Why record in Seattle?

Two words: Northwest Sinfonia — using them for larger productions can save you tens of thousands of dollars.

What are "Hit Points" and why do I want my composer to use them?

Hit Points are specific frames in a film that a composer can keep in mind for the music to sync to. Composing music for ONE hit point is easy. Composing music with many hit points seamlessly is what separates the good composer from the great. I have made an example clip on the film page to illustrate.

Why do I want original music in my film?

When you use music that has been previously heard on the radio, even if it's everybody's favorite song, it can detract from your film. For example when music triggers the mind to a memory the music is no longer helping your film. The mind is in another place and the music is now a distraction from your artful work. I love the Beatles, but when I heard their songs recreated in "I Am Sam" I was thinking about the Beatles, not about the amazing film.

What options do I have for original music?

Wow, is there a lot to say here! I have the best, most real sounding digital sound libraries. This makes it possible to create music through computer realization or with live orchestra or a hybrid combination of both! You can have sweeping orchestra, or singer songwriter styles. Jazz or Ambiance that makes your spine tingle for weeks. The possibilities are endless for composers, and I'm lovin' it!

What else can a film composer do for my film besides write music?

A film composer can help you with anything musical. Let's say you have a character in your production that is suppose to sing a song that will be overdubbed with a professional voice later. This would be a time where you would want your composer on site to help with the key and tempo, so that the lip syncing works well. When commercials have people sing, it needs to be all in the same key. It may not bother some, but those who are musically inclined will have a bad referral to the item being advertised. A few of the great collaborations between composers and directors: Spielberg and Williams, Hitchcock and Bernard, and one of my personal favorites Luc Besson and Eric Serra's (Their work on the Fifth Element was genius!)

What is hybrid recording?

A hybrid recording is when you mix live with digital. A live instrument can add a quality that makes people take notice. People with lots of money prefer live musicians because they get a recording that sounds live, but for smaller budgets new technologies have made some wonderful options for good sounding music.

What is a digital sample recording?

It's a recording of a real instrument playing every possible attack, nuance and note – so that those samples of notes can be combined into a string of notes that sound very much like they were played by a live instrument.

What instrument is the most difficult to make a digital sample sound real?

Saxophones!!! My Favorite instruments to gig on! I prefer to record those live for you in my studio.

What can you offer a live musical performance, for instance a musical play?

I can create additional digital musicians that can perform along with your live players! I use 'Notion' for this. A lot of Broadway shows are using Notion. Here's a link to the Notion Music web site.