Part of our values are to help to improve the career prospects of filmmakers. We also want to contribute to the upskilling of filmmaking techniques. Some of how we do this is through our Awards.
To this end, we’ve added a new Award Category this year and it’s, Best Music Supervision in Film, which is why we’re so pleased to be able to welcome a specialist in this part of the industry.
Kadambari Chauhan has a lot of industry knowledge, skills and experience and brings a lot to our table.
Kadambari is a London-based Music Supervisor working across long form (film and TV). She recently left a supervision agency to forge her own path; her previous credits include The Surfer starring Nicolas Cage and We Bury The Dead (NEON), Long Way Home, S4 (Apple) and upcoming feature Spa Weekend, directed by the writers of The Hangover.
We asked Kadambari about some technical definitions when looking at sound in filmmaking. We asked her to describe the differences between ‘sound’ and ‘music supervision in film as categories in the industry.
“…Sound typically refers to sound design – either background related or effects created to accompany visuals; an early example would be the sounds heard in the shower scene in Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ (knife through a watermelon)…”
A film music supervisor must have a strong understanding of the post production process, collaborate with producers and sometimes directors.
“…Music Supervision, on the other hand, is the craft of creating the soundtrack (usually a combination of ‘needle drops’ – commercial songs chosen to elevate the story – and the composed score) alongside clearing the music copyright (a combination of clearing both the master recording and the publishing for every track in question), handling the music budget, the licensing process and overseeing all music deliverables. A Music Supervisor is the head of the music department on any visual media project.
A film music supervisor must have a strong understanding of the post production process, collaborate with producers (and sometimes directors) to either source and clear their first choices and/or help find budget-friendly alternatives. An MS typically deals with the production company and is responsible for both the music creative and the licensing…”
A favourite film sound track of Kadamari’s is Drive / 2011/ dir by Nicolas Winding Refn/ score by Cliff Martinez/ Music supervised by Brian McNelis and Eric Craig. The opening credits use Kavinsky’s ‘Nightcall’ (produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo). The track stayed with me long after I left the cinema, and is one of reasons I wanted to become a supervisor. It’s a powerful push into both the visual and sound worlds of the story; a pulsing, neon-tinged synth wave dreamscape that portrays both light and dark in equal measure. Especially close to my heart after the recent passing of Kavinsky, what a guy. Two stand out needle drops are ‘Tick of the Clock’ by The Chromatics and ‘A Real Hero’ by College & Electric Youth. The Chromatics’ track echoes the pulse and pace of the relentless, nighttime driving in a steady way without overtaking the narrative; working like an open canvas for the audience to involve their own imaginations in the story rather than telling them what to think (my favourite type of song choice!). ‘A Real Hero’ speaks to the second story line, the love story between the lead characters played by Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan. It’s hopeful and simultaneously melancholic – pretty much captures the essence of any escapist, cinematic romance riddled with obstacles!
Another fav is Flashdance / 1983/ dir Adrian Lyne/ original music by Giorgio Moroder/ Music supervised by Phil Ramone. This is a powerful example of a soundtrack firmly rooted in its time – early eighties synth pop. Michael Sembello’s ‘Maniac’ was popularised because of its use in the soundtrack, rather than a chart hit helping a risk-averse filmmaker use a song AFTER it becomes famous. Laura Branigan’s covers of Umberto Tozzi’s ‘Gloria’ and Raf’s ‘Self Control’ (both absolute bangers!) are a huge nod to the spread of Italo Disco to the States. The title track – Irene Cara’s ‘Flashdance’ – is a song I heard decades before I ever watched the film and makes me super nostalgic; it reminds me of a type of cinema that doesn’t exist anymore – a childlike fantasy about a near impossible ‘dream’. Excuse me, original music by Moroder?! What a time to be alive! Today’s lines between popular artist and film composer are so heavily drawn, not taking into account the understanding the former has of the sociology of the time; effortlessly blurring cityscapes with felt emotion. There’s an aerobic rawness in the music that speaks directly to the physical movement on screen. Yes please.
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