[Fmpro] need a friend

[Michael S Patterson]

Chris,
I definitely hear what you are saying...but a "scab orchestra?"

I wouldn't really knock it till you tried it. I remember years ago
when I started going to Prague, all the rumors were that these
orchestra were not up to the standards needed for films. But a bunch
of us were going and bringing back excellent recordings of scores...
If anything negative, I saw a lot of composers learning while they
worked and probably could have used a good orchestrator.

There is no economic model in place for a micro budget(under a million
Or half million) film to score with live ensemble of musicians in the US.
The AFM just won¹t go where SAG and other unions have gone.

As a producer of a film who is paying their actors $100 per day,
How can you justify $70-$80 an hour just for musicians.

Imagine how much more work there would be if there was a
$100 a session rate here in the USA for films under a million!

The way things are now we all loose:
-Less work for musicians
-Films with scores they wish had live players (less marketable)
-Composers who only have midi scores in their repertoire

I know this is a business and the model for studio films and
bigger budgets is just fine but for the huge market of indie films
we are all at a loss, if we want the best for ourselves as composer,
the best for the film, then going to Eastern Europe is the way to
go. 

That¹s my 2 cents.

Michael S Patterson
www.absynthemusic.com





On 9/7/07 10:34 AM, "Chris Alpiar" <chris at alpiar.com> wrote:

> Huh? I don't understand you. Maybe wards = words and you are trying to say
> "Be careful of what you are saying!"? Not sure. But if you are I will say
> that I fear no threats, especially inappropriate ones. I just see a terrible
> trend that is happening. While I can't stop it I for sure will point out
> when something I see is wrong. I might be wrong about my judgment and I will
> do my best to be open to being corrected if so. This service (recording in
> eastern Europe ultra-cheap) is a trend of sadness to me. The business of
> score composing and its economy forcing people to use scab orchestras out of
> the country where they pay musicians.... hmmm 1900 per hour for 50 piece
> including studio time, engineers, copyists, management... must be like 20-25
> dollars an hour per musician. Sorry to say it, as I am sure they are
> wonderful musicians, but... well... OUCH. I bear no ill will or negativity
> against any composer that uses them. I might find myself in a position of
> needing that service sometime also, but it still sucks. Personally as an
> American I would prefer work for American movies have all the production in
> the US with union musicians. It's not always possible and I realize that so
> my statement is one of disgust at the machine that makes this necessary, not
> of the composers being forced to use it or the musicians playing their
> hearts out on those sessions.
> 
> Hey Fabio
> Watch out your English!
> Seriously.
> Chris ALPIAR
> 
> 
> Hey Chris,
> Watch out your wards!
> Seriously.
> Fabio SIRONI
> On Sep 7, 2007, at 9:44 AM, Chris Alpiar wrote:
> 
>> I would feel guilty paying a scab orchestra like migrant workers. I
>> don't
>> blame you to use it but /shiver @ this economy
>> 
> 
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