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So you’re a hardworking, talented filmmaker in search of the perfect composer for your film. The good news is that there are boatloads of composers, particularly in Los Angeles — highly experienced, less experienced, cheap, expensive, and everything in between. The challenge will be to find the one who can produce the right music for your film and who will realistically fit into your budget. So here are some tips on landing that person.

A preface: do the footwork early. I know — none of us live in that utopian world in which there are generous deadlines and cooperative, cheerful workers, and in which everyone gets paid. Nonetheless, I’d suggest hitting this as early as you can, even before production.

Know this: there are many talented, hardworking, ingenious composers out there; you can find exactly the one you’re looking for.

One more note: please consider the term “director” an umbrella term for anyone hiring a composer: directors, producers, assistant producers, etc.

1. Let your work attract the right people

Okay, so this may not be your first step, but getting your work out there with your specific vision and message will attract the people that can contribute to your good work in the world. If your work resonates with someone, most likely that person is someone who can increase its value. A few years ago, I saw a short at a short film festival that impressed me tremendously; it was funny, clever, and entertaining. I wrote a brief email to the director, complimenting him on his work (and introducing myself as a composer). The following year he contacted me about scoring one of his projects. It worked out well for both of us: he found someone who was already on board with his vision and style, and I was able to work with a director whose work was familiar to me.

2. Get recommendations from your friends

your film maker friends, your neighbors, your musician friends, and coworkers, not to mention your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter networks, etc. Your friends know you, so they probably know your work and can steer the right people to you — people who not only are in tune with your creative vision but can mesh with your personality and style. If they’ve worked with this person, even better. My most extensive experience with referrals was at USC, where I ended up scoring a whole slew of films as a result of referrals. My reputation for creativity, hard work, and reliability got me work. Working with directors who knew each other and were in the same community saved me some of the effort of having to learn about their styles, visions, and ambitions.

3. Contact composers on films, video games, television shows, webisodes, or any other projects you really liked

Needless to say, keep track of these things; take notes. Don’t assume that a composer is beyond your budget. That composer on the huge hit at Sundance last year may not necessarily be out of reach. If you’re a fan of his/her work, that may make negotiating a fee a little easier. It’s safe to say, most composer contact information is readily available on the internet. Google away.

4. Tap into composer organizations

Go to where the composers congregate: visit their organizations on-line and go to their events or general industry events. Chances are, composers who show up at industry events are serious about their careers, enough that they’ve paid to join organizations and have made the effort to attend events. These people are in it for the long term, and they’re the ones you want to meet. You may be able to post an ad on an organization’s site. The Society of Composers and Lyricists is one of the main film, TV, and game composer organizations in Los Angeles. Tons of people here — some highly paid professionals, and others who are climbing up. The Film Music Network actually has a place where you can post your composer position free of charge. The Game Audio Network Guild (GANG), which includes film composers and sound designers among its member, is also a very active organization. Send job announcements for composers and/or sound designers to GANG’s secretary, Sean Beeson. Other organizations that may be helpful are the music licensing organizations BMI and ASCAP, which count thousands of composers among their members.

5. No budget? Go to where the hardworking, aspiring composers are — namely academic institutions.

USC School of Cinematic Arts

Local southern California institutions with film scoring programs include USC, CSUN, and UCLA Extension. These people will not have a long list of credits, but they’re investing a ton of time and energy (and money) into building careers as composers. They’ll be looking for opportunities not only to gather credits but also to build and stretch their composing skills, and to create lasting professional relationships. They can give you a great score for very little or no money. An added advantage is that they may have access to live musicians and scoring stages provided by the universities.

There are a variety of ways to connect with these programs. It may not take much more than an email to the head of a film scoring program to let him/her know that you’re searching for composers. Some colleges have websites in which filmmakers can post positions. You can also go in person to these places. You can prowl the halls and look for flyers of composers who are advertising their services on the bulletin boards. USC has a Student Production Office with binders full of information and demo cds. Inquiries can be directed here or by calling (213) 740-2895. The USC Film Scoring program also has a website featuring samples and links of their current students. UCLA Extension Film Scoring program representative Mike Lammers welcomes inquiries about composers in the program. He can be reached via email or at (310) 825-9064. Additional information about the UCLA extension film scoring program can be found at this blog written by Kristen Kang, Program Representative in the Entertainment Studies and Performing Arts at UCLA extension. Inquiries about the composers at Cal State Northridge’s film scoring program can be directed to Prof. Elizabeth Sellers, coordinator of the Commercial and Media Writing program.

6. Advertise on-line

This certainly seems to be the path of least resistance: it takes only a few moments to post, and the opening is widely advertised. But the convenience of this choice can be deceptive: advertise on a site such as Craigslist, and you will get a huge number of responses — in the hundreds — which means you’ll be spending a lot of time sorting through the weak applicants to find the good ones. This is not to suggest that Craigslist doesn’t work — I’ve actually gotten numerous gigs from it, and I check it daily. But the for those hiring the composers, the ease of using it may only be at the front end of the process.

As an alternative or addition to a Craigslist ad, there are other sites — particularly forums, where it’s usually free to post — on which to find composers, such as the excellent entertainment site Mandy.com (see where it says “click here to post a jobs offered ad”), MySpace, and the forum at FilmMaker Magazine (see “The Resume Folder” topic at the bottom of the page). If you’re offering a paying gig, you can register and post it on Guru.com which has a huge database of creative professionals. The number of on-line directories, forums, indie film organizations as well as agencies is increasing every day, and it’s not possible to list them all here. At some point I may attempt to draw up a comprehensive listing of sites for finding film composers for a future article. But for now, my suggestion is to post on several sites that have a targeted audience (indie film or game composers, for example); you’re more likely to get responses that are relevant to your needs.

7. Write an effective ad that includes specific details about your film, what kind of music you’re after, and what compensation you are offering

If you can post a clip of the film, that’s even better. Provide details about the film, and as much as you can, about the kind of music you’re seeking. Leave this out and you’ll be due for hundreds of irrelevant responses. Your detailed description lets composers whose music fits your project respond more readily to it. If a director is looking for a score featuring rap and hip-hop, chances are I’m not going to waste my time and the director’s time with an application for this gig, since I generally don’t write that type of music. It’s also helpful to indicate how much music you may be needing, even if you don’t know exactly. Will the music be intermittent? Will the score be wall-to-wall music? Are there only particular scenes that need music? Another tip: Let your personality come across in the ad. This also helps to attract the composer that can work well with you. Ask for links to samples that are relevant to your project. You can also ask composers to send you actual MP3s via email or demo cds in the mail. Keep in mind that the Craigslist reply address does not allow for attachments, so in this case you’ll need to provide a non-Craigslist address. Be warned that your email box may quickly get clogged. Also remember that composers generally have more of their music available than appears on their site.