Blog
Articles on filmmaking technique, production planning, and industry knowledge.
Showing 5 of 5 posts
How to Work with a Composer: A Director's Guide to the Music Process
Covers the composer brief, spotting session, temp music conversation, revision process, and delivery - written from the director's communication perspective. What to ask for, how to describe what you want, and what to avoid.
BPM and Picture: How Editors Cut to Music Without Losing Their Mind
The practical mechanics of cutting picture to a musical tempo - how to calculate frame-accurate beat intervals, how to use the BPM Sync Tool to pre-calculate cut points, and when cutting to music serves the scene versus when it works against it.
The Editor's Guide to Music Temp Tracks: Licensing Risk, Temp Love, and How to Brief a Composer
Covers the practical and legal risks of temp tracks in the editing process - including how temp love locks in the wrong musical identity, how to quantify the sync licensing cost of your temp selections, and how to brief a composer so the final score serves the film rather than imitating the temp.
Music Licensing vs. Hiring a Composer: The Real Cost Comparison for Indie Films
A direct cost comparison between sync licensing existing music and hiring an original composer for indie film, covering upfront fees, rights ownership, cue sheet obligations, E&O insurance implications, and which approach makes financial sense at different budget levels.
Music and Picture Lock: How to Sync Score to Your Edit Without Losing Your Mind
Covers the practical workflow of working with a composer after picture lock - spotting session process, temp music vs. original score, tempo mapping to the timeline, and how to communicate rhythm and emotional arc without a music theory degree.