Movie Composer Guidance System

Ever wonder how scores are put together for movies? Been thoroughly disappointed at the dearth of books on the subject? And the quality of the books you’ve been able to find?

This link is the MOTHERLOAD for anyone wishing to learn how to compose for film. Leave it to a computer technician to explain the process better than anyone else.

You do have to wade through everything about how to tell a computer to do it but it’s worth it.

Mazz where are you? Check this out!!!

http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/13924/

Highlights;

Music changes when new emotion or new subject of dialogue is present

When there’s a change of scene or new character introduced.

Camera movement

A new action

Reaction to a dialoge or event

Preference for short repeated motifs by some composers who focus on rhythms and chords

Music modified by whether it’s night or day, inside or outside, transition, location, dialogue and action as well as gender, mood, species, age and body size.

The music may also be written for items/props, locations and occurences. And may take into account increasing age and death of a character.

Music changes as a characters motivations are fulfilled.

Specific events are gain, loss transformation and introduction.

5th interval heroic

chromatic worry

(I would say the descending tritone often represents evil.)

Keys normally change either from major to minor or the reverse as well as cycle of fifths

If strings contain accents then it’s more probably to use brass instead of woodwinds

If strings are smooth then woodwinds a more likely coinciding choice.

Normal chord progressions apply such as IV I if more music is coming or V I if music is ending

If the rhythmic motions of bodies in a scene have determined that scenes rhythm and the next scene does not have any way to determine a rhythm then carry forward the previous rhythm,

If no previous music then a subsequent music’s rhythm is brought backwards.

If neither previous nor subsequent music exists for a scene then default is 120bpm.

2/4 beat is standard if composing based on short repeating rhythms and motifs.

There is a wonderful chart showing the likely hood of key progressions.

And weighting of instruments such as

6 for piano

5 for violin

5 for flute
4 oboe
2 guitar
1 trumpet

Low probability notes exist on low probability beats (weak beats and off beats)

Action Hero gets Strings with Brass in Major Key and Dotted rhythms.

minor fast strings equals dangerous tension

When fighting over a gun, when the hero gets it the music is major, when the villain gets it the music is minor.

Use musical transitions for segment changes

Homophony simple

Polyphony complex

Melody covers notes of the chords

Sitar In Southeast Asia

There is a style of music that sometimes utilizes the sitar in Indonesia. It's called Kroncong or Keroncong. It originally consisted of a bowed rebab fiddle, bamboo Suling flute and Sitar as well as the usual gongs and hand drums.

It comes from the 16th century. Sailors had Portuguese instruments and music which they brought with them on their travels. When the Portuguese music was combined with local elements it created Keroncong.

It was originally associated with the lower class. Recently it has evolved into a style that uses electric bass for the gong, electric guitar to replace the sitar, violin to replace the rebab, drum kit to replace the kendang drum, etc…

About The Music

I compose music because its a big part of myself. If I don't put something on paper and play an instrument everyday, I will get cranky. Now, when I'm composing music, I start with the big picture and I mean really big.

In talking about it, it quickly veers into politics, sociology and the philosophy of religion. I ask what I'm trying to communicate. I'm usually trying to communicate something mystical, transcendant, infinite, communal and/or abundant.

I try to recreate a feeling of the mystical, transcendant and infinite through the use of drones, chimes, gongs and finger cymbals, and through the use of rhythmic cycles. I also try to create a sense of transcendence by including techniques and instrumental timbres foreign to my own roots of rock, jazz, classical, guitar, sax, violin and piano.

As far as the music communicating or, better yet, actually building and strengthening ties between community members, I try to write music with at least a few easy parts so that anyone, even children, can also participate and I try to have a high tolerance for change and diversity based on the needs of other people playing with me. However, even I have limits. I would like to create music for people's daily activities or at least tied to utility somehow such as when two people make love, exchange massage or good conversation.

I'd like to explore more dance and rave music. Sometimes, I try to mix quartal jazz piano voicings (because its good for minor and pentatonic music)