GETTING YOUR MUSIC INTO FILM & TV
A Shining Workshop from L*A*M*P

by THE G-MAN, Immedia Wire Service

If you didn't come away from the "Film Music Mecca" with a ton of helpful data, you must have been daydreaming. "I filled four pages with notes," said one excited participant. "Isn't it great to hear so much information in one place?" asked another.

Even if you were zoned out on Prozac, just noting the names and affiliations of the panelists would give you enough contacts for a month of promotional work.

Jeannie Novak of Indiespace moderated the session entitled "How Songwriters and Composers Make Money: Film, TV, Commercials & Games," and the panelists represented a cross-section of the industry: P.J. Bloom, one of the most respected music supervisors, Chris Baptiste, Director of TV/Film Music for Taxi, Mark Northam, President of Film Music Network, as well as agent Jeff Kaufman and manager Robert Urband. And while most of us may not achieve the star status necessary to employ Kaufman or Urband, it was helpful (and often entertaining) to hear their comments on this lucrative part of the business.

There was an unusual level of commitment from many of the speakers. For example, Novak remained in the lobby of the theatre for more than an hour after concluding her panel, happily answering questions about how her Indiespace organization ( www.indiespace.com) works with artists, places songs in all media, and helps companies adapt to changes in culture and digital media.

As another example, Barry Coffing and Gael MacGregor, of Uprising Entertainment, prepared a list of Songwriter & Recording Artist Resources and made a copy available to all 120+ attendees. In addition, industry people were ready to take part at a moment's notice, as when iFanz' Manager of Digital Artist Relations Sam Plotkin joined one panel, and on very short notice, Adam Wolf of Music Report and BreakdownServices.com became a panel moderator.

While there wasn't enough time to explain it in great detail, Wolf's TuneData is an exciting way that musicians are able to connect with music supervisors. Go to www.tunedata.com for more information.

Every panel offered practical advice for anyone looking to market their music. The topics included "Production Libraries: Your Ticket to Dependable Royalties," and "How to Pitch: Who to Contact and What to Send."

Film/TV composer Craig Stuart Garfinkle (pictured left) presented a fascinating part program entitled "How to Score Music to Picture using the Latest Technology." I say fascinating, but also somewhat frustrating, because, as one attendee noted, "It seems like we would need about fifty thousand dollars' worth of equipment to compete."

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the day, at least for the 30 artists whose work was selected, was the 90-minute section called "The Pitch: Music Supervisors and Sound Library Reps Listen to Your Music." Panelists' comments were helpful and extremely encouraging. Naturally, some people were disappointed their tracks weren't played, but there still was hope, as Uprising's MacGregor left with a stack of CDs that must have weighed ten pounds. Pictured right: Pictured L to R (bottom row): Ryan Vinson, President of Versus Media; Gael MacGregor, Uprising Entertainment; Carl Peel, Killer Tracks; (top row): Mara Hitner, Music Connection; Leslie Waller, Programs Director of L*A*M*P; Sam Plotkin, Dir. of Digital Artist Relations at iFanz; and Robert Linden of Paramount.

There is not enough room here to discuss everything in the day's event, but in the interest of full coverage, just take a glance at some of the other speakers and panelists who took part in "Film Music Mecca":

*Ryan Vinson (Music Supervisor, Versus Media) *Mike Galaxy (Music Supervisor, IndyHits.com) *Steven McClintock (Co-Founder of SongCatalog.com) *Karl Peel (Head Music Supervisor, Killer Tracks) *Cindy Rosmann (VP, Groove Addicts) *Robert Linden (Paramount) *Mara (indie singer/songwriter)

And if all that wasn't enough, you could have purchased a copy of Music Registry's "Film and Television Music Guide" from Ritch Ezra himself at a table in the lobby.

With L*A*M*P lighting the way, artists are more easily finding their way to success in a most competitive and rapidly changing industry.

The G-Man creates songs, sonics, radio spots, and music for film, TV, and commercials. Find him at: http://gmanmusic.com

The G-Man
Immedia Wire Service
immedia@pacbell.net