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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Number of Revisions Limits
One of the most important things to do when negotiating a deal, especially on the “smaller” projects, is to limit the amount of revisions. A deal that…
Mood Killers in Scoring Sessions
An orchestra is not only an ensemble of different instruments but also a group of human beings. Psychological factors can influence the performance…
Tired Ears
If possible never deliver a final mix for important clients right after you finished working on it but rather sleep over it. Very often, when you work…
Two Bar Structures
Lots of music nowadays is very heavily orientated on structures that are multiples of two bars. Often themes are presented in an eight bar form which…
Finding the Right Tempo for a Cue
Getting the tempo of a scene right is one of the most essential parts of film scoring. Even the best music can be a disaster when it drags a scene or…
What is an A Orchestra?
When you’re on a tight music budget and still want to record an orchestra, it is a good plan to set up orchestral sessions with a so-called A-, B- and…
Bow Tremolo Stamina
While bow tremolos on the strings create a great shimmering or a very climactic effect, make sure to not write too long passages in tremolo. Especially…
Placebo Effects in Mixing or Mastering
Mixing and mastering has a lot of placebo effect potential and considering all the esotheric advices and approaches that some people advocate for on the…
Linear Bass Motion
Linear bass motion (or rather bass lines with strong melodic quality/voice leading) in general feel very attractive to the ear. Their power is actually…
Communicating With a Client
Don’t expect your director to have enough musical knowledge to be able to communicate in musical terms. Find a way to make communication with him/her…
Consequences of Unfair Business Behavior
Play a fair game. Ripping off people you work with is definitely one of the worst ideas. In the media world, reputation and the word of mouth are very…
Typecasting Composers
Typecasting happens quite quickly and is a very annoying situation for most composers or practically any creative person. Once you have a notable…
The Role of the Triangle
While there are many jokes about the triangle and its players, it can have a fantastic effect in an orchestration. Apart from the single hits that are…
Off-Screen Speakers in Movies
Consider that the understandability of dialogue or monologue gets worse when the speaker is not seen on screen. A big portion of understanding spoken…