Elevator Music

[Travis Cossel]

Wait, so these aren't actual songs with lyrics, it's like department store music remakes? Like lobby music, with no lyrics at all?

[Michael Liebergot]

Personally this is why I don't ask clients for music anymore.
The reason is that I use as much of the actual live audio (music) from the day. This makes my job so much easier these days. I mean why recreate the wheel. The couple usually has gone through great lengths to plan their day (flowers, color schemes, right down to selecting their music). So they have already given me a playlist for their video just from the actual live audio captured (I record live audio separately using audio recorders taking board feeds or live micing and wireless audio as well).

So if they had strings or such during the ceremony, I use this as their musical score under the ceremony. The only music I might use that I supply might be something for the Bridal Prep through processional opening (this is why I use their ceremony music for a ceremony score as I don't use the processional music for the processional).

As for the reception it's all actual audio as it happened, although it might be layered with other elements. I simply layout my reception audio and pickup out what I want to use, lay it out on the timeline, then edit video clips to build the story.

Usually the highlight video will be either their first or last dance used as an anchor for the piece and the associated live audio that goes along with it. Then I simply edit in the other elements of the day with some additional natural audio when needed.

From time to time I find myself using some Smartsound music, they have added some real nice orchestral stuff over the last year, as well as some pretty cool alternative non-electronic grunge stuff.

[Frank Simpson]

Travis- You're right about doing 2 edits, and I would never suggest it as a regular way of doing business. I have only done it several times when it was a simple cut, and I had ample time to do it. And we all know how often "ample time" occurs, right?

I still believe, however, however distasteful it is to those if us who know better, it is our job to deliver what the client wants. I recently did a corporate video that was extremely weak, but it was what the client wanted. I tried to offer ideas to make it a more effective tool for the company, but he wanted what he wanted. And it was my job to deliver that. Of course, I delivered all the raw footage to him as well with the admonition that if he needs further work then he ought to find someone else to do it.

So if elevator music they want, elevator music they get.