Not sure if this is the right forum for music, but could not find any. When hiring someone who is miles away, and having to show him the movie online, or by mail, what's the best way go about conducting this business venture? I was thinking of posting the movie on a private site. He can score it. Then I can hear his score, and we can discuss how to make it more fitting. Once he gives me something to hear I am satisfied with, what then? Does he mail it to me on a datacard, in good quality format, and once I get it, I mail him a check? I have never done this with someone out of driving distance before, but he's got pretty good music.
Question about hiring someone for music.
- Thread starter ironpony
- Start date
Steve House
Veteran
He could mail you a card or a CD or a USB key or you could use one of the online file transfer sites like Dropbox or YouSendIt that can handle very large files and transfer the final that way. As for what comes first, him getting the file to you or you sending the cheque, that depends on how much you trust each other.
paulears
Veteran
Take the video and burn a big timecode bar across it, then host it on vimeo with password access, give him the password and see what happens. He really needs permission to download it to stick it into his workstation. It doesn't have to be particularly hi-res, and he'll be watching it in most cases in a small window - so it doesn't matter. The timecode will let him and you have absolute time references for your comments - I'd suggest you break it down into scenes or useful sections, and only let him have sections until the results start to come in - so to start with pick the critical one first. Equally, he's going to be distrustful of you for the same reasons, so won't want to work too much until he sees you are genuine.
If you really don't know each other, then you should agree some sort of payment schedule, and incorporate contract terms involving privacy in there too. At some stage, you have to trust each other to get the working relationship going. You could rip him off in the same way he could rip you off - but what would he actually do with a low res time coded clip?
If you really don't know each other, then you should agree some sort of payment schedule, and incorporate contract terms involving privacy in there too. At some stage, you have to trust each other to get the working relationship going. You could rip him off in the same way he could rip you off - but what would he actually do with a low res time coded clip?
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
Any going forward from the point of asking if the other person is willing to 'look at the film', should be protected with an Non-Disclosure Agreement, even if eventually no contract is signed. Time code and copy right burned in water mark would also be a 'must' for viewing for all purposes, and for 'music', I can't really think of a reason why that should not be the case for all media passed out.
As with all 'legal' questions one should consult a lawyer in one's own region to find out what constitutes a binding contract, and what remedies are available if 'something happens'...
The biggest issue with 'online' meetings/business dealings like this is who exactly is The Other party, and where are they located, such that if things do go south, where one can go for a remedy...
kennedymax
Well-known member
I believe it impossible to properly supervise custom music for a movie from a long distance. There are too many subtleties that must be dealt with face to face, including the final mix. General treatment can be discusses from afar, but beyond that you must be more personally involved.
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
Well, It can be done and has been done a lot. Of the 200-300 national ads I worked on we only met the clients twice. That's sound not music but we also brought in composers from time to time and most of them were not local to the project and had no face time with either us or the producers.
The mix is more complicated to do with out the director there, but it can be done. You composer should not be your mixer BTW, well not generally - they are very music centric and unless your doing a music video the other parts of the sound track will suffer. Not 100%, but generally true in my experience. The sound folks can also be biased but they at least are more big picture focused than most composers are. The best is to have everyone at the mix.
Anyway. I have done a few long distant mixes. You need to send them a video file. You can use a service or snail mail but you shouldn't use streaming for anything that is sync critical. I know it's not everyones experience but I have a horrible time with VIMEO. It's slower than mud and tends to stutter. It's not my connection so ? Not saying it won't work but it won't work for everyone. YMMV.
In the mix or sound work I will send mp3 versions for the director to check out. Once we are into a final mix I will either switch to a higher bit rate MP3 or WAV files depending on the length. For the final I send a WAV file. If there are "fixes" I will send more WAV files till everyone is happy.
To make kit work you need to take into account the loop time in making changes and you need to take good notes and send all the changes you can in clumps. Don't ask for one of ten things you noticed ask for all ten.
TC burn is good, and any kind of water marking you want is fine as long as it doesn't block important actions. Pretty much any file you can view on the web you can copy off the web so don't go crazy with copy protection. If it's a big pain it will be a working problem. and honestly how much at risk are you? It's a serious question because I don't know. If this is for a launch release of some new product you need to be careful, if it's a student short... not so much. point is match your paranoia with a reality check. You probably don't have to go to extreames to be safe.
The mix is more complicated to do with out the director there, but it can be done. You composer should not be your mixer BTW, well not generally - they are very music centric and unless your doing a music video the other parts of the sound track will suffer. Not 100%, but generally true in my experience. The sound folks can also be biased but they at least are more big picture focused than most composers are. The best is to have everyone at the mix.
Anyway. I have done a few long distant mixes. You need to send them a video file. You can use a service or snail mail but you shouldn't use streaming for anything that is sync critical. I know it's not everyones experience but I have a horrible time with VIMEO. It's slower than mud and tends to stutter. It's not my connection so ? Not saying it won't work but it won't work for everyone. YMMV.
In the mix or sound work I will send mp3 versions for the director to check out. Once we are into a final mix I will either switch to a higher bit rate MP3 or WAV files depending on the length. For the final I send a WAV file. If there are "fixes" I will send more WAV files till everyone is happy.
To make kit work you need to take into account the loop time in making changes and you need to take good notes and send all the changes you can in clumps. Don't ask for one of ten things you noticed ask for all ten.
TC burn is good, and any kind of water marking you want is fine as long as it doesn't block important actions. Pretty much any file you can view on the web you can copy off the web so don't go crazy with copy protection. If it's a big pain it will be a working problem. and honestly how much at risk are you? It's a serious question because I don't know. If this is for a launch release of some new product you need to be careful, if it's a student short... not so much. point is match your paranoia with a reality check. You probably don't have to go to extreames to be safe.
David W. Jones
Veteran
There is absolutely no reason a score can't be done via long distance.
Okay thanks. I will discuss options with him. I've heard samples, and he's better than people where I live which is why I want him. But I hope I don't pay him and then the music sucks. We of course can do some rough cuts. And no someone else is doing the mixing for the other audio.
Last edited:
Doc Bernard
Indie Arms Member
You can alsways do the payment in 2 stages..... Some up front to get him started....... and the remainder on the back end if you or the client approves. Makes sure he knows that up front.
paulears
Veteran
Side by side means instant responses, and solutions. Distance adds a time delay. However - my own experience is that sitting with the client means constant tweaking and adjustment, often quite pointless ones, ending up right back where you started.
Client "could we try something just as X happens?"
Me "How about a bell tree?" (even though you think it just cheeses it up)
Client "yes - great"
Half an hour later, you have 4 different bell tree recordings complete. You play each one to the client, and they ask what you think.
Me"I think it's a bit cheesy"
Client "yes - me too, let's forget it"
This happens every time you have clients in the edit, or in the recording studio. At a distance, you present something. They accept it or ask for alterations, and you move on.
If you are charging by the hour, by all means have the client there - it generates plenty of wasted time, and if they're there, it cannot be argued. If like me, you often charge as a fixed price project, then I'd prefer distance - even if it spreads out the timescale, waiting for collective decisions at their end.
I'm currently working on a project of this kind, and have been waiting a week for 5 people to approve a clip. Four have said it's fine, the other can't play it on their computer, so time marches on.......
Client "could we try something just as X happens?"
Me "How about a bell tree?" (even though you think it just cheeses it up)
Client "yes - great"
Half an hour later, you have 4 different bell tree recordings complete. You play each one to the client, and they ask what you think.
Me"I think it's a bit cheesy"
Client "yes - me too, let's forget it"
This happens every time you have clients in the edit, or in the recording studio. At a distance, you present something. They accept it or ask for alterations, and you move on.
If you are charging by the hour, by all means have the client there - it generates plenty of wasted time, and if they're there, it cannot be argued. If like me, you often charge as a fixed price project, then I'd prefer distance - even if it spreads out the timescale, waiting for collective decisions at their end.
I'm currently working on a project of this kind, and have been waiting a week for 5 people to approve a clip. Four have said it's fine, the other can't play it on their computer, so time marches on.......