20 Questions Film » Jongnic Bontemps

WATCH: How To Find A Composer For Your Project

Mads Black — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 20:02:43 +0000

Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, but even so, especially if you are shooting a low-budget, DIY project, you will be dealing with a lot of issues you don’t necessarily know a whole lot about. Music is probably one of those things.

It’s important. We can all agree on that. It can even elevate your project to another level of engagement. But how do you go about getting that perfect score for your project? Well, you start with the composer, of course.

Here are composer Jongnic Bontemps’ suggestions for how you go about finding a composer to work with.

Jongnic is a Los Angeles-based composer who has worked on anything from feature films to TV episodes to trailers to commercials to short form webseries. And no matter the medium, he approaches the project with the same level of respect, knowing that the music will have a profound impact on the viewer’s connection to the visuals.

We have many more videos with Jongnic on the way, so be sure to check back often. Or even better, subscribe to our newsletter and/or YouTube channel and we’ll let you know when the next one is online.

WATCH: What Is The Difference Between Score And Original Songs?

Mads Black — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 18:27:24 +0000

In a previous video, Jongnic Bontemps talked about the different ways of licensing music, whether it’s for a score you have commissioned for your film or a so-called sync license for your favorite tune by The Temptations. In this video, rather than talking about already published music you can get a sync license for, he discusses the difference between commissioning a score and commissioning a song.

As you’ll see, this is particularly important to know if your script calls for a character writing a song or playing in a band, but also if you need a song with lyrics or a melody specifically tailored to a certain scene. For example, in The Storyteller – the feature film for which we’re currently conducting (pardon the pun) a song search – music is an integral part of the story and several characters are singing and playing a song, which will be written specifically for the film.

WATCH: How Does Music Licensing Work?

Mads Black — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:29:02 +0000

In keeping with our current focus on music in film, as we’re nearing the end of round 1 of our Song Search for The Storyteller, here’s a short introduction to licensing music for film.

Before jumping right in, however, it’s important to note that there are two different kinds of licensing to know about; the license you need to acquire for the original score you’re commissioning and the so-called sync license, which is what you need when you wish to use a song in your film. In simple terms, think of the score as the emotional string arrangements you hear as the film’s climax is approaching, while the synced song is Wayne and Garth singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody.

To explain the two different approaches to licensing, please welcome LA-based composer Jongnic Bontemps:

WATCH: What is the Role of Music in Film?

Mads Black — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 01:36:39 +0000

In conjunction with The Storyteller Song Search here on 20 Questions Film, we got together with film composer, Jongnic Bontemps (you can call him JB), for a chat about the important role music plays in film and how you can use film music – whether it’s a score or original songs – to tell stories and trigger emotion.