Music supervision is much more than just placing needle drops in film, TV shows and video games. Even a two-second wedding scene requires the work and involvement of a music…
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Perfection is rarely achieved in movies, but this heaven-sent concert doc hits the sweet spot. Over two days in January 1972, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin — she was 29 at the time — sweeps into the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts in front of a congregation and testifies to God in song. The blessed thing took nearly half a century to come out because director Sydney Pollack failed to sync the image with the sound. Then digital angels stepped in, and glory, glory, hallelujah!
Music supervision is much more than just placing needle drops in film, TV shows and video games. Even a two-second wedding scene requires the work and involvement of a music supervisor.
The Music Supervisors in the Spotlight panel at Variety’s Music for Screens Summit saw Jen Malone (of “Euphoria” and “Wednesday” fame) and Jen Ross (whose work was displayed on “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”) break down the process of curating musical moments.
Ross and Malone were joined by Madonna Wade-Reed of “All-American,” Lauren Mikus from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Only Murders in the Building” and Rich Robinson, exec VP of global synchronization and media original music for Warner Chappell Music.
An important issue facing music supervisors is the fight to unionize. Music supervisors at Netflix, who are seeking representation by IATSE, have filed papers seeking a union-certification election with the National Labor Relations Board. The move comes after an overwhelming majority of music supervisors currently or recently employed by Netflix requested voluntary recognition of their union from the company.
Wade-Reed, who also serves as vice president of the Guild of Music Supervisors, said they are seeking basic working rights, health care and even overtime pay. “We don’t have a basic scale, people can pay us whatever they feel like paying us. We can negotiate [compensation] but there’s nothing that says this is the bare minimum,” Wade-Reed said. She stressed the fight is for equity and music supervisors are not asking for a handout.
“They [Netflix] denied to recognize us. So we have filed a case with the NLRB, the National Labor Relations Board, and we are going to have a hearing. It will be decided then and a vote will hopefully take place that will push the needle forward and we will sit down at a negotiating table and start the process.”
On the business side, Robinson explained how he works with music supervisors when they seek rights from songwriters, while another topic involves the discovery of new music and how they use social-media platforms to find emerging artists.
Watch the full panel above.