How To Get The Most From Music Editors—Part 1

This edition of Producer-Director Music Notes focuses on how to get the most from music editors. If you find that you’re really not sure what a music editor does, you’re not alone. In fact, this is one of the more interesting challenges (and I would say opportunities) facing creative leaders today.

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In part one of this article, I’ll provide an overview of what music editors do and why it’s so essential. In part two, I’ll bring in the perspectives of three professionals in this space. I feel very fortunate to have interviewed three top-flight music editors who brought their A-game to this conversation. You’ll definitely benefit from their insights.

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Before we go too far, I want to remind you of the mission of this newsletter. Producer-Director Music Notes exists to empower creative leaders—producers, directors, showrunners and anyone else responsible for the final cut—to get the most from their music and sound teams.

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Music editors, one might easily claim, are part of a musical triumvirate for visual media: composers, music supervisors and music editors. All three professionals play important, yet rather unique, roles in making music highly impactful for visual media. The three music editors I interviewed for this edition have worked primarily in film and TV. But music editors also work in advertising and there is a growing use of their services in the video game industry.

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Of the three music roles (composer, music supervisor, music editor), it’s the music editors who are often the unsung heroes of this industry. The work they do enhances the emotional impact of music in visual media productions. Yet it’s often composers and music supervisors who are deemed to be “music creatives.” However, after having read this article, if you are not using a music editor today or are only using them in a limited capacity, you may find yourself rethinking that decision.

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A Great Resource To Consider

I can take little credit for what I’m about to describe. So I’d like to start by thanking Shie Rozow for his support and guidance on this article. If you don’t know Shie, I recommend that you look him up. He is a musical savant, having delivered music editing services on over 150 film and TV productions. He’s also a professional composer, having created original music for more than 30 visual media productions. His music is really good.

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Shie is also a published author. His book, Every Note Tells A Story: The Transformative Power Of Music In Visual Media, is well worth reading. I have read most of the 400+ pages of his book and have found it to be very insightful, both from a technical and creative standpoint. Even better, Shie is a nice guy, down-to-earth and humble, especially when you consider all that he’s accomplished. I was introduced to Shie by Chris Wirsig at a Guild Of Music Supervisor’s event. Thank you, Chris.

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I cannot recommend Shie’s book enough for creative leaders who didn’t go to film school. (In full disclosure, I didn’t go to film school.) Many of the subscribers to this newsletter are successful working professionals who came to this field from various backgrounds. While others can debate the merits of a film school degree, there is little debate that most film schools will give students at least an introductory course to music in media. What do you do if you didn’t get this introduction?

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Every Note Tells A Story is a great resource for creatives who want to know how music works, both artistically and technically, in visual media productions. The opening chapter of the book, called The Many Functions of Music in Visual Storytelling, is a veritable master class in music for motion picture. Shie made special effort to use both modern and classic-film examples to demonstrate his points. If you didn’t go to film school and don’t speak music but you want to make music a powerful feature of your productions, this book could really help.

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Why The Role Of Music Editors Is Not Better Understood

I have a sense that there are four primary reasons that the role of music editors is not better understood.

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1. Most creative leaders only learn what music editors do after having worked with one. The most common way for creative leaders to learn about what music editors do is to actually work with one. In some instances, a creative leader will be attached to a production that has already hired a music editor. Other times, a composer may request a music editor. But if neither of these situations occur, creative leaders may never encounter the work of a music editor.
2. Their work is often unnoticeable. A composer creates original music for a production. A music supervisor secures songs for a production. But what tangible thing does a music editor do that audiences can immediately recognize? Most of the time, their work is only noticeable to a very select team actually working on the production, like directors, other sound professionals and the post-production crew. In fact, some music editors would say that the work they do is supposed to be invisible. An audience should feel it far more than they hear it.
3. They don’t spend a lot of time tooting their own horn. One thing I’ve noticed, after interviewing these three music editors, is how understated they are. They tend to see their mission as supporting others, like directors and composers, to enhance the creative vision of the production. They are often adept counselors, providing options and helping creative leaders see things from different perspectives. But they’re not domineering or demanding. In fact, they can be the people most likely to diffuse tension in the room. This is one of the reasons you want them on your team.
4. They do so many things that it’s hard to describe their role simply. If you ask five different music editors what they do, you might hear five quite different answers. Why? Because music editors can do so many different things. The tasks they perform for a given production are often defined by what creative leaders think they can do rather than what they actually have experience doing. So it’s probably fair to say that if you ask five different directors what music editors do, you’re also likely to hear five very different answers.

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Regarding this last point, I thought it would be good to give you an overview of the many, many things that music editors can do. This will allow you to pick and choose how you want to work with them to get the best possible outcomes for your production. ?

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What Do Music Editors Actually Do?

Simply put, music editors can do a lot. But this doesn’t mean that every music editor will do what others do or even do those things the way other music editors do them. It became apparent to me, after talking to the three music editors, that each one of them has a slightly different focus. So as you peruse the list of services below, you might want to think of it as a menu that you could pick from if the music editor you hire has those skills. It’s also common for productions to hire more than one music editor, each of whom might be skilled in a particular area.

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Creative leaders choose the services they need based on their production requirements and based on what they think music editors do. Oftentimes it seems creative leaders are not aware of the full range of services music editors can offer them. The more you understand this list of potential services, the better positioned you’ll be to get the most from your music editor.

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• Direction. Music editors can help you find your musical direction. They’re experts at knowing how music creates emotion in visual media. But most of them are also experts in music itself. They’re very familiar with different genres. Many music editors have formal training in composition and songwriting or are composers in their own right. This allows them to be very effective guides, especially for creative leaders who don’t speak music. Shie Rozow tells a story in his book about how he cut more than 20 different musical options to a single scene to give a director options. This effort helped that production find their musical footing and ultimately find the right composer for their project.
• Connections. Music editors can help you connect with potential music supervisors and composers. It’s not uncommon for music editors to be the first music professionals attached to a production. Choosing the right composer and music supervisor can be daunting. Music editors often know the strengths of these other music professionals and can make recommendations and introductions.?
• Spotting. Music editors can be effective advisors in music spotting. Production teams use spotting sessions to determine where music will and will not be used. During spotting, the in and out points for a music cue are defined. Spotting is also where creative leaders brainstorm what type of cues would work best for a given scene. These are very important decisions that can have a major impact on the audience. Music editors bring a unique sensibility to these sessions because almost no one in that room will have cut more music to picture than them. Some music editors bring an almost encyclopedic knowledge of film, TV and game music to these sessions.?
• Temporary Scores. Music editors can create highly effective temporary scores using existing songs and cues from other productions. While picture editors sometimes fill this role, music editors are uniquely qualified to do this. The creation of temp scores is an important milestone in many productions. But it’s also an area fraught with potential problems. The way a music editor handles temp scoring can have a major impact on the composer and creative leaders, particularly directors. There are at least two schools of thought when it comes to temp scoring: make it close to final or make it a blueprint for the composer to customize.
• Close-To-Final Temp Scores. Music editors who ascribe to this school of thought see it as their mission to give the production the most professional sound possible. Skilled music editors can create temp scores that feel as if the music was custom-made just for their project. In some instances, they might bring in music from A-list composers with a distinct sound. But this approach can lead to challenges for both composer and director. If the temp cues chosen came from a production with a much bigger budget, it may be impossible for the composer to recreate that sound, even if they have the skill to write that style of music. If the director listens to the temp score over and over, they might become quite comfortable with it and fall into temp-love. This means they might not ever be satisfied with anything but the temp music. But the other problem can come from early-access audience feedback. If a project is pre-screened and the audience loves the temp music, this can make creative leaders reticent to move in other directions.
• Blueprint Temp Scores. Music editors who ascribe to this school of thought see it as their mission to create a distinct blueprint with temp music, but to leave plenty of room for the composer to customize that blueprint. These music editors see temp music as a placeholder for what will eventually be final. They tend to view temping as an opportunity to explore and experiment with differing genres and styles to find something that works well. They still edit to in and out points for the music. They choose music that captures the right emotions and highlights key story points. But they don’t try to smooth out all the rough edges on temp cues because this can lead to temp-love. This approach gives creative leaders enough of a feel for what the final could sound like. But it also allows the composer to make their own unique creative contribution without feeling constrained to emulate the temp music.
• Conforming. Music editors can “conform” existing music to fit a scene. For example, during spotting sessions it may have been decided that a cue should be 1:30 for a given scene. But during editing, that scene may have been cut to 1:10. If the composer has finished recording the score, what do you do? You could go to the expense of re-recording that single scene. Or, for far less money and time, you could ask your music editor to conform the cue to fit the scene. Because music editors are masters of music technology, they can often do this very effectively.
• Dub-stage edits. Music editors can help improve the impact of music during final mixing. For most productions, the mix (music, dialogue, sound design) is finalized on the dub-stage. But this is also where new problems can be discovered. For example, sometimes a music cue is too loud, doesn’t land quite right or simply needs to be re-cut so it doesn’t compete with dialogue or other audio elements. Other times, a slight adjustment forward or backward on the timeline can enhance the overall feel, especially for comedic content where timing is crucial. Because music editors are tech-savvy, they can often address these issues quickly, especially when they have access to stems (individually recorded instruments or groups of instruments). Sometimes these edits can be quick and simple, like muting an instrument that is getting in the way. Other times the edits can be complex, like choosing a variation of the originally recorded material and re-mixing it. When things are not working well on the dub-stage, this can lead to tense moments. A music editor’s calm sensibilities can diffuse tension and keep things moving forward.
• Thump tracks and actor coaching. Music editors can ensure that on-camera performances from actors look realistic. This is especially important for musicals, where the performances need to feel live. Music editors can coach actors in how to sing or play an instrument for the camera, impacting realism. Music editors can also create “thump tracks” for dance scenes, especially where the on-set music volume would destroy all dialogue and lead to substantial ADR (audio direct replacement) sessions. A thump track utilizes a low frequency beat so on-camera talent can move in time. The thump is easily removed in post-production.
• Guidance. A music editor can help you figure out why the music in a scene isn’t working. This can be a real challenge for creative leaders who don’t speak music. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words what isn’t working for you and why. A music editor can help you diagnose the issue and then make suggestions for how to fix it. Sometimes, they can simply edit an existing cue. Other times, they can provide specific direction to a composer.
• Liaison and translator. A music editor can save a lot of time by serving as a liaison and translator between, say, a director and a composer. Many composers work on more than one project simultaneously and have limited time for meetings. Some composers prefer to work remotely. Music editors can often communicate between composer and director, saving both a lot of time. Because music editors do speak music, they can communicate in musical terms to a composer what a director may have said and vice versa. Music editors can also take detailed notes during spotting sessions and then send them to the composer.
• Productivity. Music editors can handle a lot of tasks related to productivity and streamlined operations. For instance, some music editors will set up recording sessions in Pro Tools to ensure they are named and stored properly for easy access in post-production. Some music editors will go through all the takes (an individual recording of a full cue) to put together the final cue for a given scene. Being well-organized is also very important for later stages of editing, particularly on the dub-stage. For example, it’s quite common when recording orchestras to have 30 or more microphones in the room. The recording from each microphone typically yields a digital file. The digital files are then often combined to create stems. Stem groups, depending on the ensemble, can include strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, piano, synthesizers, choirs and lead vocalists, organs and keyboards, guitars and others. If a production has 30 cues, each with 10 stems, that means the music editor is managing 300 files. But if a cue was re-recorded a few times to provide alternative takes, that can easily push the file count up substantially. Since dub-stage edits are usually made to stems, it’s very important for music editors to be able to quickly and accurately pull up and manipulate the correct stems. A well-organized music editor can save the day on the dub-stage and prevent creative leaders from going home disappointed.

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How Do You Find Music Editors?

If you’ve never worked with a music editor before, it might be advisable to ask colleagues you trust who they use. Referrals are still a great way to find the right talent for your production. You can also ask your composer or music supervisor. Many composers have a short-list of preferred music editors they like to work with. You can also look on IMDb for projects that are similar to yours. Just look under the “music department” section to find music editors.

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If your project is under union contract, you can also reach out to the Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700. There are a few music editing houses that are easily found with a quick internet search. It’s probably best to put together a short-list of candidates to interview and then speak with them one-by-one to see who really fits.

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Wrap Up

Music editors can add a lot to the emotional impact of music in your productions. They can help you find your musical direction, save you time by working with your composer and music supervisor and handle a lot of tasks that keep your project humming along. If you’re not working with music editors today, or are only using them in a limited capacity, it might be time to re-think your approach.

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Until next time, happy storytelling.

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Randall

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