eBook2nd Edition (2nd Edition)
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781617133886 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hal Leonard |
| Publication date: | 02/01/2009 |
| Series: | Reference |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 328 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Second Edition xiii
Section 1 The Creative Process 1
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Music for Film 5
The Door: Shaping the Overall Character of a Film Score 5
Before the First Note: Thinking About Music 6
Hitting the Spot: Putting Music Cues in Their Place 7
Making a Subtle Entrance: Beginning a Cue 9
'The Hit: Underscoring Crucial Moments 10
Continuity and Contrast: Sustaining Interest with Variations in Tone 10
Economy: When Less Is More 11
Transition: The Composer's Response to Changes 12
Tempo: The Pacing of the Score 14
Graceful Exit: When to End a Cue 16
Style: Is Film Music Different from Other Kinds of Music? 17
Case Study: White Squall 18
Chapter 2 Music for Television 27
Doing TV: Music for the Small Screen 27
A Case of Homicide: Scoring a Network Cop Show (on Short Notice) 28
Changing Channels: Chicago Hope 34
Title Music: Intro Music for TV Shows 40
The Main Theme 41
Chapter 3 Developing a Style 47
Critique: Learning by Doing 47
Watching Movies 50
Flexibility 53
Film Music: Voxels, Walking, and Chewing Gum 56
Over the Top: Melodramatic Music 58
The CD is in the Mail: Analysis of a Problematic Demo 60
Workshop: More Thoughts on Demos, Plagiarism, and Conservative Choices 62
House of Style: Cultivating a Unique, Identifiable Sound 66
The Art Film: Walking on Eggshells 69
Chapter 4 New Directions in Scores 77
Found Sound: Improvising and Misfit Sounds 77
Contemporary Scoring: The Electronic Score 78
The Art of Documentary: Scoring a Nonfiction Film 83
A Thousand Roads 86
Looking Forward:Film Music for the Future 90
Conclusion 93
Perspectives: John Williams, Carter Burwell, James Newton Howard, Wendy and Lisa (aka Wendy) Melvoin and Lisa Coleman) 94
Section 2 Technology 107
Introduction 107
Chapter 5 Setting Up a Studio 109
Staying Ahead of the Curve: How Much Gear Is Enough? 109
Computers: Essential Operating System Savvy 110
Sequencers: The Most Important Thing in Your Studio 111
Samplers: An Orchestra (and More) at Your Fingertips 114
Synthesizers: An Arsenal of Electronic Sounds 115
Effects: Improving What You Have 115
Synchronization: Making the Parts Work Together 116
Mixing: The Art of Balance 116
Putting It All Together 117
Is It Enough?: Spending on Your Studio 121
Getting a Studio Tan: The Importance of a Comfortable Workspace 124
Chapter 6 Writing the Score 127
The Paper Tiger: Generating a Printed Score 127
Conduct Yourself Accordingly: How to Control an Orchestra 134
Sounds Just Like the Real Thing: (Until You Listen to the Real Thing): The Synthetic Approach to Orchestration 138
General Notes on the Character of Orchestral Sound 139
Winds and Brass 141
Strings 141
Percussion 142
Harp 143
Putting Things Together 144
Loop the Loop: The Rhythms of Electronic Scoring 145
Organization: The Unique Language of the Cue Sheet 147
Sync Up 150
When Your Music is Married to Film 150
Playback 150
Timecode 151
Delivering Your Final Mixes 153
The Etiquette of Real Changes 153
Chapter 7 Recording the Score 155
Working with Actual (Not Virtual) Musicians 155
The White Squall Recording Sessions 156
Keeping the Musicians in Time 156
Making the Transition from Home Studio to Pro Studio 157
Recording the Orchestra 158
Making Repairs 160
Tracking Completed 160
Editing and Mixing White Squall 163
On to the Dub Stage 165
Samples Run Through It: Creating Samples and Loops for Mark Isham 166
Walk like an Egyptian: Working with Exotic Musicians 169
In the Mix: Beyond Stereo to Surround 172
Smells like Team Spirit: The Music Editor 174
Sounds Good to Me: The Film Score Mixer 181
Perspectives: Hans Zimmer, Mark Isham, Basil Poledouris, Marc Shaimen 187
Section 3 Career 201
Introduction 201
Chapter 8 Beginning a Career 203
How Do I Get Started in Film Scoring? 203
Live Where You Work 204
How Important Is a University Music Degree? 204
Windows of Opportunity 205
Apprenticing with a Successful Composer 206
Ghost of a Chance 207
The Demo 208
The Makings of a Good Demo 209
Genre Showcase 209
Melodies: Concise, Focused, and Memorable 210
Variety: The Spice of a Diverse Sequence 210
Plagiarists Need Not Apply 211
Including Appropriate Material 211
Your Demo Reflects Your Abilities 212
Credits Where Credit Is Due 212
Be Yourself 213
Judging a Book by its Cover 214
Online Demos 214
The List: More Advice on Getting a Start in the Film World 214
Learning by Doing: Ten Things I've Learned from Other Film Composers 218
Agents: Having a Representative on Your Side 222
Chapter 9 Career Challenges 225
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark: My First Score for Live Orchestra 225
Sizing up Needs 226
Working on a Tight Schedule 227
At the Studio 229
Making the Producers Happy 230
Fired: When Bad Things Happen to Good Composers 232
Letting Go: Two Examples of How Not to Deal with Film Producers 236
So, Are You Up to Speed?: How to Get a Lot Done in a Very Short Time 240
Explaining Impossible Deadlines 241
The Politics of Dancing: The Diplomacy of Scoring 244
Other Peoples' Problems 245
Someone to Watch Over You: The Lawyer 246
Who Are You: Are You the Right Person for the Project? 247
A New Director, a New Relationship 248
On the Other Hand 250
Chapter 10 Making a Living 253
Dollars and Sense 253
How Composers Make Money Fees, Packages, Licenses, and Royalties 254
Calculating Expenses 256
Sweetening the Pot 257
Royalties and Performing Rights Societies 259
Who Pays the Composer? 262
Television Music 264
A Few Other Opportunities 265
The Musicians Union 266
Contracting Music Groups: An Interview with David Low, Music Contractor 267
Agents of Change: An Interview with John Tempereau, Composer's Agent 272
Songs for Films: An Interview with Chris Douridas, Music Supervisor 277
The Executive Suite: An Interview with Robert Kraft, Film Studio Music Executive 283
Conclusion 294
Epilogue The Day the Earth Didn't Stand Still 295
Appendix Thinking in Reel Time 300
Resources 305
Index 309