How to get work doing soundtracks?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Chris DeVoe, Jun 29, 2020.

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  1. Start with some of the indie productions rather than the majors.
    Heck some of the trained composers like Jerry Goldsmith would hire others to orchestrate his scores like Arthur Morton because Goldsmith found orchestration tedious and time consuming & because he trusted Arthur’s sensibility as an arranger as it matched Goldsmith’s own and he didn’t want to always take the time to essentially translate his scores due to multi-le commitments, time, etc. Morton also worked with J0hn Williams, etc. He also wrote music but primarily worked as a music orchestrator or arranger throughout his career going back to the 1930’s.

    When John Williams was on a tight schedule for “Jaws 2” for example, as I recall, Goldsmith recommended him to Williams.
     
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  2. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Without being already recognized as a known published professional musician, with songwriting credits to your name, I think this is an entire impossibility.

    Getting in almost anything in Hollywood involves having many connections and usually belonging to a guild.

    I think your time and efforts would be better spent elsewhere, where there is at least a possibility of a return.

    Even scoring and producing corporate material, requires a lot of equipment and resources.

    Maybe you could break in to remastering albums?

    I might think that you could do some mentoring and perhaps management services for some of the kids in the School of Rock videos that you produce.

    Take advantage to the sources that you already have available to you.

    Even established professionals are out of work.
     
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  3. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Well the good news is doing soundtracks I’m sure it’s a solitary job( Covid safe) no people about till you have to hire stringed musicians. Starter kit: MacBookPro with Software Pro Tools / Logic. Keyboard
    One way that could be beneficial is be a member of IMDb Pro. Make a few short films ( visual / no dialogue ( economical) and doing your own soundtrack. Advertisement. CV booster.
     
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  4. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    I tried my luck years ago with a advertising company but was told that they wanted real acoustic instruments as their clients wanted a more professional sound. Now this was the early eighties. I believe the industry has changed its view on synths as the main composition source 30/40 years later.
     
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  5. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Out of work. Think this is going to a major concern for a long long time. Actors have always been aware of that factor .. hence jobs being waiters, no doubt likewise musicians have second jobs they can do to make ends meet.
     
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  6. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    How we made ... Francis Ford Coppola and Stewart Copeland on Rumble Fish

    The clock motif and "Running Out of Time" subtext probably suggested a drummer. Francis himself played bass on the soundtrack!
     
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  7. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    I’m friends with Arthur Morton’s son John. He’s a sound artist who does installations.
     
    wayneklein likes this.
  8. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    Most do. I’m a Music copyist myself. At least it’s still music related.
     
    wayneklein likes this.
  9. That’s very cool. Art was a fine music composer himself but he did some great orchestrations work for Jerry. Tell his son his dad has a fan! Art worked with Jerry most of his career.
     
  10. Also you can put it together virtually even when you do,work with other musicians and then sent it along digitally to the studio.
     
  11. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    And my dad was in a band with Jerry Goldsmith in their teens in the Borscht Belt!
     
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  12. Very cool indeed. Goldsmith was a brilliant composer who could think outside of the box. Although he only won 1 Oscar (nominated many times), he was admired by all his peers especially John Williams (Williams has commented that he listened to Goldsmith create the music for The Mephisto Waltz (1971). D wished he had composed it.

    Goldsmith’s use of the Echoplex for “Patton” along with the themes created an amazingly haunting score and his use of synthesizers for “Logan’s Run” integrated with acoustic instruments was both brilliant and groundbreaking to say nothing of his work on “Seconds”, “Freud”. ‘Alien” and “Planet of the Apes”.
     
  13. Chris DeVoe likes this.
  14. All Down The Line

    All Down The Line The Under Asst East Coast White Label Promo Man

    Location:
    Australia
    ?
     
  15. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    Coppola came from a musical family. I studied conducting with his uncle.
     
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  16. Oh I knew that part I just didn’t know he could play bass. Yeah his dad was an exceptional composer as well with his scores for Francis’ films.

    I envy you! You hung with all of my idols (or relatives).
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
  17. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    Hah! if you only knew.
     
    wayneklein likes this.
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