about
In honour of Asian Heritage Month, VAFF is proud to present a full day Sync Summit focused on the behind the scenes of music sync and licensing, and how music creators can land successful sync placements. The day will conclude with See Us, Hear Us 2.0 – a live music celebration featuring an Asian-Canadian lineup at The Portside Pub in Gastown.
Date: Friday May 23, 2025
Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (Sync Summit)
Location: 732 Richards Street, Vancouver, BC
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm (Live Music)
Location: The Portside Pub, 7 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC (See Us, Hear Us 2.0)
overview
Are you a music creator who would like to get your songs synced to film, TV, and commercials? Join us on Friday May 23, 2025 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm for a full-day program presented by industry professionals who specialize in music synchronization. Over the course of the day, we will take you through the process of successful sync placements through the lens of industry professionals including music producers, label execs, music supervisors, and sync agents. Participants will get an in-depth look into how songs are chosen and pitched for placement, receive small group mentorship from speakers, and connect with other music creatives.
The Sync Summit will be held at Chotime Productions (732 Richards Street, Vancouver), located on the unceded territories of the the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. To conclude the day, participants, speakers, and the greater community are invited to an evening live music celebration at The Portside Pub from 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm.
The cost to register for the Sync Summit is $55 (plus Eventbrite fees), and includes a ticket to the live music celebration at The Portside Pub at Gastown at that evening. Participants are expected to attend the entirety of the Sync Summit.
We invite all music creators (including songwriters, music producers, artists etc.) who self-identify as of Asian descent* to register for this Sync Summit using this Eventbrite link. The capacity is 35 participants, accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For questions, please email aimmusic@vaff.org and put it in your safe sender list.
*Asian Descent includes East Asia (including People’s Republic of China [incl. Hong Kong], Macao, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan), Southeast Asia (including Myanmar [Burma], Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Timor-Leste) South Asia (including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh) or West Asian-Canadian (permanent resident or citizen of Canada only) (including Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen).
Connect with us @VAFFvancouver #VAFF #AIM2025
#SeeUsHearUs
details
Get your tickets by clicking here.
Q: Do you require specific qualifications to attend the Sync Summit?
A: This event is meant to serve participants who identify as of Asian* descent. We welcome all music creators (e.g. songwriters, music producers, topliners, artists, instrumentalists) who are interested in learning about music synchronization and writing/producing original music for visual media to attend. We also welcome any accompanying or independent industry team (e.g. managers) to attend.
Q: Is this applicable for composers?
A: Composing/scoring is a slightly different process than music sync in our context. However, if you are a composer that wants to learn about music sync outside of scoring, please feel free to attend.
Q: Do I have to attend the whole day?
A: As the programming is curated to show the pipeline of music sync, we require that ticket holders attend the full day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm to make the best of the opportunity. Our speakers are also graciously giving us their time and knowledge with both their panels and mentorship sessions. The ticket includes access to the show at The Portside Pub which, although optional, is highly recommended for networking and coming together as a community to celebrate Asian Heritage Month. If you are not able to attend the full day, please email us at aimmusic@vaff.org to discuss your situation before purchasing a ticket.
Q: Can I bring my manager, agent etc.?
A: Yes, they must have their own ticket.
Q: Will food be provided?
A: We will have light refreshments at the Sync Summit, but no full meals.
For all AIM3 Sync Summit Enquiries, please contact us at aimmusic@vaff.org
important dates
DATE | day | time | info |
|---|---|---|---|
Friday | May 26th, 2023 | 11:59pm – PST | Application Deadline |
Sunday | May 7, 2023 | 12:00 am PST | AIM Music Industry Day at Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre |
MEET THE PRESENTERS
Music producer, Songwriter
Troy Samson is an international Gold and Platinum songwriter and music producer who helps artists maximize their commercial impact while maintaining their artistic integrity. Based in Vancouver, Canada, Troy aka “MADLUCKY” has co written, toplined and/or produced songs with NERVO, Ben Nicky, Armin Van Buuren, Nicky Romero, W&W, Fedde Le Grand, MOTI, Thomas Gold, Marc Benjamin, Simon Ward, The Strumbellas, Kelly Rowland, Smash Mouth, Snoop Dog, Pam Grier, Trevor Guthrie and SoulDecision, Olivia Penalva, Alessia Labate, Maggie Szabo, Reliant Music, Maria Alonte Music and Media w/ Big Machine, MNRK Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Universal Music, Sony Music, Nettwerk Music Group, Protocol Music, Sentric Music, Stomp Records, CTM Music and many more.
His co writes and productions have also had successful sync placements with brands such as Calvin Klein, Nikon, Reebok, The NFL and many more, as well movies/tv shows including “One Of Them Days” (Keke Palmer / SZA), Bad Moms (Mila Kunis), The Voice (UK), Love Island, Sunset Strip, Hallmark and many others.
Prior to being published through Madlucky Music, which Troy founded in 2012, he was published with Nettwerk Records and Kobalt Music. From 2002 to 2011, he co-founded and co-owned HipJoint Music.
Director, Licensing & Music Publishing Admin, MNRK Music Group
Ben Chan is the Director of Licensing and Music Publishing Administration, who helps to oversee and handle various catalogs at MNRK. He has worked in the industry for over 17 years, starting his career in the field at Last Gang Records. Today, with a catalog that still includes Last Gang, as part of the record label and publishing company, he pitches, negotiates, and licenses music for film, television, video games, and soundtracks, along with any new media platforms that become available.
Music Supervisor, The Wilders
Tiffany Su is a Taiwanese-American music supervisor whose love for music began as a classically-trained violinist and pianist, and listening to ’60s and ’70s records with her father. After graduating from USC’s Music Industry program, Tiffany joined the film & television licensing team at BMG Rights Management, negotiating sync placements on behalf of their songwriters and artists. In 2019, she joined the in-house music team at Hasbro/eOne as Director of Music Supervision, and oversaw a range of award-nominated productions. Since 2022, she has been part of the award-winning team of music supervisors at The Wilders, helping establish their Los Angeles operations. At The Wilders, Tiffany has been at the music supervision helm of a diverse roster of film, TV, and podcast projects, with recent credits including The Wedding Banquet (Bleecker Street), Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (Lionsgate), Clown In A Cornfield (Temple Hill), SkyMed (Paramount+), and IMPACT: Atlanta (BET+). Upcoming credits include Altar (A24) and Wayward (Netflix)
Music Supervisor, The Song Rep
Sian O’Byrne’s passion for music and the entertainment industry started early, leading to her graduation from the Arts and Entertainment Management program at Capilano University, which put her in the right path with invaluable experience at her internships with The Song Rep and Nettwerk Music Group.
After graduation, Sian continued to work with The Song Rep, and a few months later with Nettwerk Music Group as well. Involved in both music publishing and label duties, Sian received a well-rounded understanding of the music industry from Nettwerk, while in turn applying her knowledge to The Song Rep. She later left the Music admin world behind to pursue her passion for Music Supervision exclusively.
Over the years Sian has developed both Music Coordinator and Music Supervisor experience from various film and television projects, and developed outstanding relationships with professionals in both the music and film and television industries.
Music Coordinator, The Song Rep
Amy’s love for music started early on, specifically its ability to capture and shift emotions. She uses her sensitive nature and attention to detail to help directors convey the feeling they are trying to emulate …and not get sued in the process. After several years of practicing dental hygiene, Amy followed her passion – in 2021 she completed her studies in music supervision with Berklee College of Music and relocated to Vancouver from the Edmonton area in order to pursue work in film and television. She has been working as a music coordinator with The Song Rep since 2022 and has also taken on independent music supervision work on indie short films. She can frequently be found taking in live music around Vancouver on the evenings and weekends.
She is an associate member of the Canadian Guild of Music Supervisors.
Co-Founder, Wave Pool Sync
Adrienne LaBelle is the Co-Founder of Wavepool Sync, a sync licensing agency based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, colonially known as Vancouver. Wavepool is dedicated to championing independent artists and helping them to build sustainable careers by representing their songs for sync licensing opportunities, helping to place their music in films, television, advertising, and beyond. Adrienne first got involved in the sync world via Mint Records, where they co-managed the label as well as the sync licensing department. During their time at Mint, they helped to secure placements for Mint artists in popular shows such as Yellowjackets and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, as well as indie films Door Mouse and Infinity Pool, to name a few. Since moving on from Mint, Adrienne has joined forces with Hasan Li to create Wavepool, a new sync agency looking to grow and build lasting relationships with artists, composers, and music supervisors alike.
Ovation Law
During a more than 35 year long legal career, Jeff has negotiated with entertainment and media corporations including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Virgin, BMG, ABC/Disney, Sony, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and Warner/Chappell. He acted as the Director of Contracts and Chief Negotiator for the Union of BC Performers, and was a legal consultant to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on entertainment and digital media issues.
After 10 years practicing corporate and real estate law – during which he acted as counsel on one of the largest business immigration cases in Canada, which ultimately won at the Supreme Court of Canada – he switched to entertainment. This reflected his life-long love of the entertainment industry, which he participates in as a film composer and music producer.
Jeff has acted for and advised award winning recording artists and leading film and television performers, representing international, local major, and independent film and TV clients. Companies that have received his legal work include Fox Family Channel, the OutTV Network, The Vancouver Whitecaps, Shavick Entertainment, and the Shaw Rocket Fund.
Jeff is passionate about helping creative clients understand their legal rights, and speaks widely at industry events. He has also taught film law and new media law at UBC and BCIT, and was the founding head of the Entertainment Business Management Diploma Program at VFS. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the UVic Law School.
HOST
From colonial Hong Kong to the unceded and ancestral lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səl̓ílwətaʔ peoples, Stephanie Wong (she/they) is a multidisciplinary artist whose emergent curiosities focus on the connective powers of live performance, immersive experiences, and creative technologies. As the Producer at Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and the Associate Artistic Director at re:Naissance, their advocacy is rooted in radical softness and collective care. In the last 4 years she has produced multi-venue festivals, operas, theatre productions, and creative incubators, platforming hundreds of equity deserving professionals. She has created new hubs for cross-sector collaborations, provided skill training for emerging artistic producers, and reimagined the possibilities of live performance through unconventional venue activations. Moving fluidly between mediums and disciplines, Stephanie believes that storytelling allows us to hold the complexity of our world, explore our interconnectedness, and co-create kinder, more nuanced futures.
Community Supporter
Grace Chiang, Lead Producer
Kristina Lao, Consulting Producer
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We are grateful to live and work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We thank the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities that have cared for Turtle Island since time immemorial. With this acknowledgment, we remind ourselves of discriminatory, racist and colonial practices that have and continue to create barriers for Indigenous peoples and communities across Turtle Island.
Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2024. All Rights Reserved.
