[Fmpro] ASCAP - Cue sheets

Thu Nov 30 21:35:20 GMT 2006

Hi All,
Regarding cue sheets, I ALWAYS do my own.  I work it out with the prod co
ahead of time, and in every case in my experience so far, they are only too
happy to have me take it off their hands.  In most cases when I work
directly with a station, they specifically (and contractually) ask for me to
do the cue sheets.  Of course they are always subject to the company's
approval, but after my first experience with CBS where they retained the
publishing on a movie I scored, and were "too busy" to file the cue sheets,
I said never again.  In the CBS case after a year, I finally volunteered to
do them myself.  I called the appropriate party and asked them for a blank
CBS cue sheet form with the promise that I would not send them to ASCAP
without their final approval.  They were thrilled that I would do it.  I did
it and got paid, and so did they.

Unlike others, I have not been subjected (yet) to unscrupulous producers who
insist on doing the cue sheets so they can put themselves, their secretaries
and their cat and dog in the composer credit column, so this process has
worked well for me, and I strongly recommend it to others.

One caveat.  If you do a series don't make the mistake I did.  I filed out
cue sheets for a show that ran twice a day, weekdays for a year, over 390
performances of my theme and bumpers and was paid for one day.  The reason?
I put the dates the show was to run, but omitted one word - "Ongoing."  This
is the key word in the ASCAP cue sheet department that if they don't see it
on a cue sheet you get paid for one performance.  I corrected it,
resubmitted, and all is well.

Best,
James

On 11/30/06 4:11 PM, "Scott Szabo" <scott at szabosoundandmusic.com> wrote:

> All I can tell you is that a well-intended (I presume) PA produced the cue
> sheets (incorrectly) for a years worth shows I was the composer on. Nine
> months later, I called ASCAP to ask why my royalties were so low. Weeks
> later the improper paperwork was found to be the culprit. Folks like Charlyn
> Bernal, Shawn LeMone, and Judith Bliss helped me to resolve the issue. It
> took over a year working with the Production Co. and the Network but I
> finally got all the money that belonged to me.
> 
> I had a vendor I hired that never sent me their invoice for work performed.
> I called them TWICE asking for the paperwork so that I may PAY THEM and they
> STILL didn't send an invoice. If they don't send in the invoice, they don't
> get paid. It's the same for us except that most composers seem to expect
> someone at the production co. to do their invoicing (Cue Sheets) and then
> never check their work. It is now in my contracts that I get a copy of all
> cue sheets before the show airs so that I can check for errors. Then I
> forward a copy electronically to ASCAP as a backup to Production. Would I
> rather be playing the piano? Yes. Is it a pain in the ass? Yes. But I get
> paid! Last time I looked it is called show business.
> 
> How many of you would send money to your electric company without receiving
> a bill first?
> 
> 
> Scott Szabo
> Szabo Sound & Music
> 2400 Central Parkway, Suite C
> Houston, TX 77092
> 713-956-7451
> www.szabosoundandmusic.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fmpro-bounces+scott=szabosoundandmusic.com at nxport.com
> [mailto:fmpro-bounces+scott=szabosoundandmusic.com at nxport.com] On Behalf Of
> Fernando Rivas
> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 2:22 PM
> To: fmpro at nxport.com
> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] ASCAP - AMAZING SCAMMING COLLECTION AGENCY PROCEDURES
> 
> Well I can do all that but isn't that ASCAP's job?
> 
> 
> On 11/30/06 12:16 PM, "Scott Szabo" <scott at szabosoundandmusic.com> wrote:
> 
>> I have never had any success calling the member services line. I suggest
> you
>> contact some one at the TV dept. I also suggest that you call the
> production
>> company (or its distributor) and see if you can get an episode and
>> syndication number (preferably a cue sheet) for the show to submit to
> ASCAP.
>> Yes, it's a lot of work. Doing so means you have now opened a "Collections
>> Dept" for your business.
>> 
>> Scott Szabo
>> Szabo Sound & Music
>> 2400 Central Parkway, Suite C
>> Houston, TX 77092
>> 713-956-7451
>> www.szabosoundandmusic.com
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: fmpro-bounces+scott=szabosoundandmusic.com at nxport.com
>> [mailto:fmpro-bounces+scott=szabosoundandmusic.com at nxport.com] On Behalf
> Of
>> Fernando Rivas
>> Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 9:59 AM
>> To: fmpro at nxport.com
>> Subject: [Fmpro] ASCAP - AMAZING SCAMMING COLLECTION AGENCY PROCEDURES
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On my last statement (Nov.06) from ASCAP I received a $38 payment which
> came
>> through ASCAP from SOCAN when an episode from the now defunct Rosie
> O'Donell
>> show was rebroadcast in Canada which contained a song I wrote for Gloria
>> Estefan.  On the episode Gloria Estefan was Rosie's guest and she
>> spontaneously sang, a capella, a verse and chorus of my song (Mambo I, I,
> I
>> from the Sesame St. CD Elmopalooza which had recently won a grammy) and
> got
>> Rosie and the audience to join in and sing along.
>> 
>> Here's the kicker:
>> I've never gotten a single penny for the United States showing of that
>> episode, whenever it aired. I wouldn't have even known about it if I
> hadn't
>> seen it. When I contacted ASCAP I was told I would need to obtain the
>> episode number in order to track down what happened or I can start an
>> inquiry which would take three years.  I was told I can't contact SOCAN
>> directly to find out more about the episode which obviously reran in
> Canada
>> and was accurately reported and when I asked how much money (ballpark
>> figure) we're talking about for US royalties on something like this the
> rep
>> on the phone had no clue and said no one else at ASCAP would know either.
>> 
>> I also asked for ballpark figures on a show, primetime Disney Channel, I'm
>> currently scoring, and was told it was impossible to figure it out.  So I
>> guess that's like saying - we'll pay you when we pay you - and that's IF
> we
>> frigging pay you.  I was also told that such information is secret for
>> members because it involves agreements made with licensees.
>> 
>> New acronyms for ASCAP:
>> 
>> ALWAYS SCREWING COMPOSERS AVOIDING PAYOUT
>> ACCOUNTING SECRECY CONFUSES ALL PARTIES
>> 
>> Fernando Rivas 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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