Film composers make music for pictures. The Screen Composers Guild of Canada members are a diverse group, working in a wide range of styles to communicate ideas, touch hearts, and stir souls.
The SCGC is committed to enhancing the relationship between composers and producers, and this web site is one example. You’ll find it has all kinds of useful information, including ways to help you find a composer, and a Model Contract.
A Word about Copyright:
Composers are like screenwriters: their work creates something new, which generates copyright (there’s more about this in our Model Contract). Composer Agreements provide licenses and assign rights to producers so that they can develop and distribute their product, while assuring composers access to royalties and new use income.
6 THINGS THAT EVERY PRODUCER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WORKING WITH A COMPOSER!
What do I need in order to use somebody’s music in my film?
To use songs or score in a film, you need a master use license and a synchronization license. A master use license gives you permission to use the actual recording of a song or composition/ while a ‘sync’ license gives you permission to use the intellectual property (the songs or score) in conjunction with film, television, or new media. The SCGC Model Agreement (available under ‘Resources’ link) contains both of these in one comprehensive document. It is a great starting point that can help both you and your composer get the best value for your music budget, minimizing (and often avoiding) expensive legal fees.
What are the advantages of hiring a composer to create a custom score over licensing existing music?
A custom score offers a filmmaker the best chance of getting just the right emotion, nuance and musical highlighting – scene after scene. Custom score can rapidly adapt to dramatic changes, which is difficult to achieve with preexisting music tracks. It also reduces the administrative burden on a producer, providing one point of contact for music clearance. Hiring a composer can often be more cost effective and less restrictive than licensing music.
What do I need to know about music to communicate with composer?
Contrary to popular belief, filmmakers do not need to know a special musical language to communicate with a composer. In fact, most composers would prefer producers and directors not use musical terminology, but rather, speak in emotional terms in order to communicate their ideas about the film, and how they think music might enhance it. It is part of a composer’s training to interpret these directions and compose music accordingly.
How does the music get delivered to my film mix? And does a composer do any additional sound work in a film?
It is the composer’s |ob to provide you with final, production quality audio files of their score as per your specifications, or those of your sound mixing studio. However, unless there’s a special arrangement between a producer and composer, it is not in the composer’s job description to do further sound work such as sound design, music editing, creation of “source” music, ADR, film mixing, etc.
What is a music cue sheet?
A music cue sheet lists all the music used in a production, including the original score created by your composer and any licensed songs. Any distributor or broadcaster, as well as your composer, will require its completion and filing. Your composer can help you in filling out (and filing) the cue sheet, to make sure it is done correctly. A cue sheet is instrumental to the tracking of performance rights royalties in connection with a score. Any performance royalties that may accrue to the score from broadcast are paid by the broadcaster or exhibitor, NOT the producer.
Where can I find additional information?
The Screen Composers Guild of Canada offers a number of resources to filmmakers.
In addition to the SCGC Model Agreement, a composers’ directory is available and searchable by musical specialty, location, and even citizenship – helpful for co-productions.
This database is designed to help filmmakers find the right composer for their project, and often has links to individual composers’ websites with samples of their work.
SOCAN (Canada’s performance rights organization) can also provide valuable assistance in filling out music cue sheets. Their website is: socan.ca