This is the fourth part in a series following my process of composing music for a short film. I’ll take you along on the creative journey with a specific real-world example, from conception through festival premiere. At the end of the series, see the finished product and listen to the full score!
This fourth installment will focus on finding the core instrumentation for the score, what I call “voicing.”
(more…)This is the third part in a series following my process of composing music for a short film. I’ll take you along on the creative journey with a specific real-world example, from conception through festival premiere. At the end of the series, see the finished product and listen to the full score!
This third part will go through the initial script breakdown, and we’ll build an initial attack plan for the cues needed.
(more…)Aside from a select few, most film composers are not household names. You probably know their music, but not their names or the other films they’ve worked on. In this post we’ll look at one composer in particular, Mark Mothersbaugh. He has had a long and varied career, and has written a lot of fun, beloved film scores.
(more…)When you think of famous film composers, how many women are in your list? Probably not many, maybe none. That’s a shame, because there are a lot of great female film composers (both past and present). In a male-dominated industry, it’s important to call out some of the women who deserve some of the spotlight.
(more…)Who knows? Maybe your favorite film was scored by a woman and you didn’t even realize it.
Depending on your background, film composing terms can seem like a foreign language. Even if you have a strong musical background, you’ll encounter unfamiliar jargon that is unique to scoring a picture. Learn these 17 common terms so you can talk the talk on your next project.
(more…)The film composer / film director collaboration can make or break a project. It can also make or break your future success with a career in composing. Know what to expect and have ways to approach the creative process. You can put these tips into action right away for a better composing experience, and ultimately a better soundtrack.
The key is to think of the director as a creative ally, not an obstruction.
In the end, you are both working towards the same goal: to make the best film possible.
If you’re just starting out as a film composer, you may be intimidated by the sheer number of options available for setting up your studio workstation, and the price tag involved. Studio gear costs can seem like a huge hurdle to composers who are just starting out.
However, you can build out your studio rig with professional gear no matter your budget – even if that budget is $0!
Read on for options available to you at different DIY price points.
(more…)Check out this video posted by Vanity Fair where they interviewed the composers for “Stranger Things” on Netflix. There are some really interesting tidbits in here, and the way they fell into being film composers just goes to show that if you do what you love, anything can happen.
Follow the link below!
How does a concept like efficiency tie in to composing music for a film? Writing music is a creative pursuit, and for most composers, the more time they can spend in that creative zone, the better the final product will be.
Being efficient in this context means maximizing your time in the creative stages of the project, and minimizing your time on things like logistics and technical issues. Having a well-designed music composing workflow is the key.
If you would ask most film composers, they would probably say they got into this career because they loved music – not because they wanted to get rich. And in general, that’s probably the best reason to get into any career. Being passionate about what you do makes “work” feel less like work.
But if you’re trying to make a living off of composing film scores, one of your first questions is, “is it even possible?” What is a typical film composer salary? Like many industries, there is a huge range of possibilities. Read on to see how much composers get paid for working on different types of projects.
