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What is a Music Editor?

The art of music editing is often misunderstood and under-appreciated, but a great music editor can be one of the greatest assets a filmmaker and a composer can have.

What is music editing?
In its essence, film & TV music editing is the manipulation of musical tracks against picture. On a very basic level the simple act of lining up music against picture is music editing. But it’s so much more. Shortening or lengthening a piece to fit a scene, moving parts of a cue around to better serve the picture, preparing sessions for the mix, providing creative and technical advice and support, creating spotting notes, cutting temp scores – all these and much more fall under the purview of music editing.

What is a music editor?
Music editors can fulfill a variety of helpful tasks in shaping the musical soundtrack of a project, ranging from creative to technical. They can help find the musical direction of the production, help with spotting, create a temp-score, adjust music to accommodate picture changes, help on the final mix and much more. If there are musical numbers in the film, a music editor can help prepare for the shoot and help on set when shooting. They also typically handle music deliverables and create cue sheets. They are one of the greatest assets a composer and a filmmaker can have.

Music editors are experts at using music to tell a story in different ways. A good music editor can help find the musical direction of a show, or even a scene by trying out different ideas and suggesting different options for the filmmaker and/or composer to explore. They can show how different approaches affect the film and help articulate what the music is doing. They can often bring a fresh approach or point of view to a scene expanding the filmmakers and/or composer’s array of options.

Music editors can help you figure out where to use music, and how it should function. This is called spotting. As experts in using music to further a story, they can help spot the film and demonstrate how the placement of music can affect the story. A good music editor should be able to make strong arguments regarding the 5 W’s of film music (Where? Why? What? When? And Who?) And help find the best musical solutions for the filmmaker’s storytelling style. Music editors are typically the ones taking notes during the spotting session and creating spotting notes and a master cue list for the composer and filmmakers.

Music editors can create a temp-score. With their vast knowledge of music and how it functions in film, a good music editor can find existing music to cut against picture to create a temp-score that can serve as a blueprint for the composer(s). A great temp will be well spotted, have music that does all the right things at all the right moments for the filmmaker’s storytelling approach, and serve as a communication tool for the filmmaker to discuss the original score with the composer. It also serves as a place-holder when showing the film to executives, friends or test audiences.

Music editors can help filmmakers edit their film. While not picture editors, they can help the editor find the pace of a scene by offering temp music ideas, which will affect how s/he cuts the scene. This also applies to the grand arc of the film edit, by cutting temp music they can help the filmmakers and the editor get a better sense of the overall pace of the film, where things are lagging, where things are moving too fast, where they might want to expand on linger on a moment, or tighten another and so on.

Music editors can help find the right composer for a project. A good music editor will have near encyclopedic knowledge of film music and composers and should be able to recommend composers either through personal relationships or based on familiarity with their music. Sometimes they end up using a lot of music by the same composer in a temp, which is a clear indication that person could be a good fit.

Music editors can help find the right music supervisor for your project. Music editors work with music supervisors all the time and can help you find a great if needed.

Music editors handle conforming the temp music as picture changes are made, making sure the music still fits well and that the music edits are smooth. Sometimes a picture edit changes the pacing of a scene requiring changing the temp music altogether. If changes are made to the picture after the original score has been delivered, a music editor will conform the score flawlessly making it seem that’s how it was always intended to be. Sometimes during the final mix, the filmmaker realizes things aren’t working as expected when the final sound and music elements are married. A music editor can address these issues, making changes to the music as needed. This can be as simple as muting a music element that isn’t working, or more involved requiring re-cutting a cue to change the sync, or in some cases removing the cue altogether and finding/creating something completely different using other parts of the score.

When working on a musical, or if there are musical numbers in a production, having a music editor involved early can be extremely beneficial. They can help with all the preparatory technical and creative aspects involved in shooting a musical number. They can work with the actors, helping them learn the songs. They can work with the on-set sound mixer, or the playback operator to make sure the music is properly triggered on set. If a thump-track is used, they can create it. And they can be on-set as an extra pair of eyes and ears focused on proper sync so everyone else can focus on the performances and what they do.

When working with composers, music editors can provide a wide range of services. Often the music editor will be like a project manager, helping keep everything on track. They can offer feedback on cues before they go to the filmmakers, they can track scenes that the composer hasn’t yet touched to offer ideas or inspiration. They can conform cues to new picture before hitting the scoring stage. They are often the conduit between the composer and the cutting room. They can help find the tempo of a scene, create click tracks, and so much more. A great music editor can really be the composer’s right hand man or woman.

Music editors do a lot of prep work for scoring sessions. They will coordinate with the orchestrator(s), recording and mixing engineers, the recording studio/scoring stage and make sure all the technical an logistical issues are sorted out. They often prepare the ProTools sessions for the stage, making sure pre-records are properly lined up, that the MIDI track is properly synced to picture and that the clicks are ready to go for the orchestra. They confirm that everything matches the printed scores before a single note is recorded.

During scoring the music editor is an extra pair of ears, focusing especially on how the sync looks. They take notes regarding each take and are ultimately responsible for making sure the proper takes are cut together before going to mix (often the recordists or the mixing engineer’s assistant will do this, but ultimately it’s the music editor’s responsibility to make sure it’s right). They handle any sync related changes that happen on the scoring stage, sometimes quickly creating a new click track. They solve any other sync related issues that come up.

During the music mix, the music editor makes sure the mixing engineer has everything s/he needs. They handle any changes/tweaks necessary. They make sure the mixing engineer is aware of any specific stemming requests that might have come up before or during scoring.

Music editors also prepare everything for the dub stage. They build the ProTools sessions using the final mix stems, do any conforming that may be necessary before and during the final dub, and cut any songs that are used.

A music editor can help shape the final mix. They can offer advice on how loud or soft the music should play at any given moment. They can help the mixer by providing useful technical and creative information about the music. They are an extra set of ears on the dub stage to help the filmmakers navigate the mix, so it best supports their storytelling style.

When all is said and done, the music editor will usually be in charge of providing the music deliverables to the studio, including creating the cue sheets that are submitted to the PROs so that everyone involved collects their royalties.

I’m sure I’ve missed some of the many things a music editor does in this blog, clearly the job can vary greatly, and it varies from project to project. Each film is different, each filmmaker is different, each composer is different, TV shows have different demands, as do games and so on. But hopefully this provides a reasonable overview of what music editors do. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me.

Tips To Get The Most Of A Remote Recording Session.

Check out this blog post I wrote for Film Scoring Tips offering some advice on preparing for remote recording sessions.

Tips to get the most out of a remote recording session

Showing Up Makes the Impossible Possible

I have a confession to make. I’m an introvert and would probably never leave the house if I didn’t have to. Going to parties and big events takes a lot out of me. It requires mental preparation before, and some ‘me time’ after. But over the years I’ve learned to get better at hiding my discomfort and how to act like I enjoy these things – to the point where I can actually enjoy them.

Two weeks ago I was invited to the TV Academy’s Emmy music reception. While there I got to meet some new people and re-connect with others I haven’t seen in a long time. The event led to having a couple of meetings with people that may lead to other opportunities.

5 Lessons I Learned by Interviewing Realtors That Parallel Our Own Profession

1. Personal recommendations go a long way, but don’t guarantee you’ll get hired.Just because someone referred you doesn’t mean you’re a shoe in. You still have to bring your A game and outshine the competition.
2. A strong resume/track record is important and may get you in the door but it’s not enough to get the gig.We reviewed 8 or 9 and interviewed 4 realtors. What stuck out was how they presented their resumes. We’re selling, those that featured comparable houses that they sold jumped out more than those that simply listed their latest transactions in chronological order.

   I have several resumes – one that shows my work as composer & music editor, one that only shows my composing work and one that only shows my music editing work. I send different ones out depending on the gig I’m after, and I rearrange the order of things, too. For example if I’m applying for a music editing gig on a TV series, I’ll list all my TV series experience first, then the films.

3. You don’t need to have the shiniest, glitziest, fanciest presentation. Clean and simple works just as well as long as the content is great and well presented.All 4 had nice presentations. One had everything on his large iPad in addition to giving us a hard copy. The one that impressed us the most wasn’t that one – but everything from the folder it was in, to the notepad, to the highlighted sections to help us understand the current market was fantastic. The other 3 were fine, but not as buttoned up and not as laser-focused on our house and our neighborhood.

   In music terms, make sure you demo is tailored to the client’s needs. If they’re looking for a composer to do a comedy, don’t have your awesome epic track that you recently recorded at Abbey Road as your first track. Nobody cares that it’s a great track, it’s completely irrelevant to a comedy. Make sure the tracks you choose are relevant, that everything is properly labeled, no dead space in the beginning of the files, everything is mastered and have great metadata including contact info. Make sure the order of the tracks tells the story that you want to tell with your demo.

4. Personality matters more than all of the above.One of the most highly qualified of the realtors we met spent most of the meeting trashing other realtors and the profession in general. He went on to criticize other comparable listings that he gathered for his presentation, and by the end of our meeting we felt all he had done was tell us why everyone sucks, and make us feel like he thinks he’s better and smarter than everyone, including us. When he left my wife & I turned to each other and almost simultaneously said “Am I the only one that feels like I need a shower after meeting this guy?”

   Don’t be that guy! When you take the meeting remember you got there because they already liked what they saw/heard. They don’t need you to tell them how great you are or how much better you are than anyone else, or to trash anyone else. They want to get a sense of your personality and see if they’re comfortable working with you. Make sure when you leave they feel like they really want to spend more time with you.

5. Listening to the client, understanding their needs and addressing them is key.This dovetails on the previous point. Talking about yourself ad nauseam is never a good idea. Trust me, I know, I’m guilty of having done it in my earlier days. Ask the client questions and really LISTEN to what they’re saying, what they’re not saying. Try to identify their needs and how you can meet those needs and then focus the conversation on those things. Don’t be afraid to offer great free advice. Don’t hold back.

   One realtor who we ultimately didn’t hire gave us one great idea that the others didn’t think of. She was great and it was a difficult decision but ultimately we felt more comfortable with someone else, but we were so impressed and grateful for this one idea that we sent her a gift card with a thank you note, and would probably use her in the future if the opportunity was right.

   Remember in this business “no” almost never means “no” it usually means “not now, on this particular project, under the current set of circumstances.” Make sure that even if you don’t get the gig, you’re memorable and leave a great impression, be like that realtor.

And if you want to buy my house, it’ll be on the market next week 

10 Tips for Men Who Want to Support their Female Colleagues at Networking Events

I recently attended the Emmy music branch networking event, honoring the nominees with a composer friend who happens to be a woman. She noticed that often she is ignored during conversations or not taken seriously as a composer while the men were. This bothered me and so I reached out to her to discuss what can us guys who want to support our fellow composers in similar situations do better? In consultation with my friend, composer Miriam Meyer, we came up with these 10 tips.

1. Introduce her as a composer.

2. If she does multiple things make sure you introduce her as a composer FIRST!

For example: This is my friend Jane, she’s a wonderful composer and orchestrator.

3. Don’t just talk about yourself, make sure you leave space for others to jump in the conversation.

4. Direct questions to her so she can speak up for herself.

For example: What have you been working on lately? What’s your connection to this event?

5. Talk up her talents and strengths

For example: Jane has a real gift for melody

6. Bring up her accomplishments.

For example: Jane just won best score at the LA Independent Film Festival for a short she scored, what was that film called again?

7. If she’s not participating in the conversation because it’s veered away, try to bring her back into it by directing questions to her.

For example: Do you know so & so? Or what do you think about such and such?

8. Don’t ignore her when you’re in a group.

9. Don’t comment on her looks or what she’s wearing. While you may intend it as a compliment you’re unintentionally focusing on the superficial instead of what matters.

10. Try to imagine how you’d want someone to treat you if the situation was reversed and do that.

Furthermore, if you’re ever in a situation where you discuss a fellow composer who happens to be a woman, don’t refer to her as a “female composer” just say “composer” nobody says “male composer” so let’s not say “female composer.”

Dealing with Rejection

I recently encountered three separate cases of young composers dealing with rejection/criticism quite badly (in my humble opinion) and thought I’d share some thoughts on the issue of dealing with disappointment.

In one case the person felt she was treated unfairly by an institution and vented her frustration here on Facebook, a public forum. Sharing your experience and disappointment is one thing, but in this case she was very critical of the institution and despite more experienced folks arguing that perhaps she didn’t do as well as she thought or perhaps she’s not a good fit and suggested she remove the post because it looks bad, she continued to double down and argue how she felt wrong and criticizing the institution.

In two other cases I was asked for feedback on music (I dread doing this, but always try to give gentle yet constructive criticism when asked). In one case, the person began explaining how she’s just starting out, and still learning and instead of accepting my input, tried to refute it. In another case the person became upset and told me I don’t get it and have no taste in music.

In all three cases, their responses were, in my view, quite immature and counter productive.

In the first case – know the difference between sharing a bad experience and complaining, and consider what you say in a public forum. Going on a critical tirade against a respected institution because you were rejected, or didn’t get the scholarship you thought you deserved is NEVER a good idea. It makes you look petty & bitter. It’s likely that you simply didn’t do as well as you thought, which is why you didn’t get the desired result. Learn from the experience and do better next time, whether you try again with the same institution or in a different yet similar situation. At the end of the day, even if you’re 100% right in your feeling that you were wronged and should have gotten a better result, it doesn’t matter. Bitching about it reflects poorly on YOU, not them. Again, there’s a difference between sharing a bad experience and complaining about it.

When requesting feedback, the only acceptable response is “thank you” possibly followed up by “that’s a really good point, I’ll work on that.” Even if you disagree, it doesn’t matter. You asked someone who is far more accomplished and experienced than you for feedback and they were kind enough to take the time to give you thoughtful constructive criticism, take it and be grateful. If you disagree that’s OK, you can ignore it. If you think the criticism is valid, learn from it. But making excuses, or worse, attacking the person who gave you feedback you didn’t like reflects poorly on YOU.

In this industry we deal with rejection on a near daily basis. Even when things are going great and it’s a total love fest between you and the filmmakers, the focus is always on what ISN’T working. If you need to bitch, vent or complain do so to your closest friends or your partner, not in a public forum. And then let it go, you just have to learn to go with it, learn from it, be gracious about it and move on. Otherwise you won’t make it in this industry.