172 !!Chapter 9
Some salespeople travel with laptop computers and a CD-ROM of a
corporate video and use it as a sales tool for prospective clients. Corporate
videos are played in department stores to give an in-depth perspective of
a product to potential consumers. It is common to see an exercise video
looping (repeating) on a television screen while a nearby salesperson is
giving a live demonstration and taking orders. Almost every genre of busi-
ness uses corporate videos to promote and inform its employees and cus-
tomers, including cruise ship companies, travel agencies, and industrial
show production companies.
Directors
Some film production companies specialize in producing corporate vid-
eos. Composers generally interact with either producers or directors. The
videos vary in duration. (I have composed music for 60-minute corporate
videos and 10-minute corporate videos.)
Unlike commercials, composers are usually hired after the film or
video has been shot. Scoring corporate videos is similar to scoring televi-
sion programs, except that something is being ‘‘sold.’’ Dramatic and infor-
mational segments may be incorporated within the production. There is
no standardized format. Executives from marketing departments of corpo-
rate clients meet with producers and directors and express corporate goals
and messages. The writers must incorporate their directives in the scripts.
The scripts are revised until the clients give final approval and ‘‘green-
lights’’ the production. (Many corporate directors and producers are also
writers.)
Spotting Session
The video is shown to the composer, after which the director and/or pro-
ducer ‘‘spot’’ the film with the composer. A spotting session is a discus-
sion of the overall concept of the music, which scenes should be scored,
and which events ought to be ‘‘hit.’’ The decisions made at spotting ses-
sions are crucial to the success of a film because an inappropriate style of
music can send the wrong message to the viewers and hinder the effective-
ness of the film.
The composer creates a cue sheet, which is a map of each cue. The
action and the timing of each event is notated either in a sequencing pro-
gram or written. Music editors supply cue sheets for film composers who
are working on films with substantial budgets.
Composers are usually asked to send a demonstration reel (of their
music) that contains examples of music that is similar in style to the music
required for the video. The production company normally plays the most
suitable reels for their clients and subsequently receives approval to hire a
composer. Clients always approve the music because music can shape the