Why Film & TV Writing is Different
30sChallenges songwriters' normal approach, sparking curiosity about a specialized creative skill.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
This short video discusses why writing songs for film and TV briefs is fundamentally different from writing songs on your own. It explains how the constraints of a brief make songwriters more deliberate about chord progressions, rhythm, and melody, and it encourages songwriters to try taxi.com to find a brief and practice writing to it.
Chapters
[00:03]
The topic: film & TV briefs
The video opens a session about writing songs specifically for film and TV briefs and why this differs from normal songwriting.
[00:17]
Pushing songwriters into new territory
A brief that asks for a specific mood or reference forces songwriters to move beyond their usual habits and try a new creative approach.
[00:30]
Leaning on songcraft
Songwriters must consider how chord progressions, rhythm, and groove contribute to the requested mood in the brief.
[00:54]
Heightened sensitivity to emotion
Writing to a brief makes you very sensitive to details like whether your melody is somber enough for what the client is asking for.
[01:08]
Actionable tip: try taxi.com
The speaker recommends visiting taxi.com or similar sites to find a real brief and practice writing to it, saying it will change how you think about songwriting.
Writing to film and TV briefs is a powerful practice that forces songwriters to consciously shape mood and emotion in their music, ultimately transforming their songwriting mindset.
Mentioned in this Video
Study Flashcards (5)
What is a film/TV brief as described in this video?
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What is a film/TV brief as described in this video?
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A client request for a song with a specific mood or a reference to emulate, used for film and TV placements.
00:30
Which musical elements does the speaker say you must consider when writing to a brief?
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Which musical elements does the speaker say you must consider when writing to a brief?
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Chord progressions, rhythm, groove, and melody.
00:42
What website is suggested for finding film and TV briefs?
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What website is suggested for finding film and TV briefs?
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taxi.com or similar websites.
01:08
Why is writing for film and TV different from writing a song normally?
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Why is writing for film and TV different from writing a song normally?
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Because you must create a specific mood or emulate a given reference, rather than writing freely.
00:17
What effect does writing to a brief have on a songwriter's awareness?
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What effect does writing to a brief have on a songwriter's awareness?
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It makes you very sensitive to the emotional qualities of your musical choices, such as whether a melody is somber.
00:54
💡 Key Takeaways
💡
Pushing into new territory
Writing to a brief forces songwriters to break out of their default style and explore new creative territory.
00:17
🔧
Songcraft as mood control
The speaker highlights how chord progressions, rhythm, and melody are deliberate tools for creating emotion in a brief.
00:30
⚖️
Sensitivity through constraint
Constraints make songwriters more sensitive to how every musical element contributes to the requested mood.
00:54
🔧
Try a real brief
The concrete advice to write to a taxi.com brief is a low-cost exercise that can change your songwriting mindset.
01:08Full Transcript
[00:03] such a fun session because we were talking about how to do film and TV briefs, or how to write songs specifically for film and TV briefs. And the conversation was really around why is it different? Like why is writing for
[00:17] film and TV different to just writing a song normally? And I love this discussion because it really is one of those types of songwriting that pushes you as a
[00:30] songwriter into this new territory. You know, when you've got a brief and the client is asking you for a specific mood or you've got to try and emulate a certain reference, it really pushes you to say, "Okay, what kind of songcraft
[00:42] can I lean on? How are my chord progressions creating the mood that I need to create? You know, what is the rhythm doing? You know, do I need to slow it down, speed it up? Do I need to change the groove entirely? Is my melody
[00:54] somber like they're asking for?" All of these things really become heightened and and you become very sensitive to the when you're writing to a film and TV brief. So, if you're a songwriter and
[01:08] you've never tried a film and TV brief, go on taxi.com or one of those kinds of websites, find a brief and just see what happens when you try and write to the brief. It really will change the way you think about songwriting.
[01:21] think about songwriting. Happy songwriting. Bye.
