Category Archives: General

Original Music Beds

September 8, 2015Commercials, General, Musiccommercials, jingle, music beds, original music beds, production music, radio, radio production, radio spots, televisionOvernight Radio

Music. What could be more important?
Ok, lots of things…like oxygen, water, food, family, friends etc.
But beyond those 5 base ingredients for life, you must add flavor…and music tastes fantastic, in all it’s forms.

In advertising, music plays a major role – everyone is aware how important it is across any active media. The music we use, provides a reflection of the soundtrack to our lives, either currently, or nostalgically. The message is king of course, but with the addition of the right music, the message is enhanced exponentially.

Picking the right music is an art form itself. While producing a spot, you can start to hear the music you will need in your head as you put the voices/sound effects together. You already know how it should sound, unconsciously if not consciously. You might know which styles to avoid, but not which to look for. Sometimes it’s like a carving…you whittle away the parts you don’t need to find the statue inside.

Other times you know the exact style/tempo/genre you want and you know where to find it. Those are miraculous times if not few and far between.

Then, there’s the time you can’t find anything that suits. Nothing. BUT you can hear it in your head.

That’s when original music creation comes in.

This is such a specialized talent, that when someone does emerge with it, they are coveted almost immediately…as there is a never ending amount of need for new and original music in the advertising world.

I graduated from the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in Ontario with a group of amazing musicians, producers and audio engineers. After graduation, some of us went directly into bands, some into producing bands, others into audio for video, and some into radio commercial production (like yours truly). Very few however, went into creating original music for television and/or radio commercials. But the ones that did, are some of the most successful, with their music being broadcast in commercials all over north america and the world.

Creating original broadcast ready music is not easy. It takes years of first, knowing the basic process of recording, playing multiple instruments, creating great sounds from said instruments, mixing audio (totally different from recording), editing, treating and finally, the social skills to put that music into the world of advertising.

When we create jingles, we use an original music creator from a studio called “Hard Left Productions” http://www.hardleftproductions.net/ that is able to adapt to all genres without prejudice, create them in a very timely manner, and on top of that, able to add vocals when needed with the proper rhythm and cadence the client wants. Sometimes the process is long (a week) other times, fast (a couple days). But in all cases, a piece of beautiful and more importantly, USABLE music emerges.

This is not small. I have worked in radio production for 17 years now, and this is the first time we have had a stable flow of original music to work with.

Knowing your gear and your work flow greatly enhances your chance of making a living at creating original music. But what really helps, is experience. Write, record, mix, write, record, mix…repeat until death. It’s the only way to get to a place where your music will be accepted as you have done it.

I have been asked for advice by younger people just starting out in the industry on how to get something going, and the answer is always the same.

DO.

Just do it…start recording, making music. Even if no one is asking for it. ESPECIALLY if no one is asking for it. This will give you the chance to build up your library of music. You need this library to be big. In order for it to be good, you need to do a lot. And people can tell right away if your stuff is broadcast ready or not immediately. So create your massive library of music beds. Even if you work for someone else in a totally different field.

IF YOU DO SOMETHING, YOU ARE SOMETHING.

In other words, if you create music, you are a musician. Eventually, by the time you get great, someone will have found you and will pay you for your skills, and they will be happy to do it.

Great video resource for radio production!

August 6, 2015GeneralOvernight Radio

Our friends at Newcap Radio, and specifically producer Jay Helmus, have put together some great commercial production instructional videos as a way to connect their own production departments and bring easier mentor-ship to junior producers…but of course, they can apply to anyone in the business of commercial radio production.

They include helpful hints on compression, ‘p’ pop removal, spot length, producing concert spots, working with eq and other processing and so much more.

They are well thought out and bring answers to things that may be items of frustration to newer producers. We encourage any producer to check them out, new or established – as sometimes something we think is the only way of doing something, turns out to be only one of many.

You can find the ‘Newcap Creative Corner’ at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf23dd9UYlQK3kwV-DBnP_g

Write what you know, but not everyone likes what you know.

June 19, 2015Generalannouncers, audio production, Commercial, creative radio, radio, radio account executives, radio production, radio sales, radio scripts, radio stations, script writing, scripts, targeted advertising, television, voice over artistsOvernight Radio

Everyone who is in any sort of creative writing industry, whether it be movies, TV, journalism, blogging or radio, will always give the same advice (if they are any good).

And that is ‘write what you know’.

It’s the best advice, because no matter the story, if you know a lot about it, it shows through and if there are any fans of that subject out there, they will get it, and enjoy it…maybe even enough to buy the corresponding clients product.

There are other advantages to writing what you know too. First off, all your research is already done! No need to look up information about things that may or may not exist – you already know. Plus, you may already have unconscious sentences, paragraphs at the ready somewhere in your brain that you weren’t aware of until you started writing about it.

This all helps in creating a fully functional narrative. A beginning, a middle and an end. Something that is full of hints, secret words and dialogue that shows you have actually been there, seen that or done it. Words that only people in the know will understand.

And of course, THAT is the point.

You are directing your writing to reach that particular person, hopefully thousands of them. Interspersed throughout thousands of others who will pay no attention or negative attention to your creation. That is the collateral damage when it comes to creative writing in the broadcast industry. And very tough to explain to people outside of the sphere of advertising…especially clients new to it.

Neophytes often believe that advertising must be understood by everyone because it is played for everyone. It’s a common misconception of course and easily understandable. Why is this commercial talking to me, if it doesn’t want to reach me?

Fair question…IF you were the only person on earth…because there are a multitude of people around you with varying tastes and needs, all who are also listening to that commercial. It’s something we can’t avoid. If we COULD target the exact people all the time…we definitely would. And we are getting close with internet advertising, but even that is fought with misfires.

It’s why a lot of people don’t get local tv ad’s. Sometimes they are crude, poorly produced and unintentionally funny. While all of this is true, it is also true that it works, given the fact that it continues to this day. The reason it looks funny to you, is because they are not talking to you. Watching/listening to ads is like instantly showing up in a conversation talking about something, anything. It’s POSSIBLE they might be talking about something that interests you, but more times than not, it’s not for you.

But even when it IS for you – sometimes you can tell they are talking through you, and not too you. Something that has all the facts, but not presented in a way that is true to you – a form, a way of speaking, an order of words, that YOU (the writer) know.

You can tell this is happening when you want to take action, but don’t. (ie: there is a great sale going on at store x, but it’s so poorly presented, you assume the product is poor too).

So the next time you write something creative for a client, even if it’s for a product you don’ t know much about – find out about it, know about it…but most of all, write about it from a standpoint that you ALREADY know about. A viewpoint, a certain type of intro, a sense of humor that is yours.

Apply what you know to something you don’t.

The people that CARE about the particular product you are talking about ARE listening, and they will take action if THEY know that YOU know what you are talking about, by HOW you say it.

Write what you know.

When you are in charge of yourself.

February 20, 2015Commercials, Generalaudio production, Commercial, creative radio, radio, radio production, radio sales, radio scripts, radio stations, script writing, scripts, targeted advertising, voice over artistsOvernight Radio

The employer/employee relationship. One built on trust and mutual respect. An acknowledgment of the hierarchy of the corporation…where one person is in charge of the other. Almost in a parental role. Some employers would say EXACTLY like a parental role.

In my limited experience in life, conversations with colleges in my industry (radio broadcasting) and others, the sentiment is usually the same with managers/employers. When you take on an employee, you take on another responsibility. And well you should. They have taken a semi-oath to be faithful to you and your company for a significant part of their lives. Everything they do within the 8 hours a day you pay them for is for you.

But it’s not just managing employees workload you need to deal with, as employees have issues on TOP of your regular duties. Sure you are in charge of answering questions, handing out work orders, quality control AND answering to your bosses. But what if Susan needs the day off to get her kids? Fine, you will get John to cover. But John already has a big workload that needs to be finished this afternoon. Call in Steve, he never lets you down! Except today, because he is late. So, as it always does in a position of ‘power’, it all comes down to you. YOU are the one in charge so YOU are the one held responsible.

For Overnight Radio Inc., the employer/employee relationship is something of yesteryear (at least in radio production). We use a different model. Since we are literally a group of people radio stations hire out to handle their daily production needs, we couldn’t possibly follow the employee/employer model with our clients…the paperwork alone would render us unusable. We use the more independent system of ‘colleague teams’ or ‘group work for hire’.

With this scenario, not only do we fill a need for stations looking to outsource their production to a solid team of producers/voice over artists, but we come with an added bonus of a client NOT needing to fill out any forms, NOT trying to cover employee days off, and NOT needing to give any personal attention to anything other than the business at hand.

Barbecue with this model, everyone works for themselves. Meaning, as an ‘colleague’ there is NO ONE ELSE that can solve your problem but you. If you can’t make it in, you don’t get paid. Also meaning, no one has added pressure of finding someone to fill in for you, to help you with whatever issues you have. These are yours and yours alone to deal with.

For example, say one of our voice over artists is down with the flu. You wouldn’t even notice, as it’s up to us (as one of your colleagues) to pass it on to a similar sounding voice which we have procured a long time ago…along with a back up for that one and the next one too.

As well as if someone has scheduling issues because of something unforeseen, once again, that is none of your concern…your production will STILL be delivered.

All you have to concentrate on is handing out the workload.

We are built as a group of real people here at our studio’s in the forest city, as well as a network of colleagues, and everyone is in charge of themselves.

What we have found in our almost 20 years of existence, is that firstly, it makes everyone more responsible for their own ‘product’ (their work) and secondly, it makes them much more proud to do it.

For us, it’s a win-win…and for our clients, it’s a win-win-win.

People working together without the constraints of a class or hierarchy system. It’s something that works, AND works independently of supervision.

Correcting Miss Takes

February 16, 2015Commercials, Generalannouncers, audio production, creative radio, radio production, radio scripts, script writing, scripts, voice over artists, voice talentOvernight Radio

I can tell you that mistakes are a part of my life…and unless i am mistaken, a part of everyone’s life.

You can take all the precautions you like, but it’s like trying to stay dry in a rainstorm…you might be pretty dry, but some part of you will be wet.

It’s not all bad though…really, what it is, is harm reduction. The theory that life can’t exist without some sort of harm (you can’t even eat without destroying a life form, be it plant or animal)…but it’s up to each us to reduce it as much as possible.

The same theory applies to work. Be it farming, air travel, or municipal politics. We will all make mistakes…but the best of us have found a way to minimize it, preferably before someone else sees, and if they do see, a way to clean it up immediately.

In the radio broadcast industry (creative section), since it relies on a lot of opinion, there are more instances than normal, simply because some differences of opinion are mislabeled as mistakes. But there certainly are mistakes. And it can be exacerbated by the fact that a lot of us work in isolation due to the internet allowing us to work together, yet alone.

In the latter case, working alone brings the point of keeping an eye on one’s mistakes to a sharp focus. Working in groups always has the comfort of someone else watching your back…even if it’s for personal gain to be in the right: ‘hey dude, you said that totally wrong” as opposed to actually looking out for you. Regardless, the outcome is the same…less mistakes are let out of that production studio. But working alone, means you need to create a habit…a habit that forces you to go over once more what you have gone over so many times already while in the process of creating it.

I know when it comes to radio commercial production with me, if i am alone in the studio (and even when there is a team in here), i create ways to double check everything WHILE doing something else, so the double checking doesn’t drive one insane (after producing 100 spots). Case in point, this morning when i produced a spot, after rendering to an mp3 for delivery, i listen WHILE i put together the next template for the next commercial. This is my first draft listen. It can’t find small mistakes, but it CAN find big mistakes…such as a part being slid out of place accidentally, or something of the like.

Once that is done and the next template is up, it’s time for the second listen-through. This time I have the script up in front of me, while the spot is uploading to the clients FTP. I can read along with the commercial playing WHILE it’s uploading.

With these processes, no time or very little time is wasted. And if mistakes are found, i can stop the upload and fix it. No harm done…the spot is fixed before anyone heard it.

The third and last read through is not about the production itself, but the clients notes and instructions. All read BEFORE i started the production, BUT once again AFTER it’s done in case something was forgotten or missed. This is an extra step some might not feel the need for, but i have learned to always trust my mind, but not my memory…so for me, it’s well worth the extra 5 seconds to scan the instructions.

These are but a couple of the many ways i personally check and re-check my work before it heads to the client. There are others of course, when it comes to creating an email, billing procedures/invoicing, creating work orders for our own team etc…but explaining them all might be moot, since my solutions may not work for someone else.

The point is, if you find yourself creating, and NOT checking your work for mistakes, you are making a big mistake.

Overnight Radio’s team prides itself on catching mistakes before they ever leave our production studios. And when they do slip out, we do our very best to clean them up immediately…something i have been told by account executives that is appreciated by the sales rep out on the road, waiting for something to be corrected.

We ALL make mistakes, so for you to assume you don’t, well i don’t have to tell you twice, that THAT is a mistake.

No one should judge you on the errors you make…only on how you fix them.