A little-known profession in France and Europe, the music supervisor is the person in charge of the soundtrack for a film, series or video game. The Association des superviseurs musicaux (Association of Music Supervisors), a group of more than thirty professionals from fifteen different structures, has recently come together to make its voice heard. Interview with Pierre-Marie Dru, founder of Pigalle Production and president of the ASM.
Moovee article written by Emma Mahoudeau Deleva.
Among the professions in the film and audiovisual industry, the position of music supervisor is still under-recognized in
France and Europe. What exactly does it involve?
Pierre-Marie Dru: The music supervisor is a qualified professional who coordinates all music-related aspects of film and audiovisual production. Hired by the producer, we are often involved from the very start of the project. We may be involved in pre-production
and shooting, but the bulk of our work is carried out in post-production, supervising composition, recording, mixing and everything to do with additional music, including research and negotiations. We may also take charge of the commercial exploitation of the soundtracks.
How would you describe your job? What are the main aspects of a music supervisor's work on a production?
The music supervisor has several missions. The first is artistic. The supervisor assists the director in everything concerning the creation and production of original music and the choice of additional music. Supervising means understanding the type of music and arrangements desired by the director, and the form he or she wants to give to these to accompany the narrative. Our role is to help the director choose the composer, the key person in the soundtrack's conception. Our duty is then to put the composer in the best possible conditions, and if necessary to set up a team around him or her, to liaise and smooth communication with the director. But it's essential to let the composers work with each other, because that's the sine qua non for a work to be unique and strong. On each project, our quest for treasure is simple: that the music be as beautiful and accurate as possible. After that, there are many possible ways of getting there. When it comes to additional music, a large part of our job is to research and negotiate exploitation rights. We're also asked for our technical skills: on set, when the music is in play, and more often during post-production when we tackle the music-making process, with recordings and mixing.
Has the pandemic forced you to adapt, to work differently?
We've already had to accept that many projects had to be cancelled or shifted considerably in time... During the first containment period, the Pigalle Production team and I worked a lot on Leos Carax's film Annette. The supervision work on this film was quite colossal. In addition to our participation in certain sequences on the set, we had to find a way of organizing the production of the music, with the "Covid problem" making it impossible to
find each other, the composers living in Los Angeles, the musical director in France and the musicians between Germany and Belgium.
In addition to the artistic aspects, is the music supervisor also, like the producer, responsible for ensuring that the project's budget is respected?
Absolutely. We're in charge of the music budget. Depending on the budget earmarked by the production for original music and the purchase of additional music, it's up to us to draw up a strategy to ensure that everything is respected: not only the budget, but also the schedule. We are also involved in the legal side of things: we are often involved in drawing up contracts for composers, musicians and performers, as well as negotiating contracts for additional music. We can also play a role in the commercial exploitation of the music by obtaining a licensing or distribution deal.
What do you mean by this?
A soundtrack always accompanies a film, but it can also be of interest independently of the film. In this case, the release of the soundtrack can be a real marketing plus for the film. Last year, I worked on the animated film J'ai perdu mon corps by Jérémy Clapin, whose magnificent score composed and arranged by Dan
Lévy won a César and a Grammy Award. Once the film was finished, producer Marc du Pontavice was kind enough to incur further expenses so that Dan could rework his music to make it more suitable for the record format, thus turning the soundtrack into a "masterpiece". In the end, it was a gamble that paid off, and a definite commercial asset to help the film's distribution, particularly in the United States. There's also something sacred about this story: all the people who worked on this film will undoubtedly feel a special emotion when, years from now, they listen to this album again. It's a wonderful gift.
How do you explain this lack of awareness of the profession of music supervisor in France?
Historically, in France, the supervision and production of soundtracks was shared between the productions and the composers' entourage. With the proliferation of productions, particularly series, they needed help. In the United States, the profession has existed for a long time. Managing the music for 8x52 minutes over several seasons is a real job. It's impossible for a composer to manage everything on his own, and he needs someone at his side from the beginning to the end of the creative and production process to help him ensure consistency and continuity in his work. Producers don't have the time, nor necessarily the know-how, so they need a strong partner in these matters: that's the role of the music supervisor. Across the Atlantic, this profession is better recognized; there's even an award alongside the Oscars to reward the best music supervisors.
How did the Association des superviseurs musicaux come into being?
The idea of getting together was born a year and a half ago. We're key players in what's going on in the visual music industry today. It seemed important to us to exchange ideas and, on certain subjects, to try to speak with one voice. With the pandemic, the project was delayed.
In early 2021, we thought it was the right time to launch our association. We have many issues in common, subjects that unite us such as the way in which picture music is produced and financed in France, problems linked to contracts, new uses or working with platforms. The question of transmission is also one of our concerns. ASM's mission is to act as an interlocutor for public authorities and trade associations, to act as a voice for music supervisors and to promote the role of music in the creative process for feature films, TV movies, series, documentaries and video games. To educate and relay the message to the trade's bodies and corporations (CNC, CNM, Sacem, SCPP, Adami, Api, etc.), new players (platforms, etc.) by promoting the role of supervisor, and sharing a charter and code of conduct.
Article first published in Moovee #7, p.52/53.
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