The VIFF Amp Music in Film Summit covers every angle of music in visual media, from composition to artist management to having your songs placed in film, TV, advertising, and gaming.
Songwriters, composers, music supervisors, managers, filmmakers, and students are given the opportunity to step up their film and music game with pro tips, case studies, and networking opportunities through a program of masterclasses, Q&As, panel discussions, and music showcases.
Past speakers include Oscar-nominee & Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard, music executive & award-winning music supervisor Rudy Chung, Grammy-nominee, Guild of Music Supervisor Award-winning music supervisor Nora Felder, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning composer, co-founder of the Alliance for Women Film Composers & Motion Picture Academy Governor Laura Karpman, Grammy-nominated Producer/Songwriter/Artist, Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee, & film composer Linda Perry, rap legend, Executive Producer, Actor & Film composer RZA and composer & songwriter agent Arbel Bedak.
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Look Back At VIFF Amp 2021
Opening Keynote: Linda Perry
Amp 2021 opened with a keynote conversation with the legendary musical icon/ songwriter behind P!nk, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, James Blunt, Christina Aguilera, Adele, and Gwen Stefani. The discussion explored Perry’s extensive music career, creative process, and her recent transition into creating music for film and TV, including composing the soundtracks for both Soleil Moon Frye’s documentary Kid 90, and Don Hardy’s documentary Citizen Penn about Sean Penn’s work in Haiti.
Stages to Screens: The Sequel
Hosted by Tarun Nayar (Delhi 2 Dublin, Snakes x Ladders, 5X Festival), we returned to this popular panel with a new group of artists who shared their experiences on how they have successfully made the crossover from the pop world to working in music for media: Dean “DC” Charles (J Cole, Patti LaBelle, Raphael Saadiq), Dan “The Automator” Nakamura (Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, Dr. Octagon) and Isa Summers (Florence and The Machine).
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Isabella Summers
Songwriter/Composer, Little Fires Everywhere, Physical, Sex/Life
Dan “The Automator” Nakamura
Producer, Composer, and DJ, Booksmart, Always Be My maybe
Dean "DC" Charles
Composer, Producer, The Boondocks, CSI: Miami
Tarun Nayar
Manager, Artist, Snakes X Ladders
The Art of Music Supervision: Theatrical Trailers
Did you know that music supervision for theatrical trailers requires an approach vastly different from music supervision for the film and television world? Learn about the process, including sound design and what music supervisors for trailers look for when choosing music from some of the top talents in the business of theatrical trailer music supervision: Disney’s Brian Vickers, SILO Music’s Reuben Sears, and Wild Card’s Evelin Garcia.
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Evelin Garcia
Music Director
Reuben Sears
SVP, Trailer and Promos, Silo Music
Brian Vickers
Music Supervisor, Walt Disney Studios
Tony Scudellari
Amp Co-Creator, Senior VP Television Music, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Music BC's SOUNDOFF
Presented by Music BC, SOUNDOFF is a platform for our most promising local musicians with a focus on song placement and sync licensing in film and TV. Local artists perform songs and connect with music supervisors at this expansive yet intimate live gathering.
Participating Artists
Session Participants
Aamina Gant
Music Supervisor
Janine Scalise Boyd
Music Supervisor, Moxie Music
Evelin Garcia
Music Director
Everton Lewis, Jr.
Music Supervisor
Rob Calder
Amp Co-Curator, Secret Study
Tony Scudellari
Amp Co-Curator, Senior VP Television Music, Sony Pictures Entertainment
The Art of Composition: Scoring Epically
In 2021, how do we define superheroes and how does a composer score a superhero project to reflect this new era? Scoring a superhero project has its unique set of challenges and opportunities. Moderated by composer and Screen Composers Guild of Canada Vice President Adrian Ellis, Natalie Holt (Loki) and Laura Karpman (What If…?, Lovecraft Country) share what it means to score epically in today’s world of film and television.
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Laura Karpman
Composer, Ask Your Mama, What If…?, Lovecraft Country
Natalie Holt
Composer
Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum
Composer, Bird Karma, Lenny, Stockholm, Pennsylvania
Host: Adrian Ellis
Vice President, SCGC
Master Class: The Music for Daughter of a Lost Bird
A look inside the process of creating the evocative score for the film Daughter of a Lost Bird with director Brooke Pepion Swaney and composer Laura Ortman. Swaney and Ortman will share their process of working together and the importance of cultural identity and sensitivity in creating a film about personal discovery in the context of Indigenous culture.
Laura Ortman
Composer, Daughter of a Lost Bird
Brooke Pepion Swaney
Director, Daughter of a Lost Bird
Host: Tony Scudellari
Amp Co-Curator, Senior VP Television Music, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Host: Rob Calder
Amp Co-Curator, Secret Study
Closing Keynote: Laura Karpman
VIFF Amp closes with a conversation about music and culture with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Angela Elster and Grammy and Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman. Karpman’s music is on the cutting edge of various musical genres (film and television scoring, symphonic music, opera, jazz, and pop) and she has been one of the leaders in the fight for greater diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry.
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Laura Karpman
Composer, Ask Your Mama, What If…?, Lovecraft Country
Angela Elster
President & CEO, VSO