Movies and TV Australia: movie soundtrack a ripoff?

**petegz28** · 11-16-2008, 02:08 PM

so I am not paying much attention to the tv during a commercial when I hear this "Pirates of the Caribbean" sounding music, only to find out it is an ad for the upcoming movie called Australia. TV being what it is, I was easily afforded countless more opportunities to view this commercial. I swear it sounds like a total rip of Pirates. I mean same notes just re-arranged, almost same melody structure as well.

If anything I think it offers some insight to how good the movie might be.

**mikeyis4dcats.** · 11-16-2008, 02:10 PM

dude, music in a commercial probably isn't even in the movie or on the soundtrack.

it may very well BE music associated with PoTC

**petegz28** · 11-16-2008, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

dude, music in a commercial probably isn't even in the movie or on the soundtrack.

it may very well BE music associated with PoTC

I'm going to go out on a limb and say in this case, this is the music for the movie.

**mikeyis4dcats.** · 11-16-2008, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petegz28

I'm going to go out on a limb and say in this case, this is the music for the movie.

could be. still doesn't mean it was a ripoff of PoTC.

**petegz28** · 11-16-2008, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

could be. still doesn't mean it was a ripoff of PoTC.

Have you seen it? Methinks, no. So watch it before you say that.

EyePod · 11-16-2008, 02:17 PM

I agree. I thought it was a commercial for the new PoTC when I saw the commercial.

**mikeyis4dcats.** · 11-16-2008, 02:32 PM

nope, I have Tivo, and couldn't give 2 shits about Australia the movie nor the PoTC soundtrack.

**DaneMcCloud** · 11-16-2008, 02:42 PM

Here's the way it works:

A studio hires a composer for a film. The composer is generally paid anywhere between $250,000 to $4 million per film (for blockbusters). This fee includes the hiring and recording of the musicians, copyist, orchestrator, etc.

It's called Work-For-Hire and the studio owns the music. The writer receives 50% of the performance income that's earned from television and radio but not from movie theater showing in the U.S.

So, since the studio owns the music to each and every film they produce, they're free to re-use the music anyway they see fit. Often times, you'll hear music cues from other movies used in television commercials for upcoming movies because it saves the studio money.

Since a movie trailer is edited and cut much differently than a film, there may not be music available from the film to use in the commercial. At that point, the option is to go to an outside production house that specializes in movie trailers, but the minimal cost is about $100k per trailer. So the most effective way is to find something in the existing catalog.

In addition to saving money by not hiring an outside company to score the trailer, the studio actually earns money on the Publisher's share (the other 50%) of performance royalty income.

RINGLEADER · 11-16-2008, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Here's the way it works:

A studio hires a composer for a film. The composer is generally paid anywhere between $250,000 to $4 million per film (for blockbusters). This fee includes the hiring and recording of the musicians, copyist, orchestrator, etc.

It's called Work-For-Hire and the studio owns the music. The writer receives 50% of the performance income that's earned from television and radio but not from movie theater showing in the U.S.

So, since the studio owns the music to each and every film they produce, they're free to re-use the music anyway they see fit. Often times, you'll hear music cues from other movies used in television commercials for upcoming movies because it saves the studio money.

Since a movie trailer is edited and cut much differently than a film, there may not be music available from the film to use in the commercial. At that point, the option is to go to an outside production house that specializes in movie trailers, but the minimal cost is about $100k per trailer. So the most effective way is to find something in the existing catalog.

In addition to saving money by not hiring an outside company to score the trailer, the studio actually earns money on the Publisher's share (the other 50%) of performance royalty income.

Only thing I'd add to this is that you'll frequently see soundtracks from other films promoting other films prior to the scoring. And as Dane notes there are companies that exist only to supply trailer music. Coincidentally my last movie used the same music from Pirates of the Caribbean in the trailer.

Jewish Rabbi · 11-16-2008, 02:57 PM

Could be the same composer too... All of John Williams' stuff sounds the same at times.

**DaneMcCloud** · 11-16-2008, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Could be the same composer too... All of John Williams' stuff sounds the same at times.

It's not.

And I already provided the explanation.

**pr_capone** · 11-16-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petegz28

so I am not paying much attention to the tv during a commercial when I hear this "Pirates of the Caribbean" sounding music, only to find out it is an ad for the upcoming movie called Australia. TV being what it is, I was easily afforded countless more opportunities to view this commercial. I swear it sounds like a total rip of Pirates. I mean same notes just re-arranged, almost same melody structure as well.

If anything I think it offers some insight to how good the movie might be.

I said the exact same thing to the missus.

Rip-off with just enough changes so they don't get sued.

**DaneMcCloud** · 11-16-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

I said the exact same thing to the missus.

Rip-off with just enough changes so they don't get sued.

No, it's not a rip-off.

It's a cue from one of the PotC movies.

Didn't you read my post?

**pr_capone** · 11-16-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

No, it's not a rip-off.

It's a cue from one of the PotC movies.

Didn't you read my post?

I did.... just commenting on what it felt like.

That's pretty interesting though... did not know that that is how it worked.

**DaneMcCloud** · 11-16-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

I did.... just commenting on what it felt like.

That's pretty interesting though... did not know that that is how it worked.

Yeah, most people don't.

Personally, I would not have chosen that cue or anything that could have associated with PotC, just for that reason.

Or maybe they did it to attract attention to a movie that most American's wouldn't care about.

11-16-2008, 02:08 PM	Topic Starter
petegz28 Supporter Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Olathe, Ks Casino cash: $-905873	Australia: movie soundtrack a ripoff? so I am not paying much attention to the tv during a commercial when I hear this "Pirates of the Caribbean" sounding music, only to find out it is an ad for the upcoming movie called Australia. TV being what it is, I was easily afforded countless more opportunities to view this commercial. I swear it sounds like a total rip of Pirates. I mean same notes just re-arranged, almost same melody structure as well. If anything I think it offers some insight to how good the movie might be.
Posts: 132,315

11-16-2008, 02:10 PM	#2
mikeyis4dcats. Scarlett Johansson's boytoy Join Date: Nov 2006 Casino cash: $9555998	dude, music in a commercial probably isn't even in the movie or on the soundtrack. it may very well BE music associated with PoTC
Posts: 12,526

11-16-2008, 02:17 PM	#6
EyePod Forgetting 2013 season end. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Around Casino cash: $9995735	I agree. I thought it was a commercial for the new PoTC when I saw the commercial. __________________ I did not believe in Mahomes until week 1. I've been woke ever since. I'm on board this freight train.
Posts: 5,800

11-16-2008, 02:32 PM	#7
mikeyis4dcats. Scarlett Johansson's boytoy Join Date: Nov 2006 Casino cash: $9555998	nope, I have Tivo, and couldn't give 2 shits about Australia the movie nor the PoTC soundtrack.
Posts: 12,526

11-16-2008, 02:42 PM	#8
DaneMcCloud Supporter Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hollywood, CA Casino cash: $10053648	Here's the way it works: A studio hires a composer for a film. The composer is generally paid anywhere between $250,000 to $4 million per film (for blockbusters). This fee includes the hiring and recording of the musicians, copyist, orchestrator, etc. It's called Work-For-Hire and the studio owns the music. The writer receives 50% of the performance income that's earned from television and radio but not from movie theater showing in the U.S. So, since the studio owns the music to each and every film they produce, they're free to re-use the music anyway they see fit. Often times, you'll hear music cues from other movies used in television commercials for upcoming movies because it saves the studio money. Since a movie trailer is edited and cut much differently than a film, there may not be music available from the film to use in the commercial. At that point, the option is to go to an outside production house that specializes in movie trailers, but the minimal cost is about $100k per trailer. So the most effective way is to find something in the existing catalog. In addition to saving money by not hiring an outside company to score the trailer, the studio actually earns money on the Publisher's share (the other 50%) of performance royalty income.
Posts: 88,960

11-16-2008, 02:57 PM	#10
Jewish Rabbi What's up braj? Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Placencia, Belize Casino cash: $-1596750	Could be the same composer too... All of John Williams' stuff sounds the same at times.
Posts: 16,916