Music editing is part of the Post-Production process of producing a Series of The Tribe. Even after filming has finished the editors are busy, for almost two months afterwards, putting the show together into a specific episode order and ensuring all the special effects, sound, music, foley, and voices are appropriate and ideal for the show.
This feature article briefly describes the process of Music Editing including who is involved and in what capacity, the history of Tribe music and where the music comes from.
THE PROCESS AND WHO IS INVOLVED?
Chief Executive/Executive Producer – has the final say (and often the first say) on where and what music should be used, depending on the nature of the episode. But usually he leaves it and has faith in his Music editor’s choice to pick appropriate tracks.
Music Editor -Views the final cut of the filming, and determines (through writing notes) where and what appropriate music should be used for certain scenes. Then liases with the Assistant Music Editor who (sometimes this task is split between each Music editor) lays up the music into a computer system.
Assistant Music Editor – under instruction from the Music Editor lays up the various tracks onto the computer system, ensures the cuts from one music piece to another are fitting.
WHO COMPOSED THE TRIBE MUSIC?
The catalogue of music used for the Tribe was composed by Simon May – a leading music composer throughout Europe. Additionally, Simon composed the main title track “The dream must stay alive.”
WHERE THEN DOES THE MUSIC COME FROM?
Music in the Tribe is chosen from the catalogue/library of sounds according to the mood and atmosphere of each scene. There is a huge library of different tracks to choose from – depending on the scenes and what is appropriate for what is happening. For example in an action scene music needs to reflect the suspense, action and drama of what is actually happening – sweet soothing music just wouldn’t be ideal at all.
Check out the download section on Tribeworld to see the different effect music has on a specific scene.
HOW DOES THE MUSIC GET PUT TOGETHER?
A tape ultimately goes to the Music department from the Editor who has edited all scenes from a days shooting into an order he thinks would be appropriate to the storyline. The Executive Producer, who makes notes for changes to scenes views this tape first. Once these changes are made and the scene order is locked off the tape then gets distributed to the appropriate editing areas such as Sound, Music, Dialogue, Foley and then the Final Mix of all in the Mix Suite.
The Music editor then views this tape and judges what music should go where by note system. Then either the Music editor or Assistant music editor will lay these tracks up using special computer software to fit the episode. It is all automatically syncronised with the actual viewing tape by timecodes so that when the music is added it all matches up and is played at the right time in the scenes.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER ADDING THE MUSIC?
Once the episode is locked off by way of music the data then needs to be visibly logged for future reference including track names, cuts to different tracks, timecodes of each cut and change. This data is called Music Cue Sheets and PRS returns.
When the Music Editor has finished this editing job, the tape then goes to the dubbing mix suite, where every editors work (Sound, Voice, Music, Foley) comes together and is put into a Final Mix phase, ready for the end product to be locked off.
HOW LONG IS THIS PROCESS?
– A series of The Tribe takes approximately 6 months to film. There are 52X25 minute episodes or 26X48 minute episodes produced of The Tribe.
– An average day of filming sees between 7 -9 minutes duration of actual filming take place.
– Once a tape has been received by the Music editors the actual process of editing one episode takes approximately 2.7 days.
– The logging of Music Cue Sheets and PRS returns are done after the editing process before distribution to broadcasters.