More and more bands are opting to follow the football crowd and perform during the half-time breaks. It’s attracted the attention of some pretty high-profile composers, with Hans Zimmer and Jake Bugg each taking on the role of halftime show mastermind for the NFL’s New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams respectively.
Zimmer is best known for his work on the Dark Knight trilogy, beginning with the 2008 film The Dark Knight. He also worked on the video game adaptation for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and composed the soundtrack for the 2014 film Interstellar.
With such an extensive background, it’s no surprise that Zimmer was approached by the NFL to write the halftime shows for their new teams in New York and Los Angeles. But what is a band’s minimum wage for the halftime show equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster? We put together a guide to help you work out how much it costs to write the score for the halftime show of an NFL team.
The Basics
The first thing to consider is what genre of music you’ll need for the score. Genre is one of the most important elements of music, defining its style and tone. It can be quite difficult to find a match for the exact style you’re looking for, especially if you don’t have much experience in working with a specific genre. Trying to write a theme park ride music track when you’re a classical fan is inevitably going to fall flat, leaving you with a pile of unusable material.
Luckily, there are wide-ranging themes you can choose from that will fit almost any situation. The most popular ones include:
- Rock
- Alternative
- Indie
- Jazz
- Pop
- Suga
- Reggae
- World
Keep in mind that the cost will be determined by the size of the orchestra and the complexity of the material. If it’s a big band piece, you’ll need a bigger orchestra, and vice versa. The more complex the piece, the more expensive it is.
The Hardware
Along with genre, the type of hardware you need to record the score on will have an impact on the overall cost. For example, if you’re working with a lot of samples, you’ll need a sampler to pull them together. These are expensive pieces of gear that you may not have the budget for.
Other items that you’ll need include:
- A microphone
- Electric guitar
- Pianos
- Bass guitar
- Drums
- Soprano saxophone
- Trumpet
- Trombone
- Cello
- French horn
- Paddywhack
The above list, while not exhaustive, covers the essentials. Depending on your budget and the specifics of the project, you may want to invest in a few of these items.
The Software
The next thing to consider is what software you’ll need to write the score. There are a lot of music production suites out there, so consider which one you need for the task at hand.
There are three primary types of software you’ll need to write the HALFTIME show:
- An instrument digitalizer (preferably with multitimbrality)
- A MIDI to WAV converter
- A music editor
The above three are pretty much essential, as they’ll help you bring your musical ideas to life. Software such as these can be expensive to buy, so make sure you have a good reason to upgrade before splashing out on expensive software.
The Performer
Along with the software, you’ll need good-quality talent to bring your ideas to life. The best solution is to hire a freelancer to perform the piece for you. This way, you get the best performance possible, and don’t have to worry about finding the right instrumentalists or a band to fill the bill.
However, if you really want to DIY, you can always find bands and students in your area with good taste who are willing to work for free (or almost free). Just make sure you work out the terms of the agreement beforehand.
The Theme
What is the theme of the show? This is important, as it will define the style of the whole piece. A theme for a show must be distinctive and memorable, representing the overall mood of the piece. It can be something light and fun, or it can be a more serious topic.
When choosing a theme, make sure you go for something that isn’t already being used by another show. If you do find a suitable theme, however, make sure you reference it appropriately throughout the piece so that it doesn’t get confused with the other shows.
As mentioned above, the theme for the halftime shows will be written by the composer, and can be quite a lucrative gig for the right person. So if you’re looking for a job in the field, keep your eyes open for opportunities that may arise.
Establishing the Price
Once you’ve worked out the basic premise of the show (genre, orchestra size, etc.), it’s time to start haggling over the price. It’s not unusual to need some time to finally nail down the precise cost of a project, so be patient.
As mentioned above, the more complex the piece, the more expensive it is. So if you’re not sure of the cost of the basics (hardware, software, and performers), simply choose the simplest piece possible. Once you’ve established a basic score, you can move on to more elaborate pieces and eventually work out a price that is fair for both parties.
Taking Your Song From Theory To Practice
In the above article, we went over the basics of how to write a band’s halftime show. This includes getting the right instrumentalists and a band, along with choosing the right track for the occasion. Once you’ve got that down, it’s time to move on to the practice sessions.
If you’ve followed the guide accurately, you’ll already have established the price for the song through haggling, and should have no trouble finding the right musicians to bring your score to life. From there, all you need to do is take your song from theory to practice, adjusting tempos and intensities as you go along to achieve the best performance possible.
If you’ve never written a score before, this process may be a little daunting. Fortunately, working in sections is something composers do routinely, so you don’t need to worry about being able to fit all of your material into one cohesive piece. Take it one scene at a time, and one section at a time. As you progress, you’ll find the entire piece begins to take shape, and soon enough, you’ll be able to look back at the beginning with fond memories.