This past weekend, Flannista spent hours and hours listening to what is called, in the video and film business, "library music". "Library music" is very inexpensive music composed specifically for advertisements, corporate videos and film trailers.
Why pay $10,000 a year to use two minutes from the film score to Kenneth Braunaugh's "Henry V" when you can pay only $14 to use an inspiring and motivational original composition called "High as the Sky" or "Destiny" or "Hopeful Dreamer" or "Feel the Moment" or "Inspiring Children's Choir" or "Beautiful Cinematic Music" or "Journey to Greatness"? (I didn't make up any of those titles.)
Why pay $10,000 instead of $14? Because it's dirt cheap. But hear me now, people, when you buy dirt, you get what you pay for. Listening to this drivel has been like being stuck in an elevator all weekend . . . and I was listening to what is considered to be the "Cadillac" source of library music: audiojungle.
Just about the time I had given up -- after listening to the 30th song entitled, "Reflections" (which is the name of the video I'm producing) -- I came across a composer named "pinkzebra". Even on Cadillac library music websites composers are too embarrassed to use their real names. Pinkzebra turned out to have the least offensive compositions, meaning ones that sounded the least like what you'll hear when you enter hell.
Let's hope my client likes the cuts I've chosen because at this point, I am truly tune deaf.
Click on the link to audiojungle above and treat yourself to a couple of tunes. Share the titles and then challenge yourself to describe the music without using the words, "hope", "dream" or "crap".
Just listened to about 18 seconds of "Wonder of Life" by ranga_create on the audio jungle home page.
It's actually a couple of minutes long. I was afraid that if I listened to the whole thing, I'd fall asleep and miss my airport car service when it arrives.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 05:35 AM
Good morning, Flann. I think I'll pass on listening to audiojungle. Travel safe. I hope your favorite folks at the airline treat you with extra TLC today.
Posted by: treesta | February 05, 2013 at 05:40 AM
treesta -- I have to suffer alone?
I'm sitting in the US Airways Club, trying to figure out if I want to log more raw footage or read the morning paper. I think I shall choose the paper and then writing in my journal.
Can't wait to play the audiojungle cuts I chose for Mike.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 06:48 AM
Is it just me or does anyone else in the sassosphere agree that music can make the difference between an adequate video/film and a great one?
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 06:49 AM
I can attest to how bad some of the music was that I had listened to. Flann played several songs she liked, or I should say, tolerated. The "good" ones were acceptable, but I only listened to a handful. I did also listen to "bad" ones which were really bad.
I couldn't help but wonder how these people made money. $14 per purchase? You have to make a lot of sales at that price. I also wonder do these people have musical experience and/or musical training or just people who like to dabble. I do know I hope these people have other jobs.
Posted by: Matissta | February 05, 2013 at 07:07 AM
Matissta -- I read the "profiles" of some of these composers and have a hunch that a couple may be legitimate soundtrack composers in L.A. who post their rejects on sites such as these to make chump change.
I'm a little worried because I have a reputation for picking really stellar music for TRM "in-house" videos, but the person in charge of this video wants it to be "external-facing" (yeah, she uses that phrase all the time) which means I can't use music that has a copyright because her budget for music is about 100 bucks.
Nine years ago, TRM's company shelled out $50,000 to use four minutes from the "Henry V" soundtrack for five years. It was their on-hold music and was used in everything. Now I've been tasked to find music "just as good" that TRM's company can use for everything, but my budget is just 100 bucks. I can't wait to hear what they say about my fee for listening to hours and hours of this stuff. Seriously, it may have been cheaper to buy decent music.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 07:21 AM
Flann, I do hope you log and charge for every hour. They really do want a BMW product for Hyundai prices.
Posted by: treesta | February 05, 2013 at 07:24 AM
My analogy is that they always want Mercedes products for Buick prices, but your analogy works just as well, treesta.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 07:55 AM
I like some of the sound effects better than the music. I think if I were on TRM's board and someone told me we had just spent $ 50,000 for our on hold music, I might object. Then again, 9 years ago, there was a lot of corporate spending on silly things. Still is, but not to the same degree.
My favorite is the explosion track. I think it would be perfect.
Posted by: nowayasista | February 05, 2013 at 08:22 AM
Favorite = "Tuba Across the River"
Least favorite= Everything else I listened to.
You have my deepest sympathies, really. Do you think they are trying to force you to quit by making it impossible for you to do quality work ... and by making you suffer? It's a real question.
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 05, 2013 at 09:24 AM
Finally in the studio with Mike. Just read this post to him. He said, "Sorry you had to listen to all of that".
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 01:03 PM
PEACE -- you may be onto something.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 01:04 PM
Yup ... and only $11, so you'll come in under budget!
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 05, 2013 at 01:17 PM
(Only, I suspect that you were referring to the forcing you to quit part.)
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 05, 2013 at 01:19 PM
Mike just listened to the music tracks I selected (13 of them) and said, "Good job. I don't know how you did it, but you found some good tracks."
I don't know whether or not to be flattered.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 02:37 PM
From Mike, be flattered.
Posted by: treesta | February 05, 2013 at 06:02 PM
Thanks, treesta.
Mike showed me how these composers basically write one melody and then add different "instruments" and change the title. It's a racket -- and sounds like one.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 07:26 PM
Wanted to address noway's concern about the "expense" of good music.
Remember how perfect the Higgs Boson music was for that Physics video Mike and I did? It was a real coup that we obtained that music for free.
Because more and more of us hate to read, more and more companies are investing in the "sonification" of their brand, so consumers can instantly "hear" the brand and not have to read a syllable. No one answered a question I asked earlier, but I think music can make or break a video/film. That is probably why I have about 350 complete soundtracks in my iTunes Library.
Posted by: Flannista | February 05, 2013 at 07:31 PM
Unfortunately, making it work means that you are likely to be listening to a lot of crap music for future videos, too. Sorry. On the brighter side, you are helping to support the unknown musicians of the world, as opposed to the already famous ones ... and that is a benefit.
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 05, 2013 at 08:30 PM
You are grossly underpaid. But you knew that. Seriously, as bad as the music was, hearing "audiojungle" in the same voice repeatedly may haunt me in my sleep.
Not only do I think music can make or break a film, I know it can make or break a commercial. Obviously some companies are forking out huge bucks for that even today (example: several Super Bowl commercials, particularly Mercedes Benz). My son asked me to scour the internet recently to find the music to a commercial (turns out it was "30 Violin Orchestra" by Jorge Quintero), also used in numerous clips on youtube, like "Hardest Hits in Football" which is probably why he liked it so much.
Anyway, as always, you pull the rabbit out of the hat, Flann!
Posted by: babysis | February 05, 2013 at 10:17 PM
Thanks, babysis. I'll have to look up that "30 Violin Orchestra". But your comment reminded me of "Diamond Music" -- remember this tune? Some jewelry company paid big bucks to use this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-X_J36zxeg
Posted by: Flannista | February 06, 2013 at 04:46 AM
That would be "300 Violin Orchestra", babysis . . . not "30". Makes a big difference I guess. And thanks, because I'm very tempted to use this music as the "on-hold" music for TRM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCebJodm0lY
As soon as I started playing the above link, I thought of the movie "300" and the phrase, "Tomorrow, we dine in hell". Last weekend, I listened in hell.
Posted by: Flannista | February 06, 2013 at 04:49 AM
Dogs and cats can be incredibly destructive when they are bored or scared. We have seen many examples in our years of pet ownership, including: the cats tipping over the flour canister on the kitchen counter and tracking it all over the house; the cats finding my yarn supply and turning our two-story duplex into a giant spiderweb; the dog, tearing out the screens and storm windows on the house trying to get back in during a thunderstorm.
Of course, children can be incredibly destructive, too, as when throwing the football, or wrestling, in the living room and like cats it is usually just to have some fun. My children have destroyed more furniture, artwork and collectibles than the pets have.
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 06, 2013 at 10:06 AM