I'm in an argument with a collaborator over what the credit should be for someone who worked for us. This employee made a song with audio composing software (not sure if it was Garage Band, Soundtrack Pro, Logic or what) using the pre existing samples/loops provided with said software. The song they created has become the theme song for our entire piece. In the credits, my collaborator had this person listed as Title Music Editor. I quickly deleted this, having never heard of such a credit, and I changed it to Theme Song Composed by. What do you guys/gals think? This person didn't actually write the music, but he did composite it if not 'compose'. So what kind of credit should he receive? Thanks in advance for solving our disagreement.
Credit for Soundtrack Pro constructionist?
- Thread starter grifpo
- Start date
saneproductions
Veteran
This is a good point worth contemplating. The music loops were written and performed by someone else. Something like having a sentence pre-written by someone else.
Then these pre-composed sentences are selected and strung together to create a story.
The story is original but the sentences are from a different author. So in that case, who is the author? The one who wrote the sentences? And the person who regrouped the sentences an editor?
Or is it a co-authorship in which one author (the one who created the music loops) previously gave up his rights?
Of course you could simply credit that person as being the "Soundtrack Pro."
Then these pre-composed sentences are selected and strung together to create a story.
The story is original but the sentences are from a different author. So in that case, who is the author? The one who wrote the sentences? And the person who regrouped the sentences an editor?
Or is it a co-authorship in which one author (the one who created the music loops) previously gave up his rights?
Of course you could simply credit that person as being the "Soundtrack Pro."
Steve House
Veteran
Loops are too short to be considered "compositions" IMHO. They're musical elements but taken individually they're short of musical meaning. Continuing the literary analogy, they are more akin to words and syllables than they are to complete sentences. So I think "composer" is a fair title to give someone who combines these elements and makes a musical whole from them.
TyFord
Well-known member
I think Title Music Editor is insufficient to describe the effort.
If you want to put a fine point on it, samples, where you have just the sound of an instrument are not as specific as loops, which are recordings of performances.
I think there is certainly some intelligent creativity required to composite loops into a finished music track, but performance is not an issue.
New technologies typically require us to think differently. If these are loops, then "theme music compositor" tells us that the finished track was made with loops. That's more correct than composer. Film credit have evolved over the years. Maybe it's time for a new title. Chances are the credits will go by so fast that no one will notice except us geeks who stick around to see the credits roll at the end of the movie.
Regards,
Ty Ford
If you want to put a fine point on it, samples, where you have just the sound of an instrument are not as specific as loops, which are recordings of performances.
I think there is certainly some intelligent creativity required to composite loops into a finished music track, but performance is not an issue.
New technologies typically require us to think differently. If these are loops, then "theme music compositor" tells us that the finished track was made with loops. That's more correct than composer. Film credit have evolved over the years. Maybe it's time for a new title. Chances are the credits will go by so fast that no one will notice except us geeks who stick around to see the credits roll at the end of the movie.
Regards,
Ty Ford
that's exactly the composers job, it makes no difference if used live instruments, voices, recorded birds singing, or ambient noises, if he's the one that put it together and changed it in the process into a theme or a song or music than he's the composer.all music is made from pre recorded samples today, no one uses an orchestra to record a song going in an indie movie, or a even a tv show.