Things have sure changed in the relationship between musicians and film and TV producers since the Flaming Lips pimped themselves out to play the Peach Pit After Dark. Where it once seemed seedy for an artist with cred to sell his or her soul — er, I mean, songs — to mainstream picture-makers, today it’s a crucial tool for survival in a shifty business.
More than just a marketing gimmick, soundtrack placement has become a de facto career-maker. Consider the example of Yael Naim, the French-Israeli singer/songwriter who developed an instant fan base after her cutesy “New Soul” was used in MacBook Air ads; consider nerdy Ingrid “The Way I Am” Michaelson, who skyrocketed from being a local Lisa Loeb knockoff to a touring artist with a record contract thanks to savvy deals with Grey’s Anatomy and Old Navy. Even Owen Pallett scored a cool gig collaborating with Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly on the soundtrack for his upcoming movie.
You can understand why, in spite of the rather grim prospect of trying to win over a roomful of largely distracted film industry heavies — in the middle of the day, no less — during the clusterfuck that is the Toronto International Film Festival, over 200 artists and groups submitted applications in the hopes of scoring one of the 15 timeslots in the Canadian Music Café (CMC).
“I’m obviously biased, but I actually just think it’s a brilliant idea,” says coordinator Michael Perlmutter (a soundtrack supervisor himself). The fourth annual CMC runs Sept. 9-11, from 1-5pm, at the Hard Rock Café (279 Yonge). “You have all these people from the film and television industries in town, so why not be involved in showcasing Canadian acts to that world? Most of these artists won’t have the opportunity to go to LA or New York and perform for a roomful of soundtrack supervisors.”
Perlmutter cites a list of CMC success stories (Lily Frost landed a song on The Hills! Sarah Harmer landed a song on, er, What About Brian!) and notes that he and the Café partners (it’s a joint initiative between CIRPA, CRIA, SOCAN and the Government of Canada) have corralled a slew of high-profile soundtrack supervisors to check out the goods.
Alexisonfire’s Dallas Green, who showcases his sensitive City and Colour side project Sept. 10, admits he had his reservations, since he’s “usually opposed to anything with a music-industry vibe.” But the prospect of hearing one of his tunes in a movie — and gaining crucial exposure in a market outside of Canada — won out.
“When you play something like this, you know what you’re getting into,” he offers. “I’m aware that a lot of people will be, y’know, hobnobbing around with their martinis and champagne and cheeses. I’m just gonna close my eyes and pretend that I’m in my living room.
“Maybe someone hears my stuff and puts it in a movie, or maybe someone just likes it and I have a new fan. When I went down to play my first City and Colour shows in New York and LA, I stopped by EMI publishing to meet the people there, ‘cause they’re the guys getting placements in shows and videogames and stuff. I don’t know if playing a set for them had any effect, but it was the same kind of thing — I figured it couldn’t hurt to try.”