Access Film Music favorite, Swamp Cabbage, features Walter Parks on guitar and Jagoda on cinematic percussion. (Photo courtesy of Mike Beck)
One of the major ways to break a new song or record is through film and media licensing. For the past decade, Access Film Music Ltd. has helped artists, composers, and musicians connect with filmmakers and other media, particularly through its annual Access Film Music Showcase. Currently, there are five slots for Sonicbids artists during next year's twelve-day showcase in Park City, UT, which coincides with the city's highly publicized Film Festival Week. Mike Beck of Access Film Music Ltd. gave us an inside look at the mission of the company, what Sonicbids artists can do to stand out in the application process, and the benefits of being part of the showcase.
How did you get involved with the Access Film Music Showcase?
In 2003, an independent songwriter and recording artist named Burt Hurner conceived an event called the Radical Rat Café as an opportunity for deserving independent recording artists and songwriters to present their original music to the film industry. Partnering with myself and Big Ugly Music & Media, the first Access Film Music Showcase event was held in 2004 and featured an evening of performances by six musical artists. Interest among songwriters was so strong that our second year presented a week-long showcase, featuring 16 artists from all over the US.
The next several years witnessed enormous growth, including blooming media coverage, ardent artist response, showcase events lasting two weeks or more, and a series of successful placements in film and TV for our artists. We've been fortunate to have our events and artists receive media coverage on TV, radio, newspapers from coast to coast, the Associated Press, and national magazines.
Can you tell us a bit about the mission behind Access Film Music Ltd.?
The mission of Access Film Music Ltd. is to connect music makers with filmmakers. We accomplish this through live performance showcases, sampler compilations, industry contacts and networking, educational workshops, and more. Our 12th Annual Access Film Music Showcase, running January 21 to February 1, 2015, presents live showcase performances to the film and visual media industries in Salt Lake City and Park City throughout Utah's celebrated Film Festival Week.
What are the showcase venues like?
Access Film Music Ltd. is the official music partner of the ÉCU European Independent Film Festival. How did this partnership come about?
Being part of a festival is always beneficial for a musician. How does the Access Film Music Showcase benefit artists in particular?
After performing at the 2014 Access Film Music Showcase last January, Fiddlin' Faye Petree, accompanied by singer/songwriter Emily Boyd (otherwise known as Billie in the Woods), toured Argentina. Faye also performed as part of the pit orchestra in a musical theater production and continues to develop her own solo performance and recording career.
You’re looking for five Sonicbids artists. What can they do to stand out in the application process?
