Music business fundamentals and industry overview

Part One
For better or for worse, “interest in being a film composer is at an all time high,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 4). The only way to succeed in a competitive environment like the music and film industry is through the cultivation of psychological resilience and social intelligence. My goals as a film scorer are tempered with the realism that this is a long and difficult path. I know what I need to do in terms of networking and learning from other people. Composing the music is the easy part; marketing myself, making myself hirable and easy to work with, and being interested in working with a team are the prerequisites for success.
My short term goals are simple: to acquire a strong and varied education, to get my feet wet by working on student projects and internships, and to build up my list of contacts in the film and music communities. Also a short-term goal is to expand my horizons by traveling. I wan to learn about different film and music cultures in other countries, thereby making myself more culturally competent, more marketable as talent, and also more inspired by other perspectives and approaches to film scoring. Even as an armchair traveler, I can learn a lot now by watching films produced in other countries. The best film scores draw from numerous creative impulses and inspirations; nothing is created out of a vacuum.
Also in the short term, I am interested in collaborating with fellow students and colleagues in the music industry on exciting projects. Those projects could be in a formal and structured environment, or might evolve more organically and informally. I am thrilled to work with other creative minds, putting our diverse perspectives and aesthetic tastes together to create something of value. Meeting my educational and professional short-term objectives is not difficult, but it will require daily regimens and time management skills. I need to dedicate daily time and energy to writing music, but also to studying the greats, listening to music, watching and listening to the best film scores out there, and working with my mentors.
I need to build solid professional relationships with my fellow students in school. Together, we can accomplish what we could not on our own. I see myself working with other student musicians on scoring projects, pooling our money so that we can make the best possible live demo tapes. I also see myself working with students in film and other creative arts, because I need to learn about where I fit into the big picture of film production. The more I learn about the daily life of a film scorer, the better position I will be in to smoothly transition into a professional environment. However, I want my education to be as much about breadth as depth. I want to learn about the business of the music industry, its history, and the liberal arts knowledge I need to enrich my musical career. Ethnomusicology, musical theory, and film theory are all important avenues of research for me.
Gaining access to the music and film industry as an insider will require persistence, but while in school, I will have the opportunity to work as an intern. Internships, paid or unpaid, will let me be the “fly on the wall,” who is continually listening to the latest trends and needs in the industry (Kendall, n.d., p. 3). While working as an intern, I may also learn about the day-to-day life of composers, editors, and producers. I will learn about what producers look for in musicians, what types of music work best in different types of films or in different scenes, and what social skills I need to develop. The internship opportunities will also be instrumental in helping me to network, the cornerstone of my future success. I intend to leverage my experience in my early career as a grunt, and am willing to put in the footwork needed to achieve my goals.
My long-term goal is of course to be a go-to film composer and film scorer. I am ambitious and believe that if I work hard, I can find myself a place among the greatest film composers of all time. This does not mean I harbor any delusions, but simply that every generation does need a pool of dedicated talent—the people who producers and directors look to as reliable composers who work on schedule, who listen to others needs and place them before our own, and who are affable and easy to work with. Having read Lukas Kendall’s advise for aspiring film scorers, I know that emotional intelligence and people skills are as important, if not more so, than the actual music we compose. Of course, I am not going to get far without compositional skills and practice, which is why formal training is part of my short-range plan. Over the long haul, though, I intend to work intensively in the music and film industries both. Real life experience will get me into the film production door. Ultimately, I would like to develop a signature “sound,” or brand, a voice that will distinguish me from other film scorers. At the same time, I want to remain flexible and adaptable, always learning new approaches to composition and to working in different genres of film.
In terms of genre, I want to be as flexible as possible because I have not yet found my niche. I appreciate the scores of sweeping dramas and large-scale fantasy epics, but I also understand the importance of a good score in a horror or sci-fi flick, where the audience often relies on the music to guide their emotions. In these key moments, the musician behind the picture has as important a role as auteur as the director. Because television shows have become sophisticated in their overall production value and presentation, I can also see myself applying my knowledge of the music and film industries to becoming the main music writer that gives the show its sonic brand. I love how some film scores engage the audience with dramatic changes and emotional roller-coasters, whereas others are so subtle and sit neatly int he background so that audiences barely know that we were there all along. Few things excite me more than the unique behind-the-scenes work of musical composition for visual productions.
My knowledge of the music business and/or entrepreneurship will help me in my career. I have a balanced view, whereby I know that the industry is highly social and political, while also being comprised of individuals who genuinely enjoy what they do. Passion is what helps us succeed. Yet we always need to treat our work from a pragmatic viewpoint. Musicians who have goals in film scoring need to know that their job is not to write just what they think sounds good or what they believe works well with the imagery or plot, but what the director and producer want to achieve. We need to work in a team. I also view my role as being a member of an organization. As a musician who intends to make this my career, I know that writing for film and television is one of many ways I can transform my passion and sense of purpose into making a living. “Besides writing hit songs, film composing is about the only lucrative job for somebody who composes music for a living.” (Kendall, n.d., p. 4). Learning about the music business will help me to solidify the professional foundation I need to succeed.
As Kendall (2009) points out, the most well-established film composers started out in the music industry, not the film industry: “Virtually all of the great film composers over the years were established in another musical field first, and they became successful in film because the existing musical they brought to film was so fresh and exciting,” (p. 1). For this reason, I am now focused on the music industry from a business and entrepreneurial perspective. I can work with other students to form a production company or a band, which will prepare us to work as a team and collaborate on projects. If I can set myself up early with a music production studio brand, I will have a much easier time marketing myself in the future. I intend to leverage social media for the purpose of brand building and networking, and will be attending professional conferences and events in my field for the same reason. These early experiences will humble me in the face of the competition, while also reminding me how social this world can be.
Musicians often focus on the creative elements of music, and bank on their talents as being able to propel their careers. While talent and practice in our own musical development is important, when we want to make money, we need to think like businesspeople. The only way to think like a businessperson is to approach the music industry from that line of thinking, not as a creative. We need to hone our creative skills to the point where they become second nature, so that we can spend the remainder of our working hours on the stuff that matters most from a business perspective: networking, marketing, and working with others. Entrepreneurial vision in music means anticipating audience trends, being open to new ideas and cultural diversity in musical and creative expression, and knowing “what works” from the perspective of sales and not just getting caught up in our own convictions about aesthetics. If I want to remain true to my creative convictions, that is fine for my own work, but not when it comes to team-driven projects like film scores or any other commercial endeavor.
Creative people struggle with the binary often presented to us, between financial success and “selling out.” We have been misled to think that the music business is dichotomous, that one cannot make money or retain creative control without selling out. Selling music and selling out are two different things. I am investing heavily in my education and my career because I believe it is an investment that will pay off. As a film scorer, my job is to “sell” the movie’s message to people. I need to take the audience on the emotional journey the writer intended, and help bring the script to life alongside the actors and director. Music is always a labor of love, and labor means work. I want to be a focused, driven music professional who wants to make money doing what I love. What I love happens to be music. During lulls when I am not getting work in the film industry, I want to remain open to the numerous other opportunities for me to make a mark on the industry.
Part Two
Lukas Kendall writes extensively on the career of film scoring and cinematic musical composition. In both “The Single Most FAQ: How to Become a Film Composer,” and in “”So You Want to Be a Film Composer?” Kendall points out how film scoring is not just about writing music. Film scoring is about networking, forming and maintaining professional relationships, marketing, and collaborating with others. In “The Single Most FAQ,” as well as in “So You Want to Be a Film Composer,” Kendall also points out that life skills are more important than formal conservatory training. Conservatory and other formal music school training can be helpful, but not nearly as important as “life music training,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 3). These two articles can be helpful for an aspiring film scorers.
“The Single Most FAQ: How to Become a Film Composer” is published on the website of Film Score Monthly. In this article, Kendall (2009) responds to some of the most commonly asked questions about how to best go about launching a career in movie music. One of the first things Kendall (2009) states in the article is that “movies, TV shows, and other media are made by many different companies and people who tend to be spread out in networks of relationships,” (Kendall, 2009, p. 1). In other words, the most important thing to keep in mind about the career of film scoring is that it is a relationship-driven business. Even the most introverted film scorers must eventually come out of their shells to forge ties with producers, directors, and other members of a filmmaking crew.
Likewise, Kendall (2009) claims, “the business truly functions on relationships which is why most successful film composers have had already ‘made it’ in other forms of the music industry and come to film via one of those connections,” (Kendall, 2009, p. 1). A musician working in any sector, such as studio music production, playing in a rock and roll band, or in an orchestra, has formed the types of relationships that can be leveraged during a transition to film. A filmmaker is going to be much more apt to hire someone who has a good reputation in the music industry than a reclusive person no matter how prolific their portfolio. In fact, Kendall (2009) reminds readers that most production companies “do not accept unsolicited submissions,” (Kendall, 2009, p. 1). This article therefore reminds aspiring film composers to put their energy into networking. Another issue that Kendall (2009) addresses in “The Single Most FAQ” is related to the frustrating “catch-22” scenario. Common in almost every job sector, the catch-22 is that “you cannot do it without credits, and you can’t get credits without having done it already,” (Kendall, 2009, p. 1). Networking helps to resolve the catch-22. It helps to network with other musicians, but it can also be essential to network within the filmmaking industry, which often entails moving to New York or Southern California. Essentially, a film scorer cannot live or work in isolation.
In “So You Want to Be a Film Composer,” Kendall (n.d.) discusses the need to be realistic when it comes to building a career in this competitive field. Networking helps to highlight what producers are looking for, which is a lot more important than imposing one’s own ideas onto the film industry. As Kendall (2009) puts it, “if you really want to be a film composer, you have to divorce yourself from your 12 year-old dream to score the next Star Wars movie, and come up with the kind of sound that will make filmmakers come to you,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 1). The kind of sound that makes filmmakers come to you could be specific to a genre, or it might simply be a new angle of presentation. Again, people skills are even more important than compositional chops. A film scorer needs to exude “confidence and charm” and to use good people skills in all phases of the business. Kendall (n.d.) states that in his experience, “big-time working film composers are also intelligent, likable, trustworthy and fun to be around,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 1). Being a film scorer is a much more social job than a lot of newbies anticipate, which is why “you can't be an arrogant, nerdy dullard,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 2). At every stage of the scoring process, the person is working with other people, translating their vision of the film’s emotional and thematic content into the score.
One of the most valuable lessons of “So You Want to Be a Film Composer” is to start simple by working on student films. Linked to Kendall’s lessons in “The Single Most FAQ,” the advise given in “So You Want to Be a Film Composer” helps resolve the catch-22 of needing experience to get experience. Working on student films and other unpaid or low-paying projects is what ambitious film scorers do to get their foot in the door, to establish a brand or an identity, and to make friends in the industry. Kendall (n.d.) claims that musicians need to spend money to make money, often investing their own finances into preparing their demo tapes to make them as powerful and as seductive as possible. I need to be unafraid to take risks, losing money or at least not making money for the first few years while I essentially pay my dues. The successful film scorers are the ones that are willing to be humble and do the grunt work, who do not have a sense of entitlement that comes from arrogance. Instead, we work hard, intern when we need to, and listen to what other people want. We also need to build character and resilience during these initially tough years of establishing a name for ourselves. As Kendall (n.d.) points out, we need to take rejection well. This may in fact be the most important lesson of all in Kendall’s (n.d) article: “the reason most people don't make it isn't from a lack of talent, because I know there are a lot of really talented people out there, it's because they give up,” (p. 5). We hear this lesson over and over again; learning it intellectually and applying it in real life are two totally different things.
To remain psychologically strong and resilient during years of losses and rejection, Kendall (n.d.) does advise developing a supportive community. The musician is most likely going to gravitate towards other like-minded individuals, other musicians. However, Kendall (n.d.) also advises aspiring film scorers to make friends with other people in the industry. “If I had a choice I'd rather know five directors than five film composers,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 5). Meeting different people in the film industry is important strategically because it helps with networking and being aware of the opportunities out there, and it also illuminates how we can get into the mindset of other members of the filmmaking team. The only way to know what the director wants is to meet directors. “Get out of the brain of a composer and into the brain of the person hiring you,” (Kendall, n.d., p. 5). Again, composing film scores is a social business, which is far from the reclusive artist role many musicians imagine themselves filling in their lives.
Taking together, the two Kendall articles offer a strong path forward for how I can forge my own career. I may need to move to LA or New York after school. I also need to start cultivating the right mindset and attitude for success. Likewise, I need to start putting myself out there in different professional and social situations, taking jobs in different areas and not fixating exclusively on film for now. As Kendall (n.d.) states, “the more varied your background the better, because film composing is about being a chameleon, being able to write in different styles to meet the needs of the movie,” (p. 3). Thus, it may be helpful to work with students who are writers, actors, and directors. Working with other young and aspiring filmmakers will allow all of us to achieve our dreams together, and to pool our resources for developing the best possible spec tapes. Making an “A-level tape,” as Kendall (n.d.) calls it, requires dedication, time, sweat, and money. Working with students in a collaborative environment will considerably offset the costs of producing sample tapes. Working together on our group tape will showcase my scoring and also my colleague’s cinematography, or writing, or acting.















References

Kendall, L. (2009). The Single Most FAQ: How to Become a Film Composer. Film Score Monthly. http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/daily/article.cfm/articleid/6069/the-single-most-faq--how-to-become-a-film-composer/
Kendall, L. (n.d.). So you want to be a film composer? http://www.davidbeardmusic.com/So_You_Want_to_be_a_Film_Composer.pdf
String Ovation Team (2017). What is a film composer and how do I become one? Connolly. https://www.connollymusic.com/stringovation/how-to-become-a-film-composer