Composing

Film music is an art form that demands meticulous craftsmanship. From the initial spark of inspiration to the final polished product, the process is a labor of love, requiring countless hours of writing, scoring, recording, mixing, and mastering. This significant investment often places high-quality...

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Licensing as a Solution

This is where music libraries like Pond5 offer a valuable solution. With a rigorous selection process for composers and stringent quality control measures for every track, Pond5 provides access to a diverse range of high-quality music at accessible prices. You can license tracks for as little as £5, offering flexibility for various budgets.

Discover a World of Sound

Within the Pond5 library, you'll find an extensive collection of music spanning every imaginable genre, including those orchestral scores that can be prohibitively expensive to produce in-house.

A Note on Origin

Many of the tracks available on my Pond5 profile were originally composed for other independent projects that allowed for their subsequent licensing in music libraries. This ensures that you're not only acquiring high-quality music but also supporting the continued creation of original scores.

Choosing the Right Music

In a future post, I'll delve deeper into the art of selecting the right music for your film. We'll explore how to choose music that enhances the narrative, creates the desired mood, and seamlessly integrates with the visuals. We'll also discuss the importance of knowing when not to use music, allowing for moments of silence and letting the visuals speak for themselves.

I hope this post provides valuable insights for filmmakers seeking to enhance their projects with impactful music.

https://www.pond5.com/artist/hannahwoolmer?ref=hannahwoolmer

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.

Maurice Vaughan

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- Geoff Hall
3 days ago

Excellent music portfolio, Sergei Kondrashov! I like that you used a range of music.

James Doane

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- Geoff Hall
- Maurice Vaughan
3 days ago

Nice work Sergei Kondrashov

Geoff Hall

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- Maurice Vaughan
3 days ago

Sergei Kondrashov yeah, Maurice Vaughan I love that too. Sergei is actively seeking Producers who need a composer for their films. As you can see, they’d be in good hands!...

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Sergei Kondrashov

Thank you, colleagues, I'm very happy.

You're welcome, Sergei Kondrashov.

Sam Sokolow

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- Maurice Vaughan
7 days ago

I miss seeing the Oscor nominated songs performed - it's a highlight. After last night's Grammys, which were so cool IMO, perhaps they can do a medly like we saw with the New Artists category performe...

Ashley Renee Smith

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- Maurice Vaughan
4 days ago

Agreed, Sam Sokolow! The performances of the Best Original Song nominees have always been a highlight of the Oscars for me too! These songs are an essential part of the films they represent, and showc...

Kerry Kennard

I like how he wrote about creating Uncertainty-

Def an idea how to create this mood / emotion.

/-/

That uncertainty is trickier to create than it might seem. Bertelmann’s score balances imperious cla...

6 days ago

I'm looking forward to seeing THE WILD ROBOT, Pat Alexander! Kris Bowers said in the article, "“I always watch a film many times before I write anything." Do you do the same thing, composers?...

Linwood Bell

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- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Another option is to move to a Mac then you could use AU and be done with it. Or export the midi and do your realization in your DAW. It's more flexible anyway. I know it's not what you want to hear, but that is the fix.

Joel Irwin

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2 people like this
- Kerry Kennard
- Maurice Vaughan
1 week ago

Here is the Avid response I received this morning:

"While some VSTI are supported, VST3 is not. We hope to see support in the future but are not sure that it will be this year."

As far as Apple... Back...

I know what you mean. I spent $5.6k on a Mac Studio two weeks ago. Before that I was working on an intel iMac that I paid maybe $2.7k for and it worked perfectly for 5 years doing this stuff. It ran S...

This is what I found out from a search now on Dorico - VST 2.

https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/206899770-How-to-use-V......

I' not really using Sib. 7.5 anymore; I made the leap at beg. of the Dorico announcement, and I'm able to use NI 11 +, and other 3rd party software: Enbertone strings, and Spitfire programs. Wow, lear...

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2 weeks ago

Hannah Woolmer, thanks for sharing! This is such an important conversation for filmmakers, especially those working with tight budgets. Film music is absolutely an art form, and a great score can elev...

Hannah Woolmer

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- Sam Sokolow
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

I'd also like to add that there are some very good free licensing sites out there. I think they are definitely a good choice when you're on a budget, obviously you get what you pay for and you may hav...

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2 people like this
- Hannah Woolmer
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

In practical terms, to me, music - score, stings, songs - remains the cornerstone of how to "tell your audience what to feel and when", as a composer once said to me. If you have the budget for an ori...

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4 people like this
5 months ago

It's been the music business for me since I was 13. It's all I've ever done.

Jeff Briggs

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2 people like this
- Sam Sokolow
- Maurice Vaughan
4 months ago

Joel Irwin Would it be fair to say that if you do what you love and can get paid for it, it's a business and if you do what you love but don't get paid for it, it's a hobby? Regardless, if any musicia...

Hence the LLC I set up a few years ago! :~). www.kerrykennard.com - I have two gigs this weekend and had a friend / client pay for the percussion recording this week. First inquiry for Conga lessons c...

Mark Pilligreen

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

Business can be such a creative journey, right? Just like in this artwork, it’s all about finding those unique opportunities and looking at things from a fresh angle. Real estate, for example, isn’t j...

Perhaps if you're somewhere in between you could call it a career

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- Leonardo Ramirez
- Maurice Vaughan
3 weeks ago

Amanda Toney, what a great reminder that even legends like Williams started somewhere—learning, experimenting, and growing along the way.

Leonardo Ramirez

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- Maurice Vaughan
3 weeks ago

Love this. It was John Williams got me interested in composing initially but because of "The Asteroid Field" that pushed me over the cliff into writing.

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- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

I will always love the theme to Schindler's List and interestingly, that is the score that I've had Directors time and time again use as a temp track for films when we are spotting the film

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1 month ago

Hannah Woolmer I listened to I Dream In Photos today. Loved it! Thanks for the share. :)

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2 people like this
- Hannah Woolmer
- Maurice Vaughan
3 weeks ago

Hannah Woolmer, Anna Rice's passion and dedication to her craft really shine through, and it's amazing to see her hard work recognized with the Camille Award. Her journey is a great reminder of the pe...

Ashley Renee Smith She's so inspirational

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Top Contributors

CRAFT AND BUSINESS

GENERAL DISCUSSION

PROMOTION