An In-depth course that covers the basics of the art, craft, philosophy, business, relationships, process, practice, and problem-solving of film scoring.
Chasing the Film Scoring Dream while Navigating The Real-Life Challenges of Starting out in the Indie/Low Budget World
Film music is awesome. I've been a huge fan of soundtracks ever since I was young, and I know that many, many other guys and girls out there share this dream of composing great music for amazing motion pictures.
But let's face it: while we want to start our careers on top with the big, lucrative projects, the reality is that beginners usually start at the messy bottom where the composer wears a million hats and money is scarce and so is the experience and artistry of your collaborators. Naturally it is more fun to talk about how life goes at the top of the film composing foodchain (Hi John Williams!), and there are many resources that go into the details of scoring films at a high-level, and these resources are important, because we want to dream big and go big places. But we don't start at the end of the dream, so what are the things that beginning film composers need to know about navigating the messy stages prior to that point?
This course is intended to especially help composers problem-solve and succeed in that messy early season.
But let's face it: while we want to start our careers on top with the big, lucrative projects, the reality is that beginners usually start at the messy bottom where the composer wears a million hats and money is scarce and so is the experience and artistry of your collaborators. Naturally it is more fun to talk about how life goes at the top of the film composing foodchain (Hi John Williams!), and there are many resources that go into the details of scoring films at a high-level, and these resources are important, because we want to dream big and go big places. But we don't start at the end of the dream, so what are the things that beginning film composers need to know about navigating the messy stages prior to that point?
This course is intended to especially help composers problem-solve and succeed in that messy early season.
In This Common-Sense Course You Will Learn:
- The Role of Music in Film and the vocabulary of Film Music
- The Role of the Film Composer
- The Role of the Director, and how to successfully relate to and communicate with him
- How to Build and Maintain Strong Collaborative Relationships with Filmmakers
- About Crafting your Career Goals and Priorities
- About Navigating Existing Job Opportunities
- About Money, Rights, Royalties, and Contracts
- How to Analyze the Story of the Film and Break Down its Needs
- How to Develop the Score (Musical Pre-Production)
- How to Compose Compelling Themes and Motives
- How to Have a Successful Spotting Session
- Critical Theory and Tips on Musical Placement
- How to Create a use a Cue Sheet
- How to Balance and Schedule your Scoring Workload
- How to handle Sync, Timecode, and File Management
- The Difference Between Scoring for Different Visual Mediums (Features, Docs, Commercials, Etc.)
- The Distinctive Musical Needs of Different Genres
- How to Plan a Cue and Score to Picture
- How to Hit Precise Timing Notes and Use the Tempo Track
- How to Deal With Temp Tracks and (gasp) Temp Love
- How to Balance Drama and Emotion
- How to Create Effective Underscore with Modern Tools
- How to Score Action, Comedy, Suspense, and Intimate Scenes
- How to Overcome Common Problems in the Film Scoring Process
- How to Overcome Common Low-Budget/Indie Problems
- How to Deal with Rejection and Redos
- How to Survive on a Deadline
- How to Successfully Prepare and Deliver Music Files
Included in This Course:
- 42 lessons (10 Hours total) of Practical Video Instruction and Demonstration (lifetime access)
- Extensive Course Notes and Written Lesson Assignments
- Personalized Instructor Feedback on your Scene-Scoring Assignment
- Video Files for Scoring Practice
- Cue Sheet Template
- MIDI files for personal Study
- Access to Private Forte Composer Academy Facebook support and fellowship group
- Complete Course Audio (listen in the car! yay!)
- Extensive Resource List for Further Learning
WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR
- Those with an appetite to learn and a desire to score films
- Those who have the inner drive to fuel their own music educations
- Those who already have the means and tools to create and produce quality music. (If You are not set up in this way, check out my course on MIDI and Virtual Instruments.)
WHO THIS COURSE IS *NOT* FOR
- Those who want a Quick Path To Success
- Those who want to Make an Easy Buck (lol)
- Those who are looking for In-Depth Business or Financial Advice (although some of that is discussed)
- Those who are looking for Legal Advice. That is what lawyers are for.
- John Williams.
What Other Composers Are Saying about this Course
Christopher Siu - Composer/Arranger
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
If you're not 100% satisfied with your course purchase, let me know within 30 days to reveice a full refund.
What's included?
42 videos
7 files
4 text files
Contents
Film Scoring Definitions and Fundamentals
Career and Business Matters
Score Pre-Production
Principles of Placement in Action: The Screenwriters
Scoring To Picture
Benjamin Botkin Scores a Scene from "Charade"
Finishing Up
Complete Course Audio
Additional Resources
