Daily Film scoring bits
Welcome to the Daily Film Scoring Bits. On this page I post on a more or less daily basis 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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Ghostwriting
It happens from time to time that you’re asked to ghost write for someone else, which means that you transfer your authorship to someone…
Harp – Interlocking Hands
Unfortunately, the Harp is not covered in great detail in many orchestration books, leading learning composers and orchestrator to believe that there…
Streamlined Working Environment
Keep your working environment streamlined and focused. Many people like buying all sorts of gear or sample library they can get their fingers…
Stylistic Diversity in One Film
Even though the genre of film music allows a pretty wide variety of stylistics close to each other without feeling weird there are definitely limits…
Be Aware of Reel Changes?
Many books on film scoring mention to avoid having any music over reel changes. Not too long ago when most film projection was done analog…
Creative Disagreement
Working for somebody doesn’t mean that you have to agree with him/her all the time. Don’t be afraid of arguments when discussing about the path…
Written Out Warm Ups for Brass
On longer cues that incorporate the brass only briefly and only on some sections of the cue, it is easier for the players if you help them with…
Marking Scores During Recording Sessions
In recording session situations, it is crucial to keep an overview over which parts of a cue are already covered in a good take and which parts still…
Composing Melody First vs. Composing Chords First
Neither composing chords first and then finding a melody on top of them nor the other way around are optimal composition principles. In both ways you’re…
Emotional Manipulation
Remember that music has the power to manipulate emotionally and therefore alter the perception and eventually opinion of the audience. Very often this…
Being Available All the Time
The feeling of needing to be available for customers all the time and at any hour can be really health damaging. The fear of missing a…
Interpretation Discrepancy of Articulations
For a learning orchestrator, score sheet studies on classical works might become quite confusing considering the notation. Quite often, the performances…
Limits of Orchestral Mixing
Be realistic about what is achievable in a professional mix and what not. Especially on orchestra recordings where the whole orchestra has been…
Musical Contrasts
Musical contrasts can be a great device to write exciting music. Music that puts contrasts next to each other like soft/loud, low/high, solo/tutti,…