The Making of CAPITAL GAMES the Movie- the sound of post production music

Music? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Music-


Well, more lessons to be learned from attaining music rights for my film. And oh, what amazingly hard lessons they are.

4 songs. One, two, three, four.
Doesn't sound like too big of a deal, does it?

Simple, just email someone and get the rights.

HA!! wrong!

Okay, here we go boys and girls for your first music lesson.

Synch rights, publishing rights...know the difference? Yeah neither did I two days ago.

Who owns what? More fun! Get this, Sony owns 55% Universal? 15% Chrysalis? 30% each wants a piece of the pie.
Then, get this, they have a Most Favored Nations clause. Silly? Sounds like something for the UN? Well, this means whomever charges the most for the song? They want THAT percentage. So you must pay to the highest fee.

Still confused? Keep going.
You have to send completed forms, film clips where the song is used, hope they are wonderful and 'approved' by the powers that be. Well, this is a gay romance, so I have my doubts as to whether I will get the approval. Sometimes I get lucky because the contacts are certainly helpful over the phone, so helpful I got five people emailing me about one song from one company. So it became a musical chairs game of who was going to be stuck with me and my low budget project.

THEN!!! There is one cost for non-profit film festival and hey!! like the song that much? just slap 10 grand on the counter and it's yours for your DVD. One song. 10% of one song.

Okay, so, my conclusions? We like really good songs. So, my answer? We either win the lotto and buy them, or find really less popular music to do the job. Well, that sucks all the way around. So, we shall see with my book sales just how fancy this music for CAPITAL GAMES will be. My choice was low budget and easy, but of course the director wants to get only the best. Though I understand, the budget is just not there.

So, music. Makes or breaks a scene, believe me, I know. Maybe I should sit with my hat held out at the corner of the food stores and beg for change. Seriously. Making the movie with the right songs? Priceless.
Hat in hand for contributions? Necessary-
I'm about 75% into this song attaining mess, and still have more forms, more songs to send, and more questions to ask.

Music? We don't need no stinkin' music.
Errr, got news for you. We do.
Wish me luck. I will soon be the expert you all can contact to get through this rats maze...

Be safe out there.

Play your music, you need to enjoy it while you can.