Hope this answers your query

Plsikinn

Just a little essay who didn't know!

Lois Carruth started in television in 1951 and held many postions at Ziv Television for 13 years, including accounting clerk, story editor assistant, casting director, and in the last ten years, administrative assistant to the executive vice-president. Starting in 1964 there folowed a series of short-term but interesting jobs with comedian Allan Sherman, with a large-scale production at the Hollywood Bowl, working for three screenwriters simultaneously, anda summer arranging travel for Leo Durocher who was doing televised color commentary at various ballparks around the country. The following year, she worked at The Mishkin Agency, reading scripts submitted for two of its biggest clients, Lee Marvin and James Coburn. In the mid-sixties she wen tot 20th Century Fox to work in the producer's office of Dr. Dolittle, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Planet of the Apes adn The Chairman.

In 1969 she took a job with producer-writer James Lee Barrett on what is now the Warner-Hollywood lot and while there met her husband-to-be Richard Carruth, at that time a music editor and post-production supervisor for the Mirisch Company. He later hired her as and apprentice editor, and eventually they married and moved to Europe where they worked on the musicals Fiddler On the Roof, Man Of La Mancha and Jesus Christ Superstar. On returning from Europe in 1973, Lois worked for Disney On Parade, an arena show headquartered at NBC, and in 1976 when that unit closed down, she went to Paramount where she worked in the music department until the end of 1984. She became Jerry Goldsmith's personal assistant near the end of 1987.

PeterK

you just showed the whole world what a moron I am. I am so sorry. What can I say. When your dumb you're dumb. I will find the setion on Sandy and make up for my folly.

But I didn't know that!

(But you knew that.)

Your pal,

"Hank"

Anyway, again thank you for your nice comments and I'm glad the info was appreciated and helpful. But please, don't give me too much credit here, compared to most of you I am a new borne baby who very ignorant. All I did was to copy some parts of the interview.

Anyway, in the attempt to redeem myself in the eyes of those who are shaking their heads in disbelief over such glitch as mine, here now the correct info.

Film scoring contractor Sandy DeCrescent began her career at age 19 with Bobby Helfer-agent for Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, and many other composers- at the old MCA. After one year the pair relocated to Universal. Sandy remembers, "This was probably the greatest time in the history of music scoring, because they had under contract Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Lola Schifrin, John Williams, Cyril Mockridge, and Jerry Goldsmith. Dave Grusin came later. This is when I fell in love with film music. " At 26, Sandy needed a change and moved to San Francisco, but later she returned to Los Angeles and was given the chance to work with Bobby again. Unfortunately, three years later, he passed away. Sandy recalls, "He had gone from being the biggest music agent to being the biggest music contractor in town. He taught me very well.
Twelve years ago it was finally time for Dandy to form her own company, Sabron. Her first two clients were John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith.

Sandy has contracted over 860 films, including dozens of film s for Jerry Goldsmith, beginning with Patton. Blessed with tremendous energy and a sharp with, De Crescent is considered by many to be the mother of the film scoring industry.

What does a music contractor in a feature film do?

Jerry signs on to do a film. After the deal's been made he gives me a time frame of when it needs to score, but that can change. First I need to know where he wants to score it. I'll then call the production company to find out what kind of budget we're working with and what their dub dates are so I can back up from that and know when we have to get done scoring, and then I begin to hold time. Now I have Jerry give me his wish list, which may not be the same as the budget. It's important for the composer to tell me what he needs in terms of an orchestra and let me translate that into dollars for the production company. Then I make up a formal budget that includes copying, orchestration, and the cost of the studio, his engineer, cartage and rental, the musicians- everything, even payroll taxes. Every possible cost that could occur I submit to the producer. Also I determine, according to the number of minutes of music and the difficulty of the music, how many days we need. I begin to put together the orchestra based on Jerry's needs. He has a particular concertmaster, first-chair viola, and cello, so forth. The rest I choose, and I want only the very best players. I go ahead and start booking the orchestra once budget is approved. I'm always at the sessions making sure that everything goes well there. Eventually, the contracts are prepared for the production company by my office at the close of the last day of recording. We coordinate everything back and forth with the music library, so as the music comes in; we can let everyone know what's required. There's a lot of coordination work involved: if you don't take care of business you could end up on a stage with either the wrong instrumentation or players who don't have what they need.

When contracting for Jerry, what is your greatest challenge?

If he's thrilled with the orchestra, then I'm thrilled. The greatest challenge was on Air Force One. These sessions were called a t the last minute. It was not only a scramble for Jerry to write a score with not time and do it brilliantly, but there was very little time to put this together. Normally, Jerry will call me easily six weeks ahead of scoring, and at the very least, a month ahead. Here, we had two and three days, sometimes four days notice to try and call huge sessions. We had to go at night and on the weekends in order to get great orchestras.

What kinds of qualities does Jerry look for from the musicians who are hired for his dates?

If collectively they are respectful in terms of being quite while he's talking, giving direction, and maybe changing notes, and if the quality of the musicianship is there, I think that's his primary concern. It doesn't hurt if somebody is also a very nice person and someone with whom he can have a little repartee during the course of the sessions. Jerry has never come to me and complained about the personality of any particular player. He's a very easy man to get along with.

In all the times that you've worked with him, can you recall a memorable moment?

During the Rudy sessions. I was breathless. It was the last cur of the movie. When we finished the orchestra went crazy, went wild. They gave him an ovation that was like nothing I've ever seen and they wouldn't stop. He was touched to his core by it.

What are your future plans?

I hope to continue to raise the level of respect for the musician s in this town, and providing orchestras of the highest quality is the way to do it. It's really important that film composer are respected. Now, film composers are looked at in a whole new light and are appreciated much more. Alex North in his lifetime didn't receive the kind of respect and admiration that he would have had if he'd been working in this field today. I also think that the musicians never were accorded the kind of appreciation and respect for what they do. I don't' think there are musicians anywhere in the world that have the versatility of the Los Angeles musicians. They have a certain sensibility about what they do and get it right away. It all comes together here-I think it's thrilling.

Hope this helped.