[Fmpro] California Dreamin

[Rick Blanc]

Not being a composer I'm not sure I should opine, but it occurs to me that the salient question may be, not what the ideal system would be, but why is the system today not more satisfactory?  A better tomorrow would certainly require a sober analysis of today.  (Well maybe not totally sober).

Utopian dreams are sometimes interesting but do they change anything?

Rick

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mark Northam 
  To: fmpro at nxport.com 
  Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 10:48 PM
  Subject: Re: [Fmpro] California Dreamin


  Great discussion! These are three great points, but of course, here are the
  problems...

  On 9/14/07 1:25 PM, "Tracey Larvenz" <tlarvenz at gmail.com> wrote:

  > Building on what you wrote,
  > 
  > 1.  It should enlist the A list guys.  Without their support it'd be
  > doomed before leaving the starting gate.

  The "big guys" have little or nothing to gain from there being a union. They
  already are paid huge sums for their work, and anything that empowers the
  "lower guys" certainly wouldn't help the big guys in any way.

  > 2.  It should have PR with good contacts to spread the word about our
  > issues, much as WGA and SAG do.

  Agreed. And even more reason the non-"big guys" should be front and center -
  who has sympathy for the big-name, rich composers?

  > 3.  It should try to enlist the cooperation of the big studios to
  > give them incentives to use union people.

  The studios only have to lose if there is a composer's union or any other
  body that gives composers any sort of collective strength. Unfortunately for
  composers, the studios are far better off with composers divided, conquered,
  and unorganized.

  There are basically 2 primary income sources for composers: production
  companies and the PROs. Both of these groups are far better off with
  unorganized composers - how else could ASCAP get away with such outrageous
  discrimination against instrumental music in the royalty rates? Without a
  (not paid-off via grants and funding) effective, independent composer
  organization, the PROs can do what they want re: composer rates and all
  they'll have to do is have to contend one-on-one with the folks that dare
  engage in a public discussion, like we do on this list.

  Make no mistake: an effective composers' organization that they cannot
  influence via grants and funding is ASCAP (and the songwriters') worst
  nightmare. As far as the studios go, pretty much the same situation exists -
  they can lowball one composer after the other, and eventually they'll find a
  taker for any terms offered.

  As far as an effective composers' organization goes, it's going to take some
  very brave, very committed composers to make this happen. Composers who
  aren't afraid of being labeled "troublemakers" by the PROs and the
  production companies they are so close to - all of whom stand to lose if
  there is any sort of an independent, effective composers organization.
  Composers who are ready to look beyond their own wallets and commit time,
  energy and money to building something that likely will be of more benefit
  to the next generation of composers than it will be to the present
  generation.

  So that begs the question: how much do we care about the industry we're
  going to leave to our children and the next generation of composers? >From my
  point of view, I care a lot - and even more this week as my wife Rebecca and
  I became the proud parents of our first child. But becoming a parent can
  really start you thinking about the future and how what you do affects not
  only you, but others who will have to live with the results of what we do or
  don't do. 

  Time to look at the big picture if we're going to make any substantial
  progress in the face of those who have so unfairly declared our music
  second-class and deemed us as an industry not worthy of strong, effective
  industrial representation .

  Best,

  Mark Northam




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