Part 3 of the ongoing series Assisting Composers.

The recording sessions are arguably the most fun and enjoyable part of working for a composer, but they are also the most critical, the most detailed, and the most expensive and therefore the most stressful parts of the process. Assistants should always be extremely delicate and mindful in the weeks leading up to and during the record sessions.

A critical stage

To give an example, for a large orchestra session on a big movie in Los Angeles, every second that passes by could cost as much as $15, or even more… that’s the price of two combos and a Happy Meal… every second! So imagine if there’s an error as small as a wrong note in the 3rd french horn part. Even if it is found quickly and corrected, the amount of time taken to make the orchestra, engineer, conductor, and all the recording staff wait to fix the error might be as expensive as feeding a hungry football team.

“The recording session is also the time where the composer must “perform” by making decisions, listening critically, entertaining clients, directing the staff, and being the rock star.”
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The recording session is also the time where the composer must “perform” by making decisions, listening critically, entertaining clients, directing the staff, and being the rock star in front of dozens of talented and highly skilled people. He/she should not be compromised by little problems and errors that could have been fixed well before the recording dates.

The importance of taking notes

Thus a tiny problem that hadn’t been addressed can run the risk of catastrophe when all the big players are present in the room. For example, the orchestra is rolling along and between takes, the director quietly says to the composer, “Ohh, I remember this cue from our meeting. Didn’t we say it would be great to have the brass play all those hits on screen?” Then the composer says, “Yes of course! Let’s add those brass hits!” Meanwhile, the orchestrators, conductors, and brass players are scratching their heads, looking at empty measures because while the assistant was taking notes at the meeting 5 months prior, he/she didn’t put that request into the change notes.

This is a completely hypothetical case, but things like this happen all the time and they are things that the experienced assistant would likely be able to prevent. So how does one get into that problem prevention frame of mind? Take notes, record every meeting (in a way that is acceptable by the composer and all outside parties), and review/debrief those notes and minutes very carefully, without missing a beat. It’s not enough to only refer back to hand-written notes.

Understanding the composer

For all assistants, regardless of the specialty, big problems can still exist completely unrelated to the music or tech stuff. These issues could be through miscommunication, the composer not knowing some key information, failure to meet a deadline, sending wrong information, breaching a non-disclosure agreement, or anything that puts the composer in a bad light (especially in the eyes of the clients). These are things that you must do everything you can to avoid because jobs or careers, including yours, could be on the line.

“It is most definitely possible to get to a point where you can smell things coming and help the composer stop anything bad well before it happens.”
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The sooner you understand the personal dynamics of the composer, like what makes him/her tick professionally, emotionally, artistically, the better shape you’ll be in to prevent problems. It takes months, sometimes years, but it is most definitely possible to get to a point where you can smell things coming and help the composer stop anything bad well before it happens. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t achieve this right away. If the composer recognizes that you’re making strides to get there and you’re at least preventing some of the issues while maintaining a positive attitude, your job should be safe.

Mistakes happen

No matter how prepared you are, mistakes will happen and because no human can possibly prevent every bad thing, there will come a time where a big problem surfaces. How you handle it when it happens will demonstrate a lot of your professionalism and character. Here’s something to remember: while your job is often critical to the success of the studio, the composer’s job is always the most critical and he/she should be leading all efforts to prevent disasters including educating you on past problems and how they were addressed as well as guiding you through the present and letting you know how you’re performing. You should never feel like you’ve been backed into a corner and have to solve your way out of it alone.

The next topic

The aforementioned guidebook, Assisting the Composer, has more on this and how to handle many other the tough situations one might encounter. Make sure you check the next chapter of this series: Keep Your Career Moving Forward Without Burning a Bridge.

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Depending on the budget of a film, editors are sometimes released from their contracts right after picture lock which in my opinion is a false economy. No one knows the film better because we deal with every frame, every sound track,  every VFX comp,  every piece of source music, every credit etc etc etc. We are sometimes asked back for the mix so here are some suggestions.

Attend Music Recording Sessions

As an editor, I think it’s important to attend the music recording sessions. It’s the only time you will hear the score in it’s full glory. It is featured with the silent film and allows the editor to watch the film with a different perspective. The music is pure, without dialogue or SFX so it allows the editor to protect the composer’s vision in the final mix.

In Alex Heffes’ beautiful score for Hope Gap, the final cue had amazing cellos under the piano that were not shining through in the mix so I asked to raise and feature them more which boosted the emotion. Since cellos are low sounding instruments, increasing the levels didn’t feel forced or sentimental, just incredibly emotional.

Vary the Sound

Obviously, sound is very important but the absence of sound can also be powerful so you have to measure when to drop it and allow the pictures to reveal the story and create tension. In the final mix, it’s important to vary the sound of the film to keep it fresh and exciting, sometimes feature only music, sometimes champion the sound effects, sometimes crank the sound up to eleven. Suggest ideas that showcase the best from every department which allows the film to be original and the strongest version possible.

“sound is very important but the absence of sound can also be powerful”
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Collaborate with Composers

We used classical music as our temp in the opening of Regeneration but Mychael Danna’s score blew us away because it was a revelation. Mychael used sparse and occasional Base Drums over the one minute opening shot like explosions … boom … Boom … BOOM!

Mychael is not only a composer but a film-maker, always thinking about the narrative, characters and emotion. His score helped to set the tone and enhance the opening. He made space for gunfire, the occasional shout from an injured soldier writhing in pain, an occasional crow, and the desolate atmospheres. Mychael worked in perfect harmony with the sound design.

Besides Mychael’s talent, he makes intelligent choices and collaborates closely with the director and editor. On one occasion, he asked if I could make a little more space for the score which really enhanced the emotion in a montage. The key is to collaborate and be receptive to suggestions and ideas that elevate the film.

Trust the Composer

When I edited the TV thriller Falling For You, the score arrived during the mix and it was one frame out of sync so we moved it down. When the composer Jonathan Goldsmith arrived he pointed out that it was meant to be one frame earlier. When we moved the score into the intended position, the film became scarier because the music anticipated the edits which was disconcerting, making the audience jump at the cuts, elevating the suspense and overall effect of the film.

Consider Dropping Cues

Most composers write more music than is necessary which is great because you have options in the mix. If a scene, especially a dialogue scene works well without music, I prefer to drop the score.

In A Very English Scandal, there was score when Hugh Grant’s character describes what it’s like being a gay man in the 60’s but we dropped it in the final mix. Hearing Hugh’s very important admission, performed in such a brilliant way felt more emotional and dramatic without score.

Every film is different but unless the score is adding another layer and elevating the film, it usually distracts and detracts from the drama.

“If a scene, especially a dialogue scene works well without music, I prefer to drop the score.”
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Clear the Right Tracks

If you download music or songs from the internet, it is imperative that you get a master copy to ensure that the correct version is being cleared and that it’s running at the right speed before the final mix. I encountered both of these issues and it’s not fun trying to salvage the original vision with the wrong version or different speed during the expensive and stressful mix.

In my assembly of The Crown: Paterfamilias, when young Prince Philip attends the Nazi funeral of five family members, I used Mozart’s Lacrimosa. The version I wanted was dark and ominous but it couldn’t be cleared so we had to settle for a lighter orchestration. Rupert Gregson-Williams helped us by adding a low male chorus in the mix which really helped the tone and sinister mood we wanted.

In conclusion

Due to the cost of mixing studios, there never seems to be enough time to deal with every detail that I try to include in my offline but the goal is to achieve as much as possible. It can be a stressful time because occasionally, some of the score arrives late, source music isn’t cleared early enough, or foley may need to be re-recorded. Try to accomplish as much as possible whether your comments are small or big because you will have to live with these choices forever. 

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I used to be really scared about performing live in front of producers and people who were there to evaluate my work That is why I came up with these tips to take out the stress and lighten the atmosphere:

Don’t hasten

Take your time, don’t let yourself be driven by anxiety. Don’t settle for a performance that is just good enough. Even if there is people around putting pressure on you try to concentrate on your ultimate goal: being passionate and emotional, so that your music will evoke the same feelings in the viewers. Be clear about this and the team in the control booth will understand and give you space.

Think in images

Sometimes, during the recording you’ll be asked to make “little changes” on the fly, or you will feel adding improvisational elements will improve on your original ideas. Always remember that you are creating the main sonic/emotional atmosphere in which a scene exists, so you should listen to your intuition to add layers to a project. It’s never to late to ask questions about the plot, the setting, and above all LIGHT. This will help you to better grasp the project.

Practice

As in every studio recording you should be prepared as much as you can.
Don’t overdo it though, and take your time to relax and have some little pauses between different sessions.
If you’ve studied for days, you can skip the “last-minute rehearsal”, as it could do more harm than good.

Bring everything you need

Most of the time, before a recording session, you’ll have the sudden feeling you forgot to bring something important along. Whether you are missing parts, chords, notes, or your favorite lucky charm this will bring anxiety and fear, making it harder to concentrate and give your best performance.

Here is a personal advice: always carry a spare pair of earphones and an mp3 player/phone with the demos or the entire songs on it. Take it with you even though you might think you don’t need it. There have been situations where it was a game-changer for me.

Furthermore bring some random music to relax during sound checks/session preparations. That could help you get in tune with the mood you’re going to infuse in your performance (don’t listen to Metallica if you’re going to record an ambient/lounge Lento).

Give some context

Sometimes the recording session is the moment where some of the movie’s film makers hear the music for a particular scene for the first time. Since the other elements of the soundtrack (dialogues and FX) are not yet mixed properly with the score it might be hard for the people in the control booth to establish a connection with your music. In these situations it can be very useful to get everyone’s attention before the performance and give some context. I know, this sounds a bit scary… But it will help them understand your creative choices and they will have a clearer picture of the final result once the music has been properly mixed.

Bonus tip: when the film makers are hearing a particular theme for the first time during the recording play it a couple of time for them when you have their attention, this will give you and the production team a deeper connection with the score and make everyone more focused and interested.

A last word of advice

Be yourself, believe in yourself and your abilities. Being a composer and a musician means being able to cope with long periods of inactivity, learning how to exploit the time you have without always being afraid of what’s coming (or not) next. Good luck!

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