Song Matchmakers Network: Interviews

1. 1.       Tony, what is your role as Creative Director - ABC Entertainment Group?  

As a creative director, I act as a liaison between the studio, the network and the producers as well as our composers and music supervisors on our shows.

If we hire a music supervisor on a show, as most of our one hour dramas have, our music supervisors oversee all aspects of music and report back to us so our department can manage the shows' needs according to the expectations we must meet creatively, respectively and financially. To be more specific to my process, we read the scripts and break them down to make sure we have proper clearance for anything musical that may appear in the episode. Once the show is shot and edited, we spot the episode and the producers figure out what scenes require score and which will use source music. For anything that needs to be licensed we do have a licensing department which is extremely helpful but I do like to negotiate my own deals as I need to make sure anything that I pitch is pre-cleared and fits within our shows' budget. Then comes the creative process of figuring out what works and in TV that process can be a very quick turnaround. I'm here here to facilitate whatever musical needs the producers, studio and network require in creating a successful TV show.

 

1. 2.       You wear many hats at ABC. Would you describe what your day is like?

A lot of calls, a lot of e-mails, putting out some fires here and there, ha, ha. Every show's needs are different, and since music is always the last thing that goes into a show, it can be very challenging. You have to make sure you're prepared for anything and everything to meet your deadlines. Even changing out songs on the mix stage last minute because once you get to the final day of the mix if you don’t have a song chosen, cleared and that works for your budget, you may incur further costs in delaying the final mix which can be very costly. You have to be aware of every situation, that's why having a back up plan is always essential should we ever run into those moments. Establishing great relationships within the industry and having a solid line of communication between all parties will help alleviate big issues in the end.

 

1. 3.       ABC has quite a lineup of shows this fall season. What new shows and returning shows are you working on? What is your involvement?

I got to work on a lot of the pilots and now that a bunch of those got picked up and are airing I get to creatively pitch for a few like Once Upon A Time, The River and Man Up. Returning shows I oversee are Cougar Town and Happy Endings. I'm Involved in pitching music when needed and overseeing all aspects of music on a day to day basis for a couple of the shows I mentioned.

 

1. 4.       Nashville was happy to learn that the new ABC show Good Christian Belles will be using Country music. Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, Finally! It's nice to have the opportunity to use country music in our shows. We have a couple great music supervisors on that show, Frankie Pine and Anastasia Brown.  I know that anytime I get a chance to travel to places like Nashville that do have a lot of country artists to pitch but I don't have anything to offer it can be a letdown for some people but since w have a show that lends itself to that genre of music I can now know that if I do find any good songs I can get them to the right people with a chance to actually place country music, which is a first for me.

 

1. 5.       How many episodes are generally produced for a TV show?

It can vary from as little as a few for a new show to possibly 24 episodes for existing shows. Just depends on how many are needed to fill a slot for a full season for the network and how successful the show is in the ratings.

 

1. 6.       How would someone go about presenting an idea for a TV series to ABC?

Get an agent or show runner or someone attached to it that can help get your foot in the door. We don't accept unsolicited material. I'm not on that side of our industry so I can't speak on the creative side for development But I do know our policy and if you do have an idea and decide you want to present it to the studio or network the best route is to have a unique concept or just a great treatment and find someone to believe in it. 

 

1. 7.       When working on a show, what challenges seem to crop up time and time again?

Music is very subjective so I would say it is very difficult getting everyone on the same page as far as musical direction. A lot of times it doesn't just necessarily just happen. There typically should be one voice speaking on behalf of music but a lot of times there are multiple and when It comes to music you have mixed opinions on what is good and what works.  The producers are the ones who decide what goes in the show. Trying to figure out the musical direction or musical identity of a show can sometimes be very difficult. the producers may see it one way; the studio or network may see it another and you have a music supervisor pitching certain things based on the direction that they have been given by multiple parties so it can get tricky. The objective is to work together to find a solution for this and sometimes it takes going around in circles until you get everyone to figure out what works the best.

 

1. 8.       Who participates in the decisions on which scenes should have music in them, and what part do you play in that decision?

Well, the producers clearly have the decision on what goes in their show and where .But sometimes there are other people involved in that process.

 

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

That is subjective. It could be anything, it depends on the use, it depends on the show. It can be anything from the right lyric to the right hook or the way the song builds. I think the writers should just continue writing great songs and let us figure out that next part.

 

1. 10.   What’s a typical lead time for selecting music for a scene?

It varies. They might need music within the hour, or we could have days to figure it out. But everything is always a rush in our world. It's nice when we have time to work on a specific pitch but sometimes it goes against us cause that means there is more time for people to change their mind. Often times when people are given more time they may over think it but when we don't have much time and they are forced to make a decision on a song use they can go off their initial instinct which tends to work out the best.

 

1. 11.   What advice do you have for someone who wants to get their music in a show?

Do a lot of research and figure out what shows supervisors are working on. Make sure you are pitching music that is appropriate for the show. Do it in a professional way without aggravation or ego. We get pitched a Lot of music and often want to work with people that are easy-going that have great songs.  Maybe figure out a creative way to get your music to them. If you have great music and you’re very passionate about it, you'll find a way. It's truly about the music and the character of the people pitching it to me.

 

1. 12.   How do you like to receive submissions?

I'm digital now but will accept CD's as well. Know who you are pitching too and ask them when submitting. Everyone has different preferences so be prepared to send them a cassette if they want it that way, ha. Joking about that but you never know!

 

1. 13.   How do you keep track of the music you receive—that is, organize it, prioritize it, and so forth?  How can writers make that job easier for you?

I create playlists in iTunes and since most of the music I receive these days is digital I file them away for specific shows or under general playlists for future reference. Writers can make sure that they have all the metadata included in the music file so we don't have to do any work typing in the name of the song or artist if one is attached. Contact information is a plus. The less work a supervisor has to do the better chance you have to potentially place a song.

 

1. 14.   Do you ever use instrumental cues from writers other than hired composers for fast-paced shows that use a lot of cues, shows like Extra?

No. From the studio standpoint we're not allowed too because we generally hire composers for that. We usually pitch songs with vocals and If the vocals interfere with the dialogue, we may ask for the instrumentals but typically for any show that needs an instrumental we use our composers. There are a lot of places like advertising agencies or cable networks that license instrumentals for underscore or any use within the body of the show but our studio typically won't do that.

 

1. 15.   When do you work with music libraries?  What types of scenes do you use the music in, and what’s important to you when choosing one?

We work a lot with different music libraries. I e-mail them for incidental spots where we do not have a lot of money to spend or for orchestral music when needed. 

 

1. 16.   You said at the AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) meeting in Nashville that you also listen to music for other networks. Why is that, and what networks do you listen to music for?

Since we're a studio we produce shows for other networks as well as ABC. We produce shows like Criminal Minds on CBS, Army Wives on Lifetime and a couple new ones like Perception on TNT, and the Protector on Lifetime. We also just recently worked with ABC family so it varies. ABC is a very music driven network and music is very important to us obviously. The music used on our network depends on the show but we do have a very specific sound for ABC just like CBS has a different sound for their viewers. So when we are listening to songs for specific shows we also have to keep in mind what network we are working with.

 

1. 17.   When reporting music that has been used in a show, who completes the cue sheet, and is a copy of it sent to the writer or publisher, even on a blanket license?

The music editors for us get to do that tedious work of course in conjunction with our licensing department of course.

 

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

I would say All About Music in Nashville if you can get in since its pretty small. Billboard is pretty popular of course and there are a bunch more Canada and overseas that are great. The best opportunities for artists or writers are the ones that the supervisors are most relaxed and get an opportunity to mingle with them. Sometimes it's best when I get to know the person and their music and I love them both therefore making it my mission to finding a spot for their songs.

 

Thank you Tony for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.