User:David Boering/sandbox

Brief Summary
Spotting notes are a type of paperwork that is generated by a music editor prior to the composition of a film score (written by a film composer). Spotting notes are very useful to members on both the music team and the filmmaking team, as it will confirm what needs to be done, or accomplished, musically. After a spotting notes sheet is drafted, it may be passed around to various team members, which may include, but is not limited to, producers, directors, editors, and engineers.

Spotting notes is a term derived from the notes taken by the music editor during a spotting session. The music editor will transcribe the director’s and composer’s discussion of the mood, placement, and sound for any potential music while viewing a cut of the film. After the spotting session, this information will then be organized and compiled into a spotting notes sheet.

Spotting Notes Information
Spotting notes may contain some or all of the following information about each cue:

1. Cue Number (ie, “1m1”)

2. Title

3. Start time code (SMPTE)

4. Ending time code (SMPTE)

5. Overall length

6. Types of usage (underscore, source, etc.)

7. Description of the scene

8. Some notes from the spotting session (“director’s notes”)

Note that the purpose of a spotting notes sheet is not to include all possible information about every single cue; instead, the goal is to provide a clear, concise document that will help the post-production crew and composer work toward a common vision, and to remain organized throughout the project.

Example of a Cue Sheet
framless|Example of a spotting sheet from the tv show, "The Simpsons".

Related Documents
Note that a spotting notes sheet is not synonymous with a summary sheet, although a summary sheet may be generated using some of the information from the spotting notes. Summary sheets do not contain as much information as spotting notes, but instead provides an overview of the cues used within a film.

Also, spotting notes are not the same as timing notes (ie, “cue sheets”), which provide much more information than spotting notes, and are used almost exclusively by the composer. Says [Anonymous] (Professor, Berklee College of Music):

"“Generally, the term 'Cue Sheet' is in fact synonymous with what we at Berklee call 'Timing Notes'."

"“The reason why we decided years ago to de-emphasize the term 'Cue Sheet' [as meaning ‘Spotting notes’] is that music licensors such as ASCAP and BMI also refer to their paperwork (what we call a 'Music Clearance Log') as a Cue Sheet. Dubbing Mixers also refer to the 'Dubbing Log' as a Cue Sheet on occasion. So I would encourage [others] to not use that term, except for where they are talking about Timing Notes - and there, I would say that they ARE the same document.”"