The composer responsible for the iconic score of HBO’s “Succession” has done an in-depth interview with Vanity Fair explaining his music and creative process. Check out the video and my thoughts below.
(more…)A midi controller is essential for the DIY film composer. You don’t need a huge studio (or huge budget) to add one to your toolkit. There are many small midi controllers that pack a ton of features into a small form factor. In this post, I review my favorites so you can pick the best one for your project.
(more…)The Akai Fire is the first hardware device custom-built for FL Studio. It features a lot of user-friendly integrations that make the DAW experience better. But, it may not be the best tool for a film composer to invest in. Read my full review below.
(more…)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…)There are a ton of options when it comes to choosing the best music software available to composers today. It can be overwhelming to choose the “right” one. At the end of the day, the best choice is the software package that allows you to be the most creative. The less barriers between your imagination and the music, the better. And, the best software packages can even inspire you to try new things and compose music that is truly unique.
**UPDATED June 2019 to reflect new versions and features of the software**
(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…)This is the second 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 second part will take you through my process for collecting and cultivating inspiration specific to this project.
(more…)This is the first 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 first part will introduce the project specifics and lay out the details I considered before deciding to tackling it.
READ MOREDIY Film Composer will go on a brief hiatus for the next few weeks as I work on a new film project.
I am composing the music for a short film that is slated to get a festival premiere in the spring. As I craft the score, I plan on documenting every step along the way. Then I will share the experience here in a series of in-depth DIY posts that walk through the entire process. Hopefully you’ll be able to learn from my workflow (and my missteps).
Stay tuned, great things are coming!
Following up on part one, this article walks through how to build and play elements of “The Apprehension Engine.” The original, as made by Mark Korven and Tony Duggan-Smith, is a work of art. It’s a single instrument with various ways of creating fear-inducing sounds. I’m not trying to duplicate their design, but instead illustrate how my favorite elements work. Building your own DIY instruments will bring a unique flavor to your film music. Using this guide will hopefully spark your creativity when working on your next film score that requires bone-chilling atmosphere.
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