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Maggie Rodford, BAFTA committee member and Managing Director of Air-Edel, on the strong relationship between the British music, film and TV industries.
British musical talent has always been at the forefront of film and TV composition around the globe but over the last ten years territorial boundaries have really ceased to exist. The upside is that home grown talent can be working anywhere in the world, at any point, very successfully. But it also means our marketplace is open to other countries as well.
I think we’re very lucky in the UK as our composers have some of the finest film, TV and games projects to work on. Dramatically they are very well written, with fantastic directors, amazing acting and technical talent, stand-out producers and some of the best facilities in the world for both shooting, post-production, music recording and mixing.
If you make it in the home market you stand a very good chance of receiving attention from overseas because the British and TV film business is so important in the entertainment world: it is a major player.
On the other hand, it’s worth noting that British composers are very successful in the UK TV and film industries because they are really good at what they do - it’s more than just a question of nationality or where you live.
We have some of the finest screen composers in the world living and working here so it is a relatively easy decision for someone to be looking for talent in Britain because we have got the best!
But, despite this strong reputation, it is extremely important that composers working in the film and TV business are very much at the top of their game. They have to be the most innovative, original, technically proficient and efficient in terms of time and budget and great communicators. All of these factors are crucial as the world becomes smaller and competition gets stiffer.
Against this backdrop, it is heartening to watch commissioned music rise in stature. Established music colleges are now acknowledging that it’s a serious, legitimate side to composition. For a long time, screen composers weren’t classed as ‘proper’ composers, which is complete and utter rubbish. They are doing exactly what composers of the 17th century did; accepting a commission so they have a meal on their plate at the end of the week.
What’s more, some of the music being written now is stunningly beautiful and will be in the classical repertoire in the years to come. Another interesting development I’ve noticed is the number of concerts where the programme is devoted to film, TV and games repertoire. In a way that’s an acknowledgement of the importance of this work.
But we can’t let all this recognition and hard work go to waste. We need to ensure that the performing right in composers’ work is not undermined, because it is this income stream which enables composers to operate in a freelance world. We must join in the discussions taking place right now, with focus on streaming, downloading and the international royalty structure.
The film and TV world is particularly vulnerable to changes in copyright policy and growth in piracy. Many composers work on a score for six months or more and rely on income from the programme or movie’s screening. The commission fee is so much lower these days, making royalties the lifeblood of the industry. Therefore, if we don’t meet the challenges copyright faces together, we face a major threat to all of our businesses. The next few months and years will be a crucial time for everyone in the creative industries.
Maggie Rodford is Managing Director of the Air-Edel Group, a London and LA-based music representation, production and publishing company, working with composers worldwide. She is also a member of the BAFTA film committee.
Previously, Maggie has worked as music producer, co-ordinator and supervisor on many high profile film, TV and games scores. She also served as a PRS Director for many years and was an active member of the PRS Executive Committee.
British musical talent has always been at the forefront of film and TV composition around the globe but over the last ten years territorial boundaries have really ceased to exist. The upside is that home grown talent can be working anywhere in the world, at any point, very successfully. But it also means our marketplace is open to other countries as well.
I think we’re very lucky in the UK as our composers have some of the finest film, TV and games projects to work on. Dramatically they are very well written, with fantastic directors, amazing acting and technical talent, stand-out producers and some of the best facilities in the world for both shooting, post-production, music recording and mixing.
If you make it in the home market you stand a very good chance of receiving attention from overseas because the British and TV film business is so important in the entertainment world: it is a major player.
On the other hand, it’s worth noting that British composers are very successful in the UK TV and film industries because they are really good at what they do - it’s more than just a question of nationality or where you live.
We have some of the finest screen composers in the world living and working here so it is a relatively easy decision for someone to be looking for talent in Britain because we have got the best!
But, despite this strong reputation, it is extremely important that composers working in the film and TV business are very much at the top of their game. They have to be the most innovative, original, technically proficient and efficient in terms of time and budget and great communicators. All of these factors are crucial as the world becomes smaller and competition gets stiffer.
Against this backdrop, it is heartening to watch commissioned music rise in stature. Established music colleges are now acknowledging that it’s a serious, legitimate side to composition. For a long time, screen composers weren’t classed as ‘proper’ composers, which is complete and utter rubbish. They are doing exactly what composers of the 17th century did; accepting a commission so they have a meal on their plate at the end of the week.
What’s more, some of the music being written now is stunningly beautiful and will be in the classical repertoire in the years to come. Another interesting development I’ve noticed is the number of concerts where the programme is devoted to film, TV and games repertoire. In a way that’s an acknowledgement of the importance of this work.
But we can’t let all this recognition and hard work go to waste. We need to ensure that the performing right in composers’ work is not undermined, because it is this income stream which enables composers to operate in a freelance world. We must join in the discussions taking place right now, with focus on streaming, downloading and the international royalty structure.
The film and TV world is particularly vulnerable to changes in copyright policy and growth in piracy. Many composers work on a score for six months or more and rely on income from the programme or movie’s screening. The commission fee is so much lower these days, making royalties the lifeblood of the industry. Therefore, if we don’t meet the challenges copyright faces together, we face a major threat to all of our businesses. The next few months and years will be a crucial time for everyone in the creative industries.
Maggie Rodford is Managing Director of the Air-Edel Group, a London and LA-based music representation, production and publishing company, working with composers worldwide. She is also a member of the BAFTA film committee.
Previously, Maggie has worked as music producer, co-ordinator and supervisor on many high profile film, TV and games scores. She also served as a PRS Director for many years and was an active member of the PRS Executive Committee.
