General

by rosiehardy

Creativity. It’s all about, you know, like FREEDOM, Maaaaaan.

Have you ever sat there, ready to just dive in creatively, and you end up staring at your computer screen/writing pad, or with your instrument limp in your hands, and nothing happens?  You’ve got Tabula Rasa – the blank slate – you can do whatever you want.  What a terror!

To get the juices flowing, I might take a look at the gear – maybe I turn on my synth to get some ideas flowing. Holy crap, I’ve got 6 kazillion patches – too much to choose from! Scroll, audition, scroll, audition (…six hours later… still no music written).  I’m looking for a fence but all there is is horizon.

Oh, the oppressive quality of limitless options. In Space, there is no ‘up’.

Or maybe, you don’t get locked into the above, but you go and create and boy, it’s the same old song and dance – you are working from your comfort zone. You are boring yourself.

Maybe it’s time to build yourself a nice little sandbox!

If you prepare your for your creative work by setting some limitations, you will find that it can give you a sense of definition, direction.  You start to make consistent decisions from an anchored point, and you are then able to work more efficiently and with flow. Also, you are ‘free’ to color outside the lines, because you know where the lines are – and so, surprisingly, limitations help you create work that is fresher!

A studio is an absolute labyrinth of possibilities – this is why records take so long to make because there are millions of permutations of things you can do. The most useful thing you can do is to get rid of some of those options before you start.

Brian Eno said that, the super-genius that he is.  He also goes on to say:

One of my mottoes is that if you want to get unusual results, work fast and work cheap, because there’s more of a chance that you’ll get somewhere that nobody else did. Nearly always, the effect of spending a lot of money is to make things more normal.

Cut it out!

Before you start working, try and think of a bunch of things you are NOT going to use, and ways of working you will NOT fall back on. The further you move from your comfort zone, the more unusual result you will get, or, the more CREATIVE a result you’ll get. You are going to force yourself to think interesting.

Parameterize!

Think of some unusual restrictions to put on yourself. This is one of the most interesting aspects of creative collaborations, especially in film music; it presents it’s own set of limitations – you are creating work that supports already created work, within the framework of the story, and the directors vision. I also love working with directors who have no, or only a limited knowledge of music. They will suggest things you would never have thought of on your own, maybe even crazy ideas. Run with it! And if you are working alone, on your own project, try and think of some things you can box yourself in with. Get rid of some of your options. Don’t use stuff you know will result in the ’same old sound’.

Check your options at the door – you are going to use ONLY a woodwind section, one synth patch, accordion, and a delay. Now go make an awesome film score. Think that sounds crazy? Check out the work Giacchino did for ‘Lost’ – his palette: small string section, trombones, and a harp. Pretty unique, effective, and memorable score, right? Or how about the brilliant choice to have Neil Young score ‘Dead Man’ with just an electric guitar, improvised live while watching the film.

Commit!

Be courageous! Print that effect! Lay down that track and stick to it! See if you can go with an open “It works – use it” mentality. Having pre-determined strategy for what you are ‘allowed’ to do will help your decision making tremendously. Does it fit within the framework you created? Good – do it!

Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.

- Miyamoto Musashi, the Dokkodo

Make it about your creativity and intellect, not about the gear. Avoid getting too many samplers, sequencers, plugins, synths, toys, gizmos and gadgets. Avoid the short-lived drug addicted high of buying new gear for it’s own sake, and using that as an excuse to keep you from being creative. Don’t get stuck in software learning curves instead of being creative. Too much gear can muck up your sound and serve only to make you sound like the latest thing – ‘hollywoodizing’ your sound.

These examples are mostly related in terms of music, but they apply to ALL creative fields, esp. filmmaking which is particularly subject to Option Overload (though usually constrained by budget). See how your options, techno-lust and safe-working-methods might be holding you back from being your creative best.

Cut a vital connection!

Do you have any cool ways of working? Let’s hear about them!

Read the full article on Film Music Magazine here:

Teamsters Say They’re Ready To Help Film & TV Composers Unionize at LA Meeting

450 composers, including many ‘A-listers’, met in Burbank, CA on Monday, Nov. 16th.

In the US, composers are one of the few professional groups working in film/tv that have no representation, in the way that actors have SAG and writers the WGA.  There is a really important and interesting (and HEATED!) discussion going on about composers unionizing and using their collective power to stop the devaluation of music, and “increasingly unrealistic delivery deadlines, punitive working conditions, lack of benefits enjoyed by most workers in the industry, plus the amalgamation of skill-sets”.

Check out these stats from the same article:

“…a staggering drop in composer fees from the 1980s to the present time—as much as an 86% pay-cut on an average movie adjusted for 2009 dollars. Further statistics purport a 240% increase in actual minutes of music used in today’s movies in contrast to those produced in 1980.”

It will be very interesting to see where this leads – it’s a divisive and emotional topic, there are as many questions as there are answers, and a lot is at stake.

UPDATE: Here is a very interesting article from the LA Times that adds some more dimension to the debate.  Consider this – David Carbonara is the composer for the incredibly successful ABC Show, Mad Men.  You’d think, of all working composers, he’d be doing pretty well, but “even after he labors on 13 episodes for a full year, he says he won’t earn enough to support his family.”

There’s something very wrong with this picture!

"Converse"

Photo by haydnseek

Producing music and sound design for live theatre presents some of the most unique challenges you can face as a creative composer, especially if you are used to working in the linear medium of film or TV.  There are some similarities, but also a number of important differences, which offer surprising opportunities and rewards.

Won’t Get Fooled Again

As a composer for media, you can get seduced into thinking your music is better than it actually is, if you compose while running picture.  Just as music can lift a scene, in turn the film (acting, dialogue, and the cinematography) can very much lift the music, giving it importance and meaning that may not be inherent!  This is one of the big lessons of working in theatre, where you are forced to work away from the scene – you can’t take it with you, and it’s going to change anyways!  In order to work ‘away from picture’, you must absorb the scene and have a complete handle on it, both in terms of the emotion/mood/story/meaning/etc, and the exact timings for ‘hits’ and changes.  Once you have those nailed down, you can focus on writing strong music.  When you bring back your work and line it up, you can then make any necessary adjustments, but your mind will no longer be seduced or divided – you’ll be confident knowing that you focused on writing great music, and now can focus on making sure it works to picture.

Equal and Opposite Reactions

One of the first things that is apparent before you even begin working on any production is that things are always in a state of flux – as the show moves towards opening night, it becomes more and more polished, tight, and predictable; however, even during a run it can still change and evolve in subtle ways.  The actors find new motivations, hook onto some energy of a particular night, and develop their characters and relationships as they grow through the show.  In film, the composer will usually score a ‘locked’ picture (or something like it) – the scenes are static – a performance is frozen in time and will never change.  On the stage, a scene will never be repeated exactly the same way.  The actors respond and react, they find inspiration, they expand and contract.  In film, when you put your music against a picture, you can have a powerful impact on the reading of that scene.  In theatre, there is an additional layer – once you bring music into the ‘picture’, they respond and react to it, changing the impact even further and more deeply.  One of the most rewarding aspects of working in theatre as a composer is that you become involved early, and are truly one of the team – a group that becomes very close as the show progresses.  You create in response to them, and they in turn to you – it’s a very organic and multi-layered process.  There is a great thrill in watching an actor ‘hit’ their mark, and use your music to leverage their performance, in turn making your music work in new, different, and often better ways.

Tick-tock tick-tock

One of the advantages of a locked picture, a static and unchanging scene, is that you can write cues with to-the-frame accuracy.  Trying to ’spot’ a scene in a play is kind of like trying to hit a moving target – an amorphous mass that congeals as rehearsals progress.  It starts loose and improvisational, and slowly becomes more polished and exact.  When you begin the process, it’s nearly impossible and pretty much useless to try and time out scenes and ‘hit’ any points.  As the rehearsal process progresses, you then can sit in the dark with a stop watch (bring a flashlight!) and scribble notes furiously.  Create a cue sheet, much like the one you would use for a film, which includes Act and Scene, page number, line cues, length, and notes on the music itself.  You will need to be very integrated in the team, and have an ongoing communication with the Director and the Stage Manager, and whoever is ‘running’ the show in terms of audio.  As things develop and change, everyone needs to be on the same page – the chain of command is important here as well – you will not be approaching an actor with a request that they speed up their monologue because your cue is running out.

Designing Sound Environments

Another aspect to working in theatre is that you may also be the sound designer for the show, depending on the budget.  This means you will need to have at your disposal the means to create sound environments and cues.  This may range from extremely ‘natural’ (trying to create a sense of time/place/space) to very abstract.  Sounds may come from a production library, or from field recordings you capture and manipulate yourself – everything from a doorbell ring to the sound of a dog barking in the distance, a crowded bar or a street scene, music playing on a radio or waves lapping on a shore.

Test Drive

Once you have assembled your cues and applied the necessary treatments, they will be tested and adjusted for the space itself during ‘tech week ‘  – when the show is run in the theatre space, with complimenting lights and sound (aka ‘wet cue-to-cue’).  All technical adjustments are made here – crunch time!  Whereas in film you ship off the final mix for dub and don’t have to worry about how it will sound in the theatre, it is your job to make sure everything sounds as it should in the space and on the system the space uses .  From the very beginning, you should make yourself familiar with the sound system and how the sound will be run – samples triggered via midi?  Run off of a laptop using a cuing program like Q-Lab?  Via a two-deck CD player?  These things become extremely important once you hand over the sound to the sound tech running the show – you want to make it reliable, fail-safe, easy, and effective.  During cue-to-cue, you’ll be calling out changes – volume up/down by how many dB?  Cross-fade longer/shorter?  And so on…

This is just a very introductory overview on designing sound and music for theatre – there is a lot more to know and learn!  If you are intereseted, a great resource  is Sound and Music for the Theatre: The Art and Technique of Design, Second Edition by Deena Kaye and James LeBrecht.  It covers every aspect in great detail, and is a good reference for someone familiar with audio and music looking to get into theatre.

What are some ways that you branch out and expand your artistic and technical horizons?

Photo by Gaetan Lee

I’m a big fan of seeing people succeed at whatever they are passionate about.  To me, it is in a way like watching an athlete perform – there is an elegance, a beauty, a truth in the Universe in the movement and their grace.  They flow – they are in their element.  It also gives you hope, because if they can do it…

A common challenge for creative people is the lack of support they encounter as they build their career.  Amazingly, the most likely source of support is from strangers or acquaintances.  I believe that the hesitation of family and friends to pledge unconditional support does stem from a place of love and concern, but it manifests itself negatively almost every time – as judgment.  We see someone about to take a risk, and we are worried – moreso because we judge creative risks to have a low ‘return on investment’, so to speak, and that it’s a ‘waste of time’ or will end badly (drugs, depravity, desperation – you guys are creative types – you know how we live).

Which Witch is Which?

I think one of the big challenges in trying to lead a fulfilling life is learning to tell the difference between Fears - those things which make you afraid because they are actually dangerous and/or a bad idea, and those which you fear because they are new, different, challenging, and may result in (GASP) ‘failure’.  If you ask an entrepreneur, these last are called ‘opportunities’, and ‘failure’ is simple a natural part of the journey to ’success’.  There is no easy way to learn to tell the difference – it’s a matter of being very honest with yourself and listening to your intuition.  You will eventually be able to judge your fears with good accuracy, and I’ve made it a recent habit to always say ‘Yes’ to doing things which terrify me for all the right reasons.

What does this have to do with support?  Well, a lot of people don’t know how to tell apart their fears, and their fear for you takes over – that you’ll fail and be unhappy, that you’ll end up in a bad place, that you’ll blow the family fortune, or even (and possibly more often than you’d expect) that you’ll be a big success and they’ll feel lousy for not having taken a chance on their dreams themselves – dreams which they let die long ago for all the wrong reasons (fear of ‘failure’, being pragmatic).  Now, I’m not saying people should enable foolhardiness – again, this is one of those times when you have to see fear for what it is – is there a justifiable reason you are afraid?

Hector Projector

Now, by virtue of who this blog is intended for, I doubt I’m going to convert anybody who is not on a creative endeavor into being a Champion of the Dreamer.  But I think it helps to know where they are coming from – that fear.  It’s not really about YOU, it’s them and their own ’stuff’ that they are projecting on to you.  So what to do?

Do everything from a place of love.

Do it for yourself, don’t rely on outside support to do what you do.  Treat it as a nice ‘extra’ if you do receive it, and cherish and nurture that in people – it’s a rare thing.  That’s important too – to realize it’s not a given that people will support you.  Learn to give yourself support by judging your own stuff less critically, and by letting the work be a reward in itself.  And, even more importantly – GIVE AWAY WHAT YOU WANT – if you want support, support others.  It’ll come back to you, in such abundance it will surprise you.  It’s one of the weirder laws of the Universe – if you want something, give it away.

Quack quack

Let the negative roll off your back (you were wondering what the heck ducks had to do with this, eh?).  I mean really: let it roll off and dissipate (no baggage hanging around for future bitterness) – and this is a challenge.  Let it go.  Again – it’s not easy and it does take practice.  But if you are going to succeed, you are going to have to keep at it – and if you are going to keep at it, you’ll need to build thick skin – for rejection, and for those who just don’t really care about you or your work.  Work hard, but learn to move on quickly if you’re not getting anywhere.  Approach things without expectation and with no emotional attachment to the outcome – do it for what you love to do, not for what you think you should get.

No Island

But that’s only part of the picture – you need some sort of sustenance, support – you can’t be completely self-sufficient, you just won’t make it all alone.  Seek out you champions and supporters.  Actively look for people and groups that are aligned with your values and goals.  They will become your support structure, and provide guidance and direction when you need it.  Find a mentor in your field – they will help you in real ways that others cannot – on an emotional, and practical level.  Surround yourself with positive, inspiring, motivated people who themselves have goals that they are not giving up on.

Come on people now, smile on your…

Finally, I really want to encourage everyone to… ah… encourage everyone!  Try to jump in with genuine excitement and enthusiasm the next time someone describes their latest pet project, album idea, business plan, film treatment, or whatever.  It’s a small thing, but having that support, even a token ‘Sounds awesome!  Go for it!’ can make a huge difference to opening up creativity and improving chances – don’t perpetuate limiting beliefs – perpetuate passion, creative energy and love.

OK, time for a group hug!  … and maybe some Gravol for the nausea?

This week I’m guest blogging at Studio Manifesto!

http://studiomanifesto.ca/2009/04/01/voodoo-your-creative-flow-using-rituals-to-maximize-your-creativity/ !

Creative Flow - Photo by entrelec

You know how a particular smell or perfume, or a song, can bring back a powerful memory of a person, place, or time in your life? Certain stimuli can trigger strong emotional states. For me, if I smell Calvin Klein’s ‘Eternity’, I’m back in grade 9, going out on my first date, and I’m madly in love. It’s as if I’ve time traveled on an emotional level, re-living all those strong feelings from those turbulent times.

In this phenomena lies a key to enhanced creativity and unleashing inspiration.

READ THE FULL POST AT http://studiomanifesto.ca/2009/04/01/voodoo-your-creative-flow-using-rituals-to-maximize-your-creativity/ !