General

General News

Moving Forward

I started this site to be a resource for DIY film composers like me. I wanted to publish content that I wish I had access to when I was early in my journey. I haven’t been able to post in a while because life and work have gotten in the way, but I want to keep this resource alive.

It’s important to me that this site stays freely accessible. That’s why I’m converting everything to a Creative Commons license, removing all ads, and disabling monetization from affiliate links. I’ve also made the previously paid downloads free. I’m not going to write sponsored posts or promote products that I don’t genuinely endorse. It is more true to the original intent of the site.

Moving forward, I hope to post things that I find interesting or useful to the DIY film composer, or just the interested reader. If you find this site useful, feel free to build upon it and share it with others. I appreciate those who have supported me thus far, and hope to add more content soon. Thanks for reading!

By Admin / February 7, 2023
DIY General

It’s Mermaid Time: DIY Short Film Scoring, Part 4: Voicing

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.”

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By Admin / October 15, 2019
DIY General

It’s Mermaid Time: DIY Short Film Scoring, Part 3: Attack Plan

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.

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By Admin / June 27, 2019
Composers General

Mark Mothersbaugh: Film Composer Profile

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.

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By Admin / October 7, 2018
General

Female Film Composers

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.

Who knows? Maybe your favorite film was scored by a woman and you didn’t even realize it.

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By Admin / August 21, 2018
General Getting Started Tips

The Collaborative Film Composer – Working with a Director

Creative Composer Collaboration

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.

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By Admin / July 30, 2018
Gear General Getting Started Tips

How Much Does Studio Gear Cost To Start Composing Film Music?

Build Your Studio On Any Budget

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.

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By Admin / July 21, 2018
General News Video

The Composers Behind “Stranger Things” (Video)

Stranger Things Composers

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!

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By Admin / July 3, 2018