Working With Original Music in Fast-Turnaround Documentaries
20 Feb 2015
Whether you are a director/producer, editor or a composer, working with original music in documentaries with a tight post-production schedule can be a delicate tightrope exercise between time constraints and quality. I have worked as the composer in this format a number of times in the last five years and I have found that productions that follow some simple guidelines are more likely to avoid delays in the workflow and less likely to come under unduly extreme pressure near the delivery deadline. As a result they also have the space to achieve higher production value.
1) Clear the first music briefing before the edit has started
Have your initial music briefing conversation at least a week before the edit starts. The aim should be to have a few key draft pieces of music in place about three to four days into the edit. The first few days of editing are usually taken up with assembly. By the time the assembly cut transitions into a first rough cut of some sequences, having some music cues for the editor to slot into key scenes can speed up the editing process and facilitates evidence-based feedback to the composer.
Notes and a second briefing at this stage can be based on how well the first batch of music cues fit with the first roughly edited sequences. This helps to avoid time-consuming dead ends where the composer pursues ideas that don't end up in the final cut.
2) Keep formatting conventions and house styles firmly in mind
This is especially important if the documentary is commissioned primarily or solely for broadcast purposes. The most obvious factor differentiating different documentary styles and formats is the density and frequency of change in the music. Put very simply, the more music there is and the denser the rate of change in a given format/channel's style, the less highbrow the target audience tends to be.
You want to avoid a situation where commissioner feedback includes format-related criticism of large sections such as “the score needs to be snappier, more engaging” or “the score is too hectic”. If your first rough cut with music already fully conforms to format expectations, the commissioner can concentrate on giving more detailed feedback on other areas.
3) Identify key themes or elements in the story
Putting a name to a story element helps conceptualise it in terms of editing decisions and unifying musical threads. The ideal number of story elements that can be conveyed well musically usually lies somewhere between four and nine. Note that not every new scene is likely to be a new story element that warrants its own standalone musical expression.
There will be a few key strands to the narrative that can be identified at the briefing stages and that can tie together different sections of the film. Focus on identifying what the common elements between different parts of the film are and then work together with the composer to identify possible musical variations. It is perfectly possible to change mood radically but refer back to a previous theme in a way that is musically and narratively meaningful - in fact, this is one of the key advantages of using original instead of licensed music.
4) Be as specific as possible about the length of cues
Even though they may share a lot of musical elements, there is a huge difference between a three minute undercurrent pulse to keep the energy going during a lengthy sequence and a 20 second sting with a big reveal leading into a non-musical talking head sequence. Ideally, briefings and notes should look like this:
“Could you do a 45 second variation of track X that comes in slowly for eight seconds underneath the previous section and then transitions into a 30 second ominous underscore that we can fade out gradually during the following scene?”.
Give timings that are as precise as possible to help the composer develop a feel for the editing pace you're aiming for - it will help the music match it more evenly.
5) Aim to have main musical themes and moods in place around two-thirds through the edit
By having the main themes and moods in place with a decent amount of time still to go (ideally, two thirds into the edit), you allow for tweaks to timings and for variations to be written in time for the final cut or even the dubbing mix. When editing and music writing are done alongside each other, this stage is most likely to be the weakest link. Musical and mood changes then often end up being realised by pasting together different pieces in the edit suite. This does not always work musically and the effect can be slightly jarring and lower production value.
You can avoid this by aiming to make all the main decisions with three to four days left to go, leaving time to iron out cross-fades and non-musical cuts. Even a couple of days to tweak pieces that work in the edit in principle but need a bit of trimming, extending, transitioning etc. can do wonders for the overall impression of consistency and quality.
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Being canny about scheduling briefings, arranging for feedback sessions and being clear on structural details like the length of cues and story elements should help ensure the edit runs smoothly and on time. The key to maximising production value is to keep the workflow from derailing and to avoid superfluous work as much as possible - then everyone's time can be spent productively adding value for the commissioner and the audience!
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