# Best.....note....ever! Producer's perogitive



## reddognoyz (Dec 13, 2013)

A cartoon I am working on had a very long dance number. The temp music was Gloria Estefan's Conga from 1986. 

correspondence.

Me:

SH082-113 is a LONG dance sequence. It seems like it was animated so that the music should be continuous, ........

I'll match the tempo and style of the music that's there, yes?

Producer:


Can we hear it with a break from 106-110 and yes would love to match the tempo and style of music.


Note:

"93 The music sound too much like “the ryhtum is going to get you”? Think we need to adjust it so it doesn't sound too 80's."

I'm not going to write back and say "but you said!....." because it will not get me anywhere. I learned long ago to never defend my work.


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## stonzthro (Dec 13, 2013)

Take out the cowbell, add a dubstep snare and a bass drop, re-send...


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## reddognoyz (Dec 13, 2013)

took out the horns, and added a couple of trillian bleepers, for the 80's all the way to the 90's : )


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## RiffWraith (Dec 13, 2013)

A couple of years ago, I was tagged to write some cues for a lib. The sup ed. was a composer himself, and I was given a bunch of cues to act as temp music. 

One of the tracks was rock-based. When I sent the first revision over, it was Addictive Drums, EWQLSO strings, and me playing bass (little more than the root note) and me playing guitar. He sends me notes on this track - _I like it. The drums are good, and the strings are good, but please - get rid of those GM bass and guitar sounds_. :| 

Next track was an orchestral track, with some slight rock elements, and piano. I sent three revisions, each closer and closer to the temp, and he kept telling me what was wrong with it (there was nothing wrong with it; he just didn't like it). The fourth rev was so close to the temp in tempo, feel, structure, rhythm, AND melody, that had I released that on my own, I would be liable for copyright infringement. Yes - it was _that_ close; I literally lifted 3/4 of the track. His final notes on this track before he told me to drop it - _I thought the previous notes I gave you would get you to where you need to be - to get it like the temp. For some reason, you don't want to get it like the temp._ :| 

I am finding that the most difficult thing about being a composer is not getting gigs - it's dealing with people who think they know their stuff, but who in reality have absolutely no f*[email protected] clue what they are talking about.


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## Daryl (Dec 14, 2013)

RiffWraith @ Fri Dec 13 said:


> I am finding that the most difficult thing about being a composer is not getting gigs - it's dealing with people who think they know their stuff, but who in reality have absolutely no f*[email protected] clue what they are talking about.


That's a novel idea, Jeff. Expecting people to know what they are talking about, before they venture an opinion. That seems like the worst sort of elitism to me, and you won't make many friends around these parts with that sort of attitude. :lol: 

D


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## Markus S (Dec 14, 2013)

reddognoyz @ Fri Dec 13 said:


> A cartoon I am working on had a very long dance number. The temp music was Gloria Estefan's Conga from 1986.
> 
> correspondence.
> 
> ...



Man, that's like a so typical every day situation. It's not even worth bothering or mentioning, IMO. I do understand the frustration, but it really is quite normal in this line of work. 

You did something live and the client finds it GM? Pull out your GM guitar, that's probably what he wants.

I don't know how many times I get contradicting indications, it's going : closer to the temp, that's what we want, go still closer, not close enough, no, no your too close to the temp, we want something more unique. 

It's all OK, it comes with the job. The client may not really know what he is looking for, or once he hears it he knows it's not working. They may be uncertain of what direction to go for - after all it's a product destined to a market, and (as so often discussed), they may not be open to take on any artistic risks. Them being musicians may or may not help, you also have people excusing themselves beforehand for not being a musician and then expressing themselves perfectly clear and in a constructive manner.

You may be right on a technical side of things, but who cares? It's all about reading between the lines and understand what they really want/need.


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## Guy Rowland (Dec 14, 2013)

Yup, I'd call that a way of life for me!

"OK, our target audience is 50+, its a daytime show so something really warm, nothing too hip".

Send them something warm and not too hip.

"Whoa, that sounds really warm and unhip. We need a real edge to this track".

etcs


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## TheUnfinished (Dec 14, 2013)

Was always the same when I worked in graphic design too.

The client never had a clue what they REALLY wanted until you manage to fluke your way round to getting it right and dump it right in front of their noses.

At which point, of course, they would tell you how they thought you were expensive and that they could have done it themselves - "Really? Even though you had no ability to communicate what you wanted because you never actually knew? Really?"

Fun-oh.

The best jobs (the ones that resulted in the happiest clinets) were always the ones where the client just let you get on with it with a sensible but unrestrictive brief.


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## mark812 (Dec 14, 2013)

http://clientsfromhell.net/


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## EastWest Lurker (Dec 14, 2013)

reddognoyz @ Fri Dec 13 said:


> A cartoon I am working on had a very long dance number. The temp music was Gloria Estefan's Conga from 1986.
> 
> correspondence.
> 
> ...



In his defense, he said to match the tempo and the style, not the sound. If I hear e.g. DX7 sounds on a recording I will instantly think 80's. If I play that exact same part with a different patch on a modern synth sound, it may not. RedOne's Logic synth work for Lady Gaga is a perfect example. If he were to send me his Logic project, I could make it sound more 80's in no time at all.


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## reddognoyz (Dec 14, 2013)

Her defense Btw

Yes it was easy enough to modernize. The characters are doing a conga line dance in the scene, The 80s Miami sound machine thing just seemed more appropriate, but, it'll work fine


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## lux (Dec 14, 2013)

The crazyness for current'ish sound at every cost is somehow the reason why I loved the idea Ross and Reznor won the Oscar. That score was current without "having to be" current.


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## G.R. Baumann (Dec 18, 2013)

Perhaps never send them anything, just have them listen in your place, and serve generous amounts of "Glenlivet 1964", a fine 50 years old Irish, and while the bottle costs Euro 1.700,- or so, it might be cheaper this way at the end, considering the hours you put in otherwise.

:wink: 

just kiddin!


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