As a creative director, I act as a liaison between the studio, the network and the producers as well as our composers and music supervisors on our shows.

If we hire a music supervisor on a show, as most of our one hour dramas have, our music supervisors oversee all aspects of music and report back to us so our department can manage the shows' needs according to the expectations we must meet creatively, respectively and financially. To be more specific to my process, we read the scripts and break them down to make sure we have proper clearance for anything musical that may appear in the episode. Once the show is shot and edited, we spot the episode and the producers figure out what scenes require score and which will use source music. For anything that needs to be licensed we do have a licensing department which is extremely helpful but I do like to negotiate my own deals as I need to make sure anything that I pitch is pre-cleared and fits within our shows' budget. Then comes the creative process of figuring out what works and in TV that process can be a very quick turnaround. I'm here here to facilitate whatever musical needs the producers, studio and network require in creating a successful TV show.

1. 2.       You wear many hats at ABC. Would you describe what your day is like?

A lot of calls, a lot of e-mails, putting out some fires here and there, ha, ha. Every show's needs are different, and since music is always the last thing that goes into a show, it can be very challenging. You have to make sure you're prepared for anything and everything to meet your deadlines. Even changing out songs on the mix stage last minute because once you get to the final day of the mix if you don’t have a song chosen, cleared and that works for your budget, you may incur further costs in delaying the final mix which can be very costly. You have to be aware of every situation, that's why having a back up plan is always essential should we ever run into those moments. Establishing great relationships within the industry and having a solid line of communication between all parties will help alleviate big issues in the end.

1. 3.       ABC has quite a lineup of shows this fall season. What new shows and returning shows are you working on? What is your involvement?

I got to work on a lot of the pilots and now that a bunch of those got picked up and are airing I get to creatively pitch for a few like Once Upon A Time, The River and Man Up. Returning shows I oversee are Cougar Town and Happy Endings. I'm Involved in pitching music when needed and overseeing all aspects of music on a day to day basis for a couple of the shows I mentioned.

1. 4.       Nashville was happy to learn that the new ABC show Good Christian Belles will be using Country music. Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, Finally! It's nice to have the opportunity to use country music in our shows. We have a couple great music supervisors on that show, Frankie Pine and Anastasia Brown.  I know that anytime I get a chance to travel to places like Nashville that do have a lot of country artists to pitch but I don't have anything to offer it can be a letdown for some people but since w have a show that lends itself to that genre of music I can now know that if I do find any good songs I can get them to the right people with a chance to actually place country music, which is a first for me.

1. 5.       How many episodes are generally produced for a TV show?

It can vary from as little as a few for a new show to possibly 24 episodes for existing shows. Just depends on how many are needed to fill a slot for a full season for the network and how successful the show is in the ratings.

1. 6.       How would someone go about presenting an idea for a TV series to ABC?

Get an agent or show runner or someone attached to it that can help get your foot in the door. We don't accept unsolicited material. I'm not on that side of our industry so I can't speak on the creative side for development But I do know our policy and if you do have an idea and decide you want to present it to the studio or network the best route is to have a unique concept or just a great treatment and find someone to believe in it. 

1. 7.       When working on a show, what challenges seem to crop up time and time again?

Music is very subjective so I would say it is very difficult getting everyone on the same page as far as musical direction. A lot of times it doesn't just necessarily just happen. There typically should be one voice speaking on behalf of music but a lot of times there are multiple and when It comes to music you have mixed opinions on what is good and what works.  The producers are the ones who decide what goes in the show. Trying to figure out the musical direction or musical identity of a show can sometimes be very difficult. the producers may see it one way; the studio or network may see it another and you have a music supervisor pitching certain things based on the direction that they have been given by multiple parties so it can get tricky. The objective is to work together to find a solution for this and sometimes it takes going around in circles until you get everyone to figure out what works the best.

1. 8.       Who participates in the decisions on which scenes should have music in them, and what part do you play in that decision?

Well, the producers clearly have the decision on what goes in their show and where .But sometimes there are other people involved in that process.

1. 9.       Can you generalize about what particular attributes of a song make it useful for a film or TV show.

That is subjective. It could be anything, it depends on the use, it depends on the show. It can be anything from the right lyric to the right hook or the way the song builds. I think the writers should just continue writing great songs and let us figure out that next part.

1. 10.   What’s a typical lead time for selecting music for a scene?

It varies. They might need music within the hour, or we could have days to figure it out. But everything is always a rush in our world. It's nice when we have time to work on a specific pitch but sometimes it goes against us cause that means there is more time for people to change their mind. Often times when people are given more time they may over think it but when we don't have much time and they are forced to make a decision on a song use they can go off their initial instinct which tends to work out the best.

1. 11.   What advice do you have for someone who wants to get their music in a show?

Do a lot of research and figure out what shows supervisors are working on. Make sure you are pitching music that is appropriate for the show. Do it in a professional way without aggravation or ego. We get pitched a Lot of music and often want to work with people that are easy-going that have great songs.  Maybe figure out a creative way to get your music to them. If you have great music and you’re very passionate about it, you'll find a way. It's truly about the music and the character of the people pitching it to me.

1. 12.   How do you like to receive submissions?

I'm digital now but will accept CD's as well. Know who you are pitching too and ask them when submitting. Everyone has different preferences so be prepared to send them a cassette if they want it that way, ha. Joking about that but you never know!

1. 13.   How do you keep track of the music you receive—that is, organize it, prioritize it, and so forth?  How can writers make that job easier for you?

I create playlists in iTunes and since most of the music I receive these days is digital I file them away for specific shows or under general playlists for future reference. Writers can make sure that they have all the metadata included in the music file so we don't have to do any work typing in the name of the song or artist if one is attached. Contact information is a plus. The less work a supervisor has to do the better chance you have to potentially place a song.

1. 14.   Do you ever use instrumental cues from writers other than hired composers for fast-paced shows that use a lot of cues, shows like Extra?

No. From the studio standpoint we're not allowed too because we generally hire composers for that. We usually pitch songs with vocals and If the vocals interfere with the dialogue, we may ask for the instrumentals but typically for any show that needs an instrumental we use our composers. There are a lot of places like advertising agencies or cable networks that license instrumentals for underscore or any use within the body of the show but our studio typically won't do that.

1. 15.   When do you work with music libraries?  What types of scenes do you use the music in, and what’s important to you when choosing one?

We work a lot with different music libraries. I e-mail them for incidental spots where we do not have a lot of money to spend or for orchestral music when needed. 

1. 16.   You said at the AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) meeting in Nashville that you also listen to music for other networks. Why is that, and what networks do you listen to music for?

Since we're a studio we produce shows for other networks as well as ABC. We produce shows like Criminal Minds on CBS, Army Wives on Lifetime and a couple new ones like Perception on TNT, and the Protector on Lifetime. We also just recently worked with ABC family so it varies. ABC is a very music driven network and music is very important to us obviously. The music used on our network depends on the show but we do have a very specific sound for ABC just like CBS has a different sound for their viewers. So when we are listening to songs for specific shows we also have to keep in mind what network we are working with.

1. 17.   When reporting music that has been used in a show, who completes the cue sheet, and is a copy of it sent to the writer or publisher, even on a blanket license?

The music editors for us get to do that tedious work of course in conjunction with our licensing department of course.

1. 18.   If you were an artist, songwriter, or publisher, and you could only go to one or two industry conference to network with movie and TV music supervisors, which ones would it be?

I would say All About Music in Nashville if you can get in since its pretty small. Billboard is pretty popular of course and there are a bunch more Canada and overseas that are great. The best opportunities for artists or writers are the ones that the supervisors are most relaxed and get an opportunity to mingle with them. Sometimes it's best when I get to know the person and their music and I love them both therefore making it my mission to finding a spot for their songs.

Thank you Tony for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.

Andrea von Foerster has done music supervision for film, television and online projects for the last twelve years.  Credits include music documentaries such as Freestyle: The Art Of Rhyme, Mayor Of The Sunset Strip and The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights as well as independent films such as (500) Days Of Summer, It’s Kind of A Funny Story and most recently From Prada To Nada.  Television work includes The O.C., Grey’s Anatomy and Dollhouse and numerous MTV shows such as Run’s House and Life of Ryan. She is currently working on the studio features Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (New Line Cinema) and Chronicle (20th Century Fox), the independent features Brothers & Sisters and Highland Park and the TV shows Modern Family (ABC) and Apt. 23 (ABC).

1. 1.  What is Firestarter Music, and what role do you play in it? 

Firestarter is an independent music supervision company where I do placements for my projects and clearances. I used to work for numerous music supervision companies, but I went on my own 5 years ago. I work in Film/TV and online projects; I am now a company of one, doing everything on my own.

1. 2. What are the similarities of a music supervisor’s job in movie and TV production, and how do they differ?

The similarities...well...the structure is always the same; you always have to get with your team of people, your producers, the director, you know, whoever sort of assigns the creative music on a project, and sit with them to decide what the sound of a project is going to be like and what sort of genres people want to use. Then you find that and pitch the music to all the key people.  Then you find exactly the song you do or don’t like and then try and clear those within your budget, and if you can’t clear them within your budget, you have to find replacements.

It’s my job to find what fits the project the best and gets across what the story is trying to say.   But for TV, it is a much faster pace.  So, typically, you have about two weeks to go ahead and find the music, clear the music and deliver the music. Sometimes it can air as quickly as 3 weeks or a month later. Sometimes you’re ahead of time in case you need a replacement for a show. So if the show starts in January, and its September, then obviously you’ll be ahead of time. But for film you have a lot more time. Usually, depending on when you get hired, it could be a year, two years, depending on the film, so you can go through a lot more music and ideas because you have more time to play. So timing is really the only difference.

1. 3.      What challenges seem to crop up time and time again?

That is a great question. You know, budget is always an issue. Budgets have gone down steadily for a long time. So trying to still get the music that fits your project and makes everyone happy, the director, producers, the writers, the editors, the studio and the network, and still fit within your budget is definitely one of the pressing issues for a supervisor. Timing... sometimes you get hired really late so you do not have a lot of time to do something that you should have had maybe more time to do in an ideal world.

Also, sometimes you can find out later in the game that they do not want a specific song on a certain scene. That can always be interesting. Or, if an artist wants to deny use, which I have nothing against, I am fully supportive of people wanting to place their creative property in something that better fits their ideal. But if you do not know that they are going to deny you, it leaves very little time to do what I need to do. I do not think any supervisor has a problem with being denied as long as you get denied quickly. If it takes like a month and a half and everyone is saying, this song, this song, and you don’t get it, that can be a bit painful because a lot of people don’t even want to hear the plan b until they have that denial. So you may have replacements, but they don’t want to hear them until they know for sure their first choice is not available.

1. 4.      Who participates in the decisions on which scenes should have music in them, and what part does a music supervisor play in that decision?

Generally, on a film or TV, you’ll view a music spot, so it will be the editor, the music supervisor, the director, and producers. You’ll sit there and go through and say, okay, this scene is working without music; this scene isn’t, you know; like we need something here, we need something there. So that all typically happens on anything, and I, as a supervisor, should add my opinion as to what the music should be; the people either agree or disagree, and we go from there. I pitch different music for those scenes. The best thing is to have all these people in a room together, but sometimes it is hard to get all these people in the same room. So that way it’s not bouncing over e-mails and waiting for people to make a decision; you can all sort of fit in a room and say yes, here, here, here. 

1. 5.      How is the decision made on what genre, vibe, instrumental or vocal is needed in a scene?

Well, it depends on the project. I mean if you have something that is electrically vibed, you’ll want some kind of techno type music. Or with something like the OC, which reached out to a more 13 to 30 demographic and pop culture, you wanted some more modern type music. You know what is popular right now. So you want it to stay contemporary and stay cool and very pop culture relevant. There are other shows that are far less music centric, I worked on things like Modern Family, and they only have music that is totally in the storyline moments. So I cleared “Free Your Mind” by En Vogue for a flash mob scene. They knew they wanted to do a dance; they wanted to do something that was very popular and very well known, so with the scene being funny, if you put something in there that wasn’t well known, it could potentially take away from the comedy. So I cleared that. It is sort of like one of those things where people come in, like writers or directors, and they’ll come in with a picture in their mind about what they want already. Sometimes it is a suggestion from the supervisor; sometimes you get your ideas together. But the fun is in the pitching and finding what makes everybody happy. 

1. 6. What’s the best way for writers to get educated on how to go about writing and submitting music for TV and movies?

The best thing is actually just make your own music. Because, you know, if you try to tailor something to film or TV, as a general idea, I don’t think it works as well. If you want your music to be placed in TV or films, you should watch them. A lot of people don’t, and I’m like, well, then your saying you don’t really care about this industry; you are only caring about yourself. So if you want your music to add to the creative product of something, you should know about it. So if you want Grey’s Anatomy, then watch Grey’s Anatomy and know what kind of music they use. If you’re a singer/songwriter, or if your pop, write something that fits that show, but I do not recommend doing something outside of your own genre. It sounds disingenuous, so write what you know, and if it fits that show, then fantastic; submit it.

If you do something more Hip Hop or something more top 40ish, then Entourage is a good suggestion for you. But there are opportunities in TV and film where we need something original. I’m actually working on a film now where we are looking for an original song because we want a recognizable artist, but we want something original because the film is not coming out until next year. So we have to think ahead of time, because we don’t want the song to be over used by the time the film comes out. So, if we like a song that is already existing, it could get placed elsewhere; it could get played in a commercial or something before the film release, so we want something still original a year from now. So we go out to writers we know; having an original song is great, but there wouldn’t be a way the writers would know about that. Film and TV placement isn’t really the same as the songwriter world. There is no pitch list, no central place for you to find out about something. So you sort of have to put out what you do best, and what you do best may fit a project, and then it all works out.

1. 7.      How do you like to work with writers, artists, bands, and publishers, and how do you like to receive submissions?

I actually love dealing with anybody who knows what they’re talking about. That is a broad statement, but it’s true. I like dealing with labels and publishers, because, obviously, I know that somebody is accountable, and they already understand the game if they are major or a major indie group. I don’t mind dealing with artists directly if they know what their talking about. Because, obviously, just because they wrote the song does not mean they know anything else. A lot of times I’ve said, “Oh who’s your PRO?,” and they don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m like, are you registered with ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN, SESAC anywhere in the world, and they don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m like, OK…this isn’t probably going to go very well, and if your not registered with a PRO, you don’t get any royalties. So that does not make much sense because that is where most of your money is going to come from.

So I need to know that people know what their talking about. I need to know if it is a co-write, because you may be independent, but say you wrote with a Warner Chapel co writer, I need to know that because there is a price bracket, and that might throw you out of a spot I was hoping to pitch you for.

I also like third party sync agents. Those are great too, because they usually know their stuff. But, really, as long as you know what you’re talking about, I’m fine dealing with anybody. Also, sometimes, like in the hip hop world, a song will have a sample, and they forget, and I’m like, well, who do I go to? So I need to know if there are samples or if it is a cover. As long as people are honest with me upfront, so I have no surprises as to what I am dealing with, it’s okay. I also like to receive my submissions digitally; I don’t want to have to stream it  I just want to download it quick and easy. It may take me some time to get to the song and listen to it, but I always do listen to everything. For me, anything that does not expire, like on box.net, is amazing. If you send from YouSendIt, it may expire, and I’ll have to -mail you again, looking like a jerk for not downloading it sooner. So anything that doesn’t expire, that can live in a cloud somewhere until I have a chance to download it, is genius.

1. 8.      What publications and websites list movie and TV shows that are in production?

Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety, mainly the Hollywood Reporter. But these days you can just go to the network websites and see what TV shows are happening. Go through that online, and within a week, all the networks will put up their trailers for those shows. If you just go to IMDB.com, you’ll, see keywords for shows that are already on TV. You can scroll over these key words to determine whether it is a romantic comedy or a thriller and get a general idea of what something might be.

Also TVshowmusic.com is one of my favorite websites. It’s not about shows that are coming out, but it lists all the songs that are in music heavy shows. So they go out, watch an episode for any particular show, like Entourage or 90210, and list all the songs that were used; that can give you an idea, hey does my music fit that genre and those artists. Then you know if you should pitch or not, because if you pitch a country song in a show that normally uses Hip Hop, you can potentially ruin that relationship forever. Because they now know that, not only did you not do your homework, you obviously do not care about what we do. You just want what you want, and that does not come across very well, especially when we do not have a lot of time. It is our butt on the line; we need to be able to trust our resources. Relationships are extremely important.  

1. 9.      Do you have a go-to list of songs? How do writers or artist know you’re looking for a song?

It is kind of interesting, because NO, the answer to that is NO. I don’t know a music supervisor that does a big brief and sends it out—that is a very European thing to do, or an ad agency thing to do. But, for independent supervision, there are only so many of us, and, you know, for me, its just me. But, for other people, they may have more people involved. But, if you reach out and send out a search, no one keeps that to themselves; they send it out, and it goes on and on. Then you start getting stuff from people you don’t know, and that is just not a good way to do business. So we rely on our trusted sources.

It is really about timing and luck, like most things in this industry. It’s just one of those things; you just have to be in the right place at the right time. For me, if I know they need a certain type of artist, I’ll go to the people I know have that type of artist. Or, if I met an artist at a function or something, I’ll keep them in mind as well. For example, I just met a bunch of Canadian artists; I’m working on a Canadian project right now, and most of them fit this project. It’s really all about storing things in your brain to know who to go to and how fast you can get it. Speed is always an element, and I have dealt with artists before that just don’t get it. So you need to be able to trust the person that is sending it to you. Dealing with artists and writers does not always work out, because sometimes they’re on tour, or for a number of other reasons.

10.   There are a lot of writers that write instrumentals, what type of TV shows are most likely to use instrumentals and queues written by different composers rather than a composer that is hired for the show itself?

To be honest, none! Well, I say that, and I’m sure there are like 12 exceptions. We hire a composer solely because we want them to cover the instrumental cues. So to license someone and give them money when you have someone who can write it doesn’t make any sense. Nobody is getting paid what they used to get paid, so it doesn’t really make sense, unless it is a really stand out cue. There are a few exceptions, but money is tight. We try to use our resources the best we can to stay in budget and move efficiently.

11.  How do production companies fit into that scenario are certain shows given to certain production companies to write the music or is that strictly composers?

In my experience, just composers

12.   Can you generalize about what particular attributes of a song makes it useful for a film or TV show?

Vague lyrics are great; I know that sounds ridiculous, but when you have a song that is not particularly male or female, or a song about friends or songs about sort of general topics, it’s easier to place. A more specific song may make it harder to place because that particular scenario may change the meaning of the scene. For example, Jason Muraz is a good example; his songs are more melodic and have a bit more space. It is way harder to put a song with a lot of words behind a scene. I think, unless it is a very specific scene, we are not going to be using a whole lot of Black Metal or Polka; there is a list of genres that we typically do not use. Singer/songwriters, pop, hip hop, more radio friendly music is what we typically use.

13.  What subjects and moods recur in TV episodes and movies more often than others; for example, party scenes, and breakup scenes.  What topic and genre would produce the most placements for a writer?

You know there is always a party scene, a restaurant scene, a montage, actually I have licenses for a few instrumentals for, like, restaurant or library scenes. If you’re lucky, you get the montage, which is like the holy grail for a supervisor because there is no dialog. You get to have that music moment where everything soars, and its epic. It’s kind of the same things you would expect; everything is about friendship or love or heart ache or just everyday things that happen in life. Whatever happens in life is going to happen on TV. The same places you would have music in your life, you’ll have on TV.

14.  What are the differences in sync and master use fees between independent movies and major studio productions?

That is a good question. For publishing and for masters, generally, that will be the same. Generally, a publisher will get more than an independent master covering a huge song. There would probably only be a discrepancy there. If there is a major publisher, but an indie master, obviously, the publisher would get more. If they are both major, generally, people will do a favored nations clause (if you later pay a larger fee, you must pay me that same fee retroactively). So publishing and mastering would make the same fee. And for independent movies and major productions, it obviously just comes down to their budget. I have dealt with several independent films that were made for under $25,000.00, so our music budgets have been incredibly low. But you make it work, and that is the benefit of knowing independent artists. Not that I wouldn’t want to pay people more, but you have an opportunity to at least showcase them and give them a chance to be heard. Studio productions sometimes have bigger budgets, but not always because, unfortunately, music tends to be under valued. People don’t count for music up front unless it is a very heavy music project.

A lot of times you’re not really given a lot of money to make that really amazing. So you do what you have to do to make everyone happy within your budget. Sometimes you pull off miracles; more often than not, you pull off miracles. When artists and managers and publishers and agents are very kind and grant a quote that fits your project, you know they believe in what you do, which is really, really nice when it happens. But some major productions, like say, Iron Man, have a much bigger budget. I have not played with that much money, but I certainly would like to.

15.  Can you describe the process you go through in your role as music supervisor from pre to post production, and does it differ for movies and TV?

It really depends on what point you get hired. Sometimes you get hired at preproduction, like for 500 Days of Summer I did that and was hired when it was still a blinking green light. So I was brought in at that point. We had a whole dance sequence, so we had to go through that and find the appropriate music. On other films, I’ve been hired seven months into post, and given two weeks to do everything. I have never been hired during production; it has always been during preproduction or post production. It just varies by each project. I have often worked with a lot of first time feature directors, and for me, well some make a lot of mistakes. But you learn it by doing it, and they have the most passion, usually, so it is cool working for someone who really cares about what they are doing. Your job is to make everyone happy, and when you do that, it’s an amazing feeling.

16.  How many episodes are generally produced for a TV show?

When do shows go into rerun? It used to be where you would have a full 21, 22 episode run, but I do not know of a lot of shows that still do that. Now, typically, if it is a new show it will get picked up for 6 shows plus the pilot, and if it does well, they’ll pick up the back six. Then it is 13 episodes. That is usually for a half hour. For an hour show, same thing, but probably pick up maybe 13, and if it does well they pick up the back 13 for a full season or back 10 or 12. For cable, it is very different. Their seasons are all over the place. These days, you can bank on 6 and see how well it does after that.

17.  What’s a typical lead time for selecting music for a scene, and how does it differ for movies and TV?

For TV, generally, you’ll have about two weeks to figure out what you’re going to use, clear it, and deliver your episode. Sometimes two weeks to a month depending on what your production schedule is. It varies quite a bit for film because you don’t...well, it depends on when you get hired and if people already have ideas. Generally, when you have a film, the directors are a little more prominent, where as producers are more prevalent in TV. So film usually takes so long because you’re working on someone’s baby, and they come with more ideas. Whereas with TV, it is more about what fits. TV does not have as much time to figure out what needs to be assigned to what show; does that make sense? TV is just much quicker, and I actually rather like the pace of TV and I like that you can hit a wide audience more quickly.

18.  I know that you receive over 1,000 e mails a day. How do you keep track of the music you receive—that is, organize it, prioritize it, and so forth?

Well I think every music supervisor has a really thick brain that can organize music like nobody’s business. I mean, I can forget where I live at night, but I know where I heard a song, no matter how much time has passed. You just have a special sort of...everyone has their own special sort of gift for the things they remember or respond to, and for music supervisors, certainly for myself, music is everything. I know if I am out and someone is talking to me and a song is playing, I do not hear a single word that person is saying, because all I can do is concentrate on the song. Sometimes Ill be driving in my car and hear a random song on the radio that turns out to be the perfect song, and Ill remember that song.

I’m not a blog person or website person for finding music, because it gets exhausting and I already look at a computer for way to long in a day, so I prefer to go to shows or meet artists, go to concerts or music showcases or festivals or just meeting random people. Like I was at a music conference in Nashville once and met this guy sitting in the back of his car. we started talking; he said he used to be in this group and now he was trying to do more composing, and then, like a month later, I put him on as a composer for two of my shows. So now he is doing composing and is songwriter as well. But you know it is just that easy; it can be that simple. So when people are not that desperate or too hungry, because they think it is their one shot to talk to that supervisor, if it is just relaxed and natural because you believe in what you do, you know it can work out.

19.  If you were an artist, songwriter, or publisher, and you could only go to one industry conference to network with movie and TV music supervisors, which one would it be?

Wow, that question can get me in trouble. Actually I should further what I was saying about how I organize my music. Everything goes into iTunes and I relabel everything; then I put who the publisher is, who the master owner is, and a contact number. If it is available, I put in the year. I put in as much information as possible, and I am usually very meticulous about my downloads.

But okay, the conference, well, I wouldn’t say SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas because it is a little scattered; its not like you’re going to find certain people in a certain place. I would probably go for something smaller. I kind of think wherever you are, you should kind of just go to one there. CMJ Film Festival in New York, I’ve actually never really been to CMJ, and I know it’s kind of all over the city. So I would focus on something much more centralized.

There are a lot of great conferences in Canada. I also think it is easier to find people, like Canadian Music Week, Pop Montréal; even going to film festivals, you’ll meet supervisors as well. I have never attended ASCAP or BMI conferences. I think it is better when the music is the focus because everyone there is enjoying the music. I think the National Film Festival is great for me. I have met a lot of great artists there. I think you just have to do your homework and see what fits the kind of music that you do. Because, obviously, if the music where you live is one way and you don’t write that kind of music, you don’t want to be associated with that. I want to give a better answer, but it is kind of like, I think you go with what you know and that suits what you do. I go to a lot of music conferences. I’m trying to think of one where I met the most artists. Usually it is either in Canada or Nashville where I meet the most. A&R Worldwide puts on events for people from all over the world, so that is a really good resource.

20.  Are you working on a project now and can you tell us what may be coming up in the future?

I’m working on a show called Apartment 23, and it actually doesn’t start until, I think, in January; it is a half hour comedy. I’m not sure what kind of music they will be using yet because it has not been discussed yet. But it is set in New York City. There are going to be bars and clubs involved. I don’t think the budget is going to be super big because it is a half hour comedy and usually half hour comedies don’t have very big budgets. I think that they’ll probably want one big song every few episodes that is known, but other than that, we’ll be using independent music. I think this is probably the main one I’m working on. I have a few Hallmark films, but those are just case by case, and most are period pieces. That is about it.

21.  I hear you should do your homework before contacting a music supervisor.

Lets look at this example.

2011 Traffic Light (TV series) (music consultant - 11 episodes, 2011) (music supervisor - 1

A comedy about how friendships and romances both enhance and complicate our lives, which centers on three longtime friends and their attempts to navigate the demands of their relationships.

How does that indicate what you are looking for? How would we know if there is a composer for the music and what songs and genre you would want for the series?

You really just need to watch the shows. Homework needs to be visual as well as reading. IMDB is a great as a preliminary resource, but then you have to follow up, and it is certainly not the end-all be-all. You can also look for trailers. But sometimes the trailers do not always use the same music as in the movies, so be careful about using trailers as a resource.

22.  Is there an important question that we should have asked but didn’t?

That is an excellent question as well. It is really important to know part of the homework that you have to do. If music is your job, then you’ve got to do your homework. Every supervisor likes to get music a different way, and there is no one way to find out without you contacting that supervisor. I really do get over a thousand of emails a day; that is no exaggeration. And I say that with tears in my eyes. But that is what it takes, and I know that they are all people that have sent me great music in the past. People that I have met at a conference or over the last 12 years.

I consider myself lucky to have that many people coming to me and doing part of my job for me, sending me this incredible music so I don’t have to go out looking for it. But I do prefer digital; I rarely listen to CD’s anymore. Other people want to have a link so they can stream it first and then download; other people only want physical copies. You cannot take it personally if you do not hear back from a supervisor. We are continuously dealing with fires, and it is fast paced work. If it is not pertinent to a deadline, you won’t hear from us. E-mail is usually the best way to reach us. We already know you are probably a songwriter and you want your stuff heard. We don’t care; we just want good songs. Know your background and all the pertinent information, so you do not lose opportunities.

Metadata is so important. If you don’t know how to do it, ask an 8 year old; it is easy. But it is so important for a supervisor. Honestly if something comes up track 1, track 2, it will be deleted. How am I going to know what it is? It needs to be tracked and made as easy as possible for the supervisor. If you get me your music and do it right the first time, then we’re good. Now you’re in my brain because the music is good, and you got it to me the right way, no hassles.

Unfortunately there are people I have met who are almost rude without trying, because their music is everything to them. This is their baby, and they’re nervous about putting it out into the world. Maybe they don’t have any industry contacts, and they end up saying things they probably shouldn’t, things like, “I don’t watch TV or movies,” and I’m like, then why are you talking to me? Or if they don’t know what you work on and they put down a show that you don’t work on; then I really do not want to listen to their music; why should I?

It happens more often then not; you’d be surprised how often it happens. And I think it is just because people are nervous, so just be mindful. You may not watch TV or movies, but I do not need to know that. People announce things they probably shouldn’t. Find out how people want the music delivered, and know what they are working on. Know that people don’t always update stuff on IMDB, so it is not going to be completely accurate. Some people don’t want you to know what they are working on because they don’t want to be contacted. Some people don’t return e-mails, so when you submit music, it is really like sending a letter to Santa.

 

As Vice President of A&R for Sony Music Nashville, Jim Catino has been instrumental in the signing and development of many country artists with Sony Music Nashville’s four labels – BNA, Columbia, RCA, and Arista Nashville.  Catino is currently responsible for the day to day A&R for such stars as Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Chuck Wicks, and Jerrod Niemann. He has been with the company since 2001.

For seven years prior, Catino’s previous experience in the music business included posts at DreamWorks Music Publishing, Giant Records, and MCA Music Publishing.  At each company, he worked closely with songwriters and secured copyrights.

A native of Cleveland, OH, Jim Catino graduated from Belmont University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Music Business. 

Catino and his wife Molly and daughters Katy and Kelly reside in Brentwood, TN.

About Sony Music Nashville

Sony Music Nashville includes its four country label operations – RCA, Columbia, BNA and Arista Nashville – and Provident Music Group, one of the world’s leading Christian music companies.  Sony Music Nashville is a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recording company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Roc Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Gospel Music Group, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. 

What is your most important job as an A & R person?

Well. first and foremost is indentifying great talent and helping them create a vision of what their projects are and service them by making that vision a reality. It starts with the artist and who they want to be. As far as artists already on the roster, it is still the same rule. They know better than anyone what their goals are, so I try to support that. I keep in mind it is not my project but their project.

Describe a typical day for you.

I do a lot of meetings with writers and publishers, listening to songs and listening to music and dealing directly with managers and artists and producers too. I get their feedback and try to make sure everyone is on the same page. But my roles vary from day to day. I do what it takes to get the artists what they need.

Who are the people that work in your department, and what are their roles?

There is myself and Lisa Ramsey Perkins, and three or four support people in the department as well. It is a group effort; we are all out there scouting talent continuously.

How do you go about looking for that next big star?

There isn’t one way; we are constantly surfing social networks, and we also use those things when we hear about an artist. We go to showcases constantly . . . word of mouth. There are endless tactics we use that work best for us. We try to stay on top of things and keep our eyes and ears open.

Do you try to establish a theme for each project?

It starts with the artist again. It’s their record, not mine, so we really try to pick their brain and make their dreams a reality by creating their vision.

How would you define a hit song? What do you listen for?

That is a tough question. To be honest, I feel like the consumers and listeners dictate what makes a song a hit. It is about starting with a certain reaction to a song.

Where do most of the songs come from that you listen to?

We’ll listen to songs from just about anyone we know. Mainly people we have working relationships established with already, but we try not to limit ourselves, and anywhere we can find a song, we find it and get it to the artist. We had a big hit for Jason Michael Carroll with an unknown writer. The song was originally heard in a coffee shop; someone got it to us, and the rest is history. But I love those kinds of stories, because I’m a part of creating a career for that unknown writer now as well. It’s cool to be a part of that process.

Who listens to the songs put in the drop-off box?

I listen to everything that has been put in my box. No one else listens to it but me. I can’t listen to unsolicited music for legal reasons, but if I approved it to be sent and it makes it to my box with proper coding, I listen to it.

If a writer wants to pitch the same song for more than one artist, how should they do this? Put the song on separate CD’s or list the artist names on one.

No only one CD is necessary. Here is how I operate. I only need to hear that song one time. If they are casting for one specific artist, I’ll find that out in the wash. I always call the writer or publisher, and I’ll say I believe this will work for so and so; if they agree, then great. Regardless of what it says, pitch for whoever; I ignore that and simply listen to the song. I honor the writer or publisher, and if they do not want a certain artist to cut the song, I won’t use it. I respect their decisions. But we all have different visions. I just listen to the song and decide on artists after I feel I have found a hit.

If you receive a great pop song, do you let your counterparts in L.A. and New York know about it?

Sure, of course. But my relationships over there have changed over the years. But pop is really not my area of expertise; if a stumble across a pop song I feel is relevant, I’ll forward it on, but I don’t want to be inundated with pop genre when I mainly work country.

How do you handle unsolicited material that is mailed or dropped-off?

We will not accept it and will not listen to it for legal reasons.

Do you listen to song pitches via e-mailed mp3 files?

I prefer CD’s because MP3 files will really load up your inbox when I am unable to check that, when I’m on the road, etc.

So you prefer CD’s?

Yes, I get through my box daily. You will know if I dig a song; I’ll call you. If you don’t hear from me, try again. I stay busy and cannot call everyone unless I’m interested in the song.

How many face to face meetings do you have with pluggers and publishers in a typical day?

As many as I can fit into a day. It’s every 30 minutes typically; it’s pretty much about music from 10 to 5, be it meetings or listening to songs. I have no set schedule, just music all day.

If you like a song but feel it needs changes to fit the artist, would you send it to the artist or request that the songwriter make changes first?

That’s a tough question too. I typically do not get involved with that. Only if an artist asks to make changes; then I’ll address it with the writers. But other than that, I won’t address it unless I’m asked. I just do not feel like that is my place.

What type of production do you think a demo should have?

I do not have a preference. If it is a good song, it’s a good song, regardless. I have found plenty of great songs in every form or fashion. But at the very least, a very good guitar/vocal.

How is the decision made on which songs will be singles and the amount of time between releases?

It’s  a group effort with our department, promotion, executive staff and of course Gary Overton. There are a ton of factors that dictate those kinds of decisions.

How do video charts translate into sales?

It just depends. It depends on the song and the video. There is no one answer for that. Video has a role in making a song. We come up with the best treatments that best represent the song and the artist.

What questions should we have asked you that we didn’t?

I don’t know. You were very thorough. Songs in general take on a life of their own, and I try to be as open minded as possible with everyone’s best interest at heart, and I approach each project that way.

Do you have certain artists you personally work with? 

Yes, there is a point person for every artist, but in general we all work as a team. However, we are assigned as a point person in case an artist has questions or needs.

 

Jon Ernst is a much sought after, L.A. based, composer and music supervisor. An accomplished singer-songwriter, Jon’s television career began as “Piano boy,” the on-camera musical director of the classic MTV game show “Singled Out.” Jon was Music Supervisor on MTV’s mega-hit “The Hills” and its spin-off “The City,” and has worked in that capacity on many other shows, including “Celebrity Circus” (NBC), “Nashville” (Fox), “Laguna Beach” (MTV), and recently, “The Electric Barbarellas (MTV).”  His  latest projects are “The World According to Paris Hilton”(Oxygen) and “LA Ink” (TLC)

As a composer and songwriter, Jon scored most episodes of VH1’s legendary “Behind the Music,” as well as the syndicated hit “Ex- Treme Dating,” and has licensed many original songs for television and film placements. A native of Chicago, Jon studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and is a graduate of the University of Florida.

What is the role of the music supervisor in a TV production?

The role of the music supervisor has many different parts:  it’s not just about finding the best music for a scene –we also have to make sure the music we find is clearable and affordable within the shows music budget.

How do music supervisors get paid?
Music supervisors usually either get a flat fee or an episodic fee for their work on a project. These fees can run the gamut and are very much tied to the budget of the project.

You are both a composer and a music supervisor for many TV shows.  What challenges seem to crop up time and again? 

Generally, on the shows that hire me to  wear both hats, the rule of thumb I’ve always gone by is that if I can’t “find” the exact song or cue that works best—I’ve got to go write the perfect cue myself. 

Who participates in the decisions on which scenes should have music in them, and what part does a music supervisor play in that decision?

In most shows the producers and editors play a large part in these decisions, alongside the music supervisor.  Of course the music supervisor is always there to also make sure that things like cost and the ability to actually clear the rights to a particular song are considered in the decision on what to use . Ultimately, the final decision comes down to the executive producers and the network’s opinion in what works the best.

How is the decision made on what genre, vibe, instrumental or vocal is needed in a scene?

We attend what’s called a “spotting session” for each episode of a show, where the director, producer, editors, and music supervisor all meet to discuss these kinds of things once the editing process has begun. Essentially, we “spot” through each episode and decide scene by scene where music should start and stop and what mood and emotion the music needs to add to the scene.

What’s the best way for writers to get educated on how to go about writing and submitting music for TV?

Aside from attending seminars, there are also a number of books on the subject, as well as publications like Music Connection, that feature articles from time to time with some great advice from working pros.   One piece of advice I can give is to know the show that you are submitting for!  Watch that show and pay attention to the type of songs or music that is being used and only send music that fits that particular series that you are aiming to get your music placed in.  You may only get one shot to submit—so make it count!

What publications and websites list movie and TV shows that are in production?

Best bet is to check out the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesdays!  Most shows currently in production should be listed there along with details on the production companies involved.

How do you like to work with writers, artists, bands, and publishers, and how do you like to receive submissions?

I’m all about the email.  Tends to be easier to cut to the point in an email where I can ask or give a quick answer and get back to the grind! The best way to send material is by YouSendIt or sites like that where you are not sending the mp3 file to the email box. We get so many submissions that it clogs up the mail. If you are submitting more than one song, zip the file so that we have only one file to download.

We’ve noticed that Indy artists and bands are used a lot in TV show and movies. What advice do you have for them to get their music submitted and heard?  

Get out there and network as much as possible!  Get to know the music supervisors at the numerous events that are held each year where the supervisors are invited to attend to mentor, listen to and critique artists and songwriters.  I’ve come across a ton of artists that I’ve used in my shows just from these “accidental” meetings. 

What types of TV shows are most likely to use instrumentals and cues written by composers that are not hired to write the score for the show?

A number of reality shows tend to use libraries of precomposed music, not necessarily written by just one specific composer.  A lot of times, when a show begins production, hundreds of cues are needed immediately, so to use a library like this is very helpful.

Can you generalize about what particular attributes of a song make it useful for a film or TV show.

It’s really more about the particular need for a particular show rather than a specific characteristic of any song in general.   The truth is some of the strangest and quirkiest  songs you might never consider giving a second listen to can sometimes end up working the most magic when they are played under the right scene.

What subject and mood recur in TV episodes more often than others; for example, party scenes, and breakup scenes.  What topic and genre would produce the most placements for a writer?  

In some shows it’s all about the drama and tension, and in others it’s all about the fun and parties; in most it’s a combination of many extremes, so it really just depends on the subject matter of the show itself.

How do the general synch and license fees paid for music placement vary between the types of shows we just mentioned?

It’s more about the budget for each show than the media it’s broadcast on.  You can have network TV shows with lower music licensing budgets than some cable shows, so it’s hard to assign a fee level just based on the media it’s broadcast on. 

You’re currently working on the new reality show, “The World According to Paris Hilton.” Can you describe the process you go through in your role as music supervisor from pre to post production?

When I started on that in January of this year, I immediately handed them over a library of hundreds of cues and songs from my own library, as well as those of several other artists and composers that were interested in having their music placed.  During production itself, I was asked to come into meetings with all the producers and editors to discuss mood, emotion, whether or not lyrics were needed to help the storyline along in each scene, etc.  After a few rounds of notes back and forth from producers and the network, everyone came to an agreement on what the best music was for each scene, and we locked the episodes up and mixed them for broadcast.  There are about 80-90 cues in each of these one-hour episodes, so it was quite an intensive operation on this series!

How many episodes were produced for the show? When will it air ?

We produced 8 episodes of this series, and it has been airing since June 1^st.  The finale episode airs on July 20^th; however, you can still go to the Oxygen network site and check out all of the episodes online anytime.

When do you get a scene for music placement, and in what time frame do you have to turn it around before it airs?

Depends on the project—sometimes I have to get them a song “yesterday;” sometimes I have maybe a few days once I receive the request, depending on the pace of the production and how specific the need is lyric-wise, etc.  In most cases, once the request is in, I do my best to get them options as quickly as possible.

How much music do your receive when working on a show and how do you keep track of it—that is, organize it, prioritize it, and so forth? 

I’m constantly inundated with links in all types of genres. Luckily I have a bit of a photographic memory, so I can quickly find a song I need, even if I stowed it away months or years ago on my drives.  It also helps to categorize them with a tag or in a folder that indicates the specific mood or genre, etc.

Do you keep music that you like for use in another project?

Always!  I’ve gone back to a song I, received nearly 5 years prior and put them in big spots so don’t give up hope if I don’t use your song right away!

If you were an artist, songwriter, or publisher, and you could only go to one industry conference to network with movie and TV music supervisors, which one would it be?

The Hollywood Reporter Billboard Film and TV Conference event is always a good one, especially since it’s in LA so there tends to be a really good turnout each year!

Do you keep music that you like for use in another project?

Always!  I’ve gone back to a song I, received nearly 5 years prior and put them in big spots so don’t give up hope if I don’t use your song right away!

Is there an important question that we should have asked but didn’t?

We wanted to share this with you. To read the article, click on the web link.

Music Supervisors Panel Enlightens Nashville

By Doug Waterman May 31st, 2011 at 12:04 pm

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/05/music-supervisors-panel-enlightens-nashville

Interview with Anastasia Brown

By Frances and Harry Date

Anastasia Brown has music supervised films & TV series that have garnered Oscar, Grammy, Dove and Emmy wins and nominations.  Anastasia is currently consulting for the Paramount Pictures re-make of Footloose directed by Craig Brewer while also supervising the 3D, SciFi thriller for New Regency, The Darkest Hour, (Emile Hirsch, Max Mingella, Rachel Taylor,) the Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives) ABC series, Hallelujah, directed by Michael Apted (Coalminer’s Daughter, Chronicles of Narnia) and the Ron Shelton (Tin Cup, Bull Durham) penned and directed TV pilot for TBS, Hound Dogs.  Recently completing the feature film, Road To Nowhere, directed by legendary Monte Hellman and penned by Variety exec editor, Steven Gaydos, winning awards at the Venice Film Festival and showing in our very own Nashville Film Festival this spring.  Her credits also include August Rush, It’s Complicated, Taken and more.  As music is what motivates her most, she served as a judge on Nashville Star for three years and penned a book offering guidance for aspiring artist, writers and musicians, Make Me A Star (Thomas Nelson,) which is being used as a textbook in music colleges around the U.S.  She established a Nashville division of Format Entertainment in 2010, consults with VMS, a member of the Guild of Music Supervisors and serves on the Nashville Symphony and Copy Cats book publishing Boards while also serving on the advisory boards of Nashville Screenwriters Conference and T.J. Martell.

          In November of 2010, she joined LA & New York based Format Entertainment, a music company specializing in music supervision (Iron Man 1 & 2, Sex and the City 1 & 2, The Blindside, Alvin and The Chipmunks 1 & 2, and Swingers), music production, and soundtracks for film.  Brown heads up the Nashville branch of the company and acts as a music supervisor to tap into the enormous amount of musical talent residing in Nashville and the surrounding areas. Having already developed offices in Los Angeles and New York, Format looks forward to the success of the Nashville expansion.

Anastasia, what is the vision you have as the head of Format Entertainment's Nashville division? I have a vision of creating sort of a music machine for film and tv. We work at such a fast pace. We have a team of musicians and artists that we can tap into at a spare of a moment. So the vision is to employ a huge team of talent in Nashville to obtain a worldwide reach. We want to build a pipeline of placements opportunities so that we offer a sustainable financial model for the creative community here in TN. It’s a fast paced job, and you have to be on your feet at all times. Another goal of mine is to create opportunities for local composers within film and TV.

Format specializes in music supervision, music production and soundtracks for film. 

1. Would you talk a little bit about each of those areas?

We are an A&R arm for TV/Film.  It’s a common misperception that music supervisors merely clear songs. But that is actually, thank God, a very small part of our job. A Music Supervisor hires the composer, the choreographer, music editor - anything that keeps all that music fused together seamlessly. As it relates to music it is our job to build a thread that elevates the film or TV series and supports the director’s vision while also taking the needs of a soundtrack in mind when warranted. Most music supervisors work very closely with the composers and producers. We have found several Nashville based producers who are willing and able to step up to the plate. These forward thinking producers will produce major tracks for our TV series and films. When it comes to soundtracks we definitely have to consider radio and cast a voice and song that is relevant. But our priority is to consider the needs of the TV series or film. This is currently our focus for the upcoming re-make of “Footloose” directed by Craig Brewer released by Paramount Pictures.

2. In the article of your announcement you said that you will be tapping into the enormous amount of musical . talent residing in Nashville and the surrounding areas. Tell us more about that.

Well as I mentioned I’m working on “Footloose” and we have been successful in including local artists for this highly anticipated film. I’m also working on “The Darkest Hour,” for New Regency, it’s a 3-D sci-fi thriller and comes out in August with a star studded cast. When I went to our spotting meeting, which is when you look at the film to determine the source music cues. I might add that it was amusing taking notes in the dark with 3-D glasses. I also have two TV pilots I’m working on; one is “Hallelujah” for ABC as well as “Hound Dogs” for TBS.  “Hound Dogs” is set in Nashville revolving around the lives of a AAA baseball team and those of us working in the music industry - both working really hard trying to make it in the business - its amazing how different but similar their dreams and challenges are and is extremely music driven.

3. How do you make decisions on what music to use in each scene?

Sometimes it just fits perfectly and naturally and everyone if high fiving and dumping Gatorade on each other, and then there are some cues that are so challenging. Sometimes there is a song that’s perfect, but I can’t clear it, so we can’t use it. It’s a gut feeling. A lot of times it’s trial and error. My goal is to please not only the network but the director, producer, the composer, and writer, etc. I try to keep my mind clear and open. It is not a solo decision; my job is very collaborative. At the end of the day the art makes the decision for us all.

4. Some peole have attended film seminars and events were surprised that the Music Supervisors were talking about finding singer/songwriters and bands for movie placement rather than looking for specific songs. Would you explain why that is?

 We do both. Sometimes you have to cast the voice before you cast the song. Sometimes it is a prerecorded song. But if you’re not creating some new music for a project, you’re not adding value to the overall package.

5. How do you go about finding songs and artists for your project?

 I am friends with so many of them so I call them directly. I also find them on myspace, iTunes, and I tweet my music needs. My last tweet was, I need Christian and gospel songs, so I tweeted the details, and I receive links in return. So if I’m on the road its easy to go to those links on my Blackberry. I listen to live music as often as possible; my needs are endless, and I try to be very open and creative in finding my music. 

6. Generally speaking, there’s not a lot of country music used in movies. Of course there are the exceptions, like Country Strong. What's the best way for new songwriters to approach writing for movies and TV?

 I think the wider your range the more placements you will get. I use country music often in my projects. Even though Nashville is so much more than just country music, this town still offers a lot in that genre. I urge writers to stick with what they are good at, if you write songs that work for Carrie Underwood or Randy Travis, then do that.  If you write outside your realm and talents, I feel you are hurting yourself as a writer. Again I only match the music to the film’s needs. The genre that fits the scene is where I go, be it country or whatever. My advice for Nashville songwriters is write your best songs, and do not pitch what people do not need. We are all very busy and don’t have time to listen to music that is irrelevant to what I specifically asked for.

7. In our last interview you offered a wonderful checklist for songwriters.

What to do:

Do your research

Send only one or two songs with the song’s description.  If you don’t have one – don’t send one.

Included the song’s title, description, male or female vocal, and genre on the CD and jewel case.

Include your contact information on the CD and jewel case.

State if it’s an “easy clearance” on the song for the master and sync license.

Send two CD’s of each song (if I love it, I’ll send it immediately to the director, and I’ll still have mine).

Include typed lyrics with contact information.

Send a great sounding demo – master quality.

What not to do:

Don't send songs without doing your research

Don't call incessantly¾maybe one phone call

Don’t ask for your demo back

Not too many songs on  a link or CD (2 or 3)

No pictures or promotional package

1. In your checklist you say to "State if it’s an 'easy clearance' on the song for the master and sync license.") What are the steps involved in getting “easy clearance." If you control it, or if you’re a publisher, you have to have it in writing that you are the sole publisher involved in a song. If you are not 100% sure, do not pitch it, or else you can cause legal trouble for yourself and lose your credibility in the film/TV world. You also don’t want to put your song in libraries that will retitle a song. That is a big NO, NO. That is a cardinal sin; just don’t do it. We want our music to be diverse, and then later if you realize someone else used the same song with a different title; it is bad for all. It is confusing for clearances as well. It is a trend that is not benefitting the songwriter at all.

Frances: Do songwriters need to get a work for hire from the vocalist and studio?

Anastasia: Yes.

8. How do you like to catalog your songs? What information is important to you

Tempo, emotion, male or female vocal, because you’re always going to think about tempo and emotion when you are looking to place songs. When I upload songs, I log by tempo, genre and emotional slant so at the moment I need them, I can go straight to those songs. I list by one word adjectives and tempo to make it easier to find what I want by the emotion of the scene I need the music for.

9. Some music supervisors only work with writers and artists that are represented by agents. Why is that the case, and how does a person find an agent?

I don’t know one supervisor that follows that rule. I think that is old school. We are heat seeking missiles; if there is talent, we migrate to it. If there is trust, I go straight to those people who have credibility and go back to those resources often.

10. You were the judge on Nashville Star and have spotted new talent throughout your career.  Are you working with one of the "next big stars," and would you like to tell us about him or her?

There are so many talented people in this town; there is this new young artist we put in “Footloose,” 15-year old Ella Mae Bowen, managed by Tracy Gershon – she is an amazing talent. She has a voice from heaven. She didn’t have a record deal or publishing deal, but has the talent which deserved a special music moment in the film. Independent artist Damien Horne is another singer/songwriter I believe in. We put him in Hound Dogs performing his song “Ain’t She” on camera; he’s a true talent, in fact he’s touring with John Legend this summer. We have a positive vortex of creativity going on right now; I cannot pin down every artist I respect, there are too many.

 
11. How does the songwriter, artist, and publisher get paid for music in a movie?

Studios and networks pay sync and master fees. We have a budget, the fee per cue is determined by the importance of the use and the level of the song and artist.

12. You said in an interview in the March 2006 edition of Nashville Lifestyles, "I don't think people in general think a sustainable movie business in Nashville is realistic. I do."Last December, the movie Blue Like Jazz finished filming here, and Country Strong, shot in and around Nashville, had its local premier.  The movie Deadline began shooting here in January. 

Despite these successes, a number of films slated to be shot in Nashville have been lost to Georgia because Georgia can offer transferable tax credits, which work only in states that have a state income tax.  The Nashville Scene in February referred to figures cited by film-incentive proponents: 35 films shot in Georgia in 2009. During that same period, only nine were shot in Tennessee (the Tennessee number rose slightly in 2010-2011).

What new financial incentives are needed by Tennessee to bring those movies to our state, and how can songwriters help in lobbying efforts to achieve that goal?

We must have incentives that are in line with other competitive states. I think our new governor realizes the financial impact a thriving film and television industry could have on our state. If we do not create these opportunities for our community, our talent will move to where the opportunities are. It has nothing to do with glamour and everything to do with financial growth and creating jobs. Our government and business leaders have a duty to find a way to support our creative community, otherwise they should rename it “Automobile City.”

13. Does the movie shooting location affect Format Entertainment, or is it irrelevant?

Totally irrelevant to us. It has no impact on us. Personally, because I love Nashville so much, if possible I try to champion to keep a movie set in Nashville to be filmed in Nashville. But as a music supervisor, we have a computer - will travel.

14. What other production companies and music supervisors are in Nashville? This is the only music supervision company based in Nashville, that I am aware of. I know there are several thriving film and television companies based in TN.

15. Is there something we should have asked that we didn't? Let’s see, for this Nashville Film Festival, I have a film that I worked on called “The Road to Nowhere.” It was directed by Monty Hellmanm who discovered Quentin Tarantino, penned by Variety editor, Steven Gaydos. A funny clearance moment on that film: there was one song written by a true cowboy who did not have a computer or a phone, only a fax, and trying to get the fax number took me two or three months. But he was “out on the range” for weeks at a time, reaching him and getting a signed clearance form was a formidable task. I almost had to get on my horse and ride out there.  It’s what we do.

The Nashville Screen Writers Conference is going to be off the charts this year, as always, the music in film & TV panel is back at The Hall of Fame on May 22^nd.  We will share music needs for upcoming films & TV series.  I can also be found on Twitter under @Anastasiabrown, and I tweet my music needs often, so it is a good idea to follow me so you can be informed when I’m in need of a song and a great way for me to  hear new music.  It’s worked well so far.

Mark Bright is best known as a hit record producer and a Nashville publishing company executive.  His production projects include Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Sara Evans, Danny Gokey, and Whitney Duncan, among many others. He is also producing Cher’s country album. His success in production was launched with the group Blackhawk, which resulted in two #1 singles, 9 top-ten singles, and multiplatinum record sales for the group.  Bright’s current success with Carrie Underwood has resulted in many multiweek #1’s including Jesus Take The Wheel, Before He Cheats, and Cowboy Casanova, resulting in over 13 million records sold.

Bright formerly served as Vice President of EMI Music Publishing and co-founded one of the most successful co-ventures, Teracel Music. Teracel Music had staff writers that included Brett James, Rascal Flatts, and Danny Wells; it was recently acquired by Dimensional Music Publishing.  The Teracel catalog includes the multi-week #1 song, When The Sun Goes Down by Kenny Chesney, These Days by Rascal Flatts, Blessed by Martina McBride and Who I Am by Jessica Andrews.   Mark previous served as President  & CEO of Word Entertainment. He has recently put all his energies into Producing and currently owns My Good Girl Music, a co-venture of Sony ATV Music.  The company has celebrated the multi-week #1 song, Do You Believe Me Now by Jimmy Wayne and American Ride by Toby Keith.

1. You've worn many hats in the music industry. What aspect of the music business best prepared you to be a producer?

A: Working in the tape room at Scream Jim’s Music, which later became BMI music. I was hired by Charlie Feldman who is now a very high executive at BMI. When he hired me he got my name from John Briggs who was leaving the tape room to take a position at ASCAP. John and I had been friends since we met at Belmont. Anyway, Charlie explained the position to me and said I was not able to critique the songs that were coming through; I was only there to learn what a good song really was. He said, “You might think you know what a good song is, but you don’t; this is your opportunity to learn about songs.” So for a full year I just listened, and we were surrounded by these incredible songwriters: Pat McLaughlin, Becky Foster, Craig Bickhardt, Wendy Waldman etc.

They were experiencing a lot of success with these incredible songs, not only musically but lyrically as well. Then after a year he gave me a tape with ten songs on it and said, “Listen and pick out the hits; if you don’t get it right you’re fired.” I listened and passed the test, and then I became a song plugger. I was not a very good song plugger because of my producer blood; I mean, even from a kid I wanted to be a producer. I wanted to focus on one artist only instead of the whole town. But I kept my job long enough and did good enough to get enough songs recorded to keep my job. But I was really just a passable song plugger.

 All through this time I stayed in the studio all hours of the night recording and making demos for these writers. I do not really remember my twenties because I spent every single night in the studio of what later became EMI music. It was an incredible opportunity, and I am so fortunate that Charlie put his faith in me. I gained the knowledge I have today through that journey. I am unbelievably grateful and always will be.

1. You took a pop song called Cowboy Casanova and made it into a crossover country hit. What do you think were the key elements that made that happen?

A: As it goes with most Carrie Underwood songs, it was the song. It starts with the most perfect marriage of great lyrics and a great melody. You take all that programming and strip it down, and you have a great song left. Realizing that, Cowboy Casanova, written by Brett James, Mike Elizondo and Carrie Underwood, was set up by many great songs that came before it. So the expectation for Carrie has always been high. She will always need and will have great songs. The song bar has always been high. This song came in at a very high level, and for her purposes, knowing it was going to be the lead off single, we wanted something to really cross the line, but we didn’t want to overshoot it. If it happens to cross over that is fine, but that is something she has never been interested in doing.

She is a country singer and does not want to be anything else. But we want to be edgy in this format. We don’t want to be the vanilla wafer for this genre we really want to always be willing to push it and always give her fans something fresh. So that was the mandate for Cowboy Casanova.

1. Carrie Underwood had done some very wholesome stuff before she was convinced to record Before He Cheats. Some might say that she took a big chance when she did that.  It turned out to be a great move, of course. How was the decision made to move in that direction?

A: When we got the song, I must say that one of the biggest attributes that Carrie has is trusting her circle of advisors. She has a close circle of advisors that came to the party with her that are loyal to her, and she is loyal in return. This was not a song that she was comfortable singing lyrically because she says she was not raised that way and would never do those things. But I told her, “I understand you wouldn’t do these things. But you’re a story teller; and it doesn’t have to be your story. It only needs to be executed well.” Then she embraced it and owned it. I never heard a vocal tighter. She sang it and made it her own.

1. Some artists have been successful with a limited amount of diversity in the types of songs they do. Others have been willing to take on many personas, Tim McGraw and Trace Adkins, for example. Between the River and Me comes to mind, a fantastic song that could never make the radio for obvious reasons.  Do you think that being willing to take on other personas is attractive to fans? Isn't it similar to actors who take on many different roles?  Why in your opinion are some artists not willing to do that?

A: I think some artists are reluctant to do it. I think a true artist whose artistry is highly developed is not afraid to branch out and try something new. But newer artists are a little more reluctant about taking on a new persona. Really successful country artists may go to Hollywood and take on new personas. Reba McEntire comes to mind as a perfect example. But she is a real artist, and she is not afraid to take on anything. Others may not be as secure, and if what they are doing is working, they do not want to stray too far from that. 

1. What projects taught you the most about producing?

A: Black Hawk. Tim Dubois handed me my career. There are a few people who get to do what they really love to do. I am so lucky to be able to do what I do. I am truly blessed. But there are so many people in the music business that do not take chances and seem very insecure about giving opportunities to someone. It was only Tim, who is an incredibly secure and talented human being, who was wiling to walk out on that limb for me. He heard something I did with a band and gave me my first real big break. He put his name as co producer on the album with me to help build my credibility and said, “Please don’t mess this up,” only he did not use those words, necessarily.

Because I was given that opportunity, I feel I will always give it my all with any artist, regardless of who they may be. I am forever grateful to Tim; he was the one who taught me and helped me. But moving from that I ruined many artists careers; ask Blackhawk, but then Rascal Flatts came knocking, and we did three or four albums together; we got them the record deal together. But as inexperienced as they were, they are three highly talented guys. So you put these three blokes together, and you get something explosively amazing. Going into the studio with them, they taught me to go from good to something really great. We sold 12 million records together before they moved on, and I owe them a great deal. Anyone who says the producer makes a star is wrong. The reality is the producer can make a living off the greatness of that star.

1. What songs that you produced surprised you the most—positively or negatively?

A: I would say, I’m Moving On, even though it wasn’t a number one hit, but it was a career changer for Rascal Flatts. Granted I have Jerry House to thank for that. Jerry was great friends with everyone involved. He made it a point to say, “No, no, the last single should be this song.” The label thought it was not a single and that it would flop. But Jerry persisted, saying that it was a game changer single. Then he played it a bunch of time on his morning show, and they started hearing this reaction; he single handedly caused that song to become a single.

I think another song that was surprising in the opposite regards, was a Blackhawk song called, Postmark Birmingham. You may not remember it, but it was an incredible lyric; it only made it to 38 on the charts and died a horrible death. That always really hurt me because it should have been a huge song. It didn’t hurt me for myself; it hurt me for the writers, because it should have really been a big song. I felt like I owed them an apology.

I guess the last surprise goes back to Rascal Flatts and me getting Flatts to record Skin. They collectively fought me on that one because of the subject matter. But I know a lot of families, as well as my own, that are touched by cancer.  But when we saw the radio response, and then the band saw how much it affected their fans, it was really gratifying to see the power of that song. The whole ordeal was very cool.

1. What was your most rewarding experience as a producer?

A: The first time I heard something I produced on the radio. I almost had a car accident. It was so thrilling. That was good.

1. Do you have any heroes, in or outside of the music business?

A: Of Course! We all do. I have many of them. Of Course Tim Dubois will always be a hero to me. In fact, a lot of my heroes are my competitors. Dann Huff is a hero to me. But we are very competitive with each other. Byron Gallimore is a hero to me; I love that a lot of my heroes are record producers, oddly enough. But the very first one would be Sir George Martin. My sister would bring home those Beatles singles, and when she would leave the house, I would sneak in her room and listen to the singles for hours. I was seven years old and thought I wanted to produce music like that.

1. What would you like others to say about you as a producer?

A: What fans say about producers is generally really ugly. So I don’t read it. I don’t make records for the people; I get to make records to make the artist’s journey happy and wonderful and to please myself. So what people say about it, one way or another, is what they say. They may say nothing about it, and that is fine with me too.

1. Do you have songs that you’ve held onto for when the right artist comes along, and have you had occasions to use any of them?

A: I held on to Bless the Broken Road for 11 years. Not that I owned it or anything, but when I first heard it, it blew me away. Now, in the interim, there was an artist named Melody. She recorded it, and it didn’t do very well. But I kept playing it for artist after artist, and finally it found a home with Rascal Flatts. But I finally got the mission accomplished and won a Grammy for the song. That still is one of the most special recordings I have worked on. 

1. If you weren't in the music business, what business do you think you might be in?

A: Dead…

1. We know your producing a Country/Pop album for Cher. How did that come about?

A: Cher is a Warner artist, and I’m in an advisory role with Warner. I have a great working relationship with them, but having said that, this opportunity came from Burbank and the A&R folks there. I have met Cher through another friend of mine named Desmond Child several times. He is a close friend who has taught me a lot and remains a very close friend today. Even though the phone call did not come from that relationship, but because we know each other, when she came to Nashville she thought of me. Cher knows that her listeners also listen to country music, so she felt it was a natural thing to develop a country music relationship.

1. What question should we have asked you that we didn't?

A: I think you did a pretty excellent job. Other than the fact that, along with being a producer, music publishing has played a huge roll in my life. I have a joint venture with Troy Tomlinson at Sony ATV Music; I have had a joint venture with that company since 1999. In fact, I am the only joint venture that ATV has. Songwriting is also another thing that pulses through my veins and makes a huge impact on my life.

Interview with Michael Knox- Producer

Collegemusicradio.com CEO/President

Knox Management and Music Group

Peer Music Group Creative Director

By Frances and Harry Date

Michael Knox was an executive for Warner/Chappell Music (1992-2002). He was responsible for the catalogs of Marv Green, Jeff Stevens, Steve Bogard, John Rich, Vicky McGehee, Gretchen Wilson, Blue Miller (producer of India Arie), Wendell Mobley, Terry Mcbrid, Emily West, and 2006 Academy of Country Music Top New Male Vocalist Jason Aldean among many others.

He continued with a co-venture with Encore Entertainment that produced ASCAP’s 2001 Song of the year (The Way You Love Me), Songwriter of the year (Keith Follese), and a venture with Extreme Writer’s Group (Rodney Clawson).

Knox also co-produced Danni Leigh’s Decca Records release in 1998. As a song plugger, he also had numerous monster hits by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Gary Allan, Collin Raye, Tracy Byrd, Clay Walker, more than 300 cuts in eight years that all reflect his pivotal role in bringing together artists and songs.

In 2004 Knox produced Jason Aldean’s self -titled Platinum album on Broken Bow Records, including the Top Ten hit single “Hicktown”, Top 5 Single “Amarillo Sky” and the Billboard and R&R Number One (#1) hit single “Why”.

In 2006 he produced Aldean’s GOLD album “Relentless” with it’s Top 10 hit single “Johnny Cash”, Top 5 hit single “Laugh Until We Cried” and Top 15 single “Relentless”.  With first week sales of 98,000 copies, Aldean’s sophomore album “Relentless” debut in 2007 at #1 on Billboards Top Country Albums.

In 2007 Knox moved into a new territory, Producing and Managing newcomers    Crossin Dixon, a new band on Broken Bow Records, with the singles “Guitar Slinger” and “I Love My Old Bird Dog” which reached #1 on the CMT Pure Country Network play list.

In 2008 Knox produced the Road Hammers current USA Top 50 debut singles  “I Don’t Know When To Quit”“I’ve Got The Scars To Prove It” for Montage Records, and Knox also appeared in The Road Hammers reality series which aired on GAC, and CMT Canada. and

In 2009 Knox produced the Jason Aldean release “Wide Open”, with sells of more than 100,000 copies in its first week to debut at No. 2 on the Billboard Country chart and No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The first single "She's Country" (Mediabase’s Most Played Country Song of The Year 2009) which was performed on the 42nd CMA Awards, reached the Number #1 spot on the Billboard and R&R Country Music Chart in May of 2009 and was certified PLATINUM with more than One Million singles sold.  In addition Knox produced the Jason Aldean PLATINUM selling four week number one hit single “Big Green Tractor” which was the number one Ringtone on iTunes for 5 consecutive weeks, and Aldean’s current Number One hit single “The Truth”, and he appeared in the CMT show Jason Aldean “Wide Open”. 

Also in 2009 Knox enjoyed working with newcomers Josh Thompson with current

Top 20  single “Beer On The Table” for Columbia Records Nashville, Frankie Ballard (Warner Brothers Records), Bush Hog and Shalacy Griffin (Knox Music Group) and most recently he has started work on the new Trace Adkins project for Show Dog / Universal, The Lost Trailers project for Sony/BMG and the Chuck Wicks project for RCA Records all to be release in 2010.

Knox came by his intimate knowledge of the music business honestly. The son of early rock 'n' roll legend Buddy Knox ("Party Doll" 1957), he had a front-row seat on history.

Q: You’ve been involved in many aspects of the music industry. At 24 you were the youngest VP ever at Warner Chappell Music. As a song plugger you’ve had monster hits by countless big name artists with more than 300 cuts in eight years. What made you want to venture into new territory as a producer?

A: At Warner Chappell I started their artist/writer development program in Nashville. I signed Jason Aldean, Emily West, John Rich and Gretchen Wilson and heaps of others.   I was farming out these artists and cutting so many demos. It was inevitable, I was learning how to be a producer and learning how to pick out significant songs that later became hits.

Q: In your opinion, what is the most important role of a producer?

A: To remember you are not the artist. The Artist is the most important person you’re dealing with. My job is to get in their heads and find out what is unique about them. Whoever I work with gets exposed, and it’s great to expose that talent when you’re working with a true artist. I stay focused and never cop out until I find what works for that particular artist.

Q: What do you look for when deciding if you want to work with an artist?

A: Originality. It’s easy to get caught up in a quick fix and what is working now. But I try my hardest not to do that. I look for new original artists. Someone with something to say.

Q: Who are you currently producing?

A: Jason Aldean, Frankie Ballard, Trace Adkins, Chuck Wicks, Lost Trailers, Josh Thompson.

Q: How do you look for songs for your artists?

A: I’ve created a few things; I listen to everything that comes to me. It’s difficult, but I do. I have an email I set up to give out to people to send me songs when I’m ready to listen. I do group meetings. I also go to a lot of writer’s nights. When I go out of my way to find songs and get a hit, I’m pride of myself because I worked hard for that hit. I try to be as approachable as possible so I can get access to songs like that, songs I may not have had a chance to hear unless I made myself more approachable.

Q: How does a producer get paid when working with signed artists and unsigned artists?

A: Unsigned artists, you’re still going to have a producer/artist agreement. It is pretty much handled the same way as signed artists. I turn down crazy amounts of money from artists that I do not feel are ready. I could take their money but what would that say about me? If it is a legit deal and they have a label backing them, then I go for it. But I’m trying to build a reputation. If I believe in the artist, I try and work with them, whether they are names or not. Depends on the artist and if I believe they have the potential. I work for great artists not for money.

Q: Jason Aldean’s record “Wide Open” was released in April of 2009, and the first single “She’s Country” went to number one, followed by “Big Green Tractor,” which also went number one. His newest release “The Truth” is climbing the charts. As his producer, what do you think contributes to the success?

A: Hard work and never giving up.  Of course you have to have the X-Factor to be a star, which Aldean has. I wish I knew one path to make something work but every artist will have a different path.  I think I’m just open to hearing and listening to what that path is from them and trying to keep it as true to form as possible.

Q: You’re now Trace Adkins producer. What are the circumstances that lead to a change in producers?

A: I do not know what his reasons were. Maybe he was looking for a change. Everyone thinks a producer can wave a wand and everything is great again. I try and can only do my best. But I really do not know why Trace chose me or why he was looking for a new producer?

Q: Some producers told us they have a special drawer of songs they feel are hits. They keep those songs until they find the right artist for them. Do you have a drawer like that, if so how many songs do you have in that drawer?

A: Yes, I have a song pile that I keep and I have a lot of songs in it. My iPod is full of about 10 days worth of music. I usually have about 50 songs that I keep floating around at a time that my eye is fixed on and feel they are grade “A” songs. Now that I’m working with more than one artist I have more opportunities to use these songs elsewhere. Before when I was only working with Jason Aldean, if he did not want a song, I had nothing else to do with it. But now I can consider other artists.

Q: What Changes do you see in the record business in the next five years?

A: Man, I see a lot of independent stuff going on. I see a lot more independent thinkers in country music. I think you’re going to see it move more like the pop world. In the pop world they are focused more on producers and the creative team around the artist. In Nashville they are more focused on the song and getting it played on radio. I think in the future in Nashville, they will start trusting the creative teams more. I’m excited about that. In fact I saw first hand with my father who made a career doing it one song at a time. But I’m a big believer that the consumer wants to know and meet the artist not just hear the song on the radio, and when you can line both of them up at the same time, man that’s big stuff.  I do not think the industry is hurting as much as they think. I just think we need to trust the creators of the music more. I understand you have to have radio to have a hit, and I love radio probably more than anyone in town but lets not forget that you have to be a star to last more than one hit.

Q: What question should we have asked that we didn’t?

A: I don’t know; maybe what do I look for in a writer or artist?  I truly believe that the best music out there is music that normally doesn't get heard. There's a generation of brilliant talent out there that's not sure yet where to go or where they fit. Those are the people I want to work with.  Those are the people that I learn from.