SoundTrack_Zurich - in the heart of the Zurich Film Festival
It's only been a few weeks since the merger of SONART and SMECA, the professional association of Swiss media composers. One of SMECA's most important activities was SoundTrack_Zurich (STZ), which is taking place for the third time this year as part of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF).
Following the great success of the first two editions of the STZ, the networking platform for Swiss media composers Forum Filmmusik, with President Pierre Funck, will take over the sponsorship of the third edition of the STZ at the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) in 2022. The previous sponsor SMECA will remain a cooperation partner and sponsor of the STZ via SONART.
At the heart of the ZFF
In close cooperation with ZFF, Tonhalle Zurich, ZHdK and SoundTrack_Cologne, the leading European event for film and media music, a two-and-a-half-day industry gathering on film and media music is to take place again in 2022 as the central European business platform for the film and media music industry in Switzerland at ZFF 2022. Among other things, the ZFF will provide rooms in the Festival Center and the NZZ Lounge for this purpose - STZ has thus arrived right at the heart of the festival.
Goal: Networking and new orders
"The focus is on networking Swiss and European film composers with ZFF film guests and the international film industry, as well as initiating new commissions for Swiss and European film composers," says Michael P. Aust, Head of SoundTrack_Zurich. STZ thus places a clear focus on networking, initiating commissions, establishing contacts and professionalizing film music composers as well as film and media producers, media music users and clients.
One of the central networking events is the Business Mixer Lunch presented by Swiss Music Export and SONART on Thursday, where STZ participants will meet ZFF film guests and the directors and producers of the ZFF Academy. A matchmaking event is only open to women in media music - it is organized in cooperation with SWAN, WIFT and the American AWFC.
The successful colleagues: Best practice
STZ will present important film composers from Switzerland and abroad over two days at the ZFF in two parallel strands and 30 individual events; it will also address current issues affecting the film music scene in workshops, discussion panels, lectures and case studies. A further workshop and an IMMSANE meeting of the university scene will take place on the third day at the ZHdK. Swiss composers will be at the forefront.
An industry in transition
STZ asks and answers fundamental questions about the current status quo and searches for market access and new ways of (self-)marketing and networking that can be found off the beaten track, but whose seriousness and viability are difficult for individuals to assess without in-depth knowledge of the market and the law regulating it. A number of events are therefore held in close cooperation with SUISA and Swissperform.
Established artists and service providers are also affected by the current upheavals in the media sector. This is where the STZ comes in and helps to find new clients and customers or to open up alternative market access.
