or establish a music budget for a film." Throughout the day he may
attend a screening of a film, meet with other department employees to
ensure they have the information and tools they need, or listen to music
for song ideas to pitch to a director.
Advice for Someone
Seeking This Job
Become a member of indus-
try organizations and volun-
teer to work at seminars and
other events so that you are in
a situation to meet people and
develop contacts. Learn all you
can about the industry, such as
the names of important
players. After you have gained
a good base of knowledge,
apply for an internship or
assistant position to get a foot
in the door.
Professional Profile:
Todd Homme, DreamWorks
Todd Homme grew up in
Saskatchewan, Canada, "where
everybody freezes and every
boy learns to play hockey."
Growing up, Homme was torn
between a career as a hockey
player or as a guitarist. Little
did he know that hockey
would one day be the key that
would open the door to a job
in the entertainment business.
Homme attended Berklee
College of Music in Boston,
and then kicked around in a
few bands and gained some
recording experience. Heading
west in 1989, he quickly discov-
ered that Los Angeles already had too many great studio musicians. He
found a job to make ends meet and began coaching and playing amateur
What do you like
least about your job?
"Arguing about money.
That is a short sentence
about a big subject. I
work for very conspicu-
ous people in this busi-
ness and we're riding the crest of our recent
success. We've had Steven [Spielberg]'s
picture, Saving Private Ryan, win several
Oscars, including Best Director. Then most
recently, American Beauty, which was a
small film done for a modest budget, with a
first-time director and a first-time writer
(both of whom won Oscars), together with a
young cast. In many respects, it was a small
project. The fact that there are three guys
that run this company [David Geffen, Jeffrey
Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg] that are very
big in the industry doesn't mean every
project has an enormous budget. Sometimes
you get tired of explaining that we have
budgets and limits we have to live
within."--Todd Homme
What do you love most
about your job?
"Variety--there are all kinds of commingling
of people, ideas, attitudes, and challenges.
There is always something new. I like
working with the people in creative disci-
plines that are the best in their given field.
You get to talk with them and ask questions
about their own journey. That is pretty won-
derful."--Todd Homme
VOICES OF
EXPERIENCE
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