Post by TVFan on Jun 12, 2006 10:28:33 GMT -5
I stumbled upon this music blog this morning when I was checking out the web site for The 4400, and I found it interesting. It's written by the show's music producer, and he details all of the work that goes into picking the songs that they use for the show. I know a lot of us have wondered about the song-choosing process on CC, so here are a few tidbits from The 4400 music producer Elliot Lurie:
What is the process for selecting the music for each episode?
Occasionally a specific song is indicated in the script. If so, we begin the rights clearance process immediately. More often, I'll analyze the early script for potential song spots and begin thinking about it. When I get the first cut of the show, I'll hone in, identifying song spots and begin the search.
Why is music so important in a scene?
There are two kinds of song uses: source and song score. The former refers to songs used in scenes where they would be emanating from a radio or stereo. These choices need to be appropriate to the characters who are listening and to the environment in which they are listening to them.
Song score is used to underline the emotional content of a scene. These are trickier as all the elements – tempo, lyric, instrumentation, vocal quality – need to embellish the images. When it works it can add a powerful element to the action on screen and provide a subtext that is different and potentially more resonant than that provided by instrumental underscore.
On choosing the song for last night's ending montage:
There's a long montage to close the show and the writers have indicated that the song "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire will play over. I suspect that it may have too much tempo for the way I envision the images will play, but I call our clearance department to begin acquiring the rights.
Bad news. Arcade Fire will not license their music for film or TV.
Ben Brafman, who runs post-production, calls with an unusual request. Can I send up some early alternate song suggestions for the montage that the picture editors can work with?
I choose some things and email them to Vancouver, where the show is edited. One is by a new group called 13 Senses. The song is a moody piece called "Into The Fire." I found it on a new-release sampler from Europe and the lyrics seem right and the singer's voice is very appealing.
When I get the first cut of the show, there's "Into The Fire" over the end montage but it's too short. The montage is much longer than the song.
This is where my trusty computer and experience as a music editor come in. My job is to extend the song editorially, keep it interesting, have it work with the picture cuts and start and end so as to cover the entire sequence. It's time-consuming and detailed work, but after a lot of trial and error, I think I've got it.
You can read more of his blog HERE. Incidently, wouldn't it be great if CBS had blogs like this one for CC? I know that Grey's Anatomy actually has a writers' blog where the episode's writer comments on writing the episode that the fans just saw! It's an amazing new tool that I wish we would see CBS utilize more for CC. How great would it be to read blogs from the writers, music producers, etc??
What is the process for selecting the music for each episode?
Occasionally a specific song is indicated in the script. If so, we begin the rights clearance process immediately. More often, I'll analyze the early script for potential song spots and begin thinking about it. When I get the first cut of the show, I'll hone in, identifying song spots and begin the search.
Why is music so important in a scene?
There are two kinds of song uses: source and song score. The former refers to songs used in scenes where they would be emanating from a radio or stereo. These choices need to be appropriate to the characters who are listening and to the environment in which they are listening to them.
Song score is used to underline the emotional content of a scene. These are trickier as all the elements – tempo, lyric, instrumentation, vocal quality – need to embellish the images. When it works it can add a powerful element to the action on screen and provide a subtext that is different and potentially more resonant than that provided by instrumental underscore.
On choosing the song for last night's ending montage:
There's a long montage to close the show and the writers have indicated that the song "Wake Up" by The Arcade Fire will play over. I suspect that it may have too much tempo for the way I envision the images will play, but I call our clearance department to begin acquiring the rights.
Bad news. Arcade Fire will not license their music for film or TV.
Ben Brafman, who runs post-production, calls with an unusual request. Can I send up some early alternate song suggestions for the montage that the picture editors can work with?
I choose some things and email them to Vancouver, where the show is edited. One is by a new group called 13 Senses. The song is a moody piece called "Into The Fire." I found it on a new-release sampler from Europe and the lyrics seem right and the singer's voice is very appealing.
When I get the first cut of the show, there's "Into The Fire" over the end montage but it's too short. The montage is much longer than the song.
This is where my trusty computer and experience as a music editor come in. My job is to extend the song editorially, keep it interesting, have it work with the picture cuts and start and end so as to cover the entire sequence. It's time-consuming and detailed work, but after a lot of trial and error, I think I've got it.
You can read more of his blog HERE. Incidently, wouldn't it be great if CBS had blogs like this one for CC? I know that Grey's Anatomy actually has a writers' blog where the episode's writer comments on writing the episode that the fans just saw! It's an amazing new tool that I wish we would see CBS utilize more for CC. How great would it be to read blogs from the writers, music producers, etc??
Even funnier, last week CBS put some shows on iTunes (all 3 CSIs, Numb3rs, NCIS and Survivor) for download. I had to laugh at the timing, even though I know it was a mere coincidence. BTW, I wouldn't hold out hopes for CC being added to iTunes. Not only is it produced by Warner Bros. and aired on CBS (a huge licensing issue for a legal download site - currently only one show is on iTunes that is produced outside its network's studios -- Scrubs), but we also run, once again, into music rights. There is actually one episode of CSI: Miami that they haven't been able to clear for iTunes because of music rights. Imagine what a chore clearing 23 episodes a year of CC would be? I had hoped that we would get to have the CC eps one day on iTunes since we haven't gotten DVDs, but even that seems to be impossible. Oh well, the music is worth it. 
