes how Tony Scott scene feels like, what it is about. I try to do the same thing with encouraged and inspired him when he was scoring Spy Game composers. It’s a feeling that I want to come out of a scene.” If (2001): “If one’s playing a cue back for the first time to him, he’s ever musically descriptive, “that’s my way of saying what it’s a ten minute action thing, or something that goes through the sense of the scene should be and what it should communicate a lot of moods and perhaps I’ve spent several days and nights to the audience.” He doesn’t mean to be taken literally if he working on it so it’s really a critical moment to play this back says, “It kind of feels like a lonely piano here.” and judge his reaction, he would always say, ‘Great, H., fantas- THE FILMMAKING TEAM 7 tic!’ You know, he’d always be encouraging first and foremost. are real, you’ve made a great film, but I don’t know how to ‘That’s fantastic! Now, listen. Let’s go back here, it’s a little dark handle the big moments in a small way. I think it would take here,’ and then we’d get into it. He always made me feel like away from the film.’ So we’d disagree. And he admitted he was he was encouraging me.” intimidated by music. He said that. And brass made him think Sometimes the director’s willingness to share the composer’s of the military. So I tried to change the score and tried to make anguish as he thrashes out a creative problem can provide the it smaller and smaller. It was a struggle.” impetus to get passed a major creative impasse. David Shire It is much more common to have the big/small problem with discovered this when working with Alan Pakula on All the Presi- a film lacking the huge scope and epic size of The Right Stuff. dent’s Men (1976), a docudrama that was difficult to score. When Thomas Newman and director Sam Mendes looked for just the Pakula came over to Shire’s studio and listened to his piano right size score for Road to Perdition (2002). “One of the talks improvisations it jump-started Shire’s creative process and gave was about the very opening bike ride,” says Newman, “and I him the breakthrough he needed to come up with the right think when Sam had started thinking about it, he always wanted material. it to be propulsive. And then he went back on that. ‘No, no, it Robert Mulligan gave James Newton Howard a different wants to be orchestral, because it wants to give a sense of the kind of support on The Man in the Moon (1991). “One of the size of the movie.’ And [music editor] Bill Bernstein and I both best things a director can do for a composer is recognize when disagreed with that because we thought it was one of the few it’s right. You know, sometimes when a composer doesn’t. And moments in the movie where you could justifiably have pace I’ve had that experience happen many times on films.” This and tempo. And ultimately I think he agreed with that, but late kind of guidance can help shape a score and bring it to a new in the game I had written this piece, the piece that you hear, level. Many composers have experienced this, including Jerry although there was a B section and he said, ‘You know what? I Goldsmith when he was working with Paul Verhoeven on Basic don’t like it and I wish there could be more orchestra somehow Instinct (1992). On that film, the director was able to single out in those sections.’ a moment Goldsmith considered relatively unimportant in his “So I remember, as he comes over the hill on his bike we score and identify it as the music he had written that summed had put some string chords in above a kind of guitar ambience up the film. It became the main theme, first heard over the main and we broke into the Uilleann pipes theme, and then in the B titles (see Figure 14.4). section I rewrote and went to a much larger scale. And I had to agree it was a better piece, and I thought he was utterly right TWO-WAY DIALOGUE BETWEEN in terms of establishing the yin and the yang of your sense of DIRECTOR AND COMPOSER scale. That here’s propulsion and intimacy on the one hand and here’s a larger palette on the other. For the A and B sections. The director and composer communicate on various levels, de- And I ended up liking it much better than the piece that I had pending on the circumstances. Here are some possibilities: written originally. It convinced me that Mendes was ingenious in the way he crystallizes in his process. The closer he gets to 1. The director and composer work together completion the more he seems to know what his movie is.” We have already seen how well this works. There can be a real In any case, the best time to deal with these concerns is before exchange of ideas between the director and the composer, creat- scoring, not during or after. This is the time during which more ing a fruitful relationship. This works best when everybody in- can be communicated than simply themes and ideas. “I think volved is able to sacrifice his own ego to the higher benefit of the directors and producers, a lot of them are very good in seeing the project, and less successfully when the composer worries about whether an idea originates with him or the director. through how much you feel about something,” says Trevor “I view Jerry Goldsmith as the director of the music and Rabin. “So I think honesty is such an important element of it. when it comes to the music he’s co-directing the film with me,” Because I’ve seen that missing, and having spoken to people, says Rod Lurie, who directed The Last Castle (2001). “I tell him there is a tendency for some people just to say, ‘Oh, I’ll do what I’m looking for and he tells me how to do it. I come up something else, I don’t care,’ and I never look at it like that. with the strategy, he comes up with the tactics. It’s essential and Every movie to me is like doing a Yes album, which was always that communication is essential.” the most important thing I was doing at the time.” 2. The director and composer disagree 3. The composer adapts the director’s idea Sometimes the director worries about the score being too big James Newton Howard has found that working with M. Night or too small, too loud or too soft, too contemporary or too Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense [1999], Unbreakable [2000] and traditional. Bill Conti’s experience on The Right Stuff (1983) is Signs [2002]) is always stimulating. The director doesn’t want not uncommon. Director Philip Kaufman wanted his film to a particular style but rather a uniqueness. “The simpler the idea project the feeling of the people and their personal stories. But the happier I think Night would be, so there was a lot of writing, the story was the epic story of the American space race. “It had sending demos, rewriting, ‘No, that’s not quite right, I kind of scope to it,” says Conti. “And I saw rockets taking off. So the like this, you still haven’t found the Sixth Sense theme.’ He finally director and I did not see eye to eye. He felt the personal story sent me an e-mail something to the extent of, “Think of the would be hurt if the music was big. I agreed with him, but I Sixth Sense theme as something living, some feral energy that didn’t know how to play rockets going off and circling the moon sort of moves unnoticed invisibly from room to room.” with just a guitar. So I went for big, and then sometimes he The director still didn’t feel they had discovered the main said, ‘I think the music is making it too big.’ And I kept saying, theme for the movie when the two of them met at Howard’s ‘But it’s the history of the American space program. Your people studio and listened to the cue for the scene when Cole exits the 8 PRELIMINARIES church after meeting Malcolm (Bruce Willis). “He looked at me along: “The more I heard, the more excited I got. I sometimes and he said, ‘You know, that’s it. I’ve been hearing it and you’re cut something to fit his music. There were times when I wished just sort of blowing right by it. This is what I love, can you do I had done something different in the film to go along with the something more with this?’ And so I took that, and that, in fact, music. And there were times when I said, ‘Wow, I wish I had became the Sixth Sense theme. That has happened virtually every something here to fit this in—how can we use this?’ ” time we’ve worked together, where he will recognize something in what I’ve written that I don’t, and request that I pursue an 5. The composer asks questions area that I really quite frankly don’t believe in. In two of the The composer should ask the director questions to probe the three cases I ended up thinking he was completely right about emotional meaning of the film and of the individual sequences that, serving the picture well.” being scored. Avoid asking too many specific technical or mu- The composer might also use the director’s ideas in a different sical questions. “What attitude do you see the music taking in way than originally suggested. When the late John Addison this scene?” is a question most directors will be comfortable scored Sleuth (1972), director Joseph Mankiewicz had the idea discussing; “Should I write the theme in major or minor?” is that the character played by Lawrence Olivier had been intellec- not. tually trapped in the thirties. “He was living in the past in his On the other hand, with some directors, you can’t go too country house in the world of those Agatha Christie detective far wrong as long as you talk about the drama. Director John stories. He therefore thought that the music should have a very Erman recalls his collaboration with Marvin Hamlisch on the strong thirties flavor. And that was something I had to discuss 1984 television film of Streetcar Named Desire: “He was the most with him a lot, because, in fact, that was going to limit me.” inquisitive composer I’ve ever worked with. He would literally The theme for Michael Caine’s character, and other music Addi- call me up and say, ‘What exactly do you intend this scene to son was thinking about for the film, was not at all thirties in mean? What is the entire emotional through line of this scene?’ flavor, and he didn’t feel it should be. But he kept the director’s And he would make me talk and talk and talk. And finally he’d idea in mind, and eventually realized that the authentic pop say, ‘I’ve got it.’ And then he would work on it and then he tunes of the thirties would be a perfect accompaniment to the would call me up almost every day while he was writing the long sequence in the middle of the film that functioned as the score. And he would always play me themes, and he would say, equivalent of the act break in the original play. “It worked very, ‘Is this exactly what you have in your head?’ And if I said, ‘No,’ very well there, because it was scored with source music coming then, ‘Well, how does it differ from what you want? Or what from his phonograph. And it was completely different from the you hear? Or from what you envision?’ ” rest of the score, so it made a wonderful contrast at that point.” Some composers are concerned about working too closely 4. The director edits the film to suit the music with the director, fearing that it will be a time-consuming and Occasionally, the director is moved and influenced by the music fragmented process. Others feel they will end up in the uncom- and makes adjustments to the film to accommodate it. Ridley fortable position of depending on the musical insight of someone Scott edited segments of the fighting sequences in Gladiator who may have no (or very limited) musical background and (2000) to Hans Zimmer’s music. When Isaac Hayes was scoring possibly unsophisticated musical instincts. Often, composers are Shaft (1971), Gordon Parks received tapes of the cues as he went protective of their creative independence, and are leery of becom-

James Horner, Harve Bennett, Leonard Nimoy (foreground) during the scoring of Star Trek III (1984). Mixer Dan Wallin, far left; music editor Bob Badami, far right. In booth at Record Plant Scoring Stage M. THE FILMMAKING TEAM 9 ing solely a mirror image of the director’s wishes; they worry Executive Producers that it may limit their creative input. The executive producer may exercise final control over all crea- All of these concerns are genuine and should be considered. tive elements, even though he isn’t necessarily involved on a In general, though, each composer must ultimately rely on his daily basis. He is often responsible for business administration own good taste and dramatic sense to fit the needs of the film and decision making, and may be chief executive of the produc- and the director. tion company. He may also be a creative producer; that could be the reason he is president of the company. Those producers who are strictly involved with the financial THE PRODUCER and business side of production will usually (but not always) try Executive producer; line producer; coproducer; supervising pro- to stay clear of the creative discussions, or at most will oversee ducer; assistant producer—there are dozens of titles designating these meetings, checking to see that they have taken place and members of the producing team. Their titles are not as important so on. as their function and responsibility. You must determine what Producers without Strong Music Backgrounds or whom are they responsible for. Sometimes a producer may want to guide the composer, al- The producer’s chief function as a filmmaker is to develop though he really doesn’t have the background for it. His language and nurture a project from beginning to end. To do this success- may reveal his weakness in this area. Variations of the old cliche´ fully, he must select the proper writer to create the ideal script, are still heard: “I don’t know anything about music, but I know select the appropriate director, and work with the director in what I like.” When a composer finds himself working with this selecting all of the creative and technical talent necessary to pro- kind of producer, he may be able to achieve an open, two-way duce a film. An associate producer often takes care of many of exchange of ideas by using musical examples (classical or contem- the production details, but the producer may hire someone else porary music, music from around the world in various styles, as well to follow through on many of the day-to-day tasks that other film scores, or the composer’s music). If he is comfortable come up during production, including supervision of the shoot- asking the producer, “Do you like this? Do you like that?” he ing of the film. This person may be called the line producer, and may be able to establish a very good dialogue about the score. the producer may consequently become the executive producer. Musical demonstration is a must in these cases, and using your As a businessman, the producer is responsible for raising the own music is a wise choice when possible. money to produce the film, and/or selling the project to a net- work, studio, or production company. But there are no absolute THE PRODUCER’S POWER definitions that prescribe exactly how much emphasis any indi- Everyone agrees that power is vested differently in television vidual producer may place on his various creative and financial than it is in feature films. In features, the director usually prevails responsibilities. in creative decisions, including those involving the music. There Creative Producers may be an honest, three-way dialogue between the composer, producer, and director, but in many cases a two-to-one vote One way to determine whether a producer is creative is to listen against the director won’t overrule his wishes. In a weekly televi- and observe him. The creative producers will be the ones present- sion series, on the other hand, it is the producer who makes the ing and discussing creative issues. They will be interested in the music decisions, because the producer sets the deals with the creative process and eager to hear your solutions. They will be network, develops the project, and then guides it to completion. willing to agonize with you a bit if the right musical solution The directors may have moved on to another project by the doesn’t present itself immediately; they can empathize with your time the composer begins a television score. This is less so with situation because they too are constantly making creative deci- television films and miniseries, but there have been times when sions. Most truly creative professionals are wary of quick, slick a composer never met the director of a television film and worked answers. Some producers, however, may not be looking for the only with the producer. composer’s creative input, and may in fact hire the composer to help realize their own creative decisions. COMMUNICATING WITH THE PRODUCER Jerry Bruckheimer is a producer who is very involved with the music. Trevor Rabin has worked with him many times. “On Many times the producer will have an idea of what he feels the Con Air [1997] Jerry just did everything. [Director] Simon West score should be. He may describe this in general terms (“contem- really had very little input. It was welcomed but not much came porary,” “romantic and lush,” “edgy and hard-hitting”), dra- in, and he pretty much left it to Jerry. With Armageddon [1998] matic terms (“violent,” “sentimental” or “nonsentimental,” Michael Bay had certain areas which he had to have a certain “epic”), or more specifically, in musical terms (“contemporary way. There were three key themes I wrote for the movie, and jazz,” “bluesy,” “country”). He may offer these ideas as a point he’d say, ‘I want that theme here, I want that theme there,’ and of discussion, or he may ask for the score to be written according aside from that Jerry would be the guy who signed off on things, to his description. In either case he will want to know that you although I must say Michael was definitely involved.” It was agree with his approach. If you don’t agree, suggest one or more Bruckheimer who did the detail work with Rabin on each cue. alternative approaches and be prepared to demonstrate your “Jerry’s very good with music.” ideas with music. Concept and overall approach will be discussed, and they Following the Producer’s Suggestions will probably want to hear the musical theme(s). Once the sug- The producer’s suggestions may be very helpful, but it can be gestions are made, expect an open give-and-take dialogue. a major mistake to try to re-create in your score exactly what 10 PRELIMINARIES you think he wants. Duplicating his musical description is not copies to the composer. They are the first to know about any a foolproof method of successfully scoring a film. During the schedule changes. A sympathetic editor can be an excellent height of popularity of the classic television series “Hawaii Five- sounding board, listening to a theme, perhaps, or discussing a 0,” a producer said to the composer of his new pilot, “I want difficulty in the production schedule. It helps for the composer the theme to be bouncy. I want it bouncy like ‘Hawaii Five-0’— to develop a good working relationship with the editor when jazzy.” The composer, aiming to please, wrote “bouncy.” The possible. opening shots were of a small charter plane taxiing down a dirt The editor is also an excellent liaison between the composer runway. The plane was bouncing, the pilot was bouncing, the and the sound-effects people, and may be the ideal person with music was bouncing—everything was bouncing! The producer whom to discuss the blending of sound effects and music prior hated it. He had given the composer an ill-advised directive that to and during scoring and dubbing. Naturally, these issues he later regretted. should first be discussed with the director, but the editor can help Director John Erman once heard a producer literally destroy coordinate their execution. When possible, it is also advisable to a composer by saying, “I don’t want any violins, I don’t want stay in touch with the person in charge of sound effects. any piano, and I hear only woodwinds.” Erman explains that “this composer (who was very distinguished) was saying, ‘Yes. Adding Music Alright. I can do that for you.’ And of course the score was The editor also is likely to know a great deal about the director’s finished and the producer, who was fairly new at the game, said thoughts on the use of music in his film. As a rule he’ll have to me, ‘I’m so disappointed in the score. It’s just not at all what his own ideas as well, sometimes clearly defined by the inclusion I’d hoped for.’ And I said, ‘Because you hamstrung him.’ ” of temp tracks prepared by him or the music editor for early If the producer insists on his musical direction, it’s going to screenings or previews. He will often be called upon (or may be very difficult to convince him that your approach is better take it upon himself) to add some music here and there to the without demonstrating your ideas. Well-crafted mockups are a film’s soundtrack for this purpose, especially in the earlier stages must in such cases (see Chapter 7). of editing. He may do this himself, or he may help coordinate the music editor’s efforts to be sure the director is satisfied with THE FILM EDITOR the results. I say, “We can always add, we can always trim it. We Editing to Music have a nice, extremely well-put-together piece of film— Editors are sharply divided on the virtues of actually cutting film let’s wait for music.” —John Burnett, Film Editor to music during the early editing process. Those who do, claim that they are able to achieve a better sense of pacing and mood by I’ve been pleasantly surprised with music so many times. letting an appropriate piece of music guide their editing instincts. On the other side of the coin, you do a show and you They usually choose the music themselves. If the director hears have a main title that really needs the music and a guy how well it works and likes it enough, this music may find its doesn’t do it and then you go right down the toilet. I way onto the temp track. Or, if it is being used strictly as an mean, you die. —John Martinelli, Film Editor editing guide track, it may never be heard by anyone other than the editor. The tempo of this guide track may or may not have The Editor’s Responsibilities any direct effect on the composer or the final tempo of the cues. The film editor, working with all of the director’s print takes If the film editor specifically cuts to a certain tempo in order to of each shot, intercuts this footage into a homogenous whole. sync a sequence of fast cuts, possibly for a main title or a montage He works with tens of thousands of feet of film at the outset and sequence, the relationship between the temp music and film will collaborates with, and takes his instructions from, the director. be more pronounced. In these cases, the editor or music editor Editors often work on a project from the beginning of shooting. will give the composer either the guide track or the tempo, or Editor John Martinelli finds that “you’re always a tight-knit both, so the composer can exactly duplicate the tempo to which family, or at least I’ve always been; the way I work I’m always the film was edited. a part of the picture from day one.” Because of this he is often Those editors who don’t like to use music during the editing able to make creative contributions to the filmmaking process. process believe that the film has its own independent rhythm and flow, best achieved without the external influence of music. The Editor as Intermediary In the words of director Paul Wendkos: “I like to be free of the The editor almost always follows a project through scoring and beat of the music. I want to find a visual rhythm and then get dubbing and usually supervises the lab work on the final answer music to support that, rather than the other way around.” This print. Because he is one of the few members of the creative team is also how editors John Martinelli and John Burnett work. with this kind of continuity on a project, and because he has so much insight into the director’s vision of the film, he may THE MUSIC EDITOR have a considerable amount of authority and responsibility on the dubbing stage. Because of his close communication with the The job of the music editor is to provide spotting and timing director or producer, he can be an excellent liaison between them notes for each cue when/as requested by the composer; prepare and the composer. This is extremely important if the schedule the videotape or digital video with visual aids such as punches, is very tight and people are difficult to reach, or if there is a streamers, and any special click layouts that may be required misunderstanding that needs clarification. to assist the conductor at the recording sessions; monitor the The editor and his assistant(s) can often help coordinate logis- recording sessions; provide clicks and other conducting aids as tical matters like the ongoing duplication and delivery of video necessary to ensure correct timings; prepare the music for dub- THE FILMMAKING TEAM 11 bing; attend the final audio mix on the dubbing stage; assist in any adjustments or changes that may be requested at any stage; and keep detailed notes on the whole process. There may be a supervising music editor, who is the person most responsible for the music editing on the project. The music is typically recorded directly onto hard disc or transferred on hard disc into Pro Tools or some other similar format. This allows the music editor to prepare the music for each reel so that all tracks are in sync with the film. Prior to or during dubbing, the music editor may have inserted music into the previously prepared tracks to clean up a section, to add or subtract music for sync purposes, or to substantially change a cue. When Pro Tools is used on the scoring stage it may be operated by the music editor or by another technician in the recording booth. Current technology has been generally beneficial for the art and craft of music editing. Jeff Charbonneau, speaking for all music editors, says the technology offers “the ease of being able to make really good edits and really good crossfades and having a flexibility which wasn’t there before on film. The advent of digital has opened up the turf so you can really go in and make some beautiful edits and experiment quite a bit with things until it all works out very well and then do your own little submix and bring it to the stage ready to go. It saves everybody a lot of time and you get some very high quality stuff as opposed to, ‘Oh, well let’s just take those 12 bars from this and flop it in over there.’ ” The music editor is frequently the composer’s representative with the filmmakers. There are two critical times when they may serve this function: first, during the creation of the temp track Bob Badami. (see Chapter 3); and second, during dubbing. Graeme Revell points out that “they can convince the director that we don’t have to go back and rescore, that this works fine.” Directors On Black Hawk Down (2001), Zimmer relied on Badami may be concerned that the music will not be able to be edited and his technology to realize his concept for the score. The properly and smoothly enough to suit the purpose, but available composer knew he would be on a very tight schedule, and he technology can frequently accommodate formerly difficult or decided on an unusual approach. He realized, “I can either go even impossible changes. very safe and just repeat myself, or we can just literally throw Ideally, music editors come to their jobs with strong musical all caution to the wind, and make it this huge sort of music sensibilities. Although they may be musically trained, music edi- concrete experiment.” He chose the more adventurous course tor Daniel Allan Carlin says, “I am not convinced that the study of action. “I said to Bob and Marc Streitenfeld, ‘Okay, we of music is necessary to be a well-trained music editor.” He aren’t just going to feed you guys music. We’re going to give believes a strong intuitive sense is probably more valuable than you these sometimes twenty minute tracks. And use that academic training, which can at times lead to the right intellec- technology, use Pro Tools, go and hack around in it,’ and tual ideas utilized in the wrong way. “What’s more important we had made a very elaborate sort of grid of tempi and keys, for a good music editor is the ability to deal under pressure with etc., the half speed and the triplet value of it, so that the people who can get crazy. Almost anybody can cut from a beat music could go from one to the other” (see Chapter 6 for to a beat. And anybody can lay in the music. That’s not the more about Black Hawk Down). trick. The trick is that in the back of our minds we know that The music editor is available throughout the composer’s as- you’ve written this score, and we are under an obligation to signment to help him with any technical matters that may arise. maintain its integrity as best we can while dealing with film and For example, if the composer wants help in selecting an appropri- music changes.” ate click for a cue, the music editor can suggest one based on Under the right circumstances a fine music editor can bring the composer’s approximate tempo. More elaborately, if the a great deal to a project for the composer. Hans Zimmer de- composer is working on a cue that requires various tempo scribes his relationship with music editor Bob Badami as a true changes, with slight gradations of tempo slower and faster, the collaboration. “I absolutely see him as my coproducer, in the music editor can help him achieve the accuracy he wishes. If record sense. Because, I mean, he brings a point of view to it. there is on-screen dancing or a marching band moving in tempo, He steers me into directions I never would have gone in. He’s the music editor will determine the most compatible tempo as completely inspiring. He isn’t a guy that just cuts the stuff in, a specific click and then create a click track for the entire se- you know, there’s a whole other artistry at work.” quence if necessary. 12 PRELIMINARIES

Ken Wannberg works very closely with John Williams during • Attend scoring sessions the period when Williams is composing: “We have a bungalow • Function as liaison between composer and director at Amblin, which is fantastic, and he writes in his room, he • Function as liaison between music production and execu- comes in, we’ll look at something, he’ll go back and he’ll come tives back, and that’s the way it goes all day long. And it’s great.” The specific tasks that a given music executive will assume Bruce Broughton recognizes the music editor as an important usually reflect the experience he brings to the job. Backgrounds ally, someone to talk to and rely upon. “My feeling about music can differ widely. Some will have strong record-industry back- editors is that they’re the only other people who understand grounds. Others have a solid music background and may have what it is that we do. And you can’t talk to the director or worked at one time as professional musicians. Some may have producer first on the scoring stage. You have to talk to the music a background in business. editor and say, ‘Did I get close enough to that?’ or, ‘Does that Some of them do attend the scoring sessions regularly. “You work for you?’ And when I’m worrying, I worry with them, referee a few fights,” says Gary LeMel, President, Worldwide rather than with the director or producer.” Music, Warner Bros. Pictures. “It’s really tough. There was a film where the director, on every cue, jumped out of the booth MUSIC EXECUTIVES AND SUPERVISORS and ran into the studio and yelled in front of all the players, The music department’s expectation of the composer is and after a few of those scenes, the composer just walked out. that he and the director are in direct communication; And I was able to talk with both of them separately and get it that they are on the same wavelength; that the musical back together. But it’s difficult because the director really feels tastes and desires of the director are implemented by ‘this is my domain—this is now the moment of truth.’ ” the composer. Those are all goals. —Steve Bedell, LeMel describes his activities as director of music at Warner former Vice President of Music, Paramount Pictures Bros.: “I deal with anything that has to do with music for motion pictures—which includes meetings with the producer and direc- The major motion picture studios all have executives in charge tor to decide what direction we’re going. I am responsible for of music for their television and motion picture divisions. In the music in all of our films worldwide, because now we also some cases the same person presides over both divisions; in other are making films in foreign territories, local films. Sometimes cases, different people supervise the music for each medium. it’s just a French movie for France. There are also independent music supervisors who assume the “In the case of a soundtrack album, we’re responsible for same tasks and responsibilities as the studio department heads that, too. We have our own soundtrack label called Warner but on a freelance basis. Sunset that is distributed by one of our three major labels, de- The Music Executive’s Responsibilities pending upon which one is involved in that particular Generally speaking, the music executive is responsible for any- soundtrack. I would say we release probably 75 percent of the thing and everything having to do with music. This covers an soundtracks. If an artist is signed to another label and is a big enormous range, including some jobs that are strictly business artist and that label has a lot of money invested in them, oriented (licensing the rights to use music owned by an outside we understand that. We try to get it when we can, and sometimes publishing company, cutting the deal for a major artist to sing we get it because sometimes they think an infusion of new blood on a soundtrack, negotiating the deal with the composer’s or from another label may reactivate someone’s career, or the movie lyricist’s agent) and some that are much more music oriented. may. I bring ideas to it and they have ideas. Is there going to be a Here is the list of a typical music executive’s responsibilities, soundtrack album? If so, what kind of artists are we talking about, some of which may not apply in specific instances: what kind of record deal are we going to structure? What labels have the artists that are closest to the feeling of the picture?” • Supervise and oversee all music activities (motion pictures and/or television) The Music Supervisor’s Responsibilities • Create a budget for all projects and sessions; coordinate The term music supervisor used to be practically synonymous with contractor with that of music executive. Their responsibilities were similar, • Conduct preliminary discussions with filmmakers regard- with the music supervisors more or less functioning in the same ing music manner that the music executives would at the smaller studios • Research and find composers, lyricists, and songwriters and for independent production companies. This is still the case • Recommend composers and lyricists to producers and di- on these types of projects, but on the larger studios’ projects rectors there will frequently be a music supervisor in addition to the • Negotiate their deals studio music executive. This is because of the enormous popular- • Seek out recording artists and record producers ity and success in recent years of song-oriented soundtracks. • Negotiate soundtrack album deals “The film world and the music world are very different • Coordinate studio interests with the outside record com- worlds, but they overlap, and I usually describe my job as being pany ambassador between the two worlds,” independent music super- • Coordinate artists’ schedules with film release dates visor Maureen Crowe explains. “You have to understand the • Coordinate the in-house music publishing interests needs and the way each industry works, and liaison between the • Attend some screenings of dailies both of them. And on a film, I see my job as being the point • Attend advance screening of films prior to spotting person for anything that’s needed in music, because the reason • Attend spotting sessions with producer, director, com- they bring a music supervisor on is usually because it’s so much poser work and it’s so intricate that it takes so much detail they need THE FILMMAKING TEAM 13 someone to sort everything out. Whether it’s recording a band the director. “I usually don’t try to insert myself in that relation- and making sure the song is licensed and the band is correct— ship unless there’s a problem—I’m just basically a facilitator,” it can involve casting, it can involve producing, it can involve Crowe says. “I’m hired by the filmmakers and since the head taking care of the legal side of it, taking care of the post needs, of the music department is also involved in that decision to the preproduction needs, the soundtrack needs, the studio needs, bring somebody in, you become an extension of the music de- and most importantly the director’s and the film’s needs.” partment. You answer to the film but you’re there to communi- The music supervisor’s involvement with the composer var- cate with the music department and make sure everything’s taken ies, but the composer’s fundamental relationship remains with care of.” References

3 Role Models and Temp Tracks way, using synths or acoustic instruments (or a combination of both), this is a good solution when feasible. 6 Developing the Concept four American soldiers who try to steal gold in Kuwait after the

Persian GulfWar. There is an ethnic action cue at approximately

00:45:00. 10 Playing the Drama dialogue scene between Luke and Princess Leia is illustrated in

Figure 10.27 (01:18:30 from the Fox logo on the videocassette). 13 Using Melody classical romantic approach. 14 Using Harmony

Select several genre films (thrillers, suspense, horror) and listen for the score’s use of tension and release throughout the film. 15 Using Rhythm

(Haley Joel Osment) taunts his teacher, repeating “Stuttering

Stanley, stuttering Stanley,” Howard brings in an aleatoric effect; the cue starts at 00:36:37. 20 Using Electronic Music conceived in electronic terms (see Figure 20.4). 21 Using Contemporary Music

Howard Shore surrounded The Master Musicians of Jajouka with the London Philharmonic and encouraged them to play the music they always play. This can be heard clearly over the opening sequence in the film. 22 Scoring for Television

You will need to be certain who is the authority regarding the use of music. You might find yourself working primarily with the executive producer, although established directors will often work with the composer. Web Sites

Soundtracks

Burlingame, Jon. Sound and Vision: 60 Years of Motion Picture Soundtracks. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2000.

Web Sites

The following list is meant to be helpful in suggesting some of the resources available on the Internet. Site locations change from time to time, and helpful new sites come online frequently.

Composers (a representative sampling)

John Barry www.johnbarry.org.uk

Elmer Bernstein www.elmerbernstein.com

Chris Boardman www.chrisboardmanmusic.com

Pieter Bourke www.pieterbourke.com

Alf Clausen www.alfclausen.com

Don Davis www.dondavis.filmmusic.com

John Debney www.johndebney.com

Lisa Gerrard www.lisagerrard.com

Jerry Goldsmith www.jerrygoldsmithonline.com

Dave Grusin www.davegrusin.com

Bernard Herrmann www.bernardherrmann.org

James Horner www.james-horner.com

Mark Isham www.isham.com

Laura Karpman www.laurakarpman.com

Erich Wolfgang Korngold www.korngoldsociety.org

Mark Mancina www.mediaventures.com/htmls/ mark – b.html

Mark McKenzie www.markmckenzie.org

Gil Melle´ www.gilmelle.com/default.htm

Johnny Mercer www.johnnymercer.com

Ennio Morricone www.morricone.de

Jerome Moross www.moross.com

Alex North www.alexnorthmusic.com

Basil Pouledoris www.basilpoledouris.com

Jonathan Price www.members.aol.com/jprice5000

Trevor Rabin www.nfte.org/Trevor.Rabin

Graeme Revell www.graemerevell.com

Jeff Rona www.jeffrona.com

Miklo´s Ro´sza www.comcen.com.au/�agfam/ miklos/pms.html– Nino Rota www.ninorota.com Lalo Schifrin www.schifrin.com Marc Shaiman www.marcshaiman.com Howard Shore www.howardshore.com Michael Whalen www.michaelwhalen.com John Williams www.johnwilliams.org Christopher Young www.christopher-young.com Hans Zimmer www.mediaventures.com/htmls/ zimmer – b.html Film Music Journals Film Score Monthly www.filmscoremonthly.com Music from the Movies www.musicfromthemovies.com Soundtrack www.soundtrackmag.com General Information Internet Movie Data Base www.imdb.com SoundtrackNet: The Art www.filmmusic.com of Film and Television Music Judy Green Music www.judygreenmusic.com Organizations A.F. of M. www.afm.org ASCAP www.ascap.com BMI www.bmi.com/home.asp Film Music Network www.filmmusic.net Film Music Society www.filmmusicsociety.org Film Musicians www.mpspf.org Secondary Market Fund RMA (Los Angeles www.rmala.org Chapter) SESAC www.sesac.com The Society of www.filmscore.org Composers and Lyricists Technical Auricle: The Film www.Auricle.com Composers’ Time Processor Cueline Aps of Denmark www.cueline.com B IBLIOGRAPHY

A selected bibliography for reference and additional reading. Darby, William, and Jack Du Bois. American Film Music: Major Out of print books may be available in libraries; to purchase, Composers, Techniques, Trends, 1915–1990. Jefferson, NC: search the Internet for out-of-print and used books. Publications McFarland & Company, 1990. discussing electronic music, recording sound, and other similar Eisler, Hanns, and Theodor Adorno. Composing for the Films. New subjects become out of date quickly; while retaining a great deal York: Oxford University Press, 1947; Athlone Press, 1994. Evans, Mark. Soundtrack: The Music of the Movies. New York: Da of timeless information; locate the most up-to-date resources on Capo Press, l979. these subjects. Karlin, Fred. Listening to Movies: The Film Lover’s Guide to Film Conducting Music. New York: Schirmer Books, 1994. MacDonald, Laurence E. The Invisible Art of Film Music. New York: Labuta, Joseph A. Basic Conducting Techniques. Englewood Cliffs, Ardsley House, 1998. NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994. Marmorstein, Gary. Hollywood Rhapsody: Movie Music and Its Rudolf, Max. The Grammar of Conducting: A Comprehensive Guide Makers, 1900 to 1975. New York: Schirmer Books, 1997. to Baton Technique and Interpretation. New York: Schirmer Palmer, Christopher. The Composer in Hollywood. New York and Books, 1950, 1980. 3rd edition, Wadsworth, 1995. London: Marion Boyars, 1990. Electronic Music Prendergast, Roy M. Film Music: A Neglected Art; A Critical Study of Collins, Mike E. Pro Tools for Music Production: Recording, Editing, Music in Films. New York: W.W. Norton, 1977. and Mixing. Burlington, MA: Focal Press, 2001. Schelle, Michael. The Score: Interviews with Film Composers. Beverly Maguire, James, and Jim Louderback. TechTV’s Secrets of the Digital Hills, CA: Silman-James Press, 1999. Studio: Insider’s Guide to Desktop Recording. Indianapolis, IN: Thomas, Tony. Music for the Movies. Cranbury, NJ: A.S. Barnes, 1973. Que Publishing, Book and CD-ROM edition, 2002. MMM Owsinski, Bobby. The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook. Milwaukee, WI: . Film Score: The Art & Craft of Movie Music. Burbank, CA: Hal Leonard, 1999. Riverwood Press, 1991. Periodicals Filmographies/Composers and scores Electronic Musician, 6400 Hollis St., Emeryville, CA 94608. Lone Eagle Publishing Company. Film Composers Directory, 5th Keyboard Magazine, Music Player Publications, San Mateo, CA edition. Los Angeles, California: Lone Eagle, 2000. 94403. McCarty, Clifford. Film Composers in America: A Filmography, 1911–1970. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press, Film Directors 2000. Directors Guild of America. Directors Guild of America Directory (regularly updated). Los Angeles: Directors Guild of America Film and Television Producers (7950 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90056). Broughton, Irv. Producers on Producing: The Making of Film and Singer, Michael. Film Directors: A Complete Guide. Annual. Beverly Television. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, l986. Hills: Lone Eagle Press, 9903 Santa Monica Blvd, ࠻204, Beverly Hills, CA. Film and Television Production Hollywood Creative Directory: Film Directors (annual). Hollywood, Filmmakers CA: IFILM publishing. Web site: www.ifilmpro.com. Chell, David. Movie Makers at Work. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Hollywood Creative Directory: Producers (published three times a Press, 1987. Interviews. year). Hollywood, CA: IFILM Publishing (www.ifilmpro.com). Pincus, Edward, and Steven Ascher. The Film Maker’s Handbook. Hollywood Production Manual, The (annual). Hollywood: 1322 N. New York: Plume Books, l984. Cole Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028. Source of union/guild rates Singleton, Ralph. Film Maker’s Dictionary. Beverly Hills: Lone Eagle, and production facilities. 9903 Santa Monica Blvd, ࠻204, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, l986. Hollywood Reporter Blu-Book. A fine resource for contact information, facilities, and other related matters. Web site: Film Music www.hollywoodreporter.com/blubook. Brown, Royal S. Overtones and Undertones: Reading Film Music. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1994. Periodicals Burlingame, Jon. TV’s Biggest Hits: The Story of Television Themes Daily Variety, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 120, Los Angeles, CA from “Dragnet” to “Friends.” New York: Schirmer Books, 1996. 9003. Burt, George. The Art of Film Music. Boston: Northeastern The Hollywood Reporter, 5055 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Floor, Los University Press, 1994. Angeles, CA 90036.

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Film Scoring Orchestration/Arranging Davis, Richard. Complete Guide to Film Scoring: The Art and Business Adler, Samuel. The Study of Orchestration. New York: W.W. of Writing Music for Movies and TV. Boston, MA: Berklee Press, Norton, 1982. 1999. Black, Dave, and Tom Gerou. Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Hagen, Earle. Scoring for Films. New York: Criterion Music, 1971. New York: Alfred Publishing Company, 1998. MMM. Advanced Scoring for Films. Century City, CA: E.D.J. Kennan, Kent Wheeler, and Donald Grantham. The Technique of Music, 1989. Orchestration (6th Edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Rona, Jeff. The Reel World: Scoring for Pictures. San Francisco: 2002 Backbeat Books, 2000. Mancini, Henry. Sounds and Scores: A Practical Guide to Professional Rose, Cameron. The Click Book. Film Music Publications is the Orchestration. Greenwich, CT: Northridge Music, 1962, 1967, retail distributor for this (see Film Music Network under “Music 1973. and Film Music Business,” or it can be purchased through Film Ostrander, Arthur, and Dana Wilson. Contemporary Choral Score Monthly (Web site: filmscoremonthly.com). Arranging. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986. Read, Owen T., and Joel T. Leach. Scoring for Percussion. Melville, Filmographies NY: Belwyn-Mills, 1978. Halliwell, Leslie. Halliwell’s Film Guide. 5th ed. New York: Charles Russo, William. Jazz Composition and Orchestration. Chicago: Scribner’s Sons, 1986. University of Chicago Press, 1968. Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin’s TV Movies and Video Guide Wright, Rayburn. Inside the Score. Delevan, New York: Kendor (annual). New York: Signet Books (New American Library). Music, 1982. Marill, Alvin H. Movies Made for Television: The Telefeature and the Mini-series (1964–1986 ). New York: New York Zoetrope, 1987. Periodicals and Journals Film Score Monthly. Vineyard Haven LLC., 8503 Washington Blvd., Music and Film Music Business Culver City, CA 90232. The only monthly film music journal with news, interviews, reviews, and articles. Subscribe and Brabec, Jeffery, and Todd Brabec. Music Money and Success: The support this journal. Insiders’s Guide to Making Money in the Music Business. New Hollywood Reporter: Film & TV Music Special Issue (four times a York: Schirmer Books, 1994; 3d edition, Music Sales Ltd., year, in January, April, August, and November). 2002. Music from the Movies. Flat 402, 51–02 Apartments, St. James Fink, Michael. Inside the Music Business: Music in Contemporary Life. Barton, Bristol, BS1 3LY, Great Britain. Published quarterly. New York: Schirmer Books, 1989. Interviews, articles, and reviews of great interest to all fans and Passman, Donald S. All You Need to Know About the Music Business. practitioners of film music. Subscribe and support this journal. New York: Simon & Schuster; revised and updated edition 2000. Soundtrack. c/o Luc Van de Ven, Astridlaan 171, 2800, Mechelen, Rachlin, Harvey. The Encyclopedia of the Music Business. New York: Belgium. Published quarterly until 2003; possibly annually Harper & Row, 1981. thereafter. Back issues are very informative, with interesting Shemel, Sidney, and M. William Krasilovsky. More About This articles, interviews with composers, and photographs. Business of Music. New York: Billboard Publications, l985. MMM. This Business of Music: The Definitive Guide to the Music Recording Industry. New York: Billboard Publications, 1979; 8th edition, Eargle, John. Sound Recording. 2d edition. New York: Van Nostrand New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2000. Reinhold, 1980. The Film Music Network online store at http://store.yahoo.com/ Runstein, Robert E., and David Miles Huber. 2d edition. Modern fmstore/booksreference.html, has many helpful business resources Recording Techniques. Indianapolis: Howard W. Sams, l986. available. Tremaine, Howard M. The Audio Cyclopedia. Indianapolis: Howard W. Sams, l982. Music Composition Wadams, Wayne. Dictionary of Music Production and Engineering Cope, David. New Directions in Music. Dubuque, IA: William C. Terminology. New York, Schirmer Books, 1988. Brown, 1971. Discusses avant-garde procedures and notation. MMM. Sound Advice: The Musician’s Guide to the Record Industry. Dallin, Leon. Techniques of Twentieth-Century Composition. New York, Schirmer Books, 1990. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown, 1957. MMM. Sound Advice: The Musician’s Guide to the Record Studio. Fink, Robert, and Robert Ricci. The Language of Twentieth Century New York, Schirmer Books, 1990. Music: A Dictionary of Terms. New York: Schirmer Books, 1975. Woram, John M. The Recording Studio Handbook. Plainview, NY: Gerou, Tom, and Linda Lusk. Essential Dictionary of Music Notation: Elar Publishing, 1982. The Most Practical and Concise Source for Music Notation. New Periodicals York: Alfred Publishing Company, 1996. Home Recording, Cherry Lane Magazines, LLC, 6 East 32nd St., Mathieu, W. A. Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from Its 11th Fl. New York, NY 10016. Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression. Rochester, VT: Inner Mix Magazine, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media, 6400 Traditions International, 1997. Hollis Street, Suite 12, Emeryville, CA 94608. Persichetti, Vincent. Twentieth-Century Harmony. New York: W.W. Recording Magazine, Music Maker Publications, Inc., 5412 Odylwild Norton, 1961. Trail, Suite 100, Boulder, CO 80301–3523. Reti, Rudolph. The Thematic Process in Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1978. Songwriting Russo, William, with Jeffrey Ainis and David Stevenson. Composing Davis, Sheila. The Craft of Lyric Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1983. Digest Books, l985. Kasha, Al, and Joel Hirschhorn. If They Ask You, You Can Write a Music Editing Song. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1979. Lustig, Milton. Music Editing for Motion Pictures. New York: Wilder, Alec. American Popular Songs: The Great Innovators, l900– Hastings House, 1980. Pre-digital music editing. 1950. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972.