Producing a series requires you to wear a lot of hats, especially if you are intending to also write and direct the show too. (I once tried the acting deal too - it was a lot to deal with.)
The point I'm getting to is that while I have been writing the series I've also been planning the casting and music for it too. Which brings me to the point of this post. Music.
The worst mistake a producer of a webseries can make is leaving music until last thing. Music can make or break a series. If it is too amateur and clearly peddled together last minute it can make the best performance and editing still look rough and cheap. If the music is polished and evocative, it can raise the appearance of a bad production to looking more deliberate.
Now the usual assumption is that you can pile together a flash piece on GarageBand with a few loops. While there is a degree of truth to this, everyone knows those loops. Without some musical embellishment it can make your show look lazy - and nothing is more embarrassing than later finding out that your loop theme is the same as one in some obscure internet porn movie!
At the very least it pays to have a musician/composer work on GarageBand for you to make sure that you get a fresh sound.
Alternatively, there are Royalty Free sites all over the place that produce passable music you can use. But you often run into the problem that barring some stings and short bars, most of the music is either bland or lacks suitable audio cues.
I, personally, have found a lot of royalty free music to lack a certain "fullness" and usually sounds cheap and nasty.
MingleMedia made a great suggestion once, get a real band. Most towns will have a couple of talented independent bands and singer/songwriters just dying for exposure and who will have music recordings they are happy to give you permission to use if you link back to their myspace/facebook pages.
The benefit of using actual songs is that you don't need audio cues, you can usually find songs to suit most moods and it gives the show a more polished feel as most of these guys are talented at making real music regardless of whether it is via synth, GarageBand or an actual four piece group.
I also feel that it works with the village economy state of independent web productions. They provide music, you help with increasing their fan base.
Currently I have been working with two groups who have shown interest in being involved with Urban Numina.
http://www.throwittothefire.co.nz
A local rock band whose track "PS" is sounding suitable for a scene with Urge and Mel. I'm looking to go over their tracks as we shoot the series to find where they will fit.
http://www.jezkemp.co.uk
Although Jez's site is a uk one, he is based here in Wellington. A lot of his music is ideal for the show and I already have one of his songs in mind for the main theme for the show.
For those of you looking for bands, My Space is a good place to start. But also try to make contact with people into the local music scene - as they can introduce you to a number of these bands.
Next: Preparing for Casting!
Conan
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