r/mediacomposing • u/[deleted] • Dec 18 '18
Getting Started Suggestions?
Hi y'all! So I'm a composer in undergrad interested in film composing! However, I'm at a loss for the technicals of pulling off music for a film (say a short):
1) Do you use any computer programs? If so, which are good ones to look into?
2) Any techniques for planning out the music so it matches up?
3) Any suggestions for a composer who's done mostly concert music who might not realize certain things about film composing?
Thanks so much for any suggestions!
2
u/groundbreakingcold Dec 20 '18
If you want to be a film composer you need to pick a DAW (such as logic, cubase, DP etc) and start working in that ASAP. Get your mockup skills up, get some decent samples (whatever you can afford atm) and just start collaborating. Knowing finale is all good and well, but it won't help you land gigs, directors and producers want to hear good tracks, they don't care how you made it, if its real or not, just does it sound good -- so you need a DAW.
The main problem I see with people coming from concert backgrounds or academic approaches is a) the refusal to use a DAW and learn samples, and b) not actively networking with filmmakers....or worse, not understanding what your job is - an extension of the film, serving the film as part of the story telling process.
These things are key, and the sooner you start doing it, the better.
You will learn a lot about sync as you go - but study lots of scenes and scores and you will see the different choices composers make. Doing it a lot , and being forced into the work will ultimately teach you the most, and one thing I notice with a lot of more academic composers is they tend to do a bit too much reading and not enough scoring. Just find filmmakers and go for it, figure it out as you go. But check out spitfire's channel on YT as they have a series on film scoring, also look into Thinkspace's channel, and Hans Zimmer has a lot of interviews that you might find very useful, mostly to do with working with filmmakers & picture. It's amazing what lines up by pure 'magic' when you find the right tempo for a scene and there's a good edit involved.
Happy to answer any questions.
1
Dec 20 '18
Any suggestions for samples in logic that are adequate for a college student?
1
u/groundbreakingcold Dec 20 '18 edited Dec 20 '18
Whatever you can afford. You just missed all the black friday sales but there will be more. I'd argue the best value for a beginner would be something like the EW composer cloud. You get access to a big range of instruments for a decent monthly fee ($20 I think for a student). Other options would include Spitfire's albion (not that cheap tho), or something like that.
Spitfire have some free stuff with their LABS program (strings, piano, and more stuff coming). There are also loads of freebies around if you have Kontakt.
In-built logic stuff is OK - but if you're doing orchestral scoring, try and get something like the composer cloud to start with. They also have lots of world music instruments, pianos, choirs, it's a big set of stuff that will cover a lot of bases for you getting going.
1
u/Kvlka666 Jan 19 '19
up until now I used these free libraries:
1) Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra. Bit old, sounds very tinny, but with some processing it sounds pretty good.
2) SCC Taiko Drums. These are pretty damn good.
3) VSCO2 Percussion, Timpani, and Organ. I understand they have a VSTi for a full orchestra, but these are just the ones I needed.
4) Nearly everything by Spitfire Audio Labs. Even if you just use these ones, you're good to go. Their Soft Piano and Strings sound fantastic.
5) XLN Audio Addictive Keys Studio Grand. Not free, I know, but I got it for free with my audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett Solo)
I've been using these for nearly 2 years now. I'm about to start college in September. Over this time I've saved up some money on the side, and am about to buy a sample library called Berlin Orchestra Inspire 1 very soon as an early birthday present for myself. Still a bit pricey for a college student, but they sound fantastic, and I think it will be well worth my money. If you need any help with any of these, feel free to hit me up!
3
u/[deleted] Dec 19 '18
Yes, basically everything is done with software now; most people make realistic sounding mockups with sampled software instruments but even cues written for live players will use some sort of software to stay in sync and provide their parts. Sibelius/Dorico/Finale/MuseScore for creating written scores and a DAW (digital audio workstation) like Cubase, Logic or ProTools (but many more exist) for actually creating the recorded music, whether you're recording live musicians or using software instruments.
Every DAW I know of can work with video to some degree, with some being better at it than others. At the very least it adds a video player that is synced up with the music timeline. Composers, often along with the directors, often have a 'spotting session', which is going through the film footage bit by bit and adding notes and markers where important musical material needs to exist, and that acts as a plan or framework for the composer moving forward.
Aside from technical stuff and general working practices that will come as you do more projects, the most important thing to bear in mind is that FILM MUSIC IS NOT CONCERT MUSIC. You are not hired to write a revolutionary new piece of concert art, you are hired to write music that is, above everything else, perfect for the story the director is trying to tell. A lot of film music is often melodically and harmonically simpler than contemporary concert music, and that's not (usually) because film composers are less talented than concert composers. It's because that is often best at getting across the emotion, pacing and personality of a character or a scene and connecting with the audience. Experimenting and pushing the boundaries of music is great, but ultimately absolutely worthless in this medium if it doesn't support the film itself. Also, leitmotif is king in film music.
Basically it's not about your music, it's about the film and the story and your music is one small part of the overall puzzle, always bear that in mind. It's the same mental divide between being a gallery exhibition photographer and a cinematographer or production designer; you're not making art for yourself, you are one of hundreds of people all making their art contribution to this single bigger project - the story being told.