Corporate Videos and Infomercials!! 173overall effect of the video. Composers must write music that will appeal
to a client’s target audience. If a video is targeted for a specific demo-
graphic, the music must appeal to that audience. It is the same musical
approach used when scoring commercials.
Musical Approach
Since most corporate videos are long form, composers have to conceive
of a score that is more comparable to a television or film score than to a
commercial. Composers may write a theme and variations or approach
each cue as an individual piece, using a compositional device to ‘‘sew’’ the
score together so that it sounds unified. The musical approach is always
discussed with the producer and/or director. Agree on which events must
be hit and whether the hit(s) should be subtle or direct.
Some videos are produced in segments, with each segment introduced
by a separation banner, such as ‘‘THE OFFICE,’’ ‘‘THE FACTORY,’’ and
so on. The composer might suggest that each segment title be on the screen
for the identical number of seconds, and an identifiable musical logo can
be played each time a title card appears. This helps to create unity within
the score.
There are instances where music is not appropriate. I scored a video
promoting a pharmaceutical product that could benefit paraplegics. In cer-
tain segments, the director did not want to include music because the
scenes were more dramatic without music.
Some corporate videos have elaborate openings that require music that
is closer to the style of music for commercials than cinematic music. Some
contain animated corporate logos that instantly create an image for a com-
pany. Sometimes, a reprise of the opening video segment is used in the
closing segment and should be scored with a similar arrangement.
Budget
Because most corporate videos have low budgets, the majority of the
scores are synthesized. For example, if a company is producing an elabo-
rate video for a corporate meeting, the budget might be sizable enough to
hire a small orchestra. Producers generally offer composers an all-inclu-
sive (‘‘all-in’’) budget, which is normally nonnegotiable. (The composers
must deliver a complete score for the agreed-on budget; the music com-
pany absorbs overage.) The music budget is frequently the first budget
item to be reduced if cost overruns occur. To cut expenditures, directors
and producers use stock music instead of original scores. Most significant
videos have original scores because directors want the music to match the
picture and not sound like a nondescript bed of music.
The following is my interview with Dennis Powers, director and writer
of corporate videos: