Curriculum
THEMES and THEMATIC DEVELOPMENT
Compose themes and “audition demos” for scoring jobs. Compose two 1-minute themes not to picture but to keywords, reference mp3s and concept (storyboard, “mood book”). Due the following week.
How do you go from receiving a Brief for a demo, to composing a theme, to delivering a fully produced, competitive mockup in 4-6 days (a typical deadline for demos on scoring jobs)?
Methodology:
1. Decipher the assignment. Consider the clients’ expectations. Analyze their “style guides.”
2. “Research & Development”: listen to similar soundtracks, review the syntax & style of this “genre.”
3. Distill elements relevant to this demo.
4. Gather your ‘building blocks’ (sample libraries, instruments, plug-ins, ideas). Does this demo call for a hybrid score? Electronic score? Traditional orchestral score?
5. Compose dozens of ideas, discard many of them.
6. Compose the specific theme and/or “musical signature” for this job.
7. Sequence, synthestrate, revise.
Analysis: Steve Jablonsky – Theme for Gears of War 2
Nathan Barr – Uncle Frank
Penka Kouneva – Claire Vick, Airplane
Neal Acree – World of Warcraft – Battle for Azeroth
HARMONY, RE-HARMONIZATION & COUNTERPOINT
Use harmony, counterpoint, modulations used for thematic development, variations, contrast, building a dramatic arc in a cue. Extend ONE of your themes from Week 1 also expanding it emotionally.
Analysis: Harry Gregson-Williams – The Martian (Making Water – counterpoint, thematic contrast)
Sarah Schachner – Anthem video game (thematic development)
Bear McCreary – The Rings of Power series, S1 Amazon – #6 The Stranger (reharmonization)
Joe Kraemer / Penka Kouneva – Pandora, Ralen’s themes (re-harmonization)
Penka Kouneva – Solar Flare (inspired by Ebrietas – Bloodborne: thematic development)
RHYTHM, METER & TEMPO
in Media Scoring. Score Pandora 201m32 (two tempos).
Direction: Suspense-action-aftermath-build to ActOut
Analysis: Penka Kouneva – NASA “Heroes and Legends” Theme park – Gemini 8
Ludwig Gorannsson – Oppenheimer – #2 Can you hear the music?
Steve Jablonsky – Skyscraper, Red Notice soundtracks – action cues
Alexandre Desplat – Western-inspired cues for Animation
Marco Beltrami – Knowing – #5 New York
THREE-DIMENTIONAL ORCHESTRATION, TEXTURE, ARRANGEMENT.
Score a cue – choose one clip only (ENC Uber driver, Genius doc, 3M TV spot).
Analysis: Neal Acree Overwatch Dragons
Steve Jablonsky – The Tiger’s Apprentice animated feature
Austin Wintory – Abzu video game
Acree/Tuller – Animal World action feature film
Penka Kouneva – Storming from H-Hour video 1st person shooter; Wagner Die Walküre
FORM: classically-inspired forms & syntax in media scoring
Watch Episodes 1, 2, 3 of Dragon Age Absolution on Netflix
Analysis: Carlos Rafael Rivera – The Queen’s Gambit
Jessica Curry – Everyone’s Gone To The Rapture video game
Alexandre Desplat – Little Women #22 Snow in the Garden
Bernard Herrmann – Psycho
Lolita Ritmanis – Blizzard of Souls (period drama war film)
Borislav Slavov – Divinity: Original Sin 2 video game
Kouneva – Forest from TWA
FORM: pop & rock-inspired forms & syntax in media scoring. COMEDY and ANIMATION genre.
Score a 1:50 cue to picture based on a conceptual brief, “style guides (mp3s) and an animatic (DAA Hira’s entrance). Watch Episodes 4, 5, 6 of Dragon Age Absolution on Netflix
Analysis: Neal Acree – Revelation fantasy video game
Thomas Newman – Elemental (Animation feature film)
Mark Orton – The Holdovers (comedy – Americana)
Zimmer / Balfe / Slavov – Crysis 2 video game
Kouneva – Dragon Age: Absolution Netflix animated series
ANALYSIS OF GENRES: DRAMA and DOCUMENTARY
Tropes & musical signifiers.
Collaborative techniques, implementing feedback, understanding “directorese.”
Getting out of a creative bind (“writer’s block”).
Score a drama cue (2 clips to choose from – Blue or Pandora Ascension).
Analysis: Sharon Farber – Brainwashed documentary
Alexandre Desplat – Eiffel (romantic drama)
Nathan Barr – House With Clocks In Its Walls (family, fantasy, period film)
Kris Bower – Origin – documentary
Anthony Willis – Saltburn (drama, thriller)
Christophe Beck & Matthew Feder – Arnold – documentary
ANALYSIS OF GENRES: HORROR & THRILLER.
Tropes & musical signifiers.
Score a 1:00-2:00 Horror-mystery cue to picture (2 clips to choose from: ENC Magnetic play
or Applewood Book Reading).
Analysis: Bear McCreary – 10 Cloverfield Lane
Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans – The Gift
Drum & Lace – Cobweb
Penka Kouneva – Legends of Runeterra – Shadow Isles; Applewood
ANALYSIS OF GENRES: SciFi, FANTASY, SUPERHERO.
Score a cue to picture (4 clips to choose from – PAN sizzle, G5 game, Ashes of Creation video game, P207m27)
Analysis: Atli Orvarsson – Silo Season 1
Marco Beltrami – Hellboy 2004
Gareth Coker – Ori and the Will of Wisps
Penka Kouneva – Elementerra VR game
Steve Jablonsky – Ender’s Game
ORIGINALITY & INNOVATION in media scoring.
Scoring assignment: revise and finalize all your demos written for the Masterclass. Polish and finalize your genre reels, your Introductory (“highlights”) reel, your website, bio and pitch letters.
Analysis: Hans Zimmer Dune (2021)
Stephanie Economou – Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken
Neal Acree – World of Warcraft Shadowlands
Johann Johannsson – Arrival
Blizzard – Diablo 4 OST
Hildur Gudnadottir – Chernobyl