Soundtracks

What makes a soundtrack good or bad?

Well, for starters, you don't want to have a Slayer or Pantera-esqe soundtrack to a mushy drama. I mean, you could, but your movie would be sending some fucked up, mixed emotions.

Obviously, select the music you think best accomidates the scene.

Note though, that if you "steal" a copy-righted band's music and use it without their permission, you can get into BIG trouble. My advice is, if you want to use a local band's music, simply ask them. If they don't want to, then fuck em'. There are more than one band playing at the local bar. But I know a few local bands that think it would be cool to use their music in a movie and wouldn't have a problem letting you use it. "Whoa, cool man! Like, we'll be in a movie!"

If you know a local composer, who specializes in soundtracks, try to hit them up. Chances are they'll do it for the right bargining chip. Sometimes, you might not even have to pay them because if you are seriously planning to show your movie off, then that is a way for the composer to get their name around.

It might not work, but then again, it very well could.

- Fixxxer

Yeah Fixxxer's on the money here.
Scour your local paper for bands and go see the ones who's music you think will fit in your movie.
As said most will let you use it for free as they see it as a chance (and rightly so i say) to get their music 'out there'.
Also if u have a small amount of spare cash, advertise yourself that your looking for a composer. If you invite a select few to come over and view some or all of your movie then ask them to go away and come up with something.
Again this will normally be free as they will see it as a chance to get into the business as well.
As always be careful 'borrowing' any recognisable tune, even if u overlay it with ur own stuff, because if ur pick is successful i can pretty much guarrantee that someone will nail u for it.
I would say without doubt have a good soundtrack by someone else as IMO a soundtrack can make or break a movie.
I mean how many times have u seen a flick and thought 'god thats awful'. So try and spend as much time as u can on it.

Look online. There are people willing to score your film just for credit. In any field of film making there are always beginners willing to do it for expirence and credit on your film. Hell it may not be the best, but when your starting out your probably not the best at what you do either.

I use local bands to give me free music and local musicians to score my movies. Most of them drink at the bars I drink at, so I can meet them in a laid back atmosphere and explain what I want them for.

I also lucked out in my Stephen King movie and got myself promoted on a King fan site and a band from Maine called asking if I would like to use one of their songs. They come from everywhere if you get your name out there.

Best soundtrack ever made

House of 1,000 Corpses

#2

Spawn

Im partial to Goblins tracks for Suspiria.

By the way i was looking around at old topics, and there is a guy here that does scores, very good ones too. He left his website address down waaay in the back of this forum. He's worth a look, i mean the film he scored wasnt great, but his music was.

Yeah that is a good one!! Great movie! I love Argento! The Stanley Kubrick of Europe is what I call him! But that's just me! I want to meet Asia at some point!

he is. i remember checking his site out way back when he posted it. Good stuff. I personally prefer someone that I can sit behind and look over their shoulder and bug the shit out of while they work on it.

I just went and took a look at that guy's site, and he's written some rather beautiful music. Good link.

Which, if you don't want to slug through the board, is...

<a href="http://www.markderrico.com/" target="_blank">http://www.markderrico.com/</a>

Yeah Mark is awesome, I told him I'd like to work with him once things start to get rolling around here, but by then he'll probaly have become the next Ennio and forgotten about me. wink

hmmm.. is this professor in the industry? cause the old saying goes, those you can't do, teach, but anyways, more to the point:

i think he was driving at making "your own" soundtrack, you've made the film, make the soundtrack yours, not necessarily music that's unheard of from no-name bands, but your music, stuff you, as a film maker would listen to and match up with the story, perfect example, DREAM FOR AN INSOMNIAC, not a mainstream flic, not a mainstream soundtrack, but it fits the movie because it fits the creators story and tastes, it works well because they didn't go for the latest and greatest, going local is cool and all, and i'm definitely for the local band exposure, but it should still fit your creation no matter what...