PAX-TV Composer Relations

[jsawruk 0]

I wasn't sure if this is or is not OT, since it does directly relate to film and television music.

From Film Music Mag:

In a dramatic shift in the way television networks hire composers, the PAX cable television network has instituted policies specifying that U.S. composers hired for PAX-produced shows be a member of performing rights organization SESAC and agree to give up all writers? royalties for airings of the shows on the PAX network, assigning them to be paid instead to PAX.

More info canbe found at: http://www.rightsandroyalties.com/article_69.shtml

I, for one, am boycotting PAX-TV for this outrage. NO other company does this, and I, as a composer, feel this is entirely unfair and exploits the composers. I know you may not feel as strongly as I do about this issue, but I think you should all take notice to what may be the future of music in media (simple translation: less money the composer receives, the less effort he puts in to it (or plain refuses if he can afford to do that!), thus resulting in lower quality work in the long run).

[Guest]

(simple translation: less money the composer receives, the less effort he puts in to it (or plain refuses if he can afford to do that!), thus resulting in lower quality work in the long run).

A real composer doesn't alter the quality of their work according to how much they are being paid.

[jsawruk 0]

And to some extent that is true. But there certainly are composers in the film and media music industries that statement does apply to (thankfully not JW though! ). However, the point I was trying to make was this:

Suppose Composer A is really, really good. He gets called to do a production, but they stipulate that they will take ALL of his royalty income from this production. Unless Composer A is particularly dumb, he will reject the offer because he can easily find better work and terms elsewhere. However, Composer B is a newbie composer (such as myself), and willing to take any job to get a foot in the industry door. So he accepts the production, even though it forgoes his royalties from this production. Will then the output of Composer B be as good as the output would have been from Composer A? Most certainly not.

Or in an even worse scenario, NO composers would accept the job, forcing the company to buy canned music and merely sync it at will. Canned music has its purpose, but music is always better in media when it is written for that specific scene.

So, that's what I meant to say, but I said it rushed and typed it wrong. Sorry for the confusion. But as you can see, such a move does jeopardize the quality of music in the media (and forces composers out of work!).

[Guest]

Or in an even worse scenario, NO composers would accept the job, forcing the company to buy canned music and merely sync it at will. Canned music has its purpose, but music is always better in media when it is written for that specific scene.

Music written for Media under these circumstances will still result in canned music. Customized canned music, for a canned product.

[jsawruk 0]

I'm not sure I follow what you mean here by customized canned music. Do you mean hiring a team of composers to write something? Canned music just usually comes as is. You ask for suspense sounds and they send you what they have that matches it.

Customizing canned music to sync well with the film sounds a lot like composing to me.

[Guest]

No, I mean music composed for commercial reasons is canned music. JW is the exception to the rule. As seen with E.T, the film was cut in certain places to fit Williams score. This is an example of commerce meets art, and art won, resoundingly.

[jsawruk 0]

Then your definition of canned music is vastly different than mine. There is a lot of music composed for commercial reasons that to me is not canned because the composer was an active and integral part of the production process. When the composer is totally seperate from the production process (that is, when the producer buys music from a distributor), then the music is canned. That's my definition and I'm sticking to it!

[Guest]

Whatever, jsawruk. You are just a child in terms of understanding these kind of things.

I don't see any point in arguing with you, better to let you learn by hard experience.

[Morn 8]

Translation, I've lost this and have nothing better to say.

[jsawruk 0]

Whatever, jsawruk. You are just a child in terms of understanding these kind of things.  

I don't see any point in arguing with you, better to let you learn by hard experience.

A child? Could you be any more insulting? I, unlike you, actually work in the industry and write canned music. I think I know what I'm talking about...

:cry:

[Morn 8]

Just ignore AI, most people will say he's an ass.

[Ross 1]

A real composer doesn't alter the quality of their work according to how much they are being paid.

Okay, AI. I want you to visit a place out there. It's called the Real World. Real people live there and do that kind of thing.

-ROSS, who actually likes AI, but would appreciate him being more freakin' respectful towards the other members. They are good people, AI -- some of them.

[Guest]

Just ignore AI, most people will say he's an ass.  

Morn,

If you want to give your attack more weight, give it focus. Don't fall back on the old "speaking for most" trick. It makes your statement weaker, not stronger.

You could try saying, "Just ignore AI, he's an ass". Now that might break the rules, so it's understandable that you have written your comment in such a way as to skirt the rules, whilst still making your point. It's not nearly as effective though.

I wouldn't expect much more than a emoticon as a reply from you though, so make it a good one piss-ant.

[Morn 8]

I don't see how most couldn't see you as an ass. And effectiveness doesn't matter, I am not trying to insult but merely complain at something I don't like. Furthermore to just say he's an ass makes me look like an ass! I don't care about rules.

[Ricard 2,245]

I don't care about rules.

As usual, that's not what you really meant to say, is it? :roll:

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

I'm still waiting to see if Morn jumped off a building to see if gravity was a proven law or a theory yet? :roll:

[Morn 8]

As usual, that's not what you really meant to say, is it?

Of course it's what I meant to say, within context though.

I'm still waiting to see if Morn jumped off a building to see if gravity was a proven law or a theory yet?

LOL

Proven law and theory are not mutually exclusive :roll: Laws says what will happen, theory says why.

[Ricard 2,245]

As usual, that's not what you really meant to say, is it?

Of course it's what I meant to say, within context though.

"But", "though", "not really", "what I meant is..", "what I was saying...", "...within context", "you misunderstood...", etc, etc, etc, etc...

See what I mean, little boy?

[Morn 8]

Are you saying I'm always misunderstood?

[Ricard 2,245]

Are you saying I'm always misunderstood?

No, I'm saying that you always hide under supposed misunderstandings and bad excuses when you run out of arguments.

[Chris ChrusherComix 46]

I say that you misunderstand your own self!

[Morn 8]

You'd be wrong.

And I'd say that attacking a debator is a form of cheating, you never see me do it. It is only a distraction from the issues of the debate.

[Guest]

Okay, AI. I want you to visit a place out there. It's called the Real World. Real people live there and do that kind of thing.

-ROSS

Ross, the real world, as you put it, does not consist entirely of corruption. Yes many people do engage in that behaviour and sacrifice integrity to varying degrees, but not all . In my observation, Ricard and Andreas are excellent examples of people who possess a great deal of integrity, within a medium (internet) that is more often than not full of BS. It can be done.

[Morn 8]

Aside from simply wanting to be rich, a composer who is payed less might be less motivated to work as hard because they'll feel that their work isn't wanted as much.

[jsawruk 0]

Exactly. If I felt my work was wanted simply because they could get away with paying me less rather than for my abilities, I'm sure I would not feel as motivated.

Thanks Morn for getting us back on topic.

[Ross 1]

Okay, AI. I want you to visit a place out there. It's called the Real World. Real people live there and do that kind of thing.

-ROSS

Ross, the real world, as you put it, does not consist entirely of corruption. Yes many people do engage in that behaviour and sacrifice integrity to varying degrees, but not all . In my observation, Ricard and Andreas are excellent examples of people who possess a great deal of integrity, within a medium (internet) that is more often than not full of BS. It can be done.

Agreed. But experience teaches us that it's better not to expect integrity from people. It's a grim fact that I learnt through the hard way.

-ROSS, who still checked on that fact a lot of hard times.