Song Matchmakers Network: Interviews

 

Jon Ernst is a much sought after, L.A. based, composer and music supervisor. An accomplished singer-songwriter, Jon’s television career began as “Piano boy,” the on-camera musical director of the classic MTV game show “Singled Out.” Jon was Music Supervisor on MTV’s mega-hit “The Hills” and its spin-off “The City,” and has worked in that capacity on many other shows, including “Celebrity Circus” (NBC), “Nashville” (Fox), “Laguna Beach” (MTV), and recently, “The Electric Barbarellas (MTV).”  His  latest projects are “The World According to Paris Hilton”(Oxygen) and “LA Ink” (TLC)

As a composer and songwriter, Jon scored most episodes of VH1’s legendary “Behind the Music,” as well as the syndicated hit “Ex- Treme Dating,” and has licensed many original songs for television and film placements. A native of Chicago, Jon studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and is a graduate of the University of Florida.

What is the role of the music supervisor in a TV production?

The role of the music supervisor has many different parts:  it’s not just about finding the best music for a scene –we also have to make sure the music we find is clearable and affordable within the shows music budget.

How do music supervisors get paid?
Music supervisors usually either get a flat fee or an episodic fee for their work on a project. These fees can run the gamut and are very much tied to the budget of the project.

You are both a composer and a music supervisor for many TV shows.  What challenges seem to crop up time and again? 

Generally, on the shows that hire me to  wear both hats, the rule of thumb I’ve always gone by is that if I can’t “find” the exact song or cue that works best—I’ve got to go write the perfect cue myself. 

Who participates in the decisions on which scenes should have music in them, and what part does a music supervisor play in that decision?

In most shows the producers and editors play a large part in these decisions, alongside the music supervisor.  Of course the music supervisor is always there to also make sure that things like cost and the ability to actually clear the rights to a particular song are considered in the decision on what to use . Ultimately, the final decision comes down to the executive producers and the network’s opinion in what works the best.

How is the decision made on what genre, vibe, instrumental or vocal is needed in a scene?

We attend what’s called a “spotting session” for each episode of a show, where the director, producer, editors, and music supervisor all meet to discuss these kinds of things once the editing process has begun. Essentially, we “spot” through each episode and decide scene by scene where music should start and stop and what mood and emotion the music needs to add to the scene.

What’s the best way for writers to get educated on how to go about writing and submitting music for TV?

Aside from attending seminars, there are also a number of books on the subject, as well as publications like Music Connection, that feature articles from time to time with some great advice from working pros.   One piece of advice I can give is to know the show that you are submitting for!  Watch that show and pay attention to the type of songs or music that is being used and only send music that fits that particular series that you are aiming to get your music placed in.  You may only get one shot to submit—so make it count!

What publications and websites list movie and TV shows that are in production?

Best bet is to check out the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesdays!  Most shows currently in production should be listed there along with details on the production companies involved.

How do you like to work with writers, artists, bands, and publishers, and how do you like to receive submissions?

I’m all about the email.  Tends to be easier to cut to the point in an email where I can ask or give a quick answer and get back to the grind! The best way to send material is by YouSendIt or sites like that where you are not sending the mp3 file to the email box. We get so many submissions that it clogs up the mail. If you are submitting more than one song, zip the file so that we have only one file to download.

We’ve noticed that Indy artists and bands are used a lot in TV show and movies. What advice do you have for them to get their music submitted and heard?  

Get out there and network as much as possible!  Get to know the music supervisors at the numerous events that are held each year where the supervisors are invited to attend to mentor, listen to and critique artists and songwriters.  I’ve come across a ton of artists that I’ve used in my shows just from these “accidental” meetings. 

What types of TV shows are most likely to use instrumentals and cues written by composers that are not hired to write the score for the show?

A number of reality shows tend to use libraries of precomposed music, not necessarily written by just one specific composer.  A lot of times, when a show begins production, hundreds of cues are needed immediately, so to use a library like this is very helpful.

Can you generalize about what particular attributes of a song make it useful for a film or TV show.

It’s really more about the particular need for a particular show rather than a specific characteristic of any song in general.   The truth is some of the strangest and quirkiest  songs you might never consider giving a second listen to can sometimes end up working the most magic when they are played under the right scene.

What subject and mood recur in TV episodes more often than others; for example, party scenes, and breakup scenes.  What topic and genre would produce the most placements for a writer?  

In some shows it’s all about the drama and tension, and in others it’s all about the fun and parties; in most it’s a combination of many extremes, so it really just depends on the subject matter of the show itself.

How do the general synch and license fees paid for music placement vary between the types of shows we just mentioned?

It’s more about the budget for each show than the media it’s broadcast on.  You can have network TV shows with lower music licensing budgets than some cable shows, so it’s hard to assign a fee level just based on the media it’s broadcast on. 

 

You’re currently working on the new reality show, “The World According to Paris Hilton.” Can you describe the process you go through in your role as music supervisor from pre to post production?

When I started on that in January of this year, I immediately handed them over a library of hundreds of cues and songs from my own library, as well as those of several other artists and composers that were interested in having their music placed.  During production itself, I was asked to come into meetings with all the producers and editors to discuss mood, emotion, whether or not lyrics were needed to help the storyline along in each scene, etc.  After a few rounds of notes back and forth from producers and the network, everyone came to an agreement on what the best music was for each scene, and we locked the episodes up and mixed them for broadcast.  There are about 80-90 cues in each of these one-hour episodes, so it was quite an intensive operation on this series!

How many episodes were produced for the show? When will it air ?

We produced 8 episodes of this series, and it has been airing since June 1^st.  The finale episode airs on July 20^th; however, you can still go to the Oxygen network site and check out all of the episodes online anytime.

When do you get a scene for music placement, and in what time frame do you have to turn it around before it airs?

Depends on the project—sometimes I have to get them a song “yesterday;” sometimes I have maybe a few days once I receive the request, depending on the pace of the production and how specific the need is lyric-wise, etc.  In most cases, once the request is in, I do my best to get them options as quickly as possible.

How much music do your receive when working on a show and how do you keep track of it—that is, organize it, prioritize it, and so forth? 

I’m constantly inundated with links in all types of genres. Luckily I have a bit of a photographic memory, so I can quickly find a song I need, even if I stowed it away months or years ago on my drives.  It also helps to categorize them with a tag or in a folder that indicates the specific mood or genre, etc.

Do you keep music that you like for use in another project?

Always!  I’ve gone back to a song I, received nearly 5 years prior and put them in big spots so don’t give up hope if I don’t use your song right away!

If you were an artist, songwriter, or publisher, and you could only go to one industry conference to network with movie and TV music supervisors, which one would it be?

The Hollywood Reporter Billboard Film and TV Conference event is always a good one, especially since it’s in LA so there tends to be a really good turnout each year!

 

Do you keep music that you like for use in another project?

Always!  I’ve gone back to a song I, received nearly 5 years prior and put them in big spots so don’t give up hope if I don’t use your song right away!

Is there an important question that we should have asked but didn’t?