Day 48: Analyzing Successful Pitches (Hypothetical Case Studies)
Welcome to Day 48! Today, we’ll discuss hypothetical examples of effective sync pitches to illustrate the kinds of techniques and strategies that resonate with music supervisors and licensing professionals. Although these aren’t real pitches, they’re based on common elements found in successful sync submissions. This should give you a clearer sense of how to make your own pitches impactful.
Lesson
When pitching music for sync opportunities, understanding what supervisors are looking for can help you craft pitches that stand out. While each pitch will vary depending on the project, there are a few core strategies that can be used to make your submissions more compelling. Let’s walk through three hypothetical examples, each highlighting a different approach to a specific type of sync project.
Hypothetical Example 1: Pitching a Track for a TV Commercial
Imagine a brand seeking an upbeat, energetic song for a TV commercial. A musician submits a pitch focusing on the track’s rhythm, tone, and catchy melody, directly relating these elements to the brand’s need for a feel-good, memorable sound. The pitch is concise, focusing only on the elements that make the song a strong match for a lively, engaging commercial. By keeping the description simple and relevant, the pitch catches the attention of the music supervisor, who sees how the track could fit the upbeat tone of the ad.
Key Takeaway: For commercial projects, highlight qualities like tempo, mood, and memorability. Stick to details that make the track ideal for the specific ad or brand, avoiding unnecessary details.
Hypothetical Example 2: Pitching a Ballad for a Film Scene
In another scenario, a film is looking for an emotional, melancholic song for a dramatic scene. In this hypothetical example, the artist writes a short pitch that includes a brief backstory about the song’s inspiration, mentioning how the lyrics and melody reflect themes of loss and resilience. The pitch suggests that the song could deepen the emotional impact of a poignant scene, subtly conveying the song’s tone and mood without excessive detail. The music supervisor finds this approach helpful because the pitch brings the song’s emotional quality to life in a relatable way.
Key Takeaway: When pitching for film, emphasize the emotional resonance of your track. Briefly connect the song’s themes to the project’s storyline, helping the supervisor envision it as part of the scene.
Hypothetical Example 3: Pitching an Instrumental for a Documentary
For a documentary project, suppose a music supervisor needs a subtle instrumental piece to support a historical narrative. In this case, the artist submits a jazz track, describing it as having a “timeless, classic feel” that could enhance scenes set in the 1940s. The pitch avoids extra detail and instead conveys how the track’s smooth, understated instrumentation would blend well as a background element in a period piece. The supervisor appreciates this pitch because it connects the music’s style to the documentary’s theme, showing that the artist understands the project’s needs.
Key Takeaway: In documentary pitches, emphasize the style, historical relevance, or understated qualities of your music. Consider how the music can act as a subtle backdrop that supports the narrative without distracting from it.
Why Hypothetical Examples?
These examples are fictional but crafted to illustrate typical scenarios you might encounter in sync licensing. They’re intended to provide a clearer picture of how artists adapt their pitches to match different types of projects. In reality, every project and supervisor has unique requirements, but the strategies here—focusing on the mood, tone, and alignment with project themes—are widely applicable.
Assignment
Tomorrow, we’ll put these techniques into practice with an exercise to submit a track and reflect on the experience.
Welcome to Day 48! Today, we’ll discuss hypothetical examples of effective sync pitches to illustrate the kinds of techniques and strategies that resonate with music supervisors and licensing professionals. Although these aren’t real pitches, they’re based on common elements found in successful sync submissions. This should give you a clearer sense of how to make your own pitches impactful.
Lesson
When pitching music for sync opportunities, understanding what supervisors are looking for can help you craft pitches that stand out. While each pitch will vary depending on the project, there are a few core strategies that can be used to make your submissions more compelling. Let’s walk through three hypothetical examples, each highlighting a different approach to a specific type of sync project.
Hypothetical Example 1: Pitching a Track for a TV Commercial
Imagine a brand seeking an upbeat, energetic song for a TV commercial. A musician submits a pitch focusing on the track’s rhythm, tone, and catchy melody, directly relating these elements to the brand’s need for a feel-good, memorable sound. The pitch is concise, focusing only on the elements that make the song a strong match for a lively, engaging commercial. By keeping the description simple and relevant, the pitch catches the attention of the music supervisor, who sees how the track could fit the upbeat tone of the ad.
Key Takeaway: For commercial projects, highlight qualities like tempo, mood, and memorability. Stick to details that make the track ideal for the specific ad or brand, avoiding unnecessary details.
Hypothetical Example 2: Pitching a Ballad for a Film Scene
In another scenario, a film is looking for an emotional, melancholic song for a dramatic scene. In this hypothetical example, the artist writes a short pitch that includes a brief backstory about the song’s inspiration, mentioning how the lyrics and melody reflect themes of loss and resilience. The pitch suggests that the song could deepen the emotional impact of a poignant scene, subtly conveying the song’s tone and mood without excessive detail. The music supervisor finds this approach helpful because the pitch brings the song’s emotional quality to life in a relatable way.
Key Takeaway: When pitching for film, emphasize the emotional resonance of your track. Briefly connect the song’s themes to the project’s storyline, helping the supervisor envision it as part of the scene.
Hypothetical Example 3: Pitching an Instrumental for a Documentary
For a documentary project, suppose a music supervisor needs a subtle instrumental piece to support a historical narrative. In this case, the artist submits a jazz track, describing it as having a “timeless, classic feel” that could enhance scenes set in the 1940s. The pitch avoids extra detail and instead conveys how the track’s smooth, understated instrumentation would blend well as a background element in a period piece. The supervisor appreciates this pitch because it connects the music’s style to the documentary’s theme, showing that the artist understands the project’s needs.
Key Takeaway: In documentary pitches, emphasize the style, historical relevance, or understated qualities of your music. Consider how the music can act as a subtle backdrop that supports the narrative without distracting from it.
Why Hypothetical Examples?
These examples are fictional but crafted to illustrate typical scenarios you might encounter in sync licensing. They’re intended to provide a clearer picture of how artists adapt their pitches to match different types of projects. In reality, every project and supervisor has unique requirements, but the strategies here—focusing on the mood, tone, and alignment with project themes—are widely applicable.
Assignment
- Review your own pitch templates from Day 45 and adjust them based on the techniques discussed. Aim to enhance the specificity of each pitch, emphasizing elements like mood, tone, and how your music aligns with the project.
- Write a sample pitch for one of your tracks using these hypothetical scenarios as a guide. Tailor the pitch to a particular type of project, focusing on concise and relevant descriptions.
Tomorrow, we’ll put these techniques into practice with an exercise to submit a track and reflect on the experience.