ATTN: JMS--Production Process, Music

[B5JMS Poster]

Subject: ATTN: JMS--Production Process, Music
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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+  1: Jun 14, 1996: schroeder william r <wschroed at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
*  2: Jun 17, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: schroeder william r <wschroed at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Lines: 31

JMS--

I'd like to second the proposal Steve Orso recently posted,
walking us through the production of an episode as you work
through the process yourself.  

My related question is:  do you write in general descriptions
of the music cues when the first draft of the script is published?
and does Chris Franke get that draft at the beginning of the process
so that he can begin thinking about the compositions for the episode?
Or do you talk to him about what you want from the music cues only in
the post-production process, which would give him a very short time
to come up with inventive material (and would make his achievements
all the more amazing!)  Does he often provide you with several 
options for various cues so that you can see what you like best, or 
do you just describe what you want and he pretty often hits the nail
on the head first time?  How much revision do just his cues go 
through before you think they are right?

Sorry for adding a second question, but I'd also like to know what
kinds of changes you make between first and final draft scripts.   
Is this primarily your effort to refine the ideas, actions, and 
dialogue in the episode; or is the input from the department heads
who have now reacted to the first draft version relevant to your
own revision process (and how is it relevant?)??

I'm looking forward to the second soundtrack release!

Bill Schroeder



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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 29

In reverse order...

1) Changes between 1st and final drafts are almost always production
changes ("can we put this scene in the Zocalo instead of the sanctuary, so
it'll save us a lighting change and camera move?") and some dialogue
tweaks.  Occasionally a scene will get trimmed a bit if it looks like the
show's coming up long.

2) Music...after John and I have done our cut, we sit down with the sound
effects people and Chris Franke for the spotting session.  Here, we watch
the episode all the way through.  I indicate where I want the music to
start, and where I want it to stop, and what kind of music I have in mind,
if it's that clear to me.  

E.g., "Music in at 12:23:15 (twelve minutes, 23 seconds and 15 frames),
out at 14:10:20.  We've got some heavy sound effects going on here, battle
stuff, which will take up a lot of the bottom and midrange, so you may
want to go for a bit higher frequency stuff.  Strings would be good
through this, counterpointing the battle.  I wouldn't mind if you could
somehow interpolate the Requiem theme through this part."  Chris then goes
off and makes magic.



 jms



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