As a seasoned professional in the entertainment industry with a keen eye for emerging trends, I must say that Ros O’Neill’s accomplishments are truly inspiring. Her relentless dedication to promoting British creativity, especially in the realm of music and synchronization, is nothing short of remarkable.
If you’ve found yourself swaying to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” in the movie Saltburn or tapping your toes to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” in Stranger Things, then you’ve experienced firsthand how British music can set the tone for successful Hollywood productions.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve noticed that U.K. creatives are killing it with sync deals, especially in the realm of TV shows, movies, video games, ads, and more. This surge has been fueled by the boom of streaming services, among other factors. In 2023, the sync revenue for the global recorded music industry skyrocketed by 4.7% to a whopping $632 million, as per the IFPI Global Music Report. I’m eagerly waiting to see what these creative minds come up with next!
In terms of international relations within media, the United States and the United Kingdom have maintained a unique bond in the realm of synchronization, largely due to regular musical diplomacy events. This is not surprising since British music executives and delegates attend what’s known as the L.A. Sync Mission, an initiative supported by the government, to secure the ongoing use of U.K. tunes in popular American films and television productions. The BPI, representing the nation’s recorded music industry, and the Music Publishers Association oversee this mission.
According to those who have made the journey before, this year’s iteration of our annual event, which ran from September 9th to 13th, has been a significant stepping stone for both major players in the industry and lesser-known British music companies, paving the way for their success in Hollywood.
In summary, this event, often starting with three days filled with discussions and presentations at the renowned EastWest Studios in Hollywood (a place where the Beach Boys and Frank Sinatra once recorded), offers British music industry professionals, including label executives, songwriters, composers, artists, and managers, a chance to connect with influential figures and learn about the U.S. sync licensing market. Notable placements that have stemmed from these trips include songs used in movies such as Dune: Part Two, Wilderness, Star Wars: The Acolyte, Alien: Romulus, and the remake of Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Additionally, video games like Assassins Creed, FIFA, Forza Horizon 2, and Rainbow 6 have incorporated music from the U.K.
This year, the mission saw delegates from approximately 40 UK businesses travel to Hollywood. According to Chris Tams, director of independent member services at the BPI, around 50 music supervisors engaged in discussions with our UK representatives on a variety of topics and all types of synchronization media. Additionally, site visits were conducted on Thursday and Friday, including stops at Disney, Warner Bros., Netflix, and Riot Games. The itinerary also includes a pub quiz and an evening gathering at the British Consul General’s residence in L.A., as well as other events.
Chris Tams, BPI
Tams states, “From day one, everyone receives correspondence relating to our mission, and it’s now a common occurrence on the synchronization calendar in Los Angeles. Many music supervisors travel with briefs because they know they’ll receive swift responses. Some even say our collection is unique, but we always assure them that someone within our team will have a suitable match from their catalog.
The previous year, one of the synchronization supervisors was on the hunt for medieval tunes; this is what Tams remembers. “Immediately, two individuals from the audience raised their hands,” Tams stated. “I believe they reached an agreement in just a day’s time.
Jode Steele, the creator and proprietor of The Horror Vault, a compact British team specializing in trailers and providing “music & sound design for your nightmares,” was part of the 2023 expedition and had an exceptional time. As he shares with THR, “One of the exciting aspects is you get to visit various studios, like Disney and Sony.” What stood out to him was not just the familiarity with their marketing departments from before, but actually meeting these individuals in person. In certain cases, they had only been acquaintances, yet knew a bit about each other. However, the opportunity to meet them personally and converse was the key element that truly made an impact. He humorously adds, “I suppose they got to meet us and develop a soft spot for my appealing Yorkshire charm.
The trip to L.A. led to a range of new work for The Horror Vault. “We got Alien: Romulus directly through the Disney guys,” he shares. “There was Venom: The Last Dance, which is coming out. And then Nosferatu we got earlier this year. We did brilliantly with the mission.” The company has also worked on trailers for the likes of Dune: Part Two, with a focus on “anything horror, freaky, horrible sounds,” Steele explains. “That’s what we love doing. It gives us the space to be creative in a really tight field of this really fast-moving industry.”
The Horror Vault has occasionally declined exciting project proposals, as Steele explains. “We were given the opportunity to collaborate on a significant TV spin-off from HBO,” he states, “but we declined due to our current busyness and dedication to creating music for movie trailers.” He adds that it was an intriguing offer, but they had to pass because they prioritized their main line of work.
During the L.A. Sync Mission, a diverse assortment of British music is being presented, allowing representatives visiting the West Coast to frequently assist Hollywood with particularly challenging demands. Tams, speaking to THR, emphasizes that “authenticity has become increasingly important in recent years.” They are collaborating with companies who, for instance, are filming a scene happening on the first of December 1972 and require the licensed music to have been available on that exact day, not a decade later. Essentially, they are ensuring the genuine authenticity sought by sync professionals. It’s not just about the correct costumes, props, and actors’ behavior, but also about using authentic music for the period in question.
Rob Wells, Orfium
Regardless of particular projects, synchronization (sync) has gained significant attention from artists in the music industry. As correctly managed metadata and accurate reporting are crucial, according to Rob Wells, CEO of Orfium, who provides tracking services for rights holders by creating cue sheets detailing the music used in content. He explained this to THR. “Music has always been vital for the success of popular shows, and this remains true for current hits like Bridgerton, Ted Lasso, and Stranger Things,” he said. With new streaming platforms and FAST channels coming up, there’s an increasing need for high-quality music. Additionally, emerging formats such as podcasts, web content, social media, and games are all making extensive use of licensed music, which earns creators royalties.
The growth has led to increased demand for tracking and reporting music usage accurately to ensure accurate payments to composers and rights holders. “Orfium is solving these challenges with its AI-powered technology, ensuring that creators and rights holders are paid for every second of music usage,” Wells explains. “Over the past 22 years, Orfium’s Soundmouse audio recognition and reporting tools have processed over 230 million music cues from 32 million cue sheets, with nearly a third of those processed in 2023 alone, demonstrating the surge in content production and music usage.”
He mentions that Orfium has played an active role in handling cue sheet management for several successful projects stemming from their mission, such as Disney’s “Star Wars: The Acolyte” and other major releases from Disney-owned studios like “Inside Out 2”, “Deadpool & Wolverine”. Additionally, Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer” and Focus Features’ “Back to Black” are among the works that have utilized Soundmouse.
The executive anticipates that the L.A. Sync Mission annually contributes “tens of millions to the income of U.K. record companies and music copyright holders.
Ros O’Neill, who serves as the sector director for North America: Creative, Media, and Sports Economy at the British Consulate General in Los Angeles, emphasized that the combined value of export victories from L.A.’s Sync Mission over the past four years (excluding 2024) amounts to approximately £14.86 million ($19.74 million).
She shares with THR that the synchronization victories have been groundbreaking for these autonomous businesses. “Joining forces to produce a single significant event, meticulously crafted in collaboration with the Los Angeles creative sector, is rather exceptional,” she says. “We are incredibly thankful that when we initiate discussions about the L.A. Sync Mission, American music supervisors actively organize panel discussions on the industry and their projects, and they are more than willing to engage with and consider U.K. musical proposals.
Additionally, she highlights the long-term benefits of fostering relationships that go beyond transactions, noting: “We’ve discovered untapped talent and formed innovative collaborations resulting in compelling content.
Team O’Neill also coordinates the U.K. House at SXSW in Austin, which serves as a platform to introduce innovative creative technologies, advertising, branding, and immersive experiences creators, while also hosting the British Music Embassy. This event offers a stage for approximately 40 UK bands, frequently their first performance in North America.
As a gamer, I’d put it like this: “I’ve always found the U.K.’s music scene to be incredibly diverse and forward-thinking, much like the levels in my favorite video game. From traditional English tunes blended with melodies from around the globe, brought here by immigrants spanning generations, to a rich catalog of genres that span decades, there’s always something new and exciting to discover. It’s no wonder that many Hollywood sync agents look to the U.K. for a broad spectrum of music, ranging from timeless classics to today’s hottest tracks.
Although many live streamers have grown pickier about where they invest in creating new content, experts remain optimistic about the future of British creative talent.
As a gamer, I’m always on the lookout for fresh trends in sync music. People often approach me with ideas like, “We want to license this track, can you turn it into a trailer version? They call it ‘trailerizing,’ which basically means adding dramatic impacts or even creating a horror variant, while keeping the original vocals.” This is what Steele shared with THR.
As a fervent admirer, let me share Jode Steele’s perspective on AI: “To be honest, I’m not overly concerned,” he shares. “However, it might just come back to haunt me. But with the strange and unconventional nature of our work, I haven’t encountered any problems that have raised a red flag for me.
As a music enthusiast, I can’t help but share my excitement about the latest L.A. Sync Mission. Tams hinted at a buzzing topic, “trailerizing.” Remarkably, we were treated to a trailerized rendition of Jack White’s “Seven Nation Army” that left everyone speechless. Moreover, the British music scene in Hollywood seems promising, with industry experts forecasting an abundance of opportunities for U.K. companies and musicians to get their music featured in these productions. It’s an exciting time indeed!
Read More
- BODEN PREDICTION. BODEN cryptocurrency
- GHST PREDICTION. GHST cryptocurrency
- BETA PREDICTION. BETA cryptocurrency
- STRD PREDICTION. STRD cryptocurrency
- Mango Markets Exploiter Found Guilty Of Fraud And Manipulation
- GBP EUR PREDICTION
- MATIC PREDICTION. MATIC cryptocurrency
- LOOKS PREDICTION. LOOKS cryptocurrency
- BRN/USD
- TNSR PREDICTION. TNSR cryptocurrency
2024-09-20 12:55