-
Alex Flores
November 29, 2016
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
This San Diego-born, Mexico-raised, Loyola Marymount University post-graduate TV and film production major came to the U.S. in a broken-down car and worked her way up to become one of the most successful music synch executives in the business at BMG. Now married with two-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, Flores oversees the Synch teams on both coasts and works with BMG's worldwide teams to deliver unique opportunities to their artists. Among her team's high-visibility placements are a pair of compelling Cat Stevens spots, one using "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" for the Jeep Grand Cherokee "Free To Be" spots, the other "Miles from Nowhere" for North Face. She's also been responsible for placements for classic rockers such as Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and Nirvana. Flores had prior stints as a music supervisor under Mitchell Leib at Walt Disney Studios and Kathy Nelson at Universal Pictures before joining BMG in March 2012.
What is your background?
I come from a family of teachers and dancers. Personally, I took to the dancing side of things, as music was always a big part of my life growing up. My mom was raised in L.A., and I grew up listening to The Doors, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Blondie and Iggy Pop. At certain points in my career, I ended up working with all these bands in some way, shape or form.
Which explains your passion for matching images to music.
I originally came to L.A. to get my Master's degree and to further my goal to learn from the best in the industry and play with the big boys. Most of what I did for my graduate degree in film and TV production was music-driven. And it wasn't until I looked back that I realized how important music was in my life. Most of my classes were at night, so I took a 9-to-5 job at Blue Focus Management, an agency that represented film composers, music supervisors and editors. That's where I got my introduction to -- no pun intended -- "The Beautiful Dance" - that is music and film: how to create a score, the delicate balance between the worlds of business and art. That was my first step into the film and music world. After a few years at Univision Music Group, I joined Universal Pictures, then the Walt Disney Studios.
What was the transition like going from being a film studio music supervisor to synch licensing at a music publisher?
On the studio side, you're speaking directly to the filmmakers and the marketing teams, overseeing the films and trailers. I've been mentored by some wonderful executives such as Kathy Nelson and Mitchell Leib. This has given me an advantage now that I'm at BMG. I've been in those rooms and I understand their challenges.
How do you go about pitching a song to creatives?
Depending on what they are working on, sometimes they'll need to know what's coming down the pipeline, what we're excited about, what are our priorities. The supervisors are often looking for the next single to do a possible tie-in. Other times, they'll request music from a specific era, the '70s or the '80s. If it's for an animated movie, you have to make sure the artists and the lyrics are appropriate. You also need to be aware of who you're working with, their needs and taste in music.
The current trend is still very much remixes and/or covers of familiar songs that are instantly recognizable ... for example, an orchestral version of Aerosmith's "Dream On." Our trailer clients gravitate toward the element of surprise. We recently did an edgy, industrial remix of The Rolling Stones song "Gunface" (from "Bridges to Babylon"); we discussed it with the band, and they agreed to let us do it. I pitched the remix to one of my trailer clients, who then ended up cutting it into the promo for the Showtime series, "Billions" and another supervisor ended up using it in the TV show "Mad Dogs."
These older artists have no problem allowing their songs to be used in commercials now. It wasn't always like that. Jim Morrison and Neil Young wouldn't allow it.
You want to keep current. You want the younger generations listening to the music of the '60s, '70s and '80s. You want to be in these people's eyes and ears. The music in commercials now is very cool and hip; it goes along with the target audience they want to reach. And it's important that we're able to relay this message to our artists. We have a great synergy between our artists and our supervisors and we make sure everyone is comfortable each step as we go along. More artists are realizing that Synch is another source of income, a way to put your music out there, obviously, as long as the product doesn't oppose their beliefs. Some artists won't do spots about fast food or alcohol. We want to make sure our artists are comfortable with how their music will be used. It's important that there's transparency and information flowing both ways. At the end of the day, it's the artist's decision.
I've noticed, particularly on sports clips, that the song and the artist gets a chyron. Is that part of the negotiation process?
Yes, especially when it's a new band and the song isn't familiar; it's part of the discussion. Sometimes the budget is small, so a chyron can be negotiated. It's a promotional tool.
Which side of the table do you prefer-synch licensing or music supervision?
I like both sides very much. BMG has enabled me to grow as an executive and my mentors have given me the tools and support I need to get to the next level. On the studio side, I've always worked with heads of music who were very forward, out-of-the-box thinkers. They taught me to aim for the fences. I want to hit a home run every time I'm at bat. My bosses encourage creativity and I've been very lucky.
I'm also working with all our affiliates outside the U.S., so our reach is worldwide. We've been very successful at introducing foreign bands to the American market in trailers, promos, films, documentaries and sports. We've been able to recoup full deals with a single placement. It's great to have that as an extra tool in your back pocket, to be truly international. We're given great tools and terrific assets to work with in-house. We are equipped to give our clients exactly what they want. There's so much to do at BMG. The sky's the limit here. The fact that I get to work with the bands I grew up listening to is a privilege that I will never take for granted. I have the best team in the world. They're so smart and passionate. I'm blessed to be able to take this journey, and I'm humbled by the things I've accomplished.
What's next? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
[Laughs] I keep telling my boss, one day I'd like to be the head of BMG U.S. And then I add, "But not now." I'm all about growing with this company, seeing where we go. We're just getting started. One day, I want to be head of a music publishing company, someone young ladies can look up to and be encouraged by my path. I may even consider going back to a film studio later in my career. I wouldn't rule that out. But right now, I want to grow with my team, and give 120 percent every day where I am.
-
-