On another thread, John Debney asked what makes an agent a great agent. To answer that I would describe the top agent in our industry, my partner, Laura Engel, ...
Our first selection is Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Sunday, Nov. 6 will be our first Club date.
The first book club session has been postponed...
Regarding A.I. Music, do you feel it is unethical to:
1. Design programs for computers to compose?
2. Listen to it?
3. Enjoy it?
4. Encourage it?
5. Sell...
While it is hard to imagine an A.I. Composer creating a masterpiece like Eleanor Rigby, but IF it did, would that diminish the quality of the song?
I find it...
Almost every writer, painter and composer I know would prefer spending their time creating their art instead of going out and selling it.
But, unless they wa...
Assuming the world is not beating a path to your door showering you with the job opportunities you desire, you will probably have to join the ranks of most peop...
Inside of each of us gurgles colorful creations: Writers have stories to tell, painters have visions to unveil and composers have music to be heard.
How does...
I have realized what I hate about the notion that commercial artists are at odds with all the other folks who are part of their team.
It takes a village to c...
If you are a composer who wants to be working full time in your chosen industry, that would probably mean working full-time 40-50 weeks a year (depending on how...
I love the notion of manifesting dreams. And The Secret is an outstanding film/book illustrating that principle.
However, the missing part of this is often T...
When I first started representing Alan Menken I was looking for a non-Disney, non-musical film for him to score.
I discovered an interesting film, NOEL writt...
PALM SPRINGS IS HOT. PALM SPRINGS IS COLD.
SEATTLE IS RAINY. SEATTLE IS SUNNY.
SHOWBIZ IS FULL OF BULLSHIT. SHOWBIZ IS FULL OF SINCERITY.
It can be 108...
After exploring the wonders of bullshit, I wanted to reflect on another favorite subject, sincerity.
Kindness, fairness, support, and charity are among the v...
The life experience of indoor cats is that somehow some giant human shows up with regularity and pours food in their bowl. There is no real need to figure out w...
Sometimes composers think they are too busy to take the time to learn/use the tools that can make their lives easier in the long run.
Examples:
"I'm too b...
By its very nature, media composing is a barrage of feedback critiquing your efforts.
Trying to land jobs involves an onslaught of opinions and rejection...
Here is the opportunity to score a car chase from a classic film that had no score for this sequence in the original.
Deadline is October 1.
https://www.y...
Locating treasures isn't easy. Very few are experts at it.
It requires cunning, instinct, perseverance, risk, doggedness, sweat, knowledge, resourcefulness, ...
I have worked with a lot of composers in my life.
Through successes and failures.
Through busy times and career droughts.
Through triumphs and disappointme...
"Oh, those grapes up there must be sour," says the fox."
There are composers, both young and old, who act like the fox in Aesop's fable who struggle and fail...
Right now, in the room you are in, a whole array of radio signals are floating around, playing all types of programs (jazz, pop, rap, classical, news, talk, wor...
Just had a delightful visit from Tony Scott-Green, another of the Golden Ticket winners rewarded for jumping on volunteering to help with a composer spreadsheet...
I am humbled and highly motivated by the awesome people who can juggle so many things and pull off so much successfully.
I look to study how they manage ...
What can you think of to do to help solve the challenges of having so much to do and even wanting to expand your capacity to do more?
For me, one of my appro...
The Worldwide Executive and President of Music at the world's largest video game company recently did an interview on this Forum.
Six people, most of whom al...
Composers reaching out to fellow composers can be great and rewarding for a number of reasons including comradery, support, and potential employment opportuniti...
HOW DID THIS KID FROM MANCHESTER END UP IN MY OFFICE WITH ME RECOMMENDING HIM FOR WORK?
Several months ago someone posed a great question on a different Face...
The majority of my day is spent addressing conflicts between composers and those they work with or desire to work with.
There is typically a relentless serie...
After tracking down a number of YouTube clips of great film composers' early works for another post on this forum, it really struck me how special and rare it i...
Being a rock star means many things. It has to do with attitude, approach, fame, performance, admiration, persona, presentation, success, confidence, and show b...
You aren't well-known. You don't have great credits. You aren't extremely well-connected in the industry.
Your single greatest calling card is your music.
...
Miriam Mayer made my day today.
She took up a Composer Challenge from this Forum and turned it into a composing sample that landed her a scoring job.
Whil...
The original film was not scored (until the very end)
How would you tackle this scene?
Deadline: September 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcjRNOfvV...
I listen to a lot of music, attend a lot of concerts, and watch a lot of films to hear their scores.
Very little of what I hear is awful. And very little of ...
Here are some sources in LA to check out for industry events, screenings and festivals. Please feel free to add more suggestions:
ArcLight Cinemas
American ...
I once dated an actress. Like so many others, she was struggling to move her career forward.
I would try to offer the same piece of advise. Here is how that ...
It isn't easy to find a way to do things and pull them off successfully. It is actually quite difficult.
I suggest putting all of your time and attention int...
There are a lot of folks out there trying to sell donuts:
Donut shops, donut trucks, chain stores, grocery stores, food trucks, strip malls, food fairs, carn...
There is a great documentary from a few years ago, "800 CDs" about a singer/songwriter who recorded an album and ordered 800 copies of it.
Recording the musi...
Here is the opportunity to score a sequence in a contemporary comedy/drama with an indie film vibe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2CEGhwMjkQ
The deadli...
In this industry relationships are EVERYTHING.
That extends to the relationship between a composer and his/her agent. Knowing how to best interact and commun...
I will be forever grateful to one of my earliest employers who busted me when I did not come through on the task I was assigned.
I came in with a lot of wond...
Peter Bogdanovich did not score the epic chase sequence in his screwball comedy, WHAT'S UP, DOC?
Here is your chance to apply your comedic skills in a extrem...
I have decided to offer a Masters Degree in Comedy Scoring.
To receive this certification, students must watch/listen to all of the comedy scoring clips atta...
Rarely do I meet a composer who volunteers that they want to score comedies.
Yet, the opportunities that exist for comedies, especially for newer composers, ...
We are in show business.
And part of that business is increasing the number of options and opportunities one has to do the things one loves.
Whether an ar...
Almost all the communication between a composer and their collaborators exist in the beautiful landscape of metaphoric language.
Music itself is a metaphoric...
I come into contact with A LOT of composers. Some through their music, some in person, some via social media.
I will share my basic, initial non-musical filt...
Dear Rejectee,
Congratulations!
At least you accomplished putting yourself out there enough to get rejected.
You nose-dived because you jumped up and r...
My very first job in Hollywood was standing on the street corner handing out free movie tickets to research screenings.
I got paid 50 cents for each person w...
Richard Kraft is the co-owner of Kraft-Engel Management, one of the world’s leading agencies specializing in representing film, theatre, television and video game composers, songwriters and music supervisors.
