Thursday, February 12, 2015

Guest Speaker: Larry Grouppe

Film-Music Composer

  • Writes originals for features, TV (Cable Guy).
  • You need a "good handshake" between songs.
  • Allocate money for popular music.
  • Paid as a package deal-responsible for paying musicians and then he gets the leftovers.
  • Composers shape things about what's going on in the scene.
  • Reads script and starts writing themes during preproduction, some composers are brought in super deep into post stage.
  • Spotting sessions- watch film first time, turn temporary music off, don't want to be influenced. Temp tracks can't stay, hence the name.
  • Check out Bernard Herman- driving down street in Psycho.
  • Emotional complexity completely governed by music. (John Williams).
  • What is the emotional content and how can you express it musically? 
  • The Contender- "Low Triumph." 
  • Doesn't go in linear order of film.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Guest Speaker: Doug Wellman

Former USC Film Dept.

  • 1. Acquire a Property
    • Purchase (both need consideration).
    • Option-allows you the right to control or exploit property for specific amount of time for specific amount of consideration.
  • 2. Full Script
  • Producer is always responsible-acquire breakdown of budget
  • Unit Production Manager- Asst. Director, know every component that goes into production.
  • Line Producer- relatively the same thing but a lot of below the line experience.
  • Producer- creative genious, car salesman, voodoo doctor.
  • Below the line can be reduced to days, people, equipment.
  • Insurance- certain companies sell specific production insurance policy- media/film/general liability. Per project, short term.
  • Read the insurance policy. (Documentary Industrial Commercial Education).
  • Animal mortality- even insects.
  • Errors and omissions insurance
  • Stunt- anything you are not 100% sure your actor can do safely. 
  • Copyright- right to copy. Property right- like a house/car.
  • From the time it exists in a fixed form an idea is not copyrighted.
    • Don't tell anyone until it's in a fixed form.
    • Mail it to yourself, postmarked, don't unseal.
    • Register with writer's guild.
  • Parody-sometimes it is easier to pay.
  • Directors, writers, screenwriters guild- all have contracts, need permission to use shots or property of all people especially within guilds.