How to approach composers for an indie production?

T

Ticonderoga

Member
I am looking for some guidance in getting original background music for a 5-minute short film. We are looking for an one-stop solution, and I have been searching the web and Craig's List for composer listing. Understandably, composers usually only state on their websites that price is negotiable, but for a complete outsider like me this makes it hard for me to come up with an initial offer.

We can probably afford low-hundreds for the music if we pitch our last penny, but is that still too little, or could it possibly be too much? And since everyone says price is negotiable, is there a way I can tell apart expensive composers from more affordable ones?

Any help is appreciated.
 
You can ask the composers themselves, and include information about your short to see if they want to help with it enough to cut their costs further. That's the only certain way. Just reformat what you said here in letter form and send out some emails.
 
As a reference I have seen indy composers charge as much as 500 bucks to score a 40 minute short film. Really depends on who your dealing with.
 
If you want to do it cheap, do it yourself. I did for years. Pick up a copy of Acid Studio (you won't need the Pro version) for $100. It comes with the software and hundreds of loops you can use. You can do anything from Epic, to Scary, to Light in just a few hours, even if you have no musical talent whatsoever.
 
Flick me a message, I'll do it!

Rates totally depend. Some "indie" composers charge like crazy and then some don't. Some work for free...mainly those just starting out, building their reels, etc.

Don't do it yourself, PLEASE! The post above is all good and well if you want your film to sound like a million other short films. You can tell when a film has skimped on music like this when the director decides he can do the composers job. (if the director is a composer also, then by all means, it's fine). Loops for the most part, suck. Especially when they come from programs like Acid. If you have no money, wait and find a composer who will work for free or cheap. I have written hours and hours of music for free. Some of it never even got used in the end.

I have got to the point now where personally I have to start charging, because otherwise I will be doing free jobs for the rest of my life. But being a fellow filmmaker, I work around the filmmakers, I don't have any "set rates" like some composers do. I will do a job for cheap or free for friends, and low rates for everyone else - whatever they can budget for.

It really is quite difficult to tell who's charging what etc, it really is just a case by case thing. I think a lot of indie composers will work for whatever you're offering, as long as it's not going to require months of work for free, for example. A 5 minute film is a pretty quick job, so no problems there.
 
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Well yeah, if you can find someone, obviously it'll be better. I think it also depends on why they're doing the short. If it's just to get practice and maybe get into a festival, why wait? If the goal is to get into a big festival, and maybe make some cash, then yeah, waiting would be better.
 
Ticonderoga, I'm a composer and would be happy to work with you, or at the least answer any questions you have. Just send me an e-mail! :)

Ditto everything Chris Hurn said.
 
Thanks for all the comments! I'll surely take the advises once I finish editing the film.

Another question: Do I need to cut the film with a beat in mind, or the composer can usually work that out no matter how I cut the film?
 
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