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Should movies credit session musicians too?


Matt C

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I've noticed this recently -- this tends to be for mostly Europa-produced movies and the rare U.S. film like Source Code. Mostly if a certain ensemble is involved a la London Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Sinfonia, or even the Hollywood Studio Symphony, they'll be credited by name only. Some scores recorded in L.A. or London don't even mention the location.

But it's even rarer to see the full list of orchestra performers mentioned in a film like Lockout or Source Code. Should more studios be required to do this or does it really matter?

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If I were one of the orchestra members, I'd definitely want to be credited.

Sometimes they even list all the carpenters who worked on the stage props and furniture and whatnot, so why not?

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Hey, let's not get too crazy now. You keep heading down this road, sooner or later you'll have to start crediting the Angela Morleys of the world, and we know how horrible it would be to impugn the absolute nature of Williams' artistic autonomy.

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To be part of a credit that says "LSO" (or whatever) should be good enough, after all the "LSO" is a moveable feast, and perhaps not all members played on the score at any one time (case in point, "Jane Eyre", which had members of the LSO playing on it, but not the full compliment).

I do suggest that all members who played on the score be credited individually on the c.d. booklet, (as the Hollywood Studio Symphony is fond of doing, for scores as far back as "The Swarm", and "Capricorn One"). This seems logical and respectful, as most - if not all - artists are credited on jazz, and rock, and blues albums, etc. For instance, an album that says "peter gabriel" is not just made and played on by Peter Gabriel...

If members of an orchestra insist that their names be on the end credits of a film, then surely, shouldn't the names of those who have played on featured songs in the film, get the same courtesy?

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Hey, let's not get too crazy now. You keep heading down this road, sooner or later you'll have to start crediting the Angela Morleys of the world, and we know how horrible it would be to impugn the absolute nature of Williams' artistic autonomy.

:lol:
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To be part of a credit that says "LSO" (or whatever) should be good enough, after all the "LSO" is a moveable feast, and perhaps not all members played on the score at any one time (case in point, "Jane Eyre", which had members of the LSO playing on it, but not the full compliment).

Many LSO members are also session players for orchestral recordings in the London scene. For example, Harry Potter 1 & 3, even though not officially LSO recordings, features the majority of LSO members (incl. the late great Maurice Murphy). From what I was told once by an Italian session conductor, LSO has some strict clauses about their crediting--for example, if there are sections using sampled instruments they don't give the credit "Performed by the LSO".

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To be perfectly honest, I think they should be credited!

If only because then the end credits roll lasts longer, and we get to hear more (JW) music... :P

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Of course the musicians should be credited. All kind of other people get credited, catering, drivers, make-up artists etc...

It is often music that is the best part in these otherwise mediocre films...

And we are talking about the second greatest profession in the world here.

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I liked that Jaws had barely enough credits to allow for less than 2 minutes of endtitles music.

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I don't even want them to get credit on the album liners.

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Of course they could, and should, be credited.

First of all, if you think credits are too long already, then my question is: who in the world actually reads the end credits?

Secondly, few people actually watch the credits anyway, and the few who do watch them surely wouldn't give a damn if they lasted 5 seconds longer. And those who don't watch them don't give a rat's fart anyway.

And thirdly, if you credit caterers and personal assistants/burger fetchers, you sure as hell can credit orchestra players by name as well.

We're discussing this like we actually have a say in the matter! :lol:

We also discuss about Oscar winners and complete Harry Potter box sets, and tell me we have a say in those matters! ;)

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Well if they credit all the CGI special effects grinding lemmings of all the special effects companies (usually in five rows of endless lists of names for biggest effects block busters) they should certainly credit the musicians.

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Of course they could, and should, be credited.

First of all, if you think credits are too long already, then my question is: who in the world actually reads the end credits?

Secondly, few people actually watch the credits anyway, and the few who do watch them surely wouldn't give a damn if they lasted 5 seconds longer. And those who don't watch them don't give a rat's fart anyway.

I always watch the full end credits of a film, which annoys these hostesses with their 3d glasses stands very much.

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I always watch the full end credits of a film, which annoys these hostesses with their 3d glasses stands very much.

I always do that. Depending of the cinema some get annoyed. What I've seen happen is some staff start cleaning while the credits roll, which doesn't bother me.

But If I dislike the film or the music on the the end credits then I don't see them. If I love the film I feel like I must stay :lol:

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far too long is when you have to sit through 12 minutes of credit to see the ending to POTC3.

I do not care that every kiddie with a computer gets a film credit because of the overrated octothing in Potc.

another example in Iron Man 2 Scarlett Johansson's blemish remover was credited. Or in Terminator 2, the penis remover was credited for removing Robert Patrick's penis, which btw actually wasn't removed.

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I would have 10 minute credits happily. Depending of the film there's the possibility of using part of them (or all of them) as an animated sequence or something of that sort, which doesn't let any names go that fast.

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I always watch the credits, it's part of the film for me. A lot of the times I look out for specific roles to see who did what, if I'm not interested in the names I just enjoy the music. What I hate the most is when 70% of the theater is up and out before the director credit hits the screen.

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Honestly, people ...

you are complaining about endless waves of text AFTER the feature film, do you have to watch it? No.

Does it matter that you have to endure 5 additional seconds until you can see a scene after the credits, which happens in very few movies anyway?

Please.

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Honestly, people ...

you are complaining about endless waves of text AFTER the feature film, do you have to watch it? No.

Does it matter that you have to endure 5 additional seconds until you can see a scene after the credits, which happens in very few movies anyway?

Please.

:lol:

:thumbup:

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Long gone are the days of putting all the credits before the movie actually begins, under a lengthy and gorgeous overture, so that when "The End" hits the screen, it actually is.

The glorious epics of the 50s and 60s and before did this. Even Jaws had really short End Credits. I kinda miss this.

On the other hand, when the movie's over, and as long as I know there is no post-credits scene (usually limited to nerd movies), my date is probably hungry and wants to get rolling.

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But are you watching them, for fuck's sake?

Yes, YES, YES!!! No matter how bad the film is, I always watch the end titles, usually for the music. "John Carter" had great end title music.

Anyway, some end titles can introduce some completely original music, so, often, they ARE worth sitting through.

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Yes, YES, YES!!!

Dude, you sound like Meg Ryan in that diner... :P

I always read Richard's posts with Meg Ryan's voice in my head.

Still a classic, still makes me laugh!

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  • 3 weeks later...

after the 10 billion people named at the end of the avenger's credits for the not so remarkable special effects there is no way in hell that musicians need to be listed. OMG you could graduate, find a girl friend, get her pregnant, have the baby, raise it, put the kid through high school, wait for it to knock up some girl and have a grandbaby and then the credits might be over.

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