Jan 18 2007

The First Installment

by Doreen Ringer Ross

This year The Sundance Film Festival’s slogan is “Focus On Film”. They are even giving out big buttons that say that.  I picked one up in the sponsor’s office at festival headquarters when I stopped to get all our festival “stuff”.  It made me smile because in spite of the insanity and parasitic riff raff that often obscures the essence of this festival...for us this festival has always been about the films. Actually, the festival can be a different experience for everyone depending on the lens you see it through. My lens, on behalf of BMI, is aligned to the mission of the Sundance Institute.  It’s all about supporting the discovery and development of independent artists...and in our case...with a specific focus on the integration of music and film.

I see the indie film culture as the artist development forum for all elements of the film business.  It is where most of the finest new talented directors, composers, writers, actors, etc have emerged from.  I often refer to music in film as the bastard child of post production because it is often dealt with as such an afterthought.  It is the only production element not addressed in film schools and it is always under budgeted.  BMI has a year round multidimensional relationship with Sundance...and has for many years. Through the Sundance Institute’s Composer’s Lab which happens at the institute during the summer...we have built a unique bridge between filmmakers and composers.  The lab allows accomplished musicians to explore composing for film while introducing filmmakers to the importance of music in film.  We thread this concept into the festival via our Composer/Director Roundtable and various events that bring these worlds together. 

We also come to The Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah each year to support BMI composers who have scored films in the festival as well as the filmmakers who were smart enough to hire them. 

Diary entry 15 of 15. Go to: « First  <  13 14 15