January 5, 2004 -- Have something you always wanted to try or do, but never did? With the new year upon us, it's time to fulfill your dream. To get the most out of it, detail the event including what it is you will do, why you never did it before, and what you expect to get by doing it. After you do the new thing, write down what you did, when, where, why, with whom, and any other comments including your feelings. Compare the before and after for wisdom into your current state of mind. Also, new experiences provide keen insight into the creative process. The more you experience, the better your work will ultimately be.
January 12, 2004 -- Need royalty-free stock footage for
a video project? Check out my review of the new Digital Juice Videotraxx Film & Video Library Review
. It's a fantastic bargain with tons of great footage.
Also, this
month's (January 04) Electronic Musician has two articles by me. 1)
Concert taping tips and techniques and 2) Bookkeeping strategies so you always
know your financial position. Search the article archives
here.
January 19, 2004 -- Nurture the creative process by
reading, watching, and experiencing all you can. The more you know, the more
you can draw upon for inspiration. Learn more, too. With a variety of subjects
in your noodle, the better prepared you are to use the material in your
creative work. You have a bigger well to draw from and that can help you
explore the deeper recesses of your creative spirit. Haven't new experiences
always sparked your muse? Haven't you created music after you heard a new synth
patch, after a relationship went sour, or any other event greatly impacted your
life. Does it make sense to you that adding more experiences to your life
should result in more inspiration? Worth a shot, don't you think?
All
musicians have "bad days" where working on our music is unproductive, at least
on the surface. This unproductive time is actually vitally important as it
leads to real productivity. Recognize the ebb and flow of your creative process
and use it to your advantage. Use the down day to catch up on all those other
duties that pile up. This way you carefully balance your time away from intense
creativity with time focused in the zone.
January 26, 2004 -- A musician called and told me that it takes a lot of money to do all the promotions suggested in my Ruthless Self-Promotion in the Music Industry book. I disagree. You just need to get creative. And you don't have to do everything at once. Promotion is slow, steady, CONSTANT work. You can either spend your money promoting or your time. If you don't have money to burn, invest more time in promoting your career. For example, need business cards or flyers? Offer to work for a printer in exchange for what you need (maybe hand out their flyers for a few hours). In short, barter with other people and businesses to get the "cash" you need to better promote your career.
February 2, 2004 -- A few questions to spark your imagination and creativity: If you didn't have to work for a year, what would you do? If you didn't have to work (for money), what would you do? What are the five most important things you must do to be successful? Once you write them down, start planning how you will accomplish these items and when. If you had $10,000 to invest in your career today, how would you spend it and why? Once you figure this out, start using whatever resources you do have to acquire what you feel you need.
February 9, 2004 -- When meeting with clients to discuss their musical needs, I always ask and have them answer these questions. It gets them thinking about the music and, hopefully, deciding the approach they want me to take with the score. This way I'll deliver what they really want, not some nebulous thing they can't seem to pin down. -- Why are using music and what emotional response is desired? -- Who is the audience? -- What style is appropriate to this audience and to the project's message? -- How you are going to use music and why? -- Can you tell me specifically where and where not to place music?
February 16, 2004 -- Catch Jeffrey on the VASST
tour:
NO COPYRIGHTS: Acid for Non-linear Editors.
Instructors: Jeffrey P. Fisher & Douglas Spotted
Eagle
AND
SURROUNDED: The Ultimate Session on
Surround Sound Instructors: Jeffrey P. Fisher & Douglas Spotted
Eagle
Click here to get more information and
to register.
February 23, 2004 -- There are quite a few creative people out there who just don't get it. They concentrate on production and not selling. While gear is cool. And production is fun. It's all a masquerade for what is really happening. The key to succeeding in your business is promotion: Getting your music products and services into the hands of those who need and want your offerings and who have the means to pay for it. As my friend and fellow creative, Harlan Hogan, points out: "The real work is getting the work." Making music is easy compared to the time and energy you must spend solving the promotional riddle. Don't make the mistake made by most who fail. The need to promote well is crucial to your success.
March 1, 2004 -- Had the pleasure of attending (and speaking at) the annual Self-Employment for the Arts Conference (SEA, www.seaconference.org) here in Illinois. It was a jam-packed couple of days and a wonderful opportunity for students (and others) to meet with working, successful artists in television, photography, writing, fine arts, music, and more. The generosity of the artists, coupled to richly detailed information, made for a valuable learning experience. You'd better make plans to get here next year. SEA also launched a Web portal featuring information and links to resources for self-employed artists. Use it.
March 8, 2004 -- Are you looking for the phone book to the Music, Record and Soundtrack Industry? It's here: THE HOLLYWOOD MUSIC INDUSTRY DIRECTORY - Premier Edition, published by The Hollywood Creative Directory - 318 pages, $59.95. This NEW directory covers a wide variety of Hollywood industry pros including record executives, A&R staff, soundtrack personnel, music publishers, music supervisors, recording studios, and more. You get accurate and complete contact information including company name, job title, address, phone, fax, email, assistant's names, and Web site.
March 15, 2004 -- Mixing tips to keep in mind. One, tired ears = bad mix. A mix made after ten hours of tracking rarely sounds good to rested ears. So, make sure you take a break and come back to your mix with fresh ears. Two, the final mix is NOT the master. Use mastering hardware or software to add the final sweetening to the stereo mix. Alternately, hire a professional mastering engineer who brings experience and fresh ears to your project. Don't over process too much. Mastering programs make it way too easy to push the sonic integrity of a piece. Often a little low end whump and high end sizzle coupled to some light compression to raise the overall level coupled to peak limiting to prevent digital distortion is all you need. Three, use your favorite CDs as a reference when mixing and mastering. Choose a track that's similar to what you're doing and compare your mix to this track.
March 22, 2004 -- "I don't have any money. Can you record me for free and I'll pay you back when the record sells?" Ah, the speculative deal. One party gives another something free (or at a reduced rate) in exchange for future money. Sounds as if someone is going to get the ripped off. Not you, as long as you take precautions. Spec deals are contracts so you must detail the terms in a written, signed document. Get very specific about the services, the price, and how the bill eventually gets paid. Instead of giving something away, charge a down payment with the remainder coming from the terms of the contract. The deal may or may not happen (hence speculative), but at least you took steps to protect yourself and make it equitable.
March 29, 2004 -- Chip McCarthy, primary
Composer/Producer at Accentual Audio Productions shared this story: "Don't sell
yourself short! Around the holidays, a solo entertainer (singer/guitarist)
needed "charts and parts" for a five piece band that would accompany him on up
to seven songs for an upcoming cruise ship gig. I said that I would charge
$75/hr to transcribe the music, the arrangements, and "write-in" the rhythm
section and horn parts. I would provide a master score for the bandleader
(piano) and separate charts for the other band members. Figuring that it would
take about one hour per song, I quoted around $550 for the rush job. I also
thought that this would be a good opportunity to learn a new notation program,
too."
"Well, 48 hours and two pounds of Cuban coffee later, I finished the
job and delivered the parts. One song took five hours. I kept my word and only
charged him $575, but it should have been closer to $2000! From now on, I will
think about everything involved in a project before spitting out a quote and
accepting a job."
( Quoting is one of the most difficult tasks. My rule? Add
in a 15-20% margin of error for projects you've done before and 40-60% more for
projects you've never done before. While you still might cheat yourself out of
some deserved pay, you'll be a little closer. -- JPF )
April 5, 2004 -- I recall a story told to me by an
engineer visiting a studio in a high rise building. The studio owners bragged
about how quiet their room was; no sound escaped or infiltrated due to
extensive acoustic treatments and massive walls. The room was airtight. Then
the drilling started. Another tenant was renovating their space elsewhere in
the building and the construction noise filled this "quiet" studio. The owners
forgot about structure borne noise. Essentially the drilling sound was
traveling through the steel of the building. What made this especially poignant
is the renovation disturbing the recording studio was ten floors below and on
the other side of the building!
One of the consequences of making a studio
airtight is it often becomes water tight. The same engineer went to work one
Monday and while walking past the control room on his way to the coffee room he
noticed a few chairs and other goodies floating in the room. He soon realized
that a water pipe had burst over the weekend and the control room was
completely filled with water. To make matters worse, the control room door was
mounted to swing in precluding opening the door to drain the water away. They
were forced to cut a hole in the door to let the water out. And in case you
wondered, believe it or not, most of the gear was saved though painstaking
cleaning,
April 12, 2004 -- Here's a great use for the "alternate" audio tracks on a DVD. For some video projects, I've composed multiple variations for the same scene or sequence. In the past, I've provided separate versions, but that makes it difficult to do A/B comparisons. Instead, render the video once and the individual audio mixes separately. Then, use a DVD authoring program (I like Ulead's DVD Workshop 2.0 for this) to assign the multiple audio tracks, up to eight, and burn a DVD. Now the client can watch and switch between the audio tracks with the DVD remote. You might even put a 5.1 mix and a stereo mix on the same disc, too.
April 19, 2004 -- Trade shows are a terrific opportunity to build your business. Not only can you see the latest, greatest gear, you have an opportunity to promote your own wares. The savvy self-promoter sells across the booth. How? Approach companies that are exhibiting and offer your own services. For example, say you have a product idea. Pitch it to the manufacturers that already sell similar items. Also, make contact with as many people as you can. Build your network and put together mutually beneficial projects at the show. I'm at NAB this week, and you can bet I'm busy promoting. How about you?
April 26, 2004 -- I spent last week in Las Vegas at the annual NAB show. Read all about it here!
May 3, 2004 -- One approach to long-form music scoring projects is to develop what I call the 'Master Cue'. Write one full piece with many parts and then cut, paste, and change parts to create and mix several other cues based on and part of that one main theme. Strip away the pieces of the master cue and create alternate mixes of varied tempos, lengths, and even musical styles. That makes so much more music available from a single musical composition. Additionally, the music follows the same basic thematic element, but with enough variety to be interesting in different situations. Theme repetition creates dramatic continuity and even finality. This method allows you to capture the emotional content of a project with the music without having to write so many short pieces.
May 10, 2004 -- Never underestimate the power of candor. It's often easy to sidestep an issue, such as a delivery date for a project, or tell a half-truth. In reality, even if the client won't always like it, I find it's better to tell the whole truth. Tell your client specifically what's happening and why. That kind of brutal honesty is refreshing and can come back to you in many positive ways.
May 17, 2004 -- During my advanced audio class at the College of DuPage, students remix a multitrack master as a project. Each student gets the same 16-track master, yet I'm always amazed at how different each final mix sounds. The students interpret the raw song material in his or her own way and bring unique and particular sensibilities to the task. The master is my music, but the twists that students put on the finished project are often pleasantly surprising and occasionally quite revolutionary. I relish such creative input, too. The point to sharing this story is that you may want to consider having somebody else mix your tracks. As composers, we are often too close to the material to bring any fresh ideas at mixdown. A new perspective from a less involved third-party can reveal insights into your music and arrangement that you might otherwise miss. So, why not take a chance and hear how much better your music can sound?
May 24, 2004 -- To get at how music can change the meaning of a visual sequence, grab a piece of video and then find five or six different musical tracks. Play the video and switch between the music tracks to see how the meaning changes. If you can do this with a room full of people, like we do during the VASST Acid training, you'll be amazed at how differently people respond. People associate different music with their own experiences. One particular piece may evoke positive emotions in one person while the exact same piece holds only negative feelings for another. This fact can make scoring effectively difficult for composers. However, understanding the emotions of scoring is a critical first step toward making your work better.
May 31, 2004 -- Getting ready to mix some music? Follow these basic tips: -- Find a place for everything. Use EQ, stereo (or surround) placement, levels, FX, etc. to make everything balance well. -- Contrast is good. -- Don't forget about dynamics. Get loud, get soft, mix it up. -- Fill the frequency spectrum with bright highs, clear midrange, and deep lows. Don't be strident, muddy, or flabby. -- Always monitor on different systems in different rooms to check your progress.
June 7, 2004 -- Sound Forge is the leading PC audio recorder/editor. It's a very sophisticated program with a feature-rich toolset. Don't be intimidated because now there is help. Check out my NEW training DVD: "Sound Forge: Professional Power Tools for Editing Audio".
June 14, 2004 -- Always have something to promote. You want to keep your activities in the minds of people who buy the music products and services you sell. Think past, present, and future. Promote what you just finished, share what you're working on now, and announce what's coming up. Don't do these all at once. Spread out your promotions so you get the most bang for your promotional buck.
June 21, 2004 -- What kind of demo should you prepare? Is the music buyer looking for a *specific* music style? Then prepare a custom demo of your best music in that style. Does the music buyer need music for a variety of purposes? Give her a demo comprising your best overall work in the styles that you have mastered. If you are approaching a prospect cold, give them your best overall demo. Make sure your demo works both as a CD and as downloads from your Website. If you've written music for video, consider a DVD demo.
June 28, 2004 -- I've been traveling a lot lately training on various VASST tours. Travel can really make you tired, if that's your attitude. For me, travel is actually energizing because it offers additional experiences. I visit new places, meet new people, and learn more with each trip. I simply get a fresh perspective that enriches my life and tickles my muse. The reason I feel more creative is because travel takes me out of my routine. The ordinary gives way to challenges, some mundane (finding a taxi) and others virtually indescribable (seeing Mt. Hood from an airplane). I'm forced to use my knowledge and focus clearly on the days instead of the rote that can sometimes comprise typical days back home. If you are stuck in a rut, consider taking a trip for the reasons cited above. Get out of your element and soak in some scenery and people, letting it bathe and refresh you. Use this opportunity to improve your current status, to open your mind, and break up routine. And while your body may indeed be tired after your trip, my personal experience shows that your mind will be rested and ready to move forward on the tasks comprising your successful musical career and life.
July 5, 2004 -- You're never too big to help out with the little things that matter. At a recent training event on the road, the sponsors had borrowed the offices of another company. The event served some pizza and libations, lasting about three hours. When it was all done, and I was preparing to leave, I noticed the sponsors cleaning up the room. When queried they told me that they felt they should return the room as it was in before we started. Now these weren't grunts. They are top dogs at a large, successful company scrubbing the room with cleaners, brooms, vacuums, and garbage bags. They probably could have left it all for a cleaning crew, but they didn't. The moral? Maintaining solid business relationships sometimes means going above and beyond. And sometimes it means crawling around in the dirt, managing the minutia. Don't be unwilling to roll up your sleeves when appropriate because often the simple steps you take in business reward you many times over down the line.
July 12, 2004 -- It's crucial that you have a dream (or two) for your career. I'm not talking about some wild fantasy that puts a smile on your face every time it pops into your head (movie stars are not leaving their spouses for you!) I'm talking about an honest-to-goodness dream for your future, what you want your career to be in the days ahead. Aim high because it's your life we're talking about. Dream your way to success because establishing a dream creates possibilities and opportunities. This dream must be something that motivates you. It must generate passion in your heart and mind. Holding on to the dream, and more importantly, working toward fulfilling the dream gives your mind direction and focus. If things are not going as expected, the dream offers encouragement to help you stay on track. Your dream should come from deep inside you, and if you can't find it, you're not looking hard enough. For those of you who already have the dream: bravo! Now, what are you doing right now to make your personal dream real?
July 19, 2004 -- Don't surround yourself with nay-sayers. Find like-minded people with which to share your aspirations. Jettison the moody, broody, "everything sucks" people who bring nothing but negativity to your life. It only takes one doom-and-gloom person to bring down a positive vibe. Don't let them ruin your fun as you pursue your dreams. Instead, find positive people who influence what you do in ways that create success. Have a cheerleader along for the ride to keep the energy up in the long arduous days that go into creating a musical career. Life is not a series of problems; it's a boundless universe of opportunities. Negative people see only downside, doubt, and failure. Positive people work the upside, exude confidence, and see success. Look around at the people on whom you depend. Are they reinforcing your career? Or dragging you down? If it's the latter, it might be wise to reconsider their place in your life.
July 26, 2004 -- I've hired my first employee (a part-timer to help out 'round here). It was a big step for me, and it took a lot of forethought before taking the plunge. My advice? Have some clearly defined roles and goals for the worker. What I feel most employers want is simple: save me time, save me money, and make me money. Let anybody who works for you know your expectations up front. Put it down exactly what you want, but give him or her some leeway for getting tasks done. I expect a worker to contribute to the company, not just tick off items on a to-do list. Ideas, even a little rainmaking is all appreciated.
August 2, 2004 -- During a recent class, a few students decided to test their hearing. It was a far from scientific approach, but it did reveal some interesting data. We used Sound Forge's simple synthesis features to make sine waves at various frequencies and volume, then played them through speakers to the participants. I wasn't hearing much above 16kHz, though most of the younger crowd heard this just fine. Nobody heard over 18kHz, though. But I had no way to test whether the speakers could reproduce this frequency (or not). I was initially shocked by the loss of my upper range. Now that I know my limitations, I can compensate with my mixes.
August 9, 2004 -- Had the great (mis)fortune to work with a prima donna the other day. He was coming in to rap over some beats and when presented with a mic choice (SM57 or SM58) he proceeded to go into this long diatribe about how there was no "f-word way" he was sending his voice through "one of those" mics. He needed a better mic to "catch the nuances" of his performance. Now this was at school and just for a student project. All night long he went on and on about the mics. Everybody was snickering behind his back the whole time. We have better mics, but just out of spite, I didn't offer one when I realized I had the best rapper in Lombard in our VO booth. Thinking back, I'm not so sure how he got his head through the door. My philosophy: check the ego at the door. And when you're a guest -- behave with decorum. Anybody else have similar "stories of idiocy"? I just might write a book ...
August 16, 2004 -- Want to know the music money your peers are earning? Read my "2004 Music Money" survey.
August 23, 2004 -- Announcing the VASST Sound Forge 7 tour with Jeffrey P. Fisher! This all-day training session demonstrates using Sound Forge for recording, editing, fixing, sweetening, and mastering audio whether that's dialog, music, sound effects, or other audio. Dates are September 16 in Chicago, September 18 in Toronto, October 1 in San Francisco, October 8 in Nashville, October 15 in Orlando, and October 28 in New York. Get more details and sign up at VASST.
August 30, 2004 -- Doing too much, bad or no planning, ambiguous goals, constantly putting out fires, being a perfectionist, procrastinating, forgetting to say no, being disorganized, and having a serious lack of knowledge about your tools are the primary ways we all waste time. You can only do so much. Don't cram your schedule too tightly. A loaded calendar is destructive to creative pursuits. Rather, balance between your commitments and some open, flexible time to nurture your creativity in ways that are fruitful.
September 6, 2004 -- When approaching soundtrack scoring projects, I typically develop a "Master Cue". This is a fully orchestrated, long musical theme or tone poem that I use throughout the project. By stripping away the pieces of the master cue and creating alternate mixes of varied tempos, lengths, and even musical styles, far more music is available from this single musical composition. Furthermore, all the music follows the same basic thematic element, but with enough variety to be interesting in different situations. Meanwhile, repetition of the theme creates dramatic continuity and finality. Jan Hammer used this method years ago, and I've found that it really works when you have to write a lot of music fast. Here's how he explained this concept: "What I do is use some piece of music more than once. It's not that I repeat them, but I record a lot more parts to each piece of music, so the variations are built in. I flesh (the music) out to the extreme and them take things away. Then I mix each cue differently in order to produce different cues. I might have 20 tracks on the master cue, but only use three of them for a particular scene. So, I spend more time on these "Master Cues" which are then dissected into individual cues."
September 13, 2004 -- A peer recently sent a rate card for the services she offers. This one-person shop had a variety of hourly rates depending on the tasks. I thought this was rather strange. Why would you charge different hourly rates for different services when it is the same person delivering the work? It almost screamed: "This is easy work, so I charge less and/or this is harder, so I charge more." If you have an hourly rate, charge the SAME rate for ALL services. Also, only offer 15-20% discounts off these rates. If you subtract too much from your rates, your rate card appears to gouge the unsuspecting.
September 20, 2004 -- Have you ever thought of offering CD production for businesses, professionals, and associations? People use CDs as a primary information source. CDs are easy, convenient, and for many people who don't have the time to read, surpass print as a way to learn. A business can deliver its primary message via CDs to prospects, clients, and staff. And you can make money selling these services. Most of these are simple spoken word productions with minimal production needs. Contact marketing departments and pitch this idea to them. I put together CDs for a company as described above. Essentially, managers were interviewed (many over the telephone) and we put it all together (recording, editing, and duplicating). The finished CDs were then sent to all the sales staff spread out around the world.
September 27, 2004 -- Here is a look at some of my favorite things lately. I love the wicked, cool sounds from the VST plug-ins at www.digitalfishphones.com. These free sound-shapers simply rock! I've been playing with the little Oxygen keyboard from M-Audio. It works great with Reason and ACID soft-synths and can function as a hardware controller for Vegas automation. It fits in a backpack, too! Digital Juice really put a good spin on the music library theme. Their Stacktraxx music libraries come in layers that you can turn on and off and remix yourself. Damien Rice's "O" album is a stunning debut that I just can't seem to keep out of my CD players.
October 4, 2004 -- On a recent road trip, my driver arrived 45 minutes late. Thankfully, I'd asked for the car 30-minutes earlier than I needed it (I plan for problems). When we arrived at the airport, he didn't offer a discount. There wasn't even an apology or a thanks-for-your-patience. He just handed me the bill and waited for payment. I thought about stiffing him on the tip, but decided against it as it was the company's fault he was late, and not the driver. He did, after all, get me to the airport on time. I did vow to avoid using this transport company in the future, though. The moral: it's hard enough to actually get customers in the first place. Unfortunately, it is very, very easy to lose them. Sometimes apologies, thank-yous, and the occasional remuneration may be all that's required to win a disgruntled customer's continued patronage and loyalty.
October 11, 2004 -- Working with talent (and clients!) often requires a specific approach. When they arrive at your studio, make sure they are comfortable. Find some desk space and a chair for them to spread out their work. Show them where to find the bathroom. Offer a drink (water, soft drinks) and snacks if appropriate. If the talent is an amateur, demonstrate basic techniques he or she needs to know (where to stand, how to use a microphone, etc.). Narrate as you go along, too. Don't just work silently or make changes without them knowing what you are doing. Keep the talent involved and informed. Finally, always get a talent release at the end of each session.
October 18, 2004 -- Get the basics of surround sound from this free article and make better field recordings following the tips in this article, too.
October 25, 2004 -- Put some WOW! into every presentation that you make. Whether it's a sales call or a rough draft for an existing client, take some time to add some pizzazz to what you show. For example, I'm working on a video project and needed to get approval on the work in process. I could have rendered the video and showed it. Instead, I took my laptop and a portable hard drive to the client and showed the project from the NLE (Vegas). They asked for a few changes, so I made them right there in front of them. Needless to say, they were very impressed.
November 1, 2004 -- I recently completed a music library CD for Fresh Music. For the pitch, I assembled 18 music tracks on CD, some full-length, some shorter pieces, all in a similar style and approach. They accepted a few tracks as is, made suggestions for a couple of tracks, and trashed the rest. I went back and re-worked the few songs, then mastered all the final tracks in full length. They created the short stingers, 30s and 60s themselves. The final CD has 13 tracks and is called "Dark New Age". Check it out!
November 15, 2004 -- When your business is a one person operation, it can be difficult to get away. It takes preparation to make sure all the bases are covered. First, let all your clients know that your business is "closing" while you are away. Second, make sure you complete any projects and deliver anything else you've promised. Third, tie up all the loose ends including a "vacation" message for both voice- and e-mail. Fourth, have fun on the trip knowing everything is fine. Fifth, when you return, pick up where you left off and move ahead.
November 22, 2004 -- As the song goes, you need to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. I'm talking about dealing with clients. Sometimes you need to decide immediately whether you should fight for your viewpoint or go along with their assessment. Often you might disagree with a decision and feel you should speak up. Use caution as you may wind up winning the battle but losing the war. In these situations, I often proffer an alternative, but let them choose. This way I feel I've done my job to advise them of the situation and offer possible directions to take. They must make the ultimate decision, though. Occasionally, I work hard to dissuade them from the present course (when I feel strongly that my way is the best way). Unfortunately, holding/folding only comes from experience, and even then you still might lose.
November 29, 2004 -- People often say they have no track record to use as the foundation for their career. I disagree. Nobody has a completely blank slate. For example, you don't wake up one morning and decide to compose soundtracks or write jingles. Chances are you already have music available that would be suitable for your demo. Use that. Alternately, look for some first projects, such as scoring a student film or write a segment for a public domain silent film. Those may not be REAL credits, but they'll work for now until such time as you can replace them with real credit.
December 6, 2004 -- Many embark on their careers for a number of reasons. Two important choices consistently stand out for me. Many successful people want change: they want to change their own life and/or change other people's lives. Improving your own station in life may sound selfish on the base level, but think about it. If your life to-date has been an arduous journey, change is good. Because when you are happy with the direction you take, other people around you notice. Helping other people is, of course, the most noble deed. If you've achieved even a modicum of success, you owe it to the world to share whatever you can to help others experience their own success, too.
December 13, 2004 -- If you plan to author music in surround sound, get the Recording Academy's Producers and Engineering wing guidelines: "Recommendations for Surround Sound Production". This free PDF document is a terrific primer to the world of surround sound music production.
December 20, 2004 -- Various tid-bits from my recent
query about on-hold message producers: Joey Edwin told
me that "Lease agreements fees should range from $69 to $89 (per month) which
includes a machine, music, and voice-over with some scriptwriting. These came
from some good sources, but frankly prices are all over the map."
Chip
McCarthy from Accentual Audio Productions had this to share about on-hold
issues: "About 8 yrs ago, when I added telephone on-hold services to my
"product line", I checked out the local companies already doing it and tried to
position myself right in the middle. Instead of messing up the market with low
prices, I decided to rely upon my personality and sales skills to get me the
business."
"Somehow, today I've got a steady flow of work in this area that
accounts for 15-20% of my business. The price hasn't changed much at all. Right
now, my price for a typical 3-5 minute custom production is $189 (plus tax) for
a one shot deal, or "a la carte". This includes complete script writing if
desired, however it is rarely taken advantage of because most clients like to
write their own."
"I also offer discounts or incentives for packages. Like,
buy 4 in a 12 month period (typically seasonal) and get a free holiday
production. Or, commit to six (bi-monthly) and the last one is only $95. Thus
bringing the average cost down."
Jeffrey Fisher adds that "I only throw in
certain voice talent with my $199 fee (up to six-minutes). If clients want
other talent, that goes on top of that fee -- sometimes as much as $350 more.
However, clients are willing to pay for a certain voice. Also, many VOs do
their production, so my time involved is less these days. I basically throw
completed tracks on the Timeline in Vegas 5, add some music, a smidgen of
mixing, and I'm done."
December 27, 2004 -- If you didn't receive a calendar as a holiday gift, head on down to your local Borders where they are now 50% off. Pick one that has plenty of room for writing in the individual day squares. Put on some of your favorite music, brew a nice cup of tea, grab a marker, and start filling in the calendar with important dates and so forth. Also, fill in some concrete goals and to-dos for 2005. There's something self-fulfilling about setting deadlines that force you to complete them. Don't forget to set dollar amounts or percentage increases (20%!) for your career revenues. A little planning goes a long way toward making your dreams and aspirations come true. Get to it.
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