[Fmpro] cooperation vs competition

Sun Feb 10 04:10:48 GMT 2008

Apparently the problem is not market size but the fact that most of the jobs
are doled out through an inside track to people already in the loop. Though
there is a lot of work the method by which people are chosen to do it is
stubbornly closed-minded.  My feeling is that many people who hire composers
have no clue about how music is made. Many of them are musically illiterate
and think of music as some kind of magic, and those that make it
successfully as 'geniuses'.  I hear that word enough to make me puke. These
hiring agents don't see composing as a job they see it as alchemy and only
those who have performed alchemy before are employable in their eyes.

So it seems that to be successful in getting the jobs you

A) have to get in the loop. (Cocktail parties, marry somebody in the biz,
self-promote until people are so sick of you they give you a try, become an
assistant for ten years, fuck somebody, or be fucked, etc.)

AND/OR

B) Convince the hiring agents that you are indeed a wizard. Act strangely,
wear weird but faddishly fashionable clothes and tell them you can shit
magic bullets and write symphonic masterpieces at the same time, that you
walk on water and that - YES INDEED YOU ARE A GENIUS!

Then you might have a shot.

(Did I mention fuck somebody?)

On 2/9/08 8:47 PM, "Bob Safir" <bsafir at socal.rr.com> wrote:

> 
> Fernando,
> 
> Yes, common wisdom (for some definition of "common" and some definition for
> "wisdom") would dictate that you are correct.  Add to that the promise of
> "500 or more television channels," thousands of independent films being
> produced each year, and on and on.  But the bottom line is that there is not
> a vast amount of work out there.  If there were, wouldn't the Film Music
> Jobwire constantly be full of numerous openings?  Wouldn't it be coming out
> several times a day with tons of new job postings?  As it is, hundreds of
> composers (most of whom are probably in that "good" category) are responding
> to the same posting.
> 
> I have approached several organizations and individuals in our business with
> this dilemma, trying to garner interest in facilitating the networking of
> filmmakers and composers for the possibility of work opportunities.  I get
> either blank stares or "we've tried that already" or "there are just too
> many composers" to whatever.  When I've tried to involve other composers,
> they love the idea until they realize that there could be some exposure to
> their existing contacts or networking methods, and so on.
> 
> The thing is -- it's the combination of all of these factors (and probably
> more) that make up our current dilemma, not just one piece of it.  If it
> were only a matter of 'market size' -- it would be a simpler nut to crack.
> 
> -Bob
> 
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 16:21:21 -0500
> From: Fernando Rivas <fernando at rivasmusic.com>
> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] cooperation vs competition
> To: <fmpro at nxport.com>
> Message-ID: <C3D38381.5BCC%fernando at rivasmusic.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> 
> Bob,
> 
> There may be many competitors but isn't there also a vast amount of work out
> there?  As people gravitate away from the outdoors and from expensive
> vacations because of higher fuel prices and as cost of living increases
> people are more likely to stay indoors and need more entertainment. More
> movies. More video games.  The market doesn't show signs of shrinking.
> 
> 
> On 2/9/08 4:01 PM, "Bob Safir" <bsafir at socal.rr.com> wrote:
> 
>> Why is it down to cooperation vs. competition? Maybe we are experiencing
> an
>> example of the perfect storm. Consider the following, some of which has
> been
>> discussed on the board before.  Here it is in "one take:"
>> 
>> -Music in many productions is often an afterthought
>> -Composers (that are not A-list) are mostly undervalued and underpaid
>> -Many creators of audio/visual works do not understand the music making
>> process
>> -Technology has made music composition accessible to almost anyone
>> -Many film/TV producers/directors cannot distinguish what's good score
> from
>> what's not
>> -There is a surplus of both good composers and bad composers
>> (good=experienced, reliable, excel at their craft; bad=inexperienced, have
>> some samples/loops, no craft)
>> -Prices that can be charged have been forced downward
>> -If you (as an experienced composer) don't offer a compelling (read, low)
>> fee, the producer/director can get it done for even cheaper by someone
> else
>> (from a huge selection of both good and bad composers)
>> -There are no standards, averages, or best practices when it comes to
>> composers' fees
>> -Composers "rights," especially when it comes to New Media, are almost
>> non-existent
>> -Composers are basically great, open-minded people who will share
>> information with you on a wide variety of topics
>> -Exception to above: except when it comes to prices they charge and
> industry
>> contacts they have. (Exception to the first half of this exception: Chris
>> Merritt - thank you)
>> -The above is understandable, given all of the circumstances listed before
>> that
>> -The competition for jobs, projects, visibility, and a composing career in
>> general, is incredibly, terribly fierce
>> -Some composers, many of them experienced, are offering to work for lo/no
>> fee whatsoever, just to get exposure
>> -Many composers will do free, film-specific demos to get the gig, even for
>> lo/no fee gigs
>> -Some composers will do almost anything, even at the expense of other
>> composer colleagues, to get the gig
>> - Oh yes, lest I omit it by accident: what PROs pay composers (if they pay
>> at all) for all their hard work is unfair, imbalanced, and has no
>> relationship to reality
>> -Although the cumulative experience of most composers is very similar to
>> this, getting them to unite for a cause is almost impossible...Why? Go
> back
>> to the top and read again.
>> 
>> Since coming back to L.A. (the "center" of the film/TV music community)
> last
>> September, I have seen all of this from very close up.  Forget the
> so-called
>> "bad composers" for a moment...even without them, there are literally
>> thousands of talented, somewhat-experienced, eager, emerging composers
> vying
>> for the same small pool of new projects and opportunities.  How can we all
>> survive?  My answer is: "I don't have a clue at this point."
>> 
>> Have I left anything out?  How do we solve this riddle?  I'm open to
>> suggestions, whether inspired by "The Secret," economic theory, and just
>> plain guess-work.  I really empathize with every composer who is going
>> through these tough, transitional times. (Just don't ask me for my
>> contacts.)  :-)
>> 
>> - Robert (Bob) Safir
>>   www.robertsafir.com
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> The Film Music Pro List is sponsored by Film Music Magazine -
> http://www.filmmusicmag.com
> 
> Best of FMPRO: http://www.fmproquotes.com - Quotes site  by Billy Hale Music
> 
> To edit your list options or unsubscribe, visit:
> http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/fmpro
> 