Well, dear readers, sometimes perseverance and being hardheaded actually pays off. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, sometimes perseverance and being hardheaded actually pays off. And that is what happened with an upcoming soundtrack release. When I made the deal to do it I was told that the director of the film (who also owns the film) would be getting the music track as used in the film. What that meant was that it would be the mixed music track with volume shifts going from loud to soft however it was mixed with the effects and dialogue. That’s never an optimal source but we’ve used those kinds of tracks before and they’ve been okay. So, the tracks were delivered and I had them transferred and I have to say I was not thrilled. I knew my mastering guy could help and that all the volume shifts could be fixed. What I knew couldn’t be fixed, however, were the sudden and abrupt music cut-offs that occurred when the film itself cut from one scene to the next. It also seemed to me that many cues were obviously shortened for the film, so they’d start within a cue and come out of it early, also not optimal. It was also less than twenty-eight minutes long.
So, the first thing I did was get another score to pair with it – same director, same composer, so that was good and those tracks were in stereo and sounded fine. But I also asked that we look for a better source for the first film’s score. He said he’d try to track down wherever the recording studio’s tapes had been vaulted. He also talked to the composer, who said he had his own set of tapes but that they were unusable. I asked how he could possibly know that. A nice man who helps the composer had the composer call me. We discussed the tapes, which he said were useless, but said a few years ago he’d had them transferred to digital. That was great news. So, his helper got that and sent me the cues. The minute I heard the first of them I knew we were in trouble – the beautiful strings sounded like a bad synthesizer. I e-mailed the helper who confirmed that’s what the digital transfer sounded like. I told him it sounded to me like something was wrong with the tape recorder used to transfer it to digital, like the wrong tape heads were used or the azimuth was way off. I asked if we could just get the tapes themselves so I could see what’s what. He said he’d talk to the composer but that the composer was adamant that he didn’t want to send them.
He did talk to the composer and it was exactly as he said it would be. So, I told him to have the composer talk to me. He called almost immediately. He insisted that the tapes were useless. I told him that there was only one way to find that out – that they should be sent to me. I explained to him about the process of baking problematic tapes and that interested him and within five minutes he agreed to send me the three tapes he had on the score.
So, they were Fed Exed to me last week and the composer even sent me four other tapes to transfer for him. And so, last night the transfers having been completed, the CD copies were delivered to me. The tapes had indeed needed baking and my transfer guy told me he got them transferred in the nick of time, as they were literally falling apart as he did them – he got it all done, though. I didn’t know what to expect – I got them into iTunes, and played the first track and the news couldn’t have been better. The gorgeous score issued forth in glorious stereo (the film tracks were in tinny mono), and all the cues were present and accounted for and many of them were indeed longer than what was in the film. There were some alternates, too. It’s going to take some detective work because the cue order was not followed – the music editor didn’t use the score exactly as the composer intended. I’ll be putting it in the composer’s order as recorded, but it still requires figuring out in certain cases which version of the cue was used. I’ll start doing that edit road map today. But what a score and it’s so thrilling that it will sound great. In fact, I’m not sure both scores we have will now fit on the same disc, but I won’t know that until we get it all assembled. I love happy endings.
Yesterday was a day that didn’t really stop, although I didn’t really do any work at all. I can’t finish choosing songs until I know our final cast member and we’re still trying to find that person. At ten-thirty, the carpenter came and spent an hour walking the house both inside and out, noting all the problems. He’ll now submit an estimate and then hopefully it will be agreed to and work can start in about three weeks. Right after that, I had lunch with a new friend at Mo’s. It was fun, conversation was sparkling, and we both had the excellent Mo’s quesadilla. Towards the end of our ninety-minute lunch, Peter Bogdanovich came in with some friends. He had his little dickie or ascot on and his hair color is pathetic (it’s really okay to go gray, Peter – it’s not like you’re not over seventy) and he just has the most uppity attitude that reeks off of him like bold garlic.
I then came home, then the helper came and we did a fun Costco run and got the necessary things I get like water and various foodstuffs. I also bought two pairs of pants that were on sale – I chose sizes that I knew would fit while I’m trying to lose ten or twenty pounds. Neither size fit, which is a constant problem with pants. One pair was one size bigger than the jeans I was wearing, which are practically falling off me. How there can be this wildly divergent size thing is beyond me. I’m going to have to return both pairs and go up two more sizes, which is nonsense since that’s three inches more waist than I’ve ever worn in my life. I have no trouble fitting in my black jeans, which are size thirty-three, and most of my thirty-fours are fine. I suppose it doesn’t really matter what the size is as long as they’re comfortable and fit well.
Then I had a series of long telephonic conversations, which left me almost no time to watch a motion picture. And then I listened to the music twice through and began making general editing notes. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I have errands and whatnot to do, hopefully I’ll pick up some packages, I’ll begin the edit road map, I’ll load in all the Comden and Green songs I’m considering into iTunes, and then I’m having dinner out.
Tomorrow, I’m seeing Panama Hattie, Sunday I’m having lunch with dear reader Jeanne, and then next week is filled with all manner of things – meetings, meals, getting sheet music to singers along with mp3s, seeing a couple of shows, and getting ready for my trip to Washington.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up some packages, I must do a road map, I must put songs into iTunes and I must have a nice dinner somewhere. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/Blu and Ray player (wow CHANGE here at haineshisway.com and it’s about time – first time saying Blu-ray player on a Friday). I’ll start – CD, endless music. Blu and Ray, currently Things to Come, and then many choices for what follows. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland happy that perseverance and hardheadedness have paid off.