Tim Kulig is a composer of over 30 years. He’s building a 2,000+ catalog of music beds in numerous styles to provide for free, with attribution, to creators of social media, movies, television, and new media. In addition, Tim also champions the royalty free / creative commons space of music creation, and is building a social media platform to help creatives in all spaces navigate the proper usage and credit across platforms. Finally, Tim has been a movie producer for almost 20 years, with titles like VHS Massacre, VHS Massacre Too, MacLeod, American Expendables & Video Dreams. He has focused the last decade on documentary, endeavoring to educate about the decline of physical media, the importance of independent film, and art for the sake of art. He is relentlessly passionate about authenticity, bootstrapping projects that are pure and from the heart, and helping beginners to advanced productions enhance their end product with his sonic creations.
How many years have you been a judge?
1-3 years
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Scoring a low-budget film. It taught me that I’d rather build a catalog that people resonate with and have them come to me then be put in a repeated cycle with a client of revision and compromise to my end-product music. Music to me isn’t a product to be tailored to the client, it’s an expression of notes and sonic experience that emulates from inside me. It is my voice when words escape me. It is the visceral, raw state of being that emerges when you stop talking and start just doing and letting creativity flow.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
All the films mentioned in my bio above.
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
Committing to being independent in film and music while building a brand and making a name for myself. It’d be quicker to work with or team up with a high-profile production company in either space, but the compromise would be to my creativity and end-product. Getting eyes and ears on my independent movies and music are also both challenges from and independent artistic position. I’ve had to find creative ways to promote and build community and brand – more engaging, personal and intimate, I feel it creates far stronger fan connections and a feverishly loyal following where you can get it.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
Production value in the finished product, even if I haven’t seen or know the techniques. A polished, finished look. Good quality audio and a message that’s clearly conveyed and not too busy on screen.
How do you unwind from work mode?
Exercise, video gaming, movies (crazy, right?!), writing music – wait, I see an infinite loop here…
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
I wear every hat – I’ve done that for decades, and it fits my personality. It also allows me to see the 1,000 foot and micro-level details of my working space, giving me varied perspectives on how to solve problems and communicate value.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
A 30-year retrospective documentary called “Video Dreams” and a pilot for a TBD series.
