We are lucky enough to feature for another in-depth, one-on—one interview an amazing Hollywood honcho. Film buff and music supervisor, the ever-so prolific and awesome Andrea von Foerster. Andrea’s credits include beloved independent films such as (500) Days Of Summer, From Prada To Nada, Bellflower, as well as studio films such as Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Chronicle, Chasing Mavericks, and Devil’s Due. Her television work includes Dollhouse, Stargate Universe, Don’t Trust The B In Apt. 23 and the Emmy winning Modern Family.

She sat down to talk to us about her latest project, the Keira Knightley-Mark Ruffalo romantic drama, Begin Again.

MJ: Tell us about your supervision of the music for Begin Again. What preparations did you make or have to consider when cutting the soundtrack?

AvF: I was brought on after the film had been shot and before reshoots. Initially the conversation was that most of the songs were original so we would only be placing a small amount of songs in a few keys spots. As with most projects that conversation evolved and we ended up with 28 songs in the film, 8 of them are original. But because we didn’t have a composer on the film, we used instrumentals of those original songs as score. Because the film is centered around songwriters, the soundtrack consists of the original songs mainly written by Gregg Alexander.

MJ:Tell us why you picked the following songs to as part of the film’s soundtrack? Which pivotal moments are they used in?

• Luck Be A Lady - Frank Sinatra
• For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder
• As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson
• Thinking About Your Love - Skipworth & Turner

AvF:When I was hired, I was told we would be replacing all non-original songs that were in the cut but we ended up keeping the songs in one key scene. The first three songs are in the montage of Greta (Keira Knightley) and Dan (Mark Ruffalo) roaming New York City with an iPod* and a splitter so they can share music with each other. Those were the director’s choice. John Carney had a very clear vision of what songs he wanted in that montage. So the struggle became trying to get those songs to fit our budget. After many months and a lot of negotiations with merciful licensors, we got our songs.

John originally wanted “I Found Lovin’” by Fatback for the record release party scene where everybody tries not to dance to an incredibly danceable tune. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to license that song within our budget so the brainstorming began for a replacement. John chose “Thinking About Your Love” by Skipworth & Turner and everything fell into place.

(I can’t remember if it’s an iPod or an iPhone. The last time I saw the film was in September 2013).

MJ: Who are your all-time favorite musical influences? Any favorite soundtracks or musical styles?

AvF: Asking a music nerd to be judged on a handful of all-time favorites when there’s such a long list is tough. I’m heavily influenced by good lyrics and a strong voice. I like gut wrenchingly sad songs but also over the top happy tunes. Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Wilco, Carly Simon, Radiohead, Sohn, Kwabs, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sharon Jones, Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Waylon Jennings, Paul Simon, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Jungle, Hozier, Chet Faker, Aloe Blacc Bear’s Den, Alex Clare, Rudimental, Sam Smith…now my head is spinning. There are too many. I lean towards Brit Pop, Scandinavian pop, electronic music (as wide reaching as the genre is these days – pop, dance, folk, etc.), Americana, jazz, R&B and most definitely soul music. Every project I work on lets me research more genres and subgenres of music and that’s one of my favorite parts of my job.

Some of my favorite film soundtracks are Trainspotting, Swingers, Pulp Fiction, 24 Hour Party People, Reality Bites, Boogie Nights, Goodfellas, Rushmore, Purple Rain and (500) Days Of Summer. (I know I’m not supposed to mention my own work but I’m really proud of that one).

MJ: How did you first develop an interest in music?

AvF: I don’t think my interest was developed so much as I was born with the love for music. For as long as I can remember music was either playing in the room I was in or it was playing in my head. In conversation if people say a line similar to lyrics in a song, I then have that song stuck in my head for hours. I wake up to music. I listen to music all day for work and pleasure. I go to sleep listening to music. Music is my first and longest love affair in life.

MJ: What sort of creative satisfaction do you achieve as music supervisors?

AvF: I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of finding music that fits the project and pleases all involved parties. Music supervision is an incredibly co-dependent job. Directors, producers, editors, writers, production companies and studios all need to like what’s going into the project and the songs need to fit your budget. So when you can find the song that fits the scene so well that no one can disagree and it fits your budget and if it’s a personal favorite…it’s a win. Some projects have allowed me to discover music I might not have known about otherwise. Like music from a particular decade or country. The research is a reward in itself, helping an artist get exposure, and introducing the audience to new music is incredibly satisfying.

MJ: Have you ever composed your own score? If so, how is it different from supervising music?

AvF: I can happily say I leave composing to the experts. I have a great respect for composers because they have to create something out of nothing. A score has to enhance but not overpower the film. I get to find existing songs from all time periods or have original songs created but I’m very much a conduit and a filter. I’m not the creator of music myself. The other part of music supervision is securing the rights to the music we use so I have to be creative and business minded. I like finding the songs we use in a project as much as I enjoy the art of deal making.

MJ: What are some projects that you yearn to do? Is there a film or project coming up that you’d kill to be a music supervisor for?

AvF: After music, film is my next great love. So much so that I studied production at USC film school. There are so many amazing directors that I would love to work for…Danny Boyle, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Baz Luhrmann, George Clooney…but I also really like working with newer directors. I’d love to do a superhero movie, a disaster film, a gut wrenching love story, a fun romantic comedy, a horror film. I’d like to work on some more music heavy films but I’m happy for every project that comes my way.

MJ: How do you feel about the criticism musicians face when transitioning from a performing artist to a music supervisor? How did you make the transition?

AvF: The world of music supervisors isn’t really all that big. Most of us came from other music jobs – labels, publishers, managers, booking agents, etc. – so it doesn’t surprise me if a musician wants to go into music supervision. If a supervisor knows the star is the project and not themselves, they’re good at finding music and they know how to clear songs, I don’t see why anyone should get heat for their former job. I started in the soundtrack department for live action features at Disney. We worked on Armageddon, Coyote Ugly, Simon Birch and High Fidelity. I then went on to work for three other music supervisors, two music publishers, two sync agents and a whole lot of music video and commercial work before I became an independent music supervisor.

MJ: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians and music supervisors? What specific pitfalls and traps did you encounter as you were working your way up toward success?

AvF: For musicians, know the business side of your job. You can’t just assume that “someone” will handle things for you or that they’ll handle things in your best interests. Pay attention to your own career. Read contracts. Ask questions. It’s your job, not a hobby.

For aspiring music supervisors, have a backup plan. Music supervision is a small world and it’s shrinking. Many people think supervision is just about having good taste and picking songs you like. It’s not. Supervisors don’t have final say on songs. It’s our job to find and present song options for as long as it takes to find what fits and works within your budget, negotiating the deals, doing the paperwork, compiling proper credits, completing cue sheets. It’s really detail oriented. It’s as much business as it is creative. If you want to do supervision, take any music job and learn everything you can. Then go somewhere else and learn everything you can there. The more you know, the more useful you are.

I didn’t know music supervision was a job. I thought I was going to work in film production but during college and after graduation I kept getting jobs that married music and film/TV. So I followed that course wherever it took me. I accidentally learned every facet of music supervision with each job I took. After years of working for other people and doing side projects, I finally decided to go on my own. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I’ve been lucky to be able to do what I love for a living.

MJ: What do you identify as “success”? Money, awards, recognition? All of the above?

AvF: Money is necessary because I have a mortgage and a dog to pay for. Awards are cool. Recognition is good to get more work and to know that people appreciate your contribution to a project. But success is working on great projects with great people using great music. I love entertainment and getting to see my name in the credits and knowing that’s there forever is pretty damn cool. Getting to work with directors, producers, writers, editors, and actors who I respect and admire while having some laughs and sharing playlists is amazing. I have a profound respect for the entertainment industry because for as many dreams as it may kill it also brings a lot of dreams to life. I used to watch movies over and over again with my brother in Indiana and dream of being a part of that process. I didn’t want to act. I didn’t want to direct. But I wanted to be a part of an industry that sparked the imagination, made people think and feel, to become inspired to do something. And now I get to be a part of that magic.

MJ: Are there any kinds of projects you will not work on as music supervisors? If so, what kinds and why?

AvF: I’m pretty keen on working on all types of projects. If there’s a budget and a need for great music, I’m interested. Unless the project involves the promotion of animal, human or environmental abuse in a real life capacity.

MJ: What do you think is right or wrong with most mainstream soundtracks and/or film scores? How would you change the industry to suit your talents and tastes?

AvF: Great question! What’s right with most mainstream soundtracks is finding the music that fits your project. What’s wrong is playing it safe. Don’t go for the same 12 bands everybody already knows because they’re hot right now. Go more obscure. Be more interesting. There’s so much great music in the world and not enough of it gets exposure because no one has heard it on the radio yet. Even if a project wants Top 40 music, throw in something unexpected and mix it up. It makes for a better and more memorable soundtrack.