Creative Art Central Film Scoring Mentorship Application Details
Places in this course are likely to be competitive and are based on the following.
1. PREREQUISITES Applicants are required to have experience using a DAW such as Logic Pro or Protools or equivalent. They do not have to have film scoring experience but must be able to navigate their chosen DAW. *NOTE for those that aren't familiar with these programs, please enter and let me know so I can support you in getting set up.
2. PROOF OF CENTRAL COAST RESIDENCY and DOB Ensure you submit a copy of your drivers licence / I.D. / student card / photo card etc
3. WRITTEN PERSONAL STATEMENT Please write a one-page outline of why you want to study film composition, and your key objectives for taking part in this course. Include some points on what you hope to learn.
- You may include information such as your personal history, your goals and ambitions, and where you see yourself at the completion of this program.
- You could also explore the following questions: How would you define your creative musical voice? What kind of films connect with you and why? Do you think film music matters? Why? How do you collaborate (or want to collaborate) with other creative practitioners?
Email application, contact details to me: aarontrew@hotmail.com
Application Template
Your Name
The Date
Your Address
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
Dear AJ True,
I wish to be considered for your composing for film course.
PREREQUISITES
- In this section please speak about your DAW (Logic/Protools/Ableton etc) and your home studio set up. *NOTE for those that aren't familiar with these programs, or those that don’t have a home studio, please let me know. If you have access to a computer/laptop, what kind, what is your experience with it etc.
PROOF OF CENTRAL COAST RESIDENCY and DOB
- In this section upload a copy of your drivers licence / I.D. / student card / photo card etc
WRITTEN PERSONAL STATEMENT
- There is no set format here, you may wish to answer the following questions or create your own. Please provide your objectives and what you hope to achieve in this course so I can better accommodate you and modify the content to suit.
I want to study film composition because…
My key objectives for taking part in this course are…
During this course I hope to learn…
My personal history…
My goals, ambitions and where I see myself at the completion of this program…
My creative musical voice is…
The films I connect with are… because…
Film music matters because…
I collaborate (or want to collaborate) with other creative practitioners in the following ways…
When participating in this workshop I’m looking forward to sharing with the group…
LINKS
You may wish to send links to your previous works
Kind Regards,
Your Name
Course Structure and Learning Outcomes
- Delivery is online via Zoom, these will be recorded for you to revisit or view in your own time should you miss a tutorial.
- There will be meet and greets in person where you can engage with other students, local musicians and myself.
- As part of the course students will be scoring short films, TVCs, trailers etc
- Following the course, there will be a screening and presentation night showcasing the work.
Upon completion of this course, students will:
- Create their own score/scores to short films and TVCs.
- Learn the complete production process from pre-production, recording, mixing, and editing music to picture.
- Have a body of work which they can add to their archives for their own use in the future.
- Sketch and compose stylistically appropriate music to suit a short film.
- Receive feedback on their work and have the opportunity to make changes to cues.
- Orchestrate music using appropriate instrumental tone colors and voicings
- Create and edit temporary and final sound track recordings to picture for a complete media work.
- Create orchestral mockups and electronic scores using current sequencers and sample libraries.
- Record and mix scores and music stems using current software and hardware. (The winning scores will be professionally mixed for the screening).
- Have experience of attending a screening and the opportunity to participate in the Q&A as often happens at film screenings.
During this course, students will:
- Be immersed in the creative and logistical process of scoring a film.
- Develop their technical skills to master technology: including the DAW, Sample Libraries and Synthesisers
- Learn how to be efficient and compose, mix, and produce high-quality music with their computer.
- Evolve their orchestration skills and learn the specific demands of orchestrating for screen music.
- Learn everything involved in a recording session: from composing and part preparation to music editing, producing, and communicating with your team
- Learn how to analyze music for the screen
- Work on their collaboration and networking skills and learn how to plan and prepare for demanding projects
- Analyse the dramatic arc of a musical score for a film
- Apply legal knowledge, business acumen, and marketing techniques to the operation of a small business
- Receive a business plan template created specifically for a composer.
- Learn how to collaborate and communicate with directors, dealing with temp scores, learning how spotting sessions work, incorporating themes and variations, and overcoming creative roadblocks.
- Learn the process of recording cues in a recording studio with live musicians.
- Learn about the role of agents, managers, and lawyers; making the most advantageous deal; the role performing rights organisations such as APRA AMCOS in the collection of public performance royalties; and the responsibilities and procedures in collecting royalties for their work.
- Learn brand-building and study the philosophy of building a brand as a film composer or as an assistant for another composer, and you explore the role of social media in the promotion of their brand.
Learn and practice collaboration, team building and managing the work of others, communicating with directors and producers, and working with contractors.
- Have the opportunity to hear from industry guest speakers (one director and one film composer), as they share their expertise in these various areas and supplement extensive discussions and exercises.
- Gain an understanding of and learn to emulate current compositional techniques and their enhanced possibilities of expression. Very often composers are asked to compose music "sounding like" that of the major composers today.
- Study recent film scores and their harmonic, melodic, and textural language of well known current composers.