Smaller is Bigger

Why are so many people excited about viewing and listening to programs through handheld devices? Control. Control to watch what they want when they want. But the product is often not ready for the small venue. Creating top level programming that feels like it belongs in this format takes a special level of care. This market is being touted by experts as a new, vast frontier. This is a great opportunity for the indie producer to wedge into a niche. On the audio front, attention is being paid to producing extra mixes in mono (for cellphones) and optimized for a small speaker. There is also a need to different stings, bumpers, and sound design to assist the video producer to tailor the product for the intended medium. It is definitely time to start looking to this medium as another necessary venue. YouTube, Google Video, and the like are great places to get a feel for this new vibe. This could be a great way to leave your mark.

A Jazzed Up Ending

One of the favorite sessions I was involved in was with a live jazz trio. The musical results of this 2 day session is documented in the Big Dog Music Design Jazz Collection. Here is a cue, for your use, with our compliments. We call it "Jazz Ending". As always, please send us clips of your work with our music.

"Inspired by Themes"

Big Dog Music Design has had alot of requests for what we call "Inspired by Themes".What we mean by "Inspired by Themes" is that we create a piece of music that is very reminisient of a certain requested piece that is well known. It needs to be a piece of music that the listener is caused to think of the "inspiried by theme" or recalls an era or mood but is not that piece of music and cannot in any way be labeled as a copy. This allows the production company to create a mood in line with what the original piece of music would invoke but not have to pay the license fee associated with a 40 year old classic song from a tv show etc. We have been very successful for many clients with this type of product creation and invite you all to give us a try if your piece dictates such as need.

Using "Comp" Tracks

Video images seem to come even more alive when they are married to music. Sometimes what seems to work conceptually, does not work in the editing bay. Hence, "comp" tracks can save alot of re-working before a final client review. So many times, the first track in becomes such a part of the edit that the intended final music just doesn't work as well.

We are happy to supply you with samples of our music, at no charge, to try against your footage.

Check out some samples online by clicking here.

If it works, simply purchase the disc or we can search our archives for something more suitable.

Email us your musical needs wishlist...

The 2006 Olympics, NBC, and Big Dog

This past winter Olympics held in Torino Italy was broadcast around the clock by NBC and The USA Network. A number of Big Dog Music pieces were used throughout the broadcast on both networks. We are happy to have been a part of such a universally historic event and look to supply more music in 2008.

Christmas in September

As I sit here in the '00's version of a library i.e. Panera Bread, I see the leaves falling and the sky get darker faster. It reminds me that projects in post right now probably need Holiday music. That is one of our favorite things to do. We compose original Holiday-sounding music as well as re-makes in various genres of public domain Holiday songs. Recently we did a version of O'Christmas Tree in a Surf guitar/Dick Dale vibe. It was fun! Soon we will post it for your listening pleasure. In the meantime, please let us know what you need in holiday sounds. We might have it or we can create it. Talk to you soon. leroy@bigdogmusicdesign.com

Need a Reggae Vocalist

We are currently working on a project that requires a reggae tinged male vocalist. If you know anybody in Chicago, please contact me at: leroy@bigdogmusicdesign.com
Thanks

Bob Parsons 16 Rules

I won't often use other peoples' material for the Big Dog Blog, Bob Parsons' blog contained this post recently and I felt compelled to lift it for those who have not read it yet. Enjoy!

Here are the 16 rules I (i.e. Bob Parsons) try to live by:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."
2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.
3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."
5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."
6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8. Be quick to decide. Remember what the Union Civil War general, Tecumseh Sherman said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.
10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.
13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14. Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."
15. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16. There's always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."
used by permission of Bob Parsons (http://www.bobparsons.com) and is Copyright 2005 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved."Copyright © 2004 - 2005 Bob Parsons All rights reserved.

Beethoven on Business

I stumbled upon into this quote recently... Thought it was interesting that artists through time have faced the same occupational hazards.

"No one should drive a hard bargain with an artist."
--- Ludwig Van Beethoven

Film Credit in "Hunting Humans"

Hunting Humans is an indie film that has a life of its' own. I first met Kevin Kangas through a purchase he made from me on Ebay. He told me he was a filmmaker and needed a mixer for sound. He bought my mixer and when I shipped it I slipped a cd into the box. Years later he calls me to ask if he can use a few songs in his film. Yes, of course! A year or more later he announces that he secured distribution and festival appearances. A year after that the film appears on Amazon and in major rental outlets.
We love that! If you have a creative project, let's talk. We are here to work with you and be part of the production...no matter how large or small.

Pump Audio and Big Dog

Big Dog Music Design is proud to announce that we are now a content provider for Pump Audio.
Pump Audio boasts over 10,000 royalty free cues by independent artists and composers. Their customer base includes many notable TV shows and production companies.

What's a Blish?

Big Dog Music Design is now an audio content provider for Blish. Blish is a digital content provider. They offer downloadable content such as graphics, audio, programs, photos, video etc.
Their selection is growing and has some eclectic choices! Check it out. Tell 'em Big Dog sent ya.

We'll Take Adjectives for $200

A major driving force for maintaining this blog is to show you what we do, how we do it, and how we can contribute to your projects. Here is a cue we send out to you called Chinese. It is from our Ethnic Collection. The way this cue came to be was we were asked to create an aural mindpicture portraying a "serene feeling as if you were floating above a vast garden with no thought of gravity." We love that! Whenever we start to mindmap a new project, one of our first questions is: "give us as many descriptive adjectives as possible, please". Then we often deliver 2 or 3 different impressions from those words. We view the process as if we are painting a picture that strives to create an undeniable, simply stated, obvious mood and feeling.

A Great Deal....or is it?

There are some awesome deals on Royalty Free Music on the web these days if price were the only factor. Sometimes it seems it is just the only selling point.

But a major factor in all over-the-top audio/visual/video productions is effective sound design i.e. great music, engaging SFX and the producers' ability to obtain it all easily. So, can you choose great audio assets by price only? Probably not.

Do you hear great writing and musicianship? Do you feel it? Would that particular piece be the soundtrack for an event in your life (if you lived your life on a TV screen:) When you consider that most reputable royalty free libraries provide for virtually unlimited use of a music piece, why not simply buy the best sounding cut period? The cost per use can be miniscule.

How can a producer or editor obtain this all easily? Greater and more versitile selectivity. Shortly we will be offering our library pieces via digital download. You can purchase as little or as many pieces as you need.

We invite you all to tell us how we can make our download site the best for your needs. We only have your audio asset needs in mind. Thanks for your help.

Complimentary Flash Drive from Big Dog

Hi Everybody! Happy End of Summer!?! :(
Maybe this will soften the blow....

Our blogosphere friends have the first shot at a new promotion we are currently gearing up for.

Purchase our 7 CD Royalty Free Music Library (over 200 pieces)
at the already discounted price of $225.00, and we will deliver it on a FREE 512mb flash drive.

The music files will be in mp3 format at 192kbps, 44100hz, stereo.

You can export the mp3 files off of the drive and use it for anything else if you please!

Click here to order now.

When checking out, simply type in "free drive" in the notes section.

Multimedia Gardening

I just read an article by John Jantsch of Duck Tape marketing titled Economic Gardening. I was excited by this concept for the fact that this is very similar to what I am trying to accomplish with this blog for my audience. Albiet we are working remotely (the true concept was developed for local communities) the goal is for a win-win-win situation. All of my communications are basically asking: "How can I help you help your customers reach and exceed their goals?" Any thoughts?

Bumpers, Stings, and Transitions are your Friends

In all facets of media production, your goal is to convey information clearly and concisely, if not to convert the viewer to your way of thinking. Audio bumpers, stings, and transitions help you to achieve these goals by establishing logical connections between scenes and events.

B, S, and T's are not just "window dressing" that embellish your media by making it merely sound or "read" better. They are cues with particular moods/meanings that tell the viewer to think and react in a particular way to your scene progression. In providing the viewer with these important cues, B, S, and T's help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit together.

Seems you can never have enough transitionary music pieces or SFX to choose from. Here is an acoustic guitar driven transition from the Big Dog Music Library Acoustic Collection that has been very useful and versitile. Use it in your next production with our compliments. And please, as always, feel free to send us your clips...we'd love to check them out.

Say it with a Slap

Say it with a Slap is a really great song by Louis Prima. Louis can never be accused of being understated with the emotional inflection of his singing or playing.
Sometimes video images need the extra "slap" with SFX or music cues; being way obvious with the mood or ambience you are trying to portray.
Yes, it is really easy to land on the cheesy side of this equation as well. But here at Big Dog Music Design we can alter the level of emotion with a number of qualifying parameters we define when we work with you to zero-in on your intended vibe including intended audience demographics, product placement, image setting, and much much more.

Publicity = Good...Just ask Shakespeare

Shakespeare is known to have been an artist who used PR to great heights. Some accounts show that his sister actually was the spin-miester-ess in the family.
Getting good publicity is a full-time job it seems. Reading numerous marketing books for small business (i.e. under 50 employees) definitly proves that the best advertising for the money is word-of-mouth, referrals, and positive press. We can help your cause. Our marketing efforts strive to transcend the basic sales pitch where we are forming community with competitors and compatriots in all corners of our industry. Our communications are seen daily by new eyes. If your company has used one of our music pieces lately, let us know. We will list you on our Big Dog Hall of Fame i.e. client list. If you want us to link to you, just let us know.

Big Dog Supplies Ringtones

Big Dog Music Design currently supplies real music ringtones to content provider Zingy.com
The ringtones range anywhere from chinese kotos chiming to heavy rock n roll guitar licks.
To ensure quality, we optimize them to sound best for this medium by remixing in mono through an actual cell phone speaker. We have been pleasantly surprised as to the amount of sales we have generated.

Free Musical Sound Effect

Besides Music beds, we also engage in ditties that border on sound effects. Here is one that we call "Wa-Da".

If your projects need assets like this or some other vibe, please feel free to call or email with your needs as our cache is constantly growing.

Get a Grant

The Grant Writing Coach, Dr. Tom Moucka, is just that; he coaches an individual or organization on how to write a grant. I attended one of Tom's seminars recently and was amazed at how attainable a grant may be if applied for correctly. His services includes coaching on doing it yourself as well as full service grantwriting. I have noticed that many of my clients have a non-profit arm that create charity productions. This truly may be a way to meld your art with making a difference.

Another Writer's Block (or editor's block) Remedy

My wife gave me a book written by Twyla Tharp, the reknown dance choreographer, titled "THE CREATIVE HABIT: LEARN IT AND USE IT FOR LIFE". In it, she describes in detail how to start, nurture, and foster the creative flow within daily life regardless of your art form.

It really has been a helpful source of reference in analyzing what contributes to the occasional "dry spells".

I have to say that before I was given this book, I never heard of her.

I am currently reading it for the 2nd time.

1000 Mona Lisas

The Mona Lisa, possibly the most famous portrait ever, still stirs wonder.
Here is an article I ran across about Mona Lisa's Smile
and how the human eye/brain perceives it.

Da Vinci was able to dig so deep into his art, there are still layers of creativity and hidden message being discovered.

Here is a song from my 3rd album, Figurehead, called "1000 Mona Lisas" Check it out.

Da Vinci's Muse

Writer's Block.....Not a good word for any creative type. It stops the music, it stops the smooth edit ideas, it stops the writing.

Da Vinci got around this by mind mapping. I was first introduced to this by a book called
"How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci".

Here is a decent explanation and example of How to
Mind Map like Da Vinci.

The really great thing about this is that I have not only used it for solving creative puzzles but also financial and organizational tasks.

This works. Now go finish the project!:)

Public Domain - Truly FREE LUNCH!

While creating custom music, it is sometimes refreshing to do a cover song every once in a while. This is a great way to sit back and let someone else do the driving (read composing) and put your artistic touch on a piece that is already exsistent. When using a piece residing in the public domian, the client get's to use a familiar song or melody without the hassle or expense of clearing it first. Following is a link to a Christian Hymn I had the pleasure of doing for a faith-based dvd production. Check it out, use it, then please send me the clip!

Are We Yet Alive

Vibrator

This cue has gotten alot of play lately in an assortment of ways.

It is called "Vibrator"

Check it Out!

It is from our Electronica collection.

See the whole She-Bang

I will email a high quality mp3 to all who respond with a free license. Enjoy!

Got Clips?

As I am cranking out cues for all of my devoted clients, we often forget about asking for a look at YOUR finished product using our music. If we can see how you are using the music, Ithen we can tweak our technique and style further to fit your needs. So Please

Send us your clips by email or on disc.

In return, we will give you a FREE disc of new cues.

Looking forward to it!

Remember These Clips?

As I am doing a "Theme Rip" (i.e. non-plagerized copy version of an old familiar theme song or jingle) my research leads me to a page where all of the old vintage TV commercials and TV show openings are posted. It's funny how these pieces get forgotten about but then upon first hearing, bring you back to a time in your life when these songs were part of the everyday texture for you. Always playing in the background on the tv or radio while you yourself were riding in the backseat of the car or playing with toys while watching cartoons. You briefly re-visit the feelings from those times and hopefully cradle yourself in them for as long as life will allow.

Here is a link to a collection of 60's tv clips:
Vintage TV

The Calmcast

The Calmcast

Stumbled onto this site based in the UK by Paul. Could be good as an alternative to Red Bull!