So about a month ago, a good friend of mine sent me an interesting text, “Can you call me, I have a music question.” Turns out he had a request for rates for a 30 spot.
We’ve gone through a different versions. In the future, I’m going to be more of a stickler for a final (or close to final) video cut. Most of the time, the producers request different “hits” at specific spots within the commercial. Without a final version of what you’re scoring, it’s a bit more difficult to determine where the right instrument hits should be, or even the musical direction that should be taken.
My first version I sent out is drastically different from the last version. And that’s to be expected. But where things really came together was once I had the final cut, complete with animatic effects. That version of the video gave me a better understanding of what the producer and director were shooting for. The commercial itself reflects a mood change or two, but it was only with the effects that I knew how dark or light I needed to score each section.
Scoring films, on the other hand, is a bit different. I think an early copy of the film is important in other to sketch out ideas and come up with general themes. The earlier, the better. But realistically, in that industry, you’re probably always going to running up to deadlines and madly racing to get things finished in time.
I’ll see if I can get permission to upload a copy of the music in a later post.