[Fmpro] ASCAP POLICY AT SUNDANCE

Tue Jan 8 16:08:39 GMT 2008

I love the kiosk idea.  For new film makers that would be a great  
resource.  I doubt there is time to implement that now with Sundance  
right around the corner, but for next year it would be a great  
suggestion for Doug Wood.  Ah, I can see the competition now.  ASCAP  
flooded with composer CDs.  Only 2.8mil cues to listen to so that  
they may boil it down to a workable number of CDs at the Kiosk.

As for the live stuff, I saw John Williams perform at Tanglewood last  
summer.  Amazing.  That would be a fun presentation for Sundance,  
though unfortunately I think he's BMI.. I also recall Hans Zimmer  
doing a live performance of some of his cues at an awards  
presentation.   Seriously though, a few composers, one orchestra,  
each doing a couple of their best cues?  That would be very nice to  
watch.  They would probably have to move it into Salt Lake City to  
find a big enough venue to do it justice though.  Hmmm, hire the Utah  
Symphony, open it to the public to get ticket revenue to finance it,   
have a couple of big star composers do a few cues to draw the crowd,  
have a competition for newer or lesser composers to get a chance to  
conduct their winning cues?  That would be a nice little event, and  
add some variety to Sundance.  It would beat the pants off a coffee  
house whinefest of tortured singer songwriters.  Just kidding.  I've  
certainly written my share of whiny, tortured songs!

:)
James

On Jan 8, 2008, at 10:47 AM, Scott Szabo wrote:

> I agree with Pete. I played in bands since I was 15. I performed live
> recently for the first time in years. I did some tunes with the guitar
> player from my last band (12 years ago) for charity. I don't see  
> how film
> score composers could get up on a small stage and entertain. How  
> would it
> go? "Hi, I'm Scott Szabo. And tonight, while sitting on this bar  
> stool,
> going to play some cues from a film I scored recently, on my ipod.
> Enjoy...oh, be good to your waiters and waitresses. They work hard  
> for you."
>
> That being said, I could see ASCAP providing a listening space (a  
> couple of
> CD players with headphones) for composer demo CDs and a table for  
> free demo
> CDs of ASCAP composers. What do you think of that idea?
>
> 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
> Pete
> Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:16 AM
> To: fmpro at nxport.com
> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] ASCAP POLICY AT SUNDANCE
>
> This looks like it's half-hour acoustic guitar sets in
> a cafe/bar setting. I don't think it's an
> anti-composer shut-out policy, it's just a
> singer/songwriter based event. That's the target
> audience for this show. There's no Hip Hop, no
> Country, no Jazz, no Hard Rock, no Choral Music, no
> Electronica, no Latin, no Orchestral Composers etc...
>
> Pete
>
>
> --- Mark Holden <markholden at aol.com> wrote:
>> ASCAP POLICY AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
>>
>> I'd like to raise a topic that may be worthy of the
>> list's attention. ASCAP
>> is representing only songwriters at the upcoming
>> Sundance Film Festival
>> Cafe, basically shutting-out score composers.
>>
>>
> http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/sundance/2008/schedule.aspx
>>
>> I find this policy to be outrageous. To use money
>> and resources earned by
>> ALL the members of ASCAP to promote a single
>> classification of writer is as
>> wrong as it can be. And to exclude score composers
>> from special promotion at
>> a prestigious film festival is wholly bizarre!
>>
>> Filmmakers need BOTH song and score in the vast
>> majority of their
>> productions, so why push song exclusively? What is
>> the ASCAP leadership
>> thinking? It's like selling bacon at a rabbinical
>> convention-- it just don't
>> smell right.
>>
>> I submit it goes straight to the agenda of the
>> Bergman administration: to
>> MINIMIZE instrumental score. How do they do it?
>> Let's look at the evidence.
>> The usage weightings, the sponsorship of networking
>> groups, and the tracking
>> of performances through debacles such as MediaGuide
>> ARE ALL SONG-CENTRIC.
>> And that's just for starters...
>>
>> Look, I'm not anti-song. There are songs in my
>> catalog. I just want to know
>> why ASCAP policy is so slanted against SCORE. Is
>> there anyone else on this
>> list that feels that ASCAP should balance their
>> promotion of song and score
>> at Sundance and elsewhere?
>>
>> Please, let us have your opinions.
>>
>> Very best,
>>
>> Mark Holden
>>
>> BTW, I heard tonight from the head of BMI Media
>> Relations, Hanna Pantle, who
>> assures me that BMI is promoting songwriters and
>> composers in equal numbers
>> at Sundance.
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________ 
> ______
> ________
> Never miss a thing.  Make Yahoo your home page.
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
> _______________________________________________
> 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
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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