Writing music for film

DefaultM

I fancy writing some music for someones amateur film project etc. Does anyone know of any websites where people request that sort of thing?

Deijavoo

Try any art colleges nearby, although I was doing that as a music student there so they maybe get preference etc.....

camf

Try your local art school, college or university. There's not as much funding for short films these days, but film/tv students still need to make films and if you play your cards right, you might be able to find someone with a bit of talent. Try to make sure you don't get lumbered with some talentless meglamaniac control freak or you'll find yourself wishing you'd never bothered.

  

Phil_aka_Pip

Things like that sometime come up on starnow.com

GavRichList

Not strictly what you're asking, but sign up with Sentric music; plenty of briefs daily.

DefaultM

Some good sites and ideas thanks. Trying to figure out what sentric music is @GavHaus?
Do you upload your music and then they make it available to anyone that wants it?

Grunfeld

I've never done any film music professionally but for my own projects (which these days are often ambient) I've just taken a Youtube clip I like and stripped the audio and made my own soundtracks.  So if you fancy practice, do that. 

GavRichList

@DefaultM kinda, yes. But there are also new briefs every day that you submit your music for. They can be worth GOOD money. I've had numerous placements on Hollyoaks, Gossip Girl, The Only Way Is Essex etc etc. They also get any PRS moneys for you too. They're a good company.

mellowsun

GavHaus said:

@DefaultM kinda, yes. But there are also new briefs every day that you submit your music for. They can be worth GOOD money. I've had numerous placements on Hollyoaks, Gossip Girl, The Only Way Is Essex etc etc. They also get any PRS moneys for you too. They're a good company.

It's great that you have had success with Sentric. I closed my account with them as it wasn't working for me - I had more success with Taxi.com and Indaba. But maybe I should give them another go. My main beef was that there was no feedback, I'd submit tracks for a brief and hear nothing, and they never replied to emails, so I had no idea if work was actually submitted or not.  This was a few years ago though. I should perhaps check them out again.

GavRichList

I've had a fairly longstanding working relationship with them, so perhaps it's different; have worked with them since 2009 I think.

mellowsun

Is Sentric's focus still on gigging bands rather than studio musicians/composers/songwriters?

GavRichList

Er, maybe. I certainly started with them when my band was very active.

spark240

mellowsun said:

GavHaus said:

@DefaultM kinda, yes. But there are also new briefs every day that you submit your music for. They can be worth GOOD money. I've had numerous placements on Hollyoaks, Gossip Girl, The Only Way Is Essex etc etc. They also get any PRS moneys for you too. They're a good company.

It's great that you have had success with Sentric. I closed my account with them as it wasn't working for me - I had more success with Taxi.com and Indaba. But maybe I should give them another go. My main beef was that there was no feedback, I'd submit tracks for a brief and hear nothing, and they never replied to emails, so I had no idea if work was actually submitted or not.  This was a few years ago though. I should perhaps check them out again.

Can you tell me more about Taxi?  I checked the website ...all looks a bit old hat USA style ? 

mellowsun

Basically with Taxi you have to pay something like $200 for a subscription in return for weekly, sometimes daily, cue sheets of leads. The web site does look circa 1996 but it is legit.

You submit tracks for a brief and these get screened by people in the industry and, if suitable, forwarded to the client. Often you get written feedback which can be very useful. It is all very US based though, which often includes the required music styles for the briefs, on the other hand, the briefs cover a wide range from rap to classical so there is something for everyone.

I'm no longer a member but I found it worthwhile. You have to work hard and submit for tons of briefs to get your money's worth though. Unlike other services, such as Sentric, they don't take a cut, they don't collect royalties and there is no publishing deal. If I was in a gigging band, I'd go with Sentric, but Taxi is probably the better bet if your focus is in the studio writing jingles and music beds.

spark240

mellowsun said:

Basically with Taxi you have to pay something like $200 for a subscription in return for weekly, sometimes daily, cue sheets of leads. The web site does look circa 1996 but it is legit.

You submit tracks for a brief and these get screened by people in the industry and, if suitable, forwarded to the client. Often you get written feedback which can be very useful. It is all very US based though, which often includes the required music styles for the briefs, on the other hand, the briefs cover a wide range from rap to classical so there is something for everyone.

I'm no longer a member but I found it worthwhile. You have to work hard and submit for tons of briefs to get your money's worth though. Unlike other services, such as Sentric, they don't take a cut, they don't collect royalties and there is no publishing deal. If I was in a gigging band, I'd go with Sentric, but Taxi is probably the better bet if your focus is in the studio writing jingles and music beds.

mellowsun said:

Basically with Taxi you have to pay something like $200 for a subscription in return for weekly, sometimes daily, cue sheets of leads. The web site does look circa 1996 but it is legit.

You submit tracks for a brief and these get screened by people in the industry and, if suitable, forwarded to the client. Often you get written feedback which can be very useful. It is all very US based though, which often includes the required music styles for the briefs, on the other hand, the briefs cover a wide range from rap to classical so there is something for everyone.

I'm no longer a member but I found it worthwhile. You have to work hard and submit for tons of briefs to get your money's worth though. Unlike other services, such as Sentric, they don't take a cut, they don't collect royalties and there is no publishing deal. If I was in a gigging band, I'd go with Sentric, but Taxi is probably the better bet if your focus is in the studio writing jingles and music beds.

Thanks, when you say "get your moneys worth", how do you mean?

Like earn enough to cover the 200 dollars?