Scoring??

[jambredz]

Hey guys,
with all the dvxuser fests and compsers here i was wondering what the process is with scoring a film. I have no idea. One would edit the film and send the film to the composer with notes as to the mood that he would like to bring out in certain scenes? Or would the composer watch the film and score it based off what he gets from it? And another thing...the film is edited with no music? isnt that pretty wierd. its hard for me to edit anything without music.

If any of the composers see this...holla at me

Darren.

 

[Alex H.]

Hi, Darren.

Yeah... films are offlined without the final score. Sometimes, placeholder music that approximates the desired atmosphere may be used, but it will be stripped out and the composer will create something permanent to replace it.

 

[ChrisHurn]

Hi there,

Yep! Definitely send your composer a rough cut. The closer the cut is to the final cut, the easier it will become. Some things to consider:

- If you are doing some sort of chase scene and there is music that needs to be a bang on cue to the frame with lots of hits, then consider that in your cut. It may take the composer a while to resync the score on certain "hits" if you are changing the cut dramatically, so if possible it's best to send the composer a cut that is going to be fairly close to the final cut. This isn't always possible so as long as you let the composer know you are going to be fine.

Film scoring is a collaborative effort, so definitely attach notes to your rough cut. There is an extremely extremely low amount of directors who communicate well with composers. Especially in short films, and independent films. Don't worry about referencing certain instruments if you don't know - just talk about the mood. But same with acting - "make it sad and happy" is not something you can actually do. (hey - it's been asked many times).

Be open to the composers ideas of course, but if you have an idea - let them have it!! Tell the composer what sort of emotion, mood, or style you want. You could reference ehxample scores that you liked, or talk about te instrumentation and texture of a piece or score you want to emulate. If you have a good composer on your side, they will have plenty of ideas.

It's best to keep in contact with the composer and just talk about the score for a little while first, that will minimize your time later if the composer brings in something you're not happy with. This is called "spotting a film", where you just talk about the score and where cues should come in, etc.

Someone on these boards once said something to the effect of "I don't like working with composers because they don't always get me what I wanted". - If you want something changed, don't be afraid to say so. Composers know what they're in for when they take a score and if you challenge them they will work harder. They won't work hard for a director who gives minimal interest and accepts what they know to be second rate.

Some people put in temp music. I am against it. If I hear temp music I almost always end up emulating THAT instead of doing what is right for the score. Your composer might want it though so best just to ask them if they want it or not. In my opinion it's a waste of time putting in temp music, you might end up getting too attached to the temp score. Hey - you can edit with music, just cut it out before you send it to the composer (Unless they want it in there). Another reason why I don't like temp music is because if it's under dialogue, I have to mute that when I'm writing and I miss out on hearing the music under the dialogue! I like to hear how the music sounds under the voices, so if there's a temp score I can't test that out.

Hope that helps a bit. If you have any more questions let me know, be glad to help.

 

[jambredz]

very helpful indeed guys. thanks.

Chris...ever had a director that just gave u free reign to watch the film and score it how u'd do it THEN after he see's it makes suggestions to tweaks that he/she would like? I;m guessing this approach would more likely be for an indi film and someone you have a good relationship with.

 

[ChrisHurn]

Yep - it works well that way too. I have had people send something my way, totally free to do whatever. Just be sure to let the composer know if you want something specific. But feel free to leave it up to the composer if you think it's in good hands!

 

[jambredz]

coolness

Man, shooting films are so amazing....just all these different talents combining ....

thanks again

 

[unclebob6958]

...its hard for me to edit anything without music.

You should not edit with music unless you are doing a music video or you have already selected your music for a montage. Editing to music influences your pacing, meaning that the music you are listening to dictates the pacing of your editing and not the actual visuals themselves.

Another problem that I run into often is that the director falls in love with the temp music, and no matter how talented the composer or how great the new song the director is never satisfied.

Scoring is supposed to be supportive, enhancing the pacing of the editing in action scenes, supporting the emotions of the characters or setting a mood. As already stated your communication with the composer is key. Every project and the directors approach to that project is unique. The only thing that they all have in common is the spotting, the list that gives time codes for the start and end of the music cues. Otherwise the approaches vary widely. Sometimes the director has very explicit instructions for the composer all the way down to instrumentation and BPMs. The other extreme is to just give the composer the spotting list and say "Go!". What usually happens is that the composer and the director sit down with the film and do a walk-through/talk-through. As the film is run the director makes comments about the moods of the various scenes, the characters' motivations, "I want (or don't want) foreshadowing here", etc.

Pay attention to the way score interacts with films. In "Forrest Gump" all of the montages and most of the action are supported by (very carefully selected) period songs and Alan Sylvestris score supports/enhances the emotions. In the Pixar animation "The Incredibles" a conscious effort was made to emulate '60's era spy films. In "Music and Lyrics", about an 80's has-been musician, the score was based around the songs written for the film before shooting began. In "Scent of a Woman" lap harp and hammered dulcimer was used in the New Hampshire scenes to enhance the rural feel, the NYC scenes have a hint of "Rhapsody in Blue" for that big city feel and use a solo trumpet as a reference to Pacinos ex-military character. "The Godfather" score has an Italian mood to it.

Once again, communication with your composer is key; you have to know your film inside/out and be able to communicate your audio vision of the scores moods and pacing.