[Dixielandjazz] Filming details: Goodman/Miranda Paducah

[Jim Kashishian]

The original question was:
 
> What about the sidemen in these situations--were they well paid; was it an
enjoyable experience for them?  Were they playing live, or syncing with a
recording?

And, Bill answered: 

>The soundtrack was recorded in a studio and the orchestra synced with it on
the film set.
I also believe that the musicians (except BG) would have received standard
union rates for the session plus an extra fee for on-screen appearances. 

At the time of that film, the musicians would have played in a large studio
with the movie projected on a screen.  The director would visually sync the
music then to the film, as Bill has mentioned. And, yes, pay would be the
normal set fee for hours in the studio, with normal fees plus a bit extra if
you were later filmed. Any "name", such as a well-known leader would be paid
according to what his manager could swing, I suppose!

I did this sort of sessions in the late 1960's/early '70's for many Spanish
films.  If there was a live band in the film, the musicians most likely to
be filmed would be those that "fit the part" visually, not necessarily those
that actually recorded the music.  The scores were actually played, so you
see the correct fingerings & actions, but no sound is recorded.  Therefore,
no one in that situation would bother to really play much...just maybe the
slightest sound...since none of that music was to be used.

The projected film situation gave way eventually to click tracks which were
synced up to each frame of the film....ie; the tempo being blasted in your
earphone....with the other earphone on top of your head so you could hear
your neighbor's playing & your own, for that matter!  

Nowadays, all music can be "slipped in time", shrunk or stretched to fit
with no key change, etc., digitally, so fine syncing is left to post
production.  

Many films are being mixed now with well over 1,000 tracks of sound split
into usually 3 groups (dialogue, fx, and music) being handled by 3 sound
mixers at the same time.

Jim