Variety’s Music for Screens Week 2020

free

4 days

Expanded for the first time over four days in this all-digital installment, Variety’s Music for Screens Week 2020 will celebrate excellence in musical artistry and storytelling for film, TV, digital media, brands and more. Registration is free, but required for access.

About this Event

DAY ONE

Monday, Nov. 30

9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. PST

State of Scoring Composers Panel – Presented by ASCAP

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all sectors of entertainment, how is the music community across film and television adapting and what’s its outlook for the future?These and other pressing topics related to scoring willbe discussed along with the increasing focus on music as a driver for storytellingand for gender parity among composers.

Introduction by:

Shawn LeMone, SVP Film & TV / Visual Media, ASCAP

Moderated by:

Jon Burlingame, Contributor, Variety

Speakers:

Amanda Jones, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Love in the Time of Corona

Germaine Franco, Dora and the Lost City of Gold,Little,Tag

Amelia Warner, Wild Mountain Thyme, Mary Shelley

Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker, Candyman, Chernobyl

Pinar Toprak, Captain Marvel, Stargirl

10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. PST

Orchestrated Cinema with Amazon Studios

Top composers from Amazon Studios’ current film slate talk about the new world of streaming and what it means for the art of music in the movies — especially at a time when untold millions are spending much of their time at home.

Moderated by:

Clayton Davis, Film Awards Editor, Variety

Speakers:

Nicolas Becker, Sound of Metal

Terence Blanchard, One Night in Miami

Evgueni Galperine, Radioactive

Abraham Marder, Sound of Metal

Aska Matsumiya, I’m Your Woman

10:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. PST

Keynote Conversation with Mary. J. Blige

The singer, songwriter, actor and producer is eyeing the Oscar race again, this time with original song contender “See What You’ve Done” from Belly of the Beast. The multiple Grammy winner explains what drew her to the doc illegal sterilizations in the California women’s prison system. Plus: how she came to soundtrack Kamala Harris’ walk-on music.

Interviewed by:

Jazz Tangcay, Artisans Editor, Variety

DAY TWO

Tuesday, Dec. 1

9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. PST

Music Bookers Panel

A roundtable conversation with top music bookers about how TV shows are adjusting to working through the pandemic. What are the parameters for a remote performance and workarounds in order to deliver the best possible production? What works and what are viewers responding to? Better to have a limited audience or not? Talent executives from top daytime, late-night and awards programs offer their insight.

Moderated by:

Jem Aswad, Senior Music Editor, Variety

Speakers:

Deborah Byrd, Talent Relations, BET Music Programming

Monica Escobedo,Coordinating Entertainment Producer, Good Morning America and ABC News

Julie Gurovitsch, Music Booker, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Diana Miller, Producer, The Late Late Show with James Corden

Jeremiah Silva, Music Talent Executive, Late Night with Seth Meyers

10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. PST

Keynote Conversation with Dave Meyers, Acclaimed Music Video Director

The music video visionary who’s worked with the top names in pop and hip-hop — including Billie Eilish (“Bad Guy”), Taylor Swift (“ME!”), Ariana Grande (“Positions”) and Kendrick Lamar (“Humble”) — talks about dropping out of the field, then coming back, changes in budgets, how commercials really pay the bills and shooting during COVID.

Interviewed by:

Chris Willman, Features Editor and Chief Music Critic, Variety

10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PST

Meet the Makers: The Music of Small Axe

A mini-series set between 1969 and 1982 and based on true stories from London’s West Indian community, Small Axe brings the music of the times and the culture to the small screen seamlessly. With director Steve McQueen at the helm, the team behind the Amazon Studios anthology take us inside its song and score core.

Moderated by:

Jazz Tangcay, Artisans Editor, Variety

Speakers:

Steve McQueen, Producer, Director, Writer

Ed Bailie, Music Supervisor

Dennis Bovell, Musician

Mica Levi, Composer

DAY THREE

Wednesday, Dec. 2

9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. PST

Music Supervisors Elite Roundtable

Leading music supervisors converge to talk about their craft during coronavirus, current musical trends in storytelling and what’s clicking most with audiences. With production stoppages and re-starts impacting all forms of visual media, what does it mean for the world of music supervision? Panelists share their 2020 experiences — the good, bad and lonely.

Moderated by:

Lily Moayeri, Contributor, Variety

Speakers:

Joel C. High (Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, The Oval); and President, Guild of Music Supervisors

Jen Malone (Atlanta, Euphoria, The Umbrella Academy)

Amanda Krieg Thomas (Pose,The Prom)

Robin Urdang (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Marry Me,We Are Who We Are)

Madonna Wade-Reed (All American, Batwoman); Vice President, Guild of Music Supervisors

10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. PT

Pivot with Purpose: The Sprite “Put You On” Model in Action

With a more than three decades-long history and heritage of featuring hip-hop music and artists in marketing and communications, Sprite established its “Thirst For Yours” brand platform in 2019, leveraging the endless possibilities of hip-hop to inspire their audience to do more and dream bigger. To match those words with action, Sprite also began to operate with a new brand behavior at the same time: their “Put You On” model, which elevates the voices and executes the visions of young multicultural creators in music, fashion, art, and more. Hear how Sprite pivoted to address the challenges and dramatic shifts their audience faced in 2020 — the COVID-19 pandemic, a fight for racial justice, a monumental election — while continuing to ‘put on’ creators in even more purposeful and meaningful ways.

Moderated by:

Andrew Hampp, Contributor, Variety

Speakers:

Aaliyah Shafiq, Brand Group Director, Sprite

Cam Kirk, Celebrity Photographer

Hundo, Sprite Way Artist

10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. PST

Keynote Conversation with Marcus Mumford

The Mumford and Sons frontman talks about his latest gig, composing music for the Apple Plus comedy Ted Lasso, which incorporates his real-life love for British football. Plus: how he and Jason Sudeikis collaborate virtually across time zones (and why it may involve a bubble bath).

Interviewed by Jazz Tangcay, Artisans Editor, Variety

DAY FOUR

Thursday, Dec. 3

9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. PST

Sonic Storytelling for Brands

What’s cutting through the noise during coronavirus? Music and sentiment as brands and publishers scour catalogs for the familiar and the comforting. We’ll take a look at the top commercial syncs in 2020 and how the revenue stream has grown for artists who soundtrack today’s ad campaigns.