Film and TV
Killing Eve music supervisor Catherine Grieves shares her TV & movie journey so far (Mandy News)
Catherine Grieves is a music supervisor known for her work on Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s new series Killing Eve, Collateral, Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here, The Musketeers and Wolf Hall. Here she tells Mandy News how she got started, what the responsibilities of a music supervisor are and how to get into the music department for TV and film.
How Your Favorite Songs Get On TV (Forbes)
Content is king, and it’s everywhere. From cable to Facebook to your watch, original programming is popping up in every direction — and it needs music. But what does that mean for bands? To get clarification, I went straight to Lyle Hysen, founder of Bank Robber Music.
How Billions Creators Use Music As An ‘Emotional Accelerator’ (UPROXX)
For creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien, music is more than just an addendum to their show, it is the show’s heartbeat. In a past life, Koppelman worked within the music industry, first managing bands, then as an A&R rep for labels like Elektra and EMI.
33rd Annual ASCAP Screen Music Awards (Goldo Sync Report)
Goldo Sync Report shares their recap of the 33rd Annual ASCAP Screen Music Awards at Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. We spoke to a diversity of ASCAP composers about the creative process behind their award-winning scores. Full list of winners inside.
How Music Supervisors for Armageddon, Can’t Hardly Wait Kept Soundtracks Weird & Wonderful in 1998 (Billboard)
This week, Billboard is celebrating the music of 20 years ago with a week of content about the most interesting artists, albums, songs and stories from 1998. Here, we talk to the people responsible for a number of the biggest and strangest soundtracks from one of the final years where films still invested in their accompanying albums being as wild and wonderful as possible.
Future Unveils Tracklist for Superfly Soundtrack, Feat. Miguel & Lil Wayne (Billboard)
The upcoming Superfly remake tapped Future to executive produce and curate the flick’s soundtrack. The Atlanta-bred rapper shared the track list for the project on Friday (June 1). The motion picture’s soundtrack is absolutely loaded with superstar assists throughout, as Future Hendrix utilizes his deep industry ties to make for some fascinating collaborations.
Songs for Screens: How Indie-Pop Duo Haerts Scored a ‘Lord Huron Moment’ on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why (Variety)
For Season 2, which premiered on Friday (May 18), 13 Reasons Why music supervisor Season Kent found what she hopes will become this year’s “Lord Huron moment” when she was scoring a key three-minute montage in Episode 6 when it’s revealed that (spoiler alert!) Hannah (Katherine Langford) and Zach (Ross Butler) shared a secret romance in the months before Hannah’s Season 1 suicide.
Sync Story: Inside Barns Courtney’s Safe placement (Music Week)
Here at Music Week, we’re all too aware of Barns Courtney’s sync power. The rock’n’roller scooped the Sync Artist Of The Year trophy at the Music Week Sync Awards last year, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. As he readies his second album, tracks from his debut are still doing the business, with Glitter & Gold and Fire featuring on the opening and closing credits of Anglo-French drama Safe respectively.
Q&A with music supervisor Maggie Phillips (Goldo Sync Report)
Illuminated and experimental music supervisor speaks on her trial by fire entry to the field after the success of The Duplass Brothers’ The Puffy Chair, her complex collaboration with Noah Hawley and Jeff Russo to manifest the psychedelic atmosphere of Legion, and how a sync from Fargo led to the expansion of a farm in Zambia.
An interview with Dan Jones: the composer of Ian McEwan’s On Chesil Beach (BBC Music Magazine)
Composer Dan Jones provides insight into his soundtrack for the new film release of Ian McEwan’s classic novella.
Nashville Film Festival Plays Matchmaker for Music Supervisors and Publishers (Billboard)
The Nashville Film Festival, which just wrapped up in Music City over the weekend, has an extensive history of including music as part of its’ program. After all, it is Music City. However, it’s not singles and albums that is the focus of much of the music that has been heard at the Festival.
‘It was incredibly stressful & difficult’ – Star Wars composer John Powell on taking over from John Williams (Classic FM)
Film composer John Powell has written the music for the latest Star Wars film, Solo: A Star Wars Story. He spoke to his former college, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, about how it felt to be following in John Williams’ footsteps.
Film & TV Composer Profiles: Fil Eisler (Goldo Sync Report)
Charismatic BMI Film & TV Award winning composer dishes on the eclectic sonic palette he employed for the upcoming radical series, AMC’s Dietland, the philosophy behind melding two stark musical worlds on Empire, and the reason why he misses scoring for Revenge.
With Unsolved, Music Supervisor Lyah Beth LeFlore Captures Hip-Hop’s Golden Age (Deadline)
From her beginnings as an assistant at Nickelodeon to her work as a development executive, television producer and bestselling author, Lyah Beth LeFlore has worn many hats in a varied and unusual career. “That’s kind of my trademark, I think, as a creative entity,” LeFlore said sitting down for Deadline’s Production Value video series.
Composers Vying for Emmys Build Musical Atmosphere for TV’s Top Shows (Variety)
Music for television is now as diverse as it has ever been — from traditional orchestra to electronica, from cool jazz to hip-hop beats. That’s partly the result of the vast increase in production in recent years, but also a matter of showrunners’ wide-ranging musical tastes.
The BAFTA TV Awards Winners (GMS UK & Europe)
Earlier this month the BAFTA TV Awards took place in London. The awards showcase the best of the small screen entertainment that we’ve all been watching in the past year. The full list of winners can be found here, but we of course would like to congratulate those involved in soundtracking not only the winning shows, but also everyone nominated.
Deadpool 2 Composer Tyler Bates to be Keynote Speaker for The 2018 Production Music Conference (PMA Music)
The Production Music Association (PMA,) the leading advocacy group for the global production music industry, has announced that renowned film composer Tyler Bates (Deadpool 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick), will be the Keynote Speaker for the 5th annual Production Music Conference, to be held September 26-28 at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood, CA.
Why ‘With or Without You’ Was the Perfect Song Choice for The Americans Finale (Vulture)
Over the years, The Americans has excelled at excavating some of the more obscure pop songs from the 1980s to underscore intense and emotional moments. But for one of the most dramatic sequences in its final episode, the series decided to go with a song as massive as they could find.
Film & TV Composer Spotlights: Roque Baños (Goldo Sync Report)
Multi award-winning Spanish musical force speaks on the nightmares that led his treatment for the re-make of Evil Dead, the iconic film that encouraged him to branch out from classical music, and the heaven he experienced during the creation of his score for The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
Black Panther Wins Top Prize at Golden Trailer Awards (Variety)
Create Advertising won the top honor for their work on Disney-Marvel’s Black Panther trailer “Crown,” which won the best of show award. Black Panther also won for best action, best action TV spot, and best music TV spot.
Arrested Development: David Schwartz on Writing Music for the Remix and Pushing for More Songs in the Rest of Season 5 (Indie Wire)
The composer-songwriter also shares thoughts on a possible “Northern Exposure” reunion and the joys of teaching Ted Danson to play bass.
Emmy Contenders for Sound Create New Aural Landscapes (Variety)
Sound in television has, arguably, always played second fiddle to the images. And as with other sound professionals on the top contending shows in the sound categories, Dean Hurley, supervising sound editor on Showtime’s Twin Peaks, worked hard to craft a cinematic aural landscape despite challenges ranging from “the usual technical ones,” as he puts it, to the accelerated post schedules of today’s TV shows.
Industry Innovators: Neil Goldberg, Dave Fraser, & Ari Winters of Heavyocity (Goldo Sync Report)
The three brilliant pioneers behind virtual instrument empire, Heavyocity speak on the ideology that propels their groundbreaking product line, the obstacles they faced in launching their first product, Evolve, and how their enduring family bond has been instrumental to their success for over a decade.
Film Music Festival opens in Kraków (Radio Poland)
A concert dedicated to the famous Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki on Wednesday launched the 11th Film Music Festival in the southern city of Kraków.
Dream Job Diary with Music Supervisor Dondrea Erauw (Addicted)
Dondrea has been a musical person her whole life, singing, composing, playing in bands and general immersing herself in her musical addiction. She graduated from the music industry arts program at Fanshawe College in London Ontario. She then moved to Toronto, where she landed her dream job as a music supervisor, working at instinct entertainment, a company founded by veteran music supervisor Michael Perlmutter.
Tim K on the Essential Skill Sets of a Media Composer | Making Music for Films and TV (Reverb)
Tim Kvasnosky—better known as Tim K—is a musician, producer, and composer that lives in the dual worlds of pop music and media composition. In between producing for Honey Dijon and Colette and playing keys for artists from Sam Sparro to Rahzel, Tim K has also created music for movies like King Cobra, I Am Michael, and 2018’s Welcome the Stranger, as well as thousands of commercials.
TV’s Top Show-Runners Give Rare Peek Behind the Scenes (Vanity Fair)
Seven of TV’s hottest show-runners reveal what it takes to keep their shows successfully humming.
New Signings: Erased Tapes Music Publishing (GMS UK & Europe)
Founded in 2011, Erased Tapes Music Publishing is an independent publishing agency that represents composers at the forefront of scoring for moving picture and media content. In addition to its impressive composer roster, ETMP handles licensing for Erased Tapes Records, including works by Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Penguin Cafe. GMS UK & Europe caught up with ETMP’s sync team about their latest signings.
Deadpool 2 Borrowed An Important Element From Logan For Its Conclusion (CBR)
Continuing the success of 2016’s fourth wall-breaking Deadpool, Leitch’s sequel makes well-timed pop culture references, with everything from Basic Instinct to RoboCop receiving a mention. As for the Logan connection, Reynolds revealed to The Empire Film Podcast that Leitch borrowed the music from Wolverine’s death scene in 2017’s superhero swansong.
All the winners at the 2018 Ivor Novello Awards (Independent)
The ceremony, which celebrates songwriting, took place in central London last Thursday afternoon. Amongst others, awards were handed out for Best Original Film Score, Best Original Video Game Score, and Best Television Soundtrack.
MassiveMusic Creates Anthem for UEFA Europa League’s Refreshed Brand Identity (LBB Online)
The new UEFA Europa League anthem, an uplifting and powerful expression that fits the nature of the competition, has been composed and produced by international creative music agency MassiveMusic and will be played before every game in the upcoming season and beyond.
Star Trek‘s four composers on scoring 26 seasons of Trek television (SYFY WIRE)
When it comes to the sound of Star Trek, the franchise has been in the hands of remarkably few people. Especially so when you only look at its life on the small screen. With the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987 through the current run of Star Trek: Discovery, a vast majority of the music for five series and 26 seasons of television was the combined creative output of only four composers.
Gaming
Checking the Score: Interview With Vampyr Composer Olivier Derivière (Hardcore Gamer)
Hardcore Gamer recently had the privilege of interviewing Olivier Derivière, an accomplished composer who has worked on video game scores for over a decade. His credits include scoring the Alone in the Dark, Remember Me and Get Even soundtracks, receiving notable acclaim over his work on Remember Me.
Borgore Talks ‘Adventures In Time’ Jazz EP, Puppies, & Writing for Video Games (Magnetic Magazine)
Asaf Borger, the head of Buygore Records and better known by his heavy dubstep moniker Borgore, sat down with us for an exclusive interview to discuss his diverse Adventures In Time EP. The classically trained musician and jazz composer also shared what music he listens to on his free time, discussed video games, puppies, and what his dream car is.
Video game music veteran Tommy Tallarico acquires Intellivision rights from Mattel (Tech Spot)
Industry veteran Tommy Tallarico has acquired the rights to the 1979 gaming system from Mattel and has headed up Intellivision Entertainment as CEO. The company has also picked up talent who worked on the original console.
The art of making effective game trailers (PC Gamer)
You’ve watched a lot of game trailers. They’re the heavy cavalry in a new game’s charge to the front lines, the first big strike in the grand campaign to win your heart and mind. Sure, you might wait for reviewers and streamers to get their hands on a new release before you make a purchase, but chances are that your interest was first piqued by a trailer. And at least one of those trailers was likely made by Derek Lieu.
‘Go to conferences’ Star Wars Battlefront 2 composer Gordy Haab on making music for video games (Mandy News)
Gordy Haab is a multi award-winning film, video game and TV composer who has written music for video games including Star Wars Battlefront 2, The Walking Dead, Halo Wars 2. Gordy made nine trips to London, UK, to fine-tune Star Wars Battlefront 2 with the London Symphony Choir and here tells Mandy News about his process of scoring for games.
Advertising
Sync Story: Inside Tom Walker’s Sony Bravia placement (Music Week)
With 201,234 UK sales to date (OCC) and 80 million Spotify streams, Tom Walker’s Leave A Light On is already an impressive breakthrough. The Manchester songwriter’s debut single has stormed charts across Europe, and Sony Germany used that to their advantage when pitching it for Sony’s latest Bravia spot, a film featuring high definition images of nature in action. Ian Neil, director of sync, Sony Music, reflects happily on a version of the track tailored for extra emotional heft.
Use of “sound-alike” music in advertising ‒ key legal issues (Lexology)
Using “sound-alike” music in advertising can be cheaper than licensing the real thing, but it’s important to be aware of the legal risks.
2018 Clio Music Awards Deadline June 29th (All Access Music Group)
The final deadline for entries to the 2018 CLIO MUSIC AWARDS is JUNE 29th. The CLIO AWARDS ceremony will be held OCTOBER 3rd (during Advertising Week) at the ZIEGFELD BALLROOM in NYC.
MAS Awards Talk To: Rebecca Grierson, Executive Producer + Music Supervisor // Advertising + Film (M+S Awards)
We had a splendid chat with our juror and SixtyFour Music’s Executive Producer, Rebecca Grierson, about launching and growing the company in New York and how they manage to stand out from the crowd…
UK Top Shazamed Ads: May 22 | May 31 (The Drum)
The Drum’s Shazam chart is based on the number of times each ad has been Shazamed over the past week using the music identification app. Here are the charts from the last couple of weeks.
The most Shazamed ads of the week (US): May 25 | June 01 (Clio)
Every week, Clios.com, in partnership with Shazam, rounds up the most Shazamed ads of the previous week. These are the top spots from May 25th to June 1st.
Business
End ‘pay to play’ culture in media music, demands BASCA CEO (M Magazine)
Production companies should end the ‘pay to play’ practice where they demand a publishing share of composers’ music in exchange for a sync, says Vick Bain, chief executive of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
Advice
Top sync tips for music-makers (M Magazine)
Roy Lidstone-Jackson, chief executive of leading UK sync agency A&GSync, offers his top tips and insights from years working in this creative seam of the music industry…
Artist Advice Column: How To Write Music For TV / Film (Magnetic Magazine)
We took a deeper dive into how write music for commercials earlier this month. Now it is time to start looking at other places you can place your music around that can not only get you paid, but also some important exposure. TV and movie sync deals can really help break an artist’s career if it is in a hit show and at the right point in a show.
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