Composing : Ask Me Anything (AMA) Wednesday 3/26 to Thursday 3/27 – Using Music as a Narrative Tool by Rob Lowry

Welcome to the community, Rob Lowry. It's great to meet you. Congratulations on all your success! I'm looking forward to seeing Companion, Heart Eyes, Novocaine, and Drop, especially Drop!

Thanks for having this AMA! How can a writer communicate a musical vision in a script to help the music supervisor?

Rob Lowry Thank you for doing this, Rod. I look forward to it!

Hi Rob Lowry - thanks so much for having this AMA and spending your day with us. Hope you are well. QUESTION: what sort of cues do you look for in a script that alerts you as to what type of composer to look for? Thanks in advance!

That’s great you’re having this AMA Rob, thanks for doing it, really looking forward to it!

Excited to meet you, Rob Lowry ! Thank you so much for sharing your day(s) with us. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I've been a fan of your work for a while now, I loved Cha Cha Real Smooth! I actually reached out to you back in July (pretty sure the email bounced, haha) just to say how much I appreciated your work and to share a couple of my songs that I thought might fit your style. I’m a composer with a growing catalog of music for emotional dramas and one placement under my belt so far. That one came through Taxi and involved retitling, which I’ve since realized isn’t the direction I want to continue. I’m part of Sync Titan and have been developing my catalog and learning how to truly support the story through music. So, your example question of how to get on a music supervisor’s radar was perfect. So I guess my question really is your question: What’s the best way for someone like me to genuinely get on a music supervisor’s radar? I know it takes more than just great music—and I’d love to learn what really makes someone stand out or how that process looks for you.

Hi Rob Lowry ,

Nice to meet you through Stage 32 - have heard your name throughout the music industry growing up. From going from Composer to Music Supervisor, which ‘chair’ do you like better ?

Producer - composer

From performing drums / percussion and now composing/ producing- engineering at times,

Seems like the computer / engineering takes so much “bandwidth” - lol - at this point in life, though the challenge is nice. Any suggestions from your two positions how you manage them ?

Yes - getting on the radar …

I feel I’m beginner - to low intermediate composer, so .. what’s best method / work to show when going for work ? Ah the awkwardness of mid- age - lol

Looks like training from a Reputable Composer, Berklee College of music, or ... the one Rep. school in Seattle. the 2 years at USC ??

Back to drumming with HAL ?? It's what I know a little better.

Thanks for listening / reading

I appreciate and admire the work you’ve done in your career ! Thanks for being part of Stage 32 and all your other networks.

K. Kennard

Rob Lowry Thanks for your contribution and being open to sharing!

I assume most of your work is in the "post-production" part of a project.

How do you feel, or what would be your preference, about collaborating earlier in the project? Is that something you strive for, or do you prefer to work more 'down-stream' after the project is made?

Rob Lowry Thank you for giving us your time and presence. I would like to know if you ever share with actors ahead of time what your musical choices are for certain scenes. If so, is there ever the hope this will enhance their performance? And how much dialogue is there between you and the actors about the music?

Hi! Thanks for your time :) I apologize in advance if the question is a bit naive but I'm very new in the industry (I've been studying film scoring for a very short time). How does one become a music supervisor? Is there a common path?

Thanks for the question Kat Spencer. One of the most important aspects of a music supervisor's job is their relationships - with labels, publishers, artists, managers, etc. The best way to be "seen" or "heard" from a music supervisor is typically through someone we have a pre-existing relationship with, usually through the sync side. Whether it's a third party synch catalogue, or anyone else who reps music, these are a reliable source for us as our go to's when seeking new music. Obviously, music supervisors love music, and the hunt for finding new favorites is one of the most fun and fulfilling parts of the job. I am always scouring blogs, live music, spotify playlists, social media etc. for new artists to fall in love with. But if you're looking for a direct line, I'd say the most efficient way to build a relationship with a music supervisor is through a sync rep (third party, label, publisher, etc.)

Great question Maurice Vaughan! I know writers all have their own preference in setting tone. I think there are both benefits and detriments to being as specific as saying "Radiohead's 'No Surprises'" plays here. The benefits are obvious - the reader can play the song! On the downside, it may be limiting in terms of what someone can interpret / imagine with the scene - and of course the song may not be clearable. As a writer, if you're able to give context for the moment sonically - "Something ethereal, beautiful, sad (etc.) plays... like Radiohead" - that always works. But I do think it's the director and music supervisor's job to take your script and interpret, so I would always lean towards saying however you feel you're best able to express and set the scene, you should do!

Hi Jordan Smith! To be honest, the sooner the better I always say. When we are brought on early - in the development or pre-production stage - we're better able to to help with budget, map out needs and resources, set expectations, etc. The later we are brought onto a production, the more we are backed into a corner with any decisions - creatively or budgetary - that have preceded us. More and more we are brought on at a very early stage of the film, which gives us a much better handle on the film as a whole, and we can be proactive about decision making rather than reactive based on the other ways things have gone with the production.

Good question Leonardo Ramirez ! There are so many conversations surrounding what composer may be right for a project, and a lot of voices in the room. Do we want to think outside of the box, or are we bringing someone in who has done this sort of project before and has delivered time and time again? What role is score playing in the film? What's the palette we'll be working with? I think a lot of these creative conversations around the right fit in the composer role at the script stage are driven and answered by the director's vision and how he sees the film playing out tonally and what the relationship with the film the music will have. And this can always change once we start getting dailies or get into post, if visually we're seeing something a bit different cut together than was previously envisioned.

Hi Alexandra Stevens ! Thank you for the question. If there are on camera performances or the actor needs to learn a song, an instrument, perhaps dance or enagage with music in some way, we will work with them to ensure they are comfortable and confident in their performance. Outside of that, a lot of directors do like to share music with actors in a variety of ways. I have worked with showrunners on creating character playlists for each character in a show, as well as directors who we've created tonal playlists for party scenes, or scenes that will be heavily influenced/driven by music so actors can get an understanding of the tone of the performance, the pacing, etc. This also happens with composers, where if they are brought on early we can share themes and some of the work they are doing early on to give actors a POV or the world we will be playing in with the music of the project.

Thanks so much Rob Lowry. Super informative! There really is so much to consider and in listening to all the valuable voices in the process makes for great colabs.

Hey Giosuè S. D. G. ! No such thing as naive question, especially in the world of music supervision since it is such a niche corner of the industry. To be honest, the most common path is probably working under a music supervisor - from intern, to coordinator / assistant, to hopefully taking on your own projects. But it is a part of the industry where I do think you can carve out your own path in a variety of ways. I started out as a PA on a couple of TV shows and built a lot of relationships with writers, editors, showrunners, etc. Eventually an editor on the show was doing a small indie on the side, and introduced me to the director. The rest was history. I never worked under another music supervisor, but learned by doing it, building relationships, putting myself out there. Your community / network is a vital part of your career, and your peers and friends are the ones you will grow and evolve with, and hopefully one day be working next to. Meeting filmmakers and writers and all sorts of creative types at the same stage of their career as you as both a support system and hopefully creative collaborators is an invaluable part of the journey.

Rob Lowry ooh i like the idea of that! Sharing a character playlist with an actor or a playlist for a party scene sounds like a fun and powerful aide for an actor to develop the character. I'm remembering something I heard recently about how music activates multiple regions of the brain simultaneously. Thank you for your interesting reply!

Thanks for the answer, Rob Lowry. I like the "Something ethereal, beautiful, sad (etc.) plays... like Radiohead" idea. Thanks. When you read through a script for sounds, is it easier for you if they're in all caps?

Maurice Vaughan we go through scripts very thoroughly, so I wouldn't worry about us missing anything! Again, I think whatever best expresses your artistic vision is usually best!

Ok, great, Rob Lowry. Thanks. "Again, I think whatever best expresses your artistic vision is usually best!" Yeah, I agree.

Thanks for being here, Rob Lowry! When you’re building the sonic identity of a film, what inspires your first steps: script, character, setting, or something else entirely? And how do you know when a track choice is truly elevating the story rather than just sounding good?

Hi Ashley! Script is usually the first concrete identifier, though I will say I love a good moodboard / deck really inspire me and visuals are a great jumping off point. From there, I think it's a lot of conversations with the filmmaker and bouncing a lot of ideas back and forth (good and bad) to really hone in on a musical identity and the relationship with music to the film and narrative. I think a key identifier of a song truly elevating the story rather than just sounding good is when it's operating on multiple levels: sonically, it's in line with the DNA of the film both musically as well as aesthetically; it feels aligned and in sync with the greater whole of the soundtrack and the film, rather than feeling like an outlier or something that stands out rather than "fitting in."; lyrically, it may be commenting on the scene or even the film as a whole in a way that doesn't feel specific, but rather capturing an overall idea or theme vs being prescriptive and telegraphing exactly what is happening. But overall, I do think it's more about how something feels. It's okay for lyrics to be esoteric OR be on the nose. It's okay to be obligatory sometimes. It's nice to be cerebral and add layers and depth and questions, but I do think ultimately the question is how does this feel, and is this helping us push the narrative in the direction we're wanting to go?

Thank you for your thoughtful responses today Rob Lowry and for being here with us. I love the community here at Stage32, and I know we are all excited to have you here. You mentioned a few places where you like to discover new music—what kinds of Spotify playlists do you tend to gravitate toward? Do you have a go-to music library you like to work with? What has been your favorite project to work on so far? How stressful is your job? What would make it less stressful?

Hello Rob Lowry thank you for being in the AMA and hello from Trinidad and Tobago (in the Caribbean). My questions are:

1. How can Caribbean-based Composers gain access to having their music placed in US based films? The music doesn't necessary have to contain a Steelpan or Caribbean rhythms by the way.

2. Do we have to be signed to a Label or Agent?

3. How large does the Composer's catalogue have to be to get the attention of a Music Supervisor?

Hi Rob Lowry ! I’m looking to transition into music supervision but currently work full-time, so interning isn't a realistic option. My background includes composing, performing, and managing projects in documentary film promotions, engagement, and communications. Given my experience in both music and media, what steps would you recommend for breaking into music supervision without going the traditional internship route? Are there specific ways to build relevant experience or position myself for opportunities while working full-time?

Hey Navid Lancaster ! Thanks for the question. We tend to work with music and artists from all over the world. I had answered this in a previous question, but finding a US based synch licensing company is probably the best way to get your music in front of US based music supervisors. An artists' catalogue is pretty irrelevant at least from my point of view; we've licensed artists who have one song released, as well as artists who have 100's or 1000's... it's all just about the music!

Rob Lowry You've gone above and beyond the call, my friend. Thanks so much for sharing with us here. I'm gonna grab a cup and read through all this valuable info you've dropped.

Thanks again for having this AMA, Rob Lowry! Looking forward to watching Companion this weekend!

Rob Lowry hey there, Rob. Thanks for this AMA.

My current film in development, is set in the city of Bristol (UK) and to enhance the atmosphere we are going to use what is known as ‘Bristol Sound’. Bands that are from this area, to enhance the power of place in the film.