In Conversation with MAFS UK Season 10 Promo Director, James Brown

Can you talk us through the recent Married At First Sight Season 10 Promo you have worked on - what was the brief and how did you approach it?

The brief was to showcase the 18 singles in all their finery, whilst highlighting the romance and fun, and whip up anticipation for the new series. The creative we came up with was to ask the audience to 'Get ready for MAFS'; to literally show the new brides and grooms getting ready for their big day. And to give the spot a backbone, we wanted to cut these getting ready moments to the rhythm of the classic wedding theme, Here Comes The Bride.

Traditionally, however, Here Comes The Bride is a very slow and simply produced track, so we approached Universal Production Music to see if they could do a new bespoke arrangement, with a faster tempo and a fresher production.

The team at Universal Production Music were great, and before long we had a sparkly new version to cut to. After submission, we received feedback that we should depart even further from the regular tempo, and have the track get faster and faster, and then introduce some drums - all to add to the frantic commotion of the brides and grooms rushing to be ready. Universal Production Music once again rose to the occasion and supplied a new track that worked perfectly, and it was a real treat to be able to work with bespoke music that had been specially created for the project.

MAFS has become Channel 4’s most-watched commercial streaming title. Are you a fan of the show and will you be watching the new UK series?

I am a fan! Mostly, it must be said, of the Australian version, but now I've been introduced to the UK contingent, I doubt I'll be able to resist settling in for the 30+ episodes to come...

 

When working on promos, how do you balance creativity with the need to convey a clear message about the show?

A promo is there for one reason - to sell a show, a film, a season, whatever, so the most important consideration is always to have a clear message. The creativity comes by finding a weird, dramatic, emotional, shocking or funny way to communicate that message.

 

How important is music in shaping the tone and energy of a promo?

Hugely important! You can have the most amazing visuals but if the music / sound isn't right the whole thing will fall flat. Music is the best way to get tone or emotion across as it sneaks into people's heads without them realizing, so it's a promo director's best tool. And if you get the music right, then the edit and your shot choices are informed by it and the whole trail becomes better.

 

Why do you like using Universal Production Music for your promos?

Universal Production Music has been my go-to library for many years. I think the quality of the music is high, plus the wide range of styles and genres is indispensable.

 

Are there any features or services you find particularly useful on the website?

I like how accessible everything is. I usually start by searching my preferred Universal Production Music albums and playlists but will often use the Similarity Search tool, and if there's a track I really like, I'll also search by composer, which often leads me to more quality options. If I've used a commercial track for an edit, but also need a library version for social cuts, I can use the Similarity Search tool and highlight the BPM, so I know a replacement track will still broadly match my existing edit's cut points.

 

What advice would you give to junior editors looking to break into the industry?

Keep editing! Watch how movie trailers and music videos are being cut and look out for themes or new styles. Make your own fan-made trailers or edit a short film; anything to hone your craft. And never scrimp on the sound - people will accept dodgy visuals but never bad sound. As an example, look at the main trailer for 28 Years Later. Hear what makes it unusual, and a standout trailer, so different to all the other identical 'wallpaper' ones on YouTube.