6 Music Week 05.10.12 NEWS UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ GOLDEN ADVICE TO INDIE PUBLISHERS AND RIGHTSHOLDERS
Hollywood sync deals rely on trust U
PUBLISHING BY RHIAN JONES
niversal Pictures has urged independent labels, publishers and
managers to attend NARIP sessions in London in order to learn how best to pitch sync ideas to major entertainment companies. The sync placing organisation, which originated in the US, holds monthly pitching meetings in London for indie music companies, attended by leading music supervisors from Hollywood. Last month’s event, held at
the MPA offices, welcomed Universal Pictures music supervisor Angela Leus (pictured), who heard music from 20 UK-based independents. “Regardless of whether it is a
label, publisher, third-party placement company, artist, agent or manager, I do go back to those that I know have stellar music and follow good business practice - those who are easy to deal with
that most importantly, I can trust,” she told Music Week afterwards. “For this reason, as an independent artist/ songwriter/producer, it is crucial to go to these NARIP sessions to get insight on how to become one of these contacts that I readily use as a resource. “One needs to understand
how our industry works, what my job entails, and how music supervisors should be pitched to – otherwise, a few bad dealings can deter me from using someone’s music in the future.” The idea of bringing
NARIP to the UK came from the creator of NARIP’s Music Supervisor Sessions, Tess Taylor, in the ’States. She employed Respect Music founder Sharon Dean to oversee the London sessions. Said Dean: “Hollywood loves
one stop where they can clear master and publishing rights with one entity – so they love
Bourne winner: Universal Pictures’ Bourne Legacy and (inset) Angela Leus
supervisor. Rather than handing supervisors CDs at the end without any guarantee that they’ll get listened to, NARIP sessions include the chance for music to be played in front of supervisors, who then give feedback. All attendees are given a brief for the type of music required before the sessions. But it’s not easy,
and out of five sessions, one track has been successfully placed so far in American comedy- drama television series Jane By Design – Stupid Pretty Girl by Anthony Salari.
indie music. Relationship building is a key
part of the meetings, which typically hold around 20 attendees to one music
“If you’re an indie, you can’t
be jumping on a plane all the time to Hollywood. NARIP sessions are all about relationship building – this business of
important for a UK-based company or artist to have a US- based affiliate [like NARIP], especially when I am in need of music urgently. In such a fast- paced industry, especially when dealing with ads, trailers and television, waiting for an approval or audio due to time difference can mean the difference between landing or losing a sync.”
‘Lack of Olympics theme a missed opportunity’, argues promoter
The music industry missed out on a golden opportunity to take advantage of the London 2012 Olympics. That’s according to music
promoter Rick Blaskey, who has told Music Week that the lack of a new Games ‘anthem’ has left the legacy of the event falling flat. Muse’s Survival was picked as
the official song of London 2012, with the British band playing the track as part of the Games’ Closing Ceremony. Blaskey, a former vice
president of Arista (US) and EMI (Europe), now runs The Music And Media Partnership. He has previously executive produced music for FIFA and Rugby World Cups. Blaskey led a group that pitched an Elgar- based anthem to be chosen as the official London 2012 song. “While we are all still basking
in the memories of the wonderful Olympic Games our country gave to the world, I do
“I just assumed that we’d been beaten by a better submission.
So to now find that there was no great new anthem is what disappoints” RICK BLASKEY, PROMOTER
Left: Elgar’s NImrod was pitched as a base for an Olympic anthem
feel that we, as an industry, are left with one big ‘if only’,” he told Music Week. “We failed to give the world a
glorious and enduring new song – an anthem that could leave the sort of legacy that Barcelona, Nessun Dorma and Three Lions left after the events they represented. “Among all the great British
music in the ceremonies and broadcast coverage, the absence of a classic new piece of music to
mark the event has left a notable gap. What a shame, and missed opportunity for our country – so often leaders in providing great new music to the world – to have not created one new classic song or anthem, to leave as a legacy to the world to inspire generations. “Having been involved in
creating official anthems for major sports events for the last 20 years, it’s hard to understand why the Olympics didn’t produce a great one this time.
“Indeed, over a year ago, [my
team] did create and submit a potential anthem – based around probably the most majestic and iconic piece of English music, Elgar’s Nimrod. We even included the five-note sonic logo to reflect the five Olympic rings. (Interesting that the first
piece of music played in the Opening Ceremony was indeed Elgar’s Nimrod). “We demo’d ours with the glorious London Community
Gospel Choir (representing East London) and even the chairman of one major label who heard it commented, ‘That gets 11 out of 10!’. “But it’s certainly not
sour grapes that ours was not selected. I just assumed that we’d been beaten by a better submission. So to now find that there was no great new anthem is what disappoints. “As I am still fortunate to
experience first-hand in one side of the business that my company specialises in – and as Universal’s Marc Robinson said in a recent Music Week –something so emotive happens ‘when music and sport work together’. “The Opening and Closing
Ceremonies demonstrated this. But what a shame that both were celebrating our wonderful and enduring musical past, rather than creating an enduring new musical legacy.”
pitching your music for syncs and not making a nuisance of yourself.” Indie publishers and labels are
particularly keen to clear syncs in the US, where fees are paid on a rate-per-minute basis. Dean estimated that indie rightsholders could end up with $2,000 or $3,000 if their track was chosen by a Hollywood supervisor. Although Universal Pictures’
Leus didn’t pick a track from last month’s session to use immediately, she told Music Week that she had “heard many songs which I could eventually place in a film or in a trailer”. She added: “I think it is
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