Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (and more): A Manual for Composers and Students

Theatrical Trailer Music!! 187

and sound effects. If, for instance, the studio engineers decide to load the
music into a Pro Tools file, the OMF file must be converted to a Pro Tools
format. There are several software conversion programs.

In the future, digital distribution of motion pictures to theaters will

become the standard. The film studios will have the ability to alter trailers

and instantly distribute them to theaters. There are approximately 3,100

U.S. screens equipped with 2k digital equipment. Major rollouts are

planned to begin in 2008. National Cine Media [controls Regal, Cinemark,

and AMC] has a three-year rollout planned to start in 2008. Access ITX

has about 3,400 screens now operating [those include Carmike and Rave].

Technicolor is doing a beta test in about 200 screens. Dolby and Kodak

are late starters. Sony electronics equipped the Muvico Rosemont theater,

which opened to the public on September 14, 2007, with Sony 4k digital

projectors in all 18 screens. This is the first theater in the United States

with this equipment. Sony is planning a rollout of all Muvico theaters

starting in November 2007 running through 2008. Sony recently

announced a deal to supply AMC with 54 Digital 4k projectors in four

theaters under construction.

1. Majors have most of their product available digitally, and indepen-
   dents are starting to make some films available in digital. The
   problem indies face is on limited-run films and the expansion to
   secondary markets. Using the same digital prints they have to pay
   virtual print fees in each new market.


2. All studios get [to show] two trailers with their films.


3. Trailers are placed based on the audience. They are rarely changed
   during run of film, but this will be easier in the digital world.
   —Hank Lightstone, senior vice president, Muvico Theaters

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AFM Agreement

The following information is adapted from the Television and Radio

Commercial Announcements Agreement of the American Federa-

tion of Musicians (AFM). (Read the agreement for the latest revi-

sions, which can be found on the Internet. The following

information is being reproduced with the permission of the AFM.)

Nonbroadcast use.For use of commercials in any and all non-

broadcast media (e.g., theaters, trade shows open to the public,

closed-circuit television, in-store point of sale, phone hold, in-sta-

dium, give-aways), excluding the Internet, videocassettes, and other

devices for the home video market, all musicians shall be paid an

amount equal to the conversion fee provided for in Article XIV(5),

for each 52-week period of nonbroadcast use. For an up-front pay-

ment of 150% of the conversion fee, the employer may obtain two

consecutive 52-week periods of nonbroadcast use.

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