The Filmmaker’s Guide To Music In Movies
Start Learning
Webinar hosted by: Alan Brewer
President & Owner at New Brew Entertainment
Alan Brewer is an independent music, film & television producer, music publisher, and the President/Owner of New Brew Entertainment, a Los Angeles area production company with several feature films and television series on its production slate. He has worked as a Film Producer, Score Composer, Music Supervisor and Soundtrack Producer on feature films & television productions for Universal, MGM, Fox, Warner Bros., Bold Films, CBS Television, Orion Pictures, Miramax, Summit Entertainment, Shochiku-Fuji Films, Anonymous Content, IFC Films, CMT, and VH-1, and others. Alan produced the Universal Pictures release, “Playing For Keeps,” (starring Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn, Marisa Tomei). His feature credits include the Warner Bros release "American Pastime," “Come Early Morning,” (starring Ashley Judd, Laura Prepon, Jeffrey Donovan, Tim Blake Nelson), David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars,” Paul McCartney’s “Rockshow,” horror classic, “The Burning,” “Trailer Park Of Terror,” “Tokyo Pop,” and “Secret Policeman’s Other Ball” (featuring Monty Python, Peter Cook, Rowan Atkinson, Pete Townshend, Sting and others). Alan has produced recording sessions on 3 continents, in 5 countries in over 50 studios in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Boston, London, Manchester, Tokyo, and Toronto. Projects he has supervised or for which he produced and mixed music have included music by Jeff Beck, Clarence Clemons (of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band), Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Rick Derringer, Bob Geldof, Ruben Blades, Sister Sledge, Rick Wakeman (of Yes), O.M.D., China Crisis, Donovan, and many others. Alan is on the Advisory Board for the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, served on the founding Board Of Directors for the Burbank International Film Festival and is a Past President of the Board Of Directors of the Nashville Film Festival (one of the longest running film festivals in the U.S.). He is also one of the founders of Film-Com, the annual Nashville based film & television conference, and is currently its West Coast Chairperson. Alan’s current production projects include “The Human Fly,” inspired by the real story behind the Marvel Comics character, “Sewerville,” a gritty, rural crime thriller set in Appalachia, “Hitchhiking With Larry David,” based on the popular book by Paul Samuel Dolman (Gotham/Penguin books), and “Deadfellas,” a mind-opening sci-fi horror feature co-written by Jeff Buhler, screenwriter of “Studio 666,” starring Foo Fighters, “Pet Semetary” (2019), “The Grudge” (2020), and creator of the George R.R. Martin based SyFy series, “Nightflyers.” Full Bio »
Webinar Summary
Learn everything you need to know about how to source and use music in your productions from Alan Brewer, who is the President of New Brew Entertainment. Alan has extensive experience in every aspect of music for film and television including Music Supervision, Music Clearance & Licensing, Music Production, Score Composition, and Music Publishing!
PLUS! You'll receive a Music in Motion Pictures: Rights and Licensing exclusive handout!
We all agree that music can make or break a film. From Spike Lee to Steven Spielberg to Greta Gerwig to Quentin Tarantino, the best filmmakers rely heavily on music in their films to create a particular tone and evoke a certain emotion from the audience. The music you choose for your film can literally make or break your project.
However, most budding filmmakers have no clue where to begin in getting the necessary legal rights to use music in their films. While many independent filmmakers spend a great deal of time learning about the various aspects of the craft and business of filmmaking, most emerging filmmakers, even those who have gone to prestigious film schools, have little to no knowledge about the administrative and legal requirements for the inclusion of music in their projects. Furthermore, most independent filmmakers don’t know how to best navigate the creative music search with respect to finding songs and/or composers suitable for their productions and appropriate to their budgets. All too often, independent filmmakers find themselves in a bind, learning late into post-production that they don’t actually have permission to use the music they were planning to include in their project. Without the proper legal authorizations for the use of the music, your film will not be accepted to film festivals or get released on any platforms. We’re here to help!
In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn how to ensure that the music in your film satisfies the necessary legal requirements in order to be included in your project. You will learn everything from the different types of rights you need for music and how to obtain them, to how to work with a composer and your music team, the differences between using existing songs or creating original music for your film, how and when you need to create music cue sheets, and more. Teaching you everything you need to know about the use of music in your film is Alan Brewer, President/Owner of New Brew Entertainment. Alan has worked as a Film Producer, Score Composer, Music Supervisor and Soundtrack Producer on feature films and television productions for Universal, MGM, Fox, Warner Bros., Bold Films, CBS Television, Orion Pictures, Miramax, Summit Entertainment, Shochiku-Fuji Films, Anonymous Content, IFC Films, CMT, and VH-1, and others. He produced the Universal Pictures release PLAYING FOR KEEPS (starring Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn, Marisa Tomei). His feature credits include the Warner Bros release, AMERICAN PASTIME, COME EARLY MORNING (starring Ashley Judd, Laura Prepon, Jeffrey Donovan, Tim Blake Nelson), David Bowie’s ZIGGY STARDUST & THE SPIDERS FROM MARS, Paul McCartney’s ROCKSHOW, horror classic THE BURNING, TRAILER PARK OF TERROR, TOKYO POP, and SECRET POLICEMAN'S OTHER BALL (featuring the members of Monty Python, Peter Cook, Rowan Atkinson, Pete Townshend, Sting and others).
Over an information-packed 90 minutes, Alan will cover the full range of information you must have in order to effectively and legally include music in your production whether you are working on a feature project with a substantial budget or a micro-budget short film intended only for festivals. Additionally, not only will this course be highly informative and useful for individuals working in film & television (producers, directors, production managers and post-production supervisors) but also for those songwriters, composers and music artists with a focus on creating music for film & television or placing their existing music in current projects.
PLUS! You'll have a Q&A with Alan and receive exclusive handouts to help you best work with music for your project. Downloads include:
- Music in Motion Pictures: Rights and Licensing
"I'm excited to share with the Stage 32 community my accumulated knowledge resulting from many years of experience in all aspects of the music for film & television process. Having worked all my life as both a music "provider" and a music "user” for film, I look forward to providing the facts regarding what has to be done as well as the language and terminology that will help facilitate communication between all parties involved in the use of music in a film project.” - Alan Brewer
Praise for Alan's Work
“(Brewer is) a sort of artistic systems resource manager, ever balancing aesthetics and the bottom line." - MIX Magazine
“One of the most diversified artists in the industry.....There’s a lot to be learned from such a revered professional as Brewer.” - The Music Paper
“Brewer worked to develop a creative consistency despite the diversity of the musical artists. The result is pure state of the art sound throughout.” - Valley Advocate/New Haven Advocate
What You'll Learn
- Various Music Rights for Film & Television
- What rights do you need for legal use of music in your production?
- What are “Master Synchronization” rights?
- What are “Publishing Synchronization” rights?
- What is a “Mechanical License” and do you need one?
- How to secure the rights you need
- What is the difference between music clearance and music licensing?
- How do you “clear” a song or musical composition for your project?
- How and when to formally license a song or composition?
- What is a “step deal” in music licensing for film & television?
- What is the “MFN” (Most Favored Nations) clause in music licenses?
- What if you want to release a soundtrack album?
- Special approvals sometimes needed
- Having Original Music created for your project
- Finding a composer
- Score composer agreements
- Commissioning original songs to be written for your production
- Music Publishing opportunities as an ancillary source of income
- Your Music Team
- Music Editors – What is their role?
- Music Supervisors – What do they do?
- Music Synch Clearance & Licensing Professionals
- Entertainment Attorneys specializing in music rights
- Which of the above will you need and when?
- Music Cue Sheets
- What are they?
- Why and when do I need one?
- Who prepares the Music Cue Sheet?
- Who will need copies of the Music Cue Sheet?
- Q&A with Alan
About Your Instructor
Alan Brewer
FAQs
Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.
If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.
Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.
YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN
If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:
- Log into your Stage 32 profile
- Click "Settings" in the top right-hand corner (gear icon)
- Click "Purchase History"
- Choose this webinar and click the link to view
- Go to www.stage32.com
- Create a profile using the SAME email address you used to sign up for this webinar. The email addresses must match in order to watch the webinar.
- Once you have your profile set up, you can view the webinar by clicking "Settings" in the top right hand corner (gear icon)
- Click "Purchase History"
- Choose this webinar and click the link to view
Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.
Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.
If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.
Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.
Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.
Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.
Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.
If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.
Relevant Tags
Share with friends:
Questions?
Other education that may be of interest to you:
How to Navigate the Marché du Film and Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival can be overwhelming when you plan to attend for the first time. Over 12,000 film industry professionals head to Cannes each year to present and discover almost 4,000 films and projects in development at 33 screening venues. Fuelled by this success, the Marché has expanded with the opening of the Riviera and Lérins exhibition halls, forming a hub around the world-famous Palais des Festivals and the Village International, the number one venue for promoting films from all over the world. As a leading global film industry organization, the Marché du Film takes a rigorous approach in adapting to the expectations of industry professionals worldwide and to emerging economic, technological and creative film trends. Even if you’re a veteran attendee, things are always changing at Cannes so it’s important you stay in the know. Stage 32 is proud to be the industry education workshop partner of the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film for the third year and we are excited to offer all badge holders the opportunity to experience Stage 32 education. Together with the Marché we are excited to offer an exclusive webinar to our Stage 32 community on how you can navigate the festival. In this webinar we’re bringing in the Executive Director, Jérôme Paillard, and his team to talk about the festival and how to navigate it. Now, you’ll get to hear straight from the source on how to make your Cannes experience work for you. You’ll walk away from this webinar able to arrive on the Croisette ready to make things happen!
How a CAM Account Saves You Time and Worry
Filmmaking isn’t just an artform, it’s a business. As a creative, you might not be aware of how you can ensure you receive your fair share of the revenue or properly negotiate for it. With the right agreement in place, you can focus on producing a great story that audiences will love without worrying about how the money will come later. What you need is a CAM Agreement. The CAM Agreement, short for Collection Account Management, is a multiparty agreement that handles the receipt, allocation, and disbursement of revenues generated by the distribution of a project. In short, a CAM Agreement is how you get paid when the project sells. It protects everyone’s interests and eliminates misunderstandings between partners by ensuring everyone enters the project on the same page and puts everyone on a Recoupment Schedule so that you know when and how you’re getting paid. With so many platforms and distribution markets to consider, revenue is never as simple as selling the project one time. It covers payment of revenues, commissions, expenses, recoupment investments, deferments, bonuses, and profits. David Zannoni is a consultant for Fintage House, where he's seen first-hand the benefit of these agreements through his work negotiating for films and television series internationally, regularly attending the major film festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and more. David will walk you and the other attendees of this Stage 32 webinar exclusively through the key elements of the CAM Agreement, what’s covered, standard clauses, the different kinds of CAM Agreements you’ll need for the different guilds, and how the agreement will evolve and be used in the future. By knowing the benefits of these agreements from someone who regularly uses them, you’ll have the ability to negotiate better for yourself and your project, empowering you to stress less about how you’ll make your money back and focus instead on telling a great story.
Your Ultimate Guide to Packaging Your Project - 4 Class Intensive
Join Tiffany Boyle, President of Packaging at Ramo Law PC - exclusively through Stage 32! Learn how to attach producers, actors, directors and financing to your project! The art of packaging—and it is an art—requires juggling many elements at the same time, but it usually comes down to three major factors—attaching a producer or production company, attaching talent (actors and director), and attaching financing. Each is its own unique process, yet at the same time, all are invariably tied to one another—your success with one will usually aid your success with the others. Beyond these three elements, understanding how to pitch your project is vital. No matter how many producers, talent, and other attachable elements you approach, none of it will come to fruition if you don’t have a good pitch and the right materials to send. So how do successfully producer or filmmaker package their project? How can you navigate politics, relationships, and the industry as a whole to secure the elements you need for success? We have you covered. Since joining Ramo Law in 2009, Tiffany Boyle has leveraged her business-oriented sales and packaging skills to bring hundreds of films and documentaries to fruition. Since 2018 alone, Tiffany has optimized clients’ financial and business positions on more than 35 films and documentaries. Through her critical review of content and strategic use of Ramo Law resources, Tiffany creates successful content packaging that bridges the needs of both client and industry demands. In addition to all these skills, Tiffany also served as a co-executive producer and brought in financing for films like SOMETHING ELSE (Tribeca 2019) and ARKANSAS starring Liam Hemsworth and Vince Vaughn. She led the sales and packaging for TRAGEDY GIRLS (SXSW 2017) and FREAKS (Toronto IFF 2018), she brought foreign financing to ASHES IN THE SNOW (Los Angeles FF 2018) starring Bel Powley, and she sold an autobiography to Hulu for development into a limited television series. Tiffany has seen it all when it comes to film and TV packaging and understands what filmmakers need to do to find success with this tricky process. In this advanced level and intensive 4-session on-demand class, Tiffany will break down the best practices and the steps you should take in securing attachments in order to give your project a strong, marketable package. In her first session she will focus on the initial step you should take of attaching a producer/production company to help shepherd your project forward. Next Tiffany will walk you through how to get both significant actors and directors to pay attention and get attached to your project. In her third session she will delve into financing and teach you everything you need before you approach financiers, the different types of financing there are, and who to approach to secure funding. Finally, Tiffany will walk you how to present your project by explaining what you should pitch, how you should pitch it, and, when you get that bite of interest, what materials you should send next.
How To Work With A Network Once You Sell Your Show
Once you sell your TV show to a network the real work begins as you have to deftly navigate your project forward through development and production to become a successful series on the air! You will learn every step of this intense process from Peter McDonough, who has worked in the writers' room of the hit CBS series GHOSTS since the first day of development. PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help with your own pilot writing including access to the pilot script for GHOSTS! Congratulations! You’ve accomplished your dream and sold your pilot script to a television network… now what happens? Many writers are unaware of the huge amount of work that’s still left to do after selling a television show to a network. As a creator, you will be in charge of much more than just driving the creative direction of the show's story. Creating a television show requires staffing, auditions, meetings with the network, managing multiple arms of production, and many other responsibilities that take place behind the scenes. All before shooting even the first scene! As the series creator, you will be tasked with working with the network to address a slew of questions and decisions before, during, and after shooting. What production roles need to be hired? What creative decisions need to be prioritized? How does the audition process work? When do you hire a writing staff? How much time do you have to make these decisions? While it may sound daunting, there is a pragmatic process to developing a television show and aiming it for a network run. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you will learn how your television script turns into a hit TV show on air. Teaching you the process that series creators and showrunners go through is Peter McDonough, the Showrunner's Assistant on the CBS hit show GHOSTS. Peter was the first employee hired on the show and has first-hand experience in advancing the show from a pilot order to multi-season series order on CBS’ Thursday Night Primetime lineup. In this information-packed webinar, Peter will take you through each stage of a television show’s development. Starting from the day a network orders a pilot script into production through a successful first season and to the premiere of a second season. You will learn the different stages of development, production, and distribution that a network series goes through so you can confidently prepare yourself and navigate the intricate process of network television once you sell your show to a network. PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help you navigate the world of network television. You will walk away from this webinar understanding the entire process of taking your original TV series idea and taking it all the way to becoming a hit so that you know what to expect when you sell your series to a network! "I am thrilled for the opportunity to share my professional experience in Network Television with Stage 32's creative community. As a former recipient of Stage 32's services, I feel honored to provide some insight that will benefit the next generation of television writers. I look forward to seeing all the writers and hope to give you any info you need to help pursue your professional television goals." - Peter McDonough
How To Network Effectively As A Screenwriter
Learn how to effectively network to improve your career as a screenwriter from Steve Desmond, the screenwriter of M. Night Shyamalan's KNOCK AT THE CABIN and a writer on the upcoming TRANSFORMERS ONE for Paramount Pictures! Plus! You'll receive a query letter template you can use to help you make the most out of networking! You want to be a professional filmmaker, but how do you make connections to get your foot in the door? We’re all in the business of telling stories, but we’re also in the business of building relationships. Without those relationships, the entertainment industry can seem daunting. So how do you meet new people and make meaningful professional connections? In this webinar, we’ll throw the stereotypical “networking” pretenses aside, and focus on what it takes to begin crafting real partnerships and collaborations, with the hopes of elevating each other’s careers. The old adage holds true - it’s not just about what you know, it’s about who you know too… But who you know is ultimately up to you. This is an industry that is built on relationships. But far too many aspiring filmmakers don’t spend nearly enough time meeting new people and building those relationships. Just like writing, meeting people takes time, effort, and focus. The onus is on you to reach out and stay in touch. It’s not just about meeting people who want to do the same thing as you (i.e. writers meeting other writers). It’s about meeting people that can be helpful to your career, and who you, in turn, can be helpful to theirs. The bottom line is that your chances of success improve exponentially when you combine skill with a network of like-minded colleagues. In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, you will learn the skills and tools you need as a screenwriter to network effectively and build and maintain long lasting business relationships to help you shape your career. Teaching you everything you need to know about networking as a screenwriter is Steve Desmond. A longtime member of Stage 32, Steve co-wrote KNOCK AT THE CABIN, which was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released theatrically by Universal Studios. It opened at # 1 at the box office, and subsequently #1 on VOD on Peacock. Steve is one of the writers on the upcoming Transformers franchise prequel, TRANSFORMERS ONE starring Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth, which will be released in theaters in fall, 2024 by Paramount Pictures. His screenplays have been voted onto the prestigious industry Black List four times, including THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB which he is attached to direct with Brad Fuller (A QUIET PLACE) producing. He sold his sci-fi adventure screenplay, HARRY’S ALL-NIGHT HAMBURGERS, to Warner Bros in a bidding war, with Oscar nominated producer Andrew Lazar attached. His short film, MONSTERS, that he wrote and directed, has amassed over two million views online and screened in over 100 film festivals worldwide, winning 46 awards. Steve is represented by APA and Ziffren-Brittenham LLP. In an information-packed 90-minutes, you will learn how to make the most out of in-person and virtual networking events, how to utilize social media for networking purposes, and strategies to maintain relationships once you make them. Steve will teach you who you should be targeting when networking (hint: it’s all about who can actually buy your script!) and how you can research and get in touch with writers, producers, and reps in an organic way. PLUS! You'll receive a query letter template you can use to help with your own networking! In today’s ever connected world, it is easier than ever to network to improve your career, you just need to know how! Praise for Steve's Stage 32 Teaching "No wonder Steve's career has taken off. It's clear he has a strong sense of how to write and also how to handle the business of the industry. Learned a ton from him." - Anthony M. "Incredibly valuable webinar for everyone to take - not just writers. Networking is a tricky thing that I've never felt comfortable with, but Steve's approach and recommendations honestly make it way less daunting." - Laura L. "It's the well known truth that you have to network to make it in the film industry. But even approaching networking is a hard thing to do. Steve broke it down in a sensical and practical way that I think can work for everyone." - Matt C.
How To Package To Help Your Film's Distribution
In today's global climate filmmakers need to consider their options for distribution, which ultimately begins at the development phase. While your project is in development, packaging the right talent (actor, director, casting director, etc.) play a huge part in the pre-sales process, and ultimately have a hand in the successful distribution of your project. Distribution changes constantly and there are not many people who have their finger on the pulse like Executive Producer Franco Sama from Samaco Films. Franco has EP'd an impressive array of over twenty (20) independent feature films ranging in the "sweet spot" $5MM and under range, generally releasing 2-3 films each year. We've brought Franco in to teach this exclusive Stage 32 Next Level Webinar on Packaging & Pre-Sales For Film Distribution. In this information packed webinar Franco will go over the entire development process from how to attract A-list talent and the offers they require, how to acquire "must have" international sales estimates, working with vertically integrated distribution companies, breaking down distribution options and much more. This is a go to guide to package with an eye towards distribution!
Register / Log In
