Daily Film scoring bits
Welcome to the Daily Film Scoring Bits. On this page I post little tips, tricks and advices about film scoring in general but also more specific topics like orchestration, composition, working relationships, business advices etc.
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“Col Legno” on Strings
A quite interesting sounding and more commonly used special playing technique on string instruments is the so called “col legno”, which…
Technical Skills for a Film Composer
Quite a few composers who want to work for film reject to work on their technical skills. Very often an argument like “John Williams got to where he is…
Relevance of Ear Training for Composers
Even though it might not seem necessary directly for composition, ear training is one of the most important things for a quick composition workflow…
Rewriting Cues Due to Re-Cuts
Rewrites of cues due to re-cuts of the movie are very annoying but unfortunately quite common. If the edits are not as drastic (like trimming…
Exaggerating Your Portfolio
When being new in the field of writing music for media and not having a lot of references and jobs that you have done, trying to get a gig…
“Epic” Low Horns
Recent years have shown a tendency in film music to write more often for brass in their very low register. Especially horns are often requested…
Remote Recording Sessions
Many orchestral recording facilities/studios/services offer the possibility to do a remote session either via Skype, Source Connect or another form…
Working With Chord Symbols
Even though it is not necessary at first sight and might take a considerable amount of time, especially when you feel insecure in this, make…
Working Around Songs and Source Music
Many movies nowadays don’t only contain score music but also songs that are usually not written by the score composer but licensed. Also, the places…
Paying for Job Offers
There are quite a few people and companies who try to make money from the fact that the market for media composers is extremely crowded and…
Highest Note in a Chord
In well balanced orchestral chords consisting of several instrumental colours (e.g. a chord that is orchestrated in the woodwind section) the…
Good Samples vs. Bad Orchestras
On low budget movies, composers often try to squeeze the last penny out of their budget and try to get amateur or student orchestras involved to record…
First Statement of a Theme
When composing a piece, present your main musical idea for the first time in the clearest direct and most unobscured way to your audience so…
Anticipating Hit Points
One of the most overlooked things by learning composers is the difference between a hit point that can be anticipated by the audience and…