Film and TV
The Best Film and TV Scores of 2021 (IndieWire)
Some have the orchestral sweep of years past. Many more have dissected that traditional sound and deconstructed it to serve a storytelling purpose. They all feed into that sense of discovery, of finding (and listening to) worlds worthy of escaping our own to live in for a while.
How Jonny Greenwood Wrote the Year’s Best Film Score (The New Yorker)
Once a lanky youth barely visible behind a mop of black hair, Greenwood is now a seasoned fifty-year-old who, in recent weeks, has cemented his status as a leading film composer.
Here Are All the Songs in Sing 2 (The Wrap)
The story of the hit Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment film found Moon struggling to keep his theater afloat, until he cooks up the scheme to attract attention and new talent through a singing competition.
SyncLove S02E04: Heather Boyd – Vanilla Sky (Synchblog)
From its first moments, an eerie placement of Radiohead against fractured, seemingly looping montage, to its ethereal final scene, the film’s music enhances the film’s surreal atmosphere and emotional reality. A remake of the 1997 Spanish feature Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes), Crowe and his music team completely reimagined how music could tell the story.
Is Music for Television Finally Being Taken Seriously by the Grammys? (Variety)
Seven of the 18 nominations, or more than one-third of the total in the score soundtrack, compilation soundtrack, and original song categories, originated in projects for the home screen.
Showrunners No Longer Eligible for Outstanding Music Supervision Emmy (Variety)
Emmys can only be awarded to the “credited music supervisor… A Music Supervisor’s on-screen credit must reflect their primary function as a music supervisor.”
A Deep Dive into Selling Sunset‘s Uncanny Girlboss Soundtrack (W Magazine)
On many television shows, especially those that fit within the “reality” genre, music is merely filler used to connect one scene to the next. But what sets the Selling Sunset soundtrack apart, according to producer Adam DiVello, is that it’s not just a tool for creating continuity, but actually “one of the characters on the show.”
Tunefind Top TV/Movie Syncs of 2021: Here’s the Ted Lasso Song that Reigns Supreme (Billboard)
The music discovery website Tunefind’s year-end rankings are based only on traffic and interaction on its website, which helps fans identify what song they heard in a TV show or film.
Taylor Swift “Ivy” in Dickinson TV Show Explained (The Hollywood Reporter)
Shortly after Taylor Swift released her second album of 2020, Evermore, fans began speculating that one of the work’s influences was Emily Dickinson and that the song “Ivy” in particular was about Dickinson’s love affair with Sue Gilbert, which is depicted in the Apple TV+ series about the famous poet.
GMS ‘Sync of the Month’ – November Issue (Guild of Music Supervisors Blog)
As we move on to our November Issue, we were really excited to hear from Claire who reveals her ‘Sync of the Month’ which, as you can see from the above poster is, A Chiara. This Italian film was most recently on the longlist for Best International Independent Film at the BIFAs.
Gaming
How WMX is Reshaping the Future of Music Culture and Advertising (AdAge)
According to a recent exclusive survey the Harris Poll conducted for Ad Age, 37% of music listeners are more likely to purchase from a brand that partners with a musician that they like. Gen Z and millennial listeners are even more likely to favor brands endorsed by their favorite musicians.
25 Years of Sonic Branding (Transform Magazine)
Sonic branding means using sound to connect a brand to its audiences at all touchpoints through the emotional power of music, voice and sound. So, conceptually, we are open to any media, brand or audience, and the job is always to make things sound great individually and connect the dots between multiple touchpoints.
How the Apple iPod Influenced Sonic Branding (Creative Review)
Their current strategy of using its products and functional sounds in its advertising is a great move, and certainly inspiring for other brands. Finding your brand sound doesn’t always have to be searching for the right track – it can be much closer to home, and the equity in that sound can be extremely effective with consumers.
Advertising
Why Video Game Developers are Obsessed with Evil, Mind-Altering Music (Kerrang)
How the makers of games like Psychonauts, Unpacking and JETT use your very ears against you.
GRAMMY U’s Video Game Music Summit: What Went Down (Grammy)
The Recording Academy’s university network, GRAMMY U, partnered with the Songwriters & Composers Wing to present the Music for Video Games Summit on Dec. 16.
Silent Hill Composer Akira Yamaoka talks about Composing Music for Slitterhead (Bloody Disgusting)
Yamaoka talks about his approach to creating sound for video games, and how he came to compose the music for Slitterhead.
Business
The Power Dynamic Between Music and Tech has Changed. We Should be More Bullish at the Negotiating Table. (MBW)
Ran Geffen suggests that, although the music industry has shown a steady recovery since the launch of iTunes in 2003, music’s value continues to be undermined by the tech platforms it relies on…
Christine Belden named VP, Global Head of Film, TV and Media Music, Warner Chappell Music (MBW)
The move “fills out Robinson’s leadership team and creates a new area of service that will connect Warner Chappell’s songwriters with clients across the filmed media landscape,” says the company.
BMG and KKR Announce First Joint Acquisition: The ‘Entire Music Interests’ of ZZ Top (MBW)
Interestingly, in a media release announcing the deal, BMG and KKR call the acquisition “the latest significant music rights deal [our] two companies have struck together” – suggesting that other joint acquisitions have already been finalized, but not yet announced.
Jobs
Post Production Assistant – KPM Music UK (London)
The post-production assistant will work with the content and distribution team at KPM, reporting to the Head of Content and Technology.
Global Copyright Specialist – Synchtank (Remote)
Working directly with clients and senior inhouse team, suitable for a highly experienced individual who wants to help redefine how copyright is managed. Fully remote position.
Check out more available positions here or get in touch to post a 100% free job listing.
Events
AIM Sync 2022 – February 10th
AIM Sync, the UK’s leading global sync conference and marketplace, is returning on 10 Feb, bringing together innovative music businesses and world-leading music supervisors in film, gaming, TV, advertising, brands, and more. Our readers and clients are entitled to a 25% discount on tickets, simply get in touch with us for more details!
For more events check out our comprehensive list of music industry events in 2021.
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