如何开展电影配乐第一步——》
The phone rings: It's the call you've been anticipating for years. The job you've been chasing, a feature film scoring assignment, your first, is yours. There's a rush of excitement, a flood of visions of successes to come in the future and all the perks that go with them, then the cold realization: "I've got a very important job to do in just four weeks. I've composed plenty of music but I've never scored a film. Many of the tasks that lie ahead, particularly those that are associated with producing the score, are critical to the end result and are new to me. I have very little time to learn. Where do I start?"
The little drama described above is actually a very common scenario. Some of the problems presented by this situation can be avoided by simply preparing for this day before it arrives. Compile a database of resources you may need when you get film scoring assignments. This can be very helpful.
When faced with an actual job, however, the decisions you make will be based on the project at hand and won't necessarily conform to the lists you've compiled. Since each film has its own requirements, its own special kind of energy and peculiarities, there is no formula you can use to prepare for production. However, there are questions you can ask yourself to get the ball rolling and develop your production plan.
If your gig is a major studio production, then you won't have to deal with most of the questions that this article presents, as most production decisions will be made for you, leaving you free to concentrate on writing. However, if your first gig is a low to medium budget independent film as most are apt to be, then you most likely will be on your own. My thought in writing this article is give some ideas about the right questions to ask yourself when you are new at the game, so that you can begin your project with a sound production plan and feel some confidence in your direction.
The following are some basic questions to ask yourself, questions with some notes about their significance.
1. "Have I seen the film and talked with the director and/or producer?"
Clearly you can't begin to conceive your score and its production without knowledge of the film your music will support and without knowing what the filmmakers want or what thoughts they may have about music. Starting your plans without the above may lead you in a wrong direction, and time is of the essence.
2. "What kind of score does the film need, based on my reaction and the input from the filmmaking team?"
Answer this first question assuming you had the resources to do whatever it required with no limitations. If you consider this question without jumping ahead to budget and other possible limitations, you will open up the best of your creativity.
3. "What is the budget I have to work with?"
Now the reality sets in. You need to know this figure so that you can plan the practical aspects of the production. If you have a "package deal" wherein you have a sum of money to produce the score and pay yourself what's left, you need to decide how much you will take for yourself and how much you will spend on production costs.
4. "Keeping my vision of the ideal score for this film and the input that I've gotten from the filmmakers, what can I do with the budget I have?"
Can you:
Do the ideal score with the ideal instrumentation?
A combination of acoustic and electronic instrumentation which gets close to the ideal?
An electronic simulation with high quality samples and expert engineering?
Or do you make the most of your own studio and your own engineering?
5. "What kind of research do I need to do to make production decisions?"
This could range from looking at music from various periods and places to gathering ethnic instrumentation and players or samples that you'll need for this purpose.
6. "On what format do I need to deliver the finished score?"
Delivery requirements vary these days from hard disc formats like Pro Tools, to DA88, to DAT, to CD. It's important to work with this in mind from the beginning so you'll have what you need at the final mix of the music and know about compatibilities all along the way.
Now that you've made these critical decisions, we go to the questions that result from your answers:
7. "Given the kind of score I've decided on, what musicians and/or instruments do I need, and where do I find them?"
Musicians can be found in Musicians Union Directory books but it's best to use players whose abilities you know or to get recommendations from experienced people you know and trust. Instruments can be purchased or rented, if needed, for a short period of time. It's good to have sources of rental in your database.
8. "What kind of studio and engineer do I need to record the ensemble I've chosen?"
If you're going to record an acoustic ensemble, you need a studio with an appropriate recording room of adequate size. If you are going to record electronic instruments you need a room which has the instruments you need or enough space and inputs to the console to accommodate the instruments you bring in. The studio must have the the equipment to mix to the format on which you are required to deliver. If you need to show your work to the director or producer, the studio must have the the ability to synchronize your music with picture and an adequate monitor to view the film. Also, if your budget permits, it's very helpful to have an engineer that is as dedicated to his craft as you are to your composing, and with a good deal of professional experience.
9. What other services do I need?
If you're hiring musicians you may want the help of a contractor to find good players and to deal with union contracts and payroll.
If you are writing for an acoustic ensemble you may want a music copyist to copy parts for the players out of your score and catch mistakes which can waste valuable session time.
Do you want an assistant to help out with a myriad of tasks that will free you to spend more of your time writing and help out at the sessions?
Obviously, no list such as this can present all the questions you may face, as every project is different. So keep in mind that you must be prepared to face the unexpected and be the solution to many to the musical challenges which are presented. Often, if you deal with question number one first and then sit down and begin to write before you move on to question two, many of the subsequent questions will be easier to answer. As the score begins to take shape in your mind, you can clarify your direction by answering the questions on the list.
I hope you find this useful. Let me know if it helps.