OT: Film Composers..How do You Practice?

[aLfR3dd]

Hi,
just curious since i think it's difficult for all of us to have a Movie to score.........do you simply cut off the audio from a movie and compose your own music???

[davecos]

There are tons of areas to score original music. Lots of student filmmakers, amateur filmmakers (especially since the advent of YouTube and the internet), local t.v. stations needing some music, etc. It may take a little networking but that is better practice than the actual art of filmscoring.

honestly, I studied harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, basic music theory in university and networked amongst the film students to get some training. And this was done in the days before these fancy DAWS existed. I scored most of my projects using timings and click books. It wasn't fun but it got the job done. It also taught me to write music away from the visual distraction of the film. I watched the film a few times, took notes, and went away to write the score. then I would match it up against the picture and re-worked stuff as needed.

I effectively stopped scoring films in the late '90s before the computer/DAW age really became accessible to many. I have downloaded the occasional trailer from Apple Trailers and scored things like Letters From Iwo Jima because I thought the original score sucked but I actually don't like watching the film in a movie window while I compose. I find it too distracting and I develop a knee-jerk music style because I am reacting literally to what is happening rather than playing the sub-text of the scene.

Those are my thoughts. Not sure if they help you though! :)

[aLfR3dd]

Yes helped....thanks for sharing your experience.....i really think that being in a school with a strong Filmmaking Course would be the best......Ok yes ..Julliard is amazing..but for Film Scoring places like NYU will create the next Spielberg - Williams collaborations ........probably :)
Anyway i onestly never listen to all these tracks on several forums ...titled .."Film Cue" ecc since without the pictures they make no sense....just my opinion.

[StrangeCat]

do you mean how do you score? or how do you score for something?

Listen to as much music as you can and when you play games, watch movies ,or any media pay attention to the music.

There are always will be cliche's for a reason^_-

Doing music for something you'll want to come up with your own themes before you start the cues.

Just go do a short film for free you'll find out you will have to change stuff right to the end.

You wouldn't right the love song for something in a minor key with a big timpini Rhythmic pulse^_- LOL unless your composing for the lover about to strike you.

the music sets the mood for the event and feelings for the characters and place.

just because you scored something doesn't alwasy mean it's going to be great. here's an example:
I just checked out this OVA for this Anime Armored Troopers of Pailsen. (first Japan there is no underscore) ok the music to this sucked so bad I couldn't believe it! Not only was it so many different styles it also sounded cheesey out of place and didn't set the moods right, the music that did set the moods was pretty crappy as well. The OP and ED songs were also shiiii***

Go watch something(black an white movie) turn the sound off and try to score a few screens.

Ask yourself what kind of even is happening how do the characters feel before you start. if there hanging from a plank and about to fall 100 feet then you don't want some romantic strings in the background WHAHAHA:n:

[StrangeCat]

blaa duh it could be there lovers about to kill themselves then the romantic strings would work LOL
see what I mean man set the mood.

[Pingu]

blaa duh it could be there lovers about to kill themselves then the romantic strings would work

Nah, that's when you want to bring out the bagpipes, banjos and rapping mezzo.

[StrangeCat]

LOL! Dude that's Great!

[StrangeCat]

another scoring mistake or horrible choice in directing: Ever see the third pirates movie the one that Hanns Zimmer uses his new Orchestra Sample Lib with that new Sample Player they Developed? (check SOS for article)
in that movie there is a part with electric guitar! it's so out of place that if you were falling asleep or just not paying attention to the movie you will be zapped awake!
sure it's supposed to be this dreaming surreal atmosphere detached from the rest of the movie but for music directing and choice or timbre they through in that sound instead of anything else! Really was out of place.

[Schmandie]

another scoring mistake or horrible choice in directing: Ever see the third pirates movie the one that Hanns Zimmer uses his new Orchestra Sample Lib with that new Sample Player they Developed? (check SOS for article)
in that movie there is a part with electric guitar! it's so out of place that if you were falling asleep or just not paying attention to the movie you will be zapped awake!

YES! - I watched that movie 1 week ago and I had exactly that impression! Btw I think the whole movie is confusing... so the guitar fits in perfectly. ;-)

[PaulR]

[QUOTE=StrangeCat.... or just not paying attention to the movie you will be zapped awake![/QUOTE]

Why would you be paying attention to that in the first place?

If you want to 'practice' on a film - try The Birds. But listen to most of Herrmann's work first.

[StrangeCat]

oh I don't know maybe I really wanted to see how WOW that new Sample Player did with those new super voiced layer samples of his....then all of the sudden there is an electric guitar! LOL

Through the rest of the movie you wait to see if that damn instrument is going to pop up again somewhere, creep along a motif, or maybe just go nutze after a cressendo! you never know!
fft who cares about that silly female actress when there is an electric guitar somewhere in the score hiding waiting to Blare out a few notes!

[Rob Elliott]

another scoring mistake or horrible choice in directing: Ever see the third pirates movie the one that Hanns Zimmer uses his new Orchestra Sample Lib with that new Sample Player they Developed? (check SOS for article)
in that movie there is a part with electric guitar! it's so out of place that if you were falling asleep or just not paying attention to the movie you will be zapped awake!
sure it's supposed to be this dreaming surreal atmosphere detached from the rest of the movie but for music directing and choice or timbre they through in that sound instead of anything else! Really was out of place.



Nothing short of bum kissing politics. The Director played the guitar parts:D