Composing

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Linwood Bell

Composer

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1 week ago

First violin performance in space

https://www.thestrad.com/news/video-first-violin-performance-in-space/18...

Linwood Bell

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4 people like this
1 week ago

What's the gig pay?

Ashley Renee Smith

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
6 days ago

Absolutely incredible!

Brandy Camille

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
5 hours ago

Linwood Bell questions that need answers lol that's incredible!

Maurice Vaughan

Screenwriter, Other

posted in Composing Sign in to subscribe

1 week ago

How to Make The Director & Film Composer Collaboration Sing

In today’s blog, Elena Maro shares incredible tips and thoughts on how to make a director-composer collaboration work well. Elena is an experienced Film and Television Composer. She composed music for “One of Us,” “Tell It Like a Woman,” and more.

www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-make-the-director-film-co...

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Kerry Kennard

2
2 people like this
- Ashley Renee Smith
- Maurice Vaughan
6 days ago

I’ve met and emailed Elena! She does have great advice as well as has done a lot in the Composing community/ industry.

Maurice Vaughan

1
1 person likes this
- Ashley Renee Smith
6 days ago

You're right, Kerry Kennard. Elena has great advice! I always learn things from her blogs and posts.

Navid Lancaster

Works at Stage32 Brand Ambassador / Stage32 Lounge Moderator (Composer Lounge) ♦ Music Composer, Sound Designer, Musician

posted in Composing Sign in to subscribe

1 week ago

Premiered last night on YouTube!!

Aneela Maraj Wallace interviews me about Film Music and Sound Design for her show Aneela's M.I.C

I give advice and relate some life experiences as well. Stage 32 gets a lot of love in this interview.

Video by GNK MEDIA (Ghanesh Kolai) and recorded at Opa Live Lounge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C...

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Kerry Kennard

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2 people like this
- Maurice Vaughan
- Navid Lancaster
1 week ago

Congrats! Thanks for sharing.

Maurice Vaughan

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1 person likes this
- Navid Lancaster
1 week ago

Congratulations on the interview, Navid Lancaster! Incredible interview filled with advice and insight! You said, "A woman can be telling a guy 'I love you' and the music is saying something different...

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Navid Lancaster

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Kerry Kennard Thank you so much.

Navid Lancaster

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Maurice Vaughan Thank you so much. It was a long interview but that gave me enough time to state a few things. Happy how it turned out.

Maurice Vaughan

1
1 person likes this
- Navid Lancaster
1 week ago

You're welcome, Navid Lancaster. Love that you showed Stage 32 love in your interview. I subscribed to Aneela's channel to check out more videos.

Linwood Bell

Composer

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3 weeks ago

Your Workspace

Last week I rearranged my studio. I bought a new desk from Buso Audio and it sure is more comfortable in here. Really happy with it. Join in and share a photo of your space. We can talk gear. :)

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Linwood Bell

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2 people like this
- Kerry Kennard
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Ashley Renee Smith That's a nice room to sit back and create in. You sound like me. I'm in here all day, grab dinner, take Rosie for a walk, and then I'm back til 8. Then off to Netflix/Hulu; rinse/re...

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Kerry Kennard

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Ashley Renee Smith - what kind of Light Strands or lights ? In this studio room, it's only the Florescent bulbs. Maybe it would help me to be more creative in this space writing music. I know I had a...

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Ashley Renee Smith

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Kerry Kennard, just basic LED light strands- https://www.amazon.com/Minetom-Waterproof-Included-Christmas-Decoration/......

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Kerry Kennard

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Hmm - are they really a nice warmth added to the room, Ashley Renee Smith ?

Ashley Renee Smith

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

For me, they're perfect Kerry Kennard! But I think it depends on how many strands you get and how big of a room it is to suit your preferences.

Joel Irwin

Music Composer

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1 week ago

Parts or Whole

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I recently participated in my 11th year of scoring a film for the 168 film festival in Atlanta last weekend. I scored a film called "The Offer'. I was also asked to score a second film called, "Counted" but the film was still being worked on the night before the deadline and never locked and so I ended up not scoring it. Instead, the filmmaker/producer wrote a song, sung it in a studio and had it formally produced. Then in addition to using the song intact, the editor used parts of the song scattered throughout the film.

There were 45 film entries. My score was not nominated. Not only was the music for "Counted" nominated, but "Counted" won multiple awards (not score) including best film at the festival.

That was story 1. Now last year (same festival), I scored a film called "Flatline". The film was fully scored the night before with the film totally locked. Then sometime late the night before the deadline they unlocked the film and redid multiple scenes. My stated policy going into the gig was that I would not release the music as a single WAV file until the final score was approved and used as is (and not broken into parts). As a result I apparently angered the director who decided to release/submit the film without any music in it.

The agreements/contracts for the films for the 168 festival are not 'work for hire' and do not grant the filmmakers the rights to do whatever they want with the music. These are shorts that are scored for free and are not features. My views then and still is that if it is not a work for hire and I am scoring for free, I retain ownership of the music and once the filmmaker approves the music, I can ask the editor to place the music (which is a single wav file) on a separate track starting at 0m0s. If it is a work for hire and I am being paid, then they are welcome to include any clause they want in the contract including their right if they so choose, to use parts of the score anywhere they want in the film.

I can see both sides of this issue. But I currently feel that if I am asked to score to their spec (typically a cuesheet with cues some of which have temp tracks) and am approved doing so, then the filmmaker has a level of trust in my professionalism and artistry that I know how to create the proper cues in the correct places in the film.

Both approaches in my opinion are legitimate. Of the 40 some odd films I have scored (35 of which released), only 2 were not because either (1) I would not let the music be used in parts or (2) I would not release a WAV file of the score until the film was locked and the full score was reviewed and approved.

Kerry Kennard

2
2 people like this
- Ashley Renee Smith
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Does the Director write the work for Hire most of the time, Joel ?

I read the first one is Atlanta. Are you close to this area ? I heard Atlanta has a good film industry.

I’m in Ohio and there’s a few...

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Joel Irwin

Music Composer

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1 week ago

Is it a hobby or a business

Here is one definition of a hobby: "A hobby is a pastime or leisure activity conducted in your spare time for recreation or pleasure."

Here is another possible definition from webster: "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation"

Or perhaps this one: "what defines...

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Here is one definition of a hobby: "A hobby is a pastime or leisure activity conducted in your spare time for recreation or pleasure."

Here is another possible definition from webster: "a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation"

Or perhaps this one: "what defines a hobby? A hobby is any activity that a person pursues because they enjoy it and with no intention of making a profit."

And from the anals of the IRS:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/heres-how-to-tell-the-difference-between-a-....

So as a composer or musician, are you doing it as a hobby or a business? And if you are creating or performing music without any intent of making money (or a profit), is it a hobby or a business.

And to complicate things, let's add the word 'retirement'. If you retire from a primary profession which is not music and now you are film composer or musician - are you doing it as a hobby or business? Or perhaps your being 'retired' has no impact on your status as a hobbyist or businessman.

So you may ask, "Who cares what you call it". Here are perhaps at least two reasons:

1. Perhaps (maybe not), if a filmmaker is considering hiring you to score and learns that you score for free or significantly reduced cost, that you may not be serious about the composing profession. They may judge you as a hobbyist who is seriously less qualified than a composing professional who gets paid.

2. In the U.S. (and perhaps other countries), you need to declare your 'intent' with the taxing authorities - if it is a business, you will need to agree to and adhere to a set of operating rules (especially if you don't work alone).

I have scored 35 films and 'retired' from my previous profession (my doctoral work was in Technology - Artificial Intelligence back in the 1970s) in 2003. I have only been paid for one film. I consider myself a composing professional for the last 21 years (not retired, not a hobbyist) and I have filed my composing as a business on my tax returns each year.

Here's how to tell the difference between a hobby and a business for tax purposes | Internal Revenue Service

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/heres-how-to-tell-the-difference-between-a-hobby-and-a-business-for-tax-purposes

IRS Tax Tip 2022-57, April 13, 2022 A hobby is any activity that a person pursues because they enjoy it and with no intention of making a profit. People operate a business with the intention of making…

Kerry Kennard

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2 people like this
- Ashley Renee Smith
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Making a change to increase Profit resonates with me. It is a fact in business to change products to increase Revenue and Profit.

When I worked at Lowe’s, there were always certain paint item changes...

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Joel Irwin

Music Composer

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1 week ago

Pay Attention To The Temp Track

A couple of days ago, I heard a talk by an established and experienced composer, Carlos Rivera who has won 3 prime time emmys whose scores include Queens Gambit and Hacks. He talks about being asked to score a 20 second clip and provided with a temp track (which by the way came from the opening of...

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Sydney Summers

Marketing at Stage 32 ♦

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2 weeks ago

Learn from an Award-Winning Composer who’s worked with Ridley Scott, John Woo & Chris Columbus!

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Licensing existing music into a film is often more complicated than a lot of people realize. From choosing the correct song, types of music you can access, rights needed and even the fees commanded there are a lot of considerations to be made if you want to include music in a film. This webinar aims to clear up some of the confusion, delve into how music synchronization works and offer practical solutions and best practices for filmmakers.

The first challenge is to understand the types of music you can access & the rights you need to obtain to use it. This relates not just to the rights and terms you need for your film but also how the rights of the song are broken down and who you need to approach for these. It’s important to understand what affects how much you pay for a song, the differences between licensing for in film and trailer/promotional use; the more a filmmaker knows about what to expect the easier you’ll find the licensing conversations and allow you to make the best and most budget-efficient decisions for your film.

To guide you on your way is Sefi Carmel who is an award winning composer, sound designer, dubbing mixer and film producer. He has been creating soundtracks for films, TV, commercials and games for over 3 decades and has worked on A list Hollywood feature films with the likes of Ridley Scott, John Woo, Chris Columbus, Cameron Macintosh, and Kevin Reynolds; to mixing, remixing and mastering tracks for David Bowie, Phil Collins, Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, Massive Attack, BB king and many more. He has enjoyed success creating scores and soundtracks for Netflix, Amazon, Disney, UIP, Buena Vista,, Scott Free, BBC, MTV, ITV, National Geographic, Discovery, Sky, Five, Channel 4, and many more. His deep knowledge of music production and rights management will provide you with a thorough understanding of music licensing, whether you're new to the field or seeking to deepen your expertise.

Email edu@stage32.com with any questions!

Kerry Kennard

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Sydney Summers - thank you for the information about this webinar / class.

In this section - Hiring the Right Team

What’s the difference between a sound designer and Composer?

is the sound designer mor...

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Sydney Summers

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2 people like this
- Kerry Kennard
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Wonderful questions Kenny!!

Navid Lancaster

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Cool!! Ready to rock with this one. Webinar comes just in time too.

Navid Lancaster

Works at Stage32 Brand Ambassador / Stage32 Lounge Moderator (Composer Lounge) ♦ Music Composer, Sound Designer, Musician

posted in Composing Sign in to subscribe

2 weeks ago

Music notation software and macOS Sequoia [updated]

Latest update from Scoring Notes

https://www.scoringnotes.com/news/music-notation-software-and-macos-sequ...

Music notation software and macOS Sequoia [updated] - Scoring Notes

https://www.scoringnotes.com/news/music-notation-software-and-macos-sequoia/

How Sibelius, Finale, Dorico, MuseScore Studio, and Notion are faring on Apple's Sequoia operating system.

Kerry Kennard

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Yep - I’m definitely waiting!

Computer and Musix Apps are working fine !

Kerry Kennard

Percussionist / Composer / Stage 32 Moderator (Composing Lounge Moderator @ Stage 32) - Percussion Teacher at Kennard Music ♦ Music Composer, Music Editor, Musician, Audio Post-Production, Composer, Sound Mixer, Sound Designer, Sound Editor

posted in Composing Sign in to subscribe

4 weeks ago

Film Dayton info. / Letter to Agreement

In our local OH group, there’s this good news about work / Film in the area. !!

Any advice when pitching for composing /

Audio editing work?

I’ve done a few letters to Mandy, though I never hear anything back from this organization / yet.

- - -

Filmscience was awarded $4,053,423 in the latest round of...

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Kerry Kennard

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Nothing huh ? I applied anyways !! Wish me luck and hope I hear something back.

Maurice Vaughan

1
1 person likes this
- Kerry Kennard
2 weeks ago

Hope you hear back and it's great news, Kerry Kennard!

Sam Sokolow

Producer

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4 weeks ago

WHIPLASH with a live orchestra

Wow! I've seen a few films screened with live orchestras and it's always so cool... I bet this one is going to be amazing. The drummers have just a little work cut out for them. https://variety.com/2024/film/news/whiplash-live-jazz-band-screenings-be......

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'Whiplash' to Screen With Live Jazz Band Led by Justin Hurwitz at Beverly Hills Concerts (EXCLUSIVE)

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/whiplash-live-jazz-band-screenings-beverly-hills-1236128141/

'Whiplash' will screen alongside an 18-piece jazz band led by Justin Hurwitz on two nights at Beverly Hills' Saban Theatre.

Ashley Renee Smith

2
2 people like this
- Sam Sokolow
- Maurice Vaughan
3 weeks ago

I'm so jealous that I can't be there to attend! This would be an INCREDIBLE one to experience with a live orchestra!

Kerry Kennard

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Nice - new movie out !

I saw the first one.

Yes - Strings would add a lot !

Sam Sokolow

Producer

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2 weeks ago

Classic Catalog Deals

Do you think deals like this are good in the sense that this classic music becomes more available for films & TV shows or not? Would love your thoughts. Thanks. https://variety.com/2024/music/news/pink-floyd-sell-catalog-to-sony-musi......

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Is Pink Floyd About to Sell Its Catalog to Sony Music for Half a Billion Dollars?

https://variety.com/2024/music/news/pink-floyd-sell-catalog-to-sony-music-half-a-billion-dollars-1236143692/

Pink Floyd's catalog has long been for sale, but Roger Waters' anti-Israel comments have scared off many suitors. Is Sony about to pay $500 million?

John January Noble

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

yes, always...classical music improves films

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