Structuring TV/Film Tracks: The Holy Grail

How’d you like a consummate Instrumental Cue Composer to show you what the most common Cue structures are for TV placements? 

Great, I’ve got the perfect guest to lay those structures out in great detail on this week’s TAXI TV!

Steve Barden is a successful, longtime TAXI member, and a truly excellent composer. He’s the author of two great books on the subject. Click the covers below to see just how good those books are!

Deconstructing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden:
https://amzn.to/3o9UFLn

Writing Production Music for TV by Steve Barden:
https://amzn.to/41qUQ3i

Steve’s most recent book, Deconstructing Production Music for TV, is a deep dive into some serious analysis of nine cues, which you can listen to online. For each cue, Steve breaks it down as follows:
– The Structure
– Chord Progression
– Melody
– Instrument Choices
– Style and Genre
– The Emotion and Intended Use
– The Sound Libraries he Used
– Analysis of the Bars and Sections of the Score
– …and Why the Cue Works!

I’m beyond excited to have Steve share his considerable knowledge with you. With any luck, we’ll be playing you some of the cues during the show, as Steve tells us what he did, and most importantly, WHY he did it!

🔥 See Requests for Your Music ➡️ https://www.taxi.com/industry

⏱️⏱️VIDEO CHAPTERS⏱️⏱️
0:13 – TAXI CEO, Michael Laskow, welcomes his special guest Film/TV Composer, Steve Barden!
3:11 – The difference between an Instrumental Track vs. an Instrumental Cue.
6:22- You are not writing a symphony!
7:11 – The structure of making an Instrumental piece for Film/TV.
13:00 – Plays example piece: “At The Casino”
14:33 – The average use of a TV/Film track is about 12 seconds. It’s about fitting the scene!
16:11 – Edit points are important, they make the TV editor’s job easier.
17:20 – Editors love a drum beat to wake you up.
19:40 – Plays example piece: “On the Move”
23:27 – Plays example piece: “Silly Willy” – this piece has a third/C section.
27:47 – Is there a goal when Steve creates a C-section in a piece?
28:39 – If he had to guess, what is the most common song structure for the majority of his cues?
29:52 – Does he have any pointers for people just starting out?
36:27 – Plays example piece: “Ring Of Power”
39:21 – Does he have a mood or emotion or title in mind before he starts a piece?
44:06 – Plays example piece: “No Mountain Too High.” It’s all about tension and release.
51:31 – Plays example piece: “Angels and Demons” – a fourth/D-section is added.
54:29 – What vocal sample libraries does Steve use?
58:22 – Plays example piece: “Fairy Tale Romance.” This track is a great example of how melody can make you feel and sells the piece.
1:03:35 – Plays example piece: “Beyond The Stars”
1:05:15 – Does Steve work with acoustic instruments?
1:09:15 – What is his mastering process? What does he use?
1:15:53 – How much compression does he use for sampled instruments, specifically strings?
1:17:38 – What are his preferred orchestral sample libraries?
1:19:05 – What is his composing workflow while still working a full-time day job?
1:21:12 – Does he use the expression, modulation, and volume automation on his string tracks to make them sound more realistic?

🔔 Subscribe for more tips just like this: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZpYuUC9yC8UGd0T6xcbUg?sub_confirmation=1

LINKS & RESOURCES
===============================
LEARN MORE About TAXI Independent A&R: www.taxi.com
NETWORK with Music Industry Pros at Our FREE Yearly Convention: http://bit.ly/2a9mwlp
OPPORTUNITIES in the Music Industry: http://bit.ly/28JPUyd
COLLABORATE with Fellow Songwriters on the TAXI Forum: http://bit.ly/2DENChs

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
===============================
👥 – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TaxiIndependentAR/
🐦 – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/taximusic
📸 – IG: https://www.instagram.com/taximusic/

We Want to Hear YOUR Thoughts, Leave Your Comments Below!

#TAXIMusic #TAXITV #MusicLicensing #Music #TAXIIndependentA&R

source