Curriculum

1. 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:

Decipher the assignment and the “demo brief.” Consider the clients’ expectations. Analyze their “style guides.”
“Research & Development”: listen to similar soundtracks, review the syntax & style of this “genre.”
Distill and narrow down musical elements relevant to this project.
Gather your ‘building blocks’: sample libraries, instruments, plug-ins, ideas. Does this demo call for a hybrid score? Electronic score? Traditional orchestral score?
Compose dozens of ideas. Discard many of them.
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

2. HARMONY, RE-HARMONIZATION & COUNTERPOINT.

Harmony, counterpoint, modulations 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: Sarah Schachner – Anthem video game (Thematic development)

Harry Gregson Williams – The Martian (Making Water) (counterpoint, thematic contrast)

Joe Kraemer / Penka Kouneva – Pandora, Ralen’s themes (re-harmonization)

Penka Kouneva – Solar Flare (inspired by Ebrietas – Bloodborne: thematic development), Chime Sharp game

3. RHYTHM, METER & TEMPO

in Media Scoring. Score a 1:15 street fight to picture (Limité).

Analysis: Penka Kouneva – NASA “Heroes and Legends” Theme park – Gemini 8

Ludwig Gorannsson – Oppenheimer – Can you hear the music?

Steve Jablonsky – Skyscraper, Red Notice soundtracks – action cues

Alexandre Desplat: The Secret Life of Pets 2

Steve Jablonsky – Gears of War 2 – soundtrack

4. THREE-DIMENTIONAL ORCHESTRATION, TEXTURE, ARRANGEMENT.

Score a cue – choose one clip (ENC Uber driver, Genius doc, 3M TV spot).

Analysis: Neal Acree Overwatch Dragons

Steve Jablonsky – The Tiger’s Apprentice animated feature

James Newton Howard – Red Sparrow

Austin Wintory – Abzu video game

Acree/Tuller – Animal World feature film

Penka Kouneva – Storming from H-Hour video 1^st person shooter; Wagner Die Walküre

5. FORM: classically-inspired forms & syntax in media scoring

FORM: classically-inspired forms & syntax in media scoring

Analysis: Justin Hurwitz – The First Man – #31 The Landing

Carlos Rafael Rivera – The Queen’s Gambit

Jessica Curry – Everyone’s Gone To The Rapture video game

Bear McCreary – LOTR The Rings of Power S1 Amazon

Bernard Herrmann – Psycho

Lolita Ritmanis – Blizzard of Souls (period drama war film)

Borislav Slavov – Divinity: Original Sin 2 video game

Kouneva – Forest from TWA

6. FORM: pop & rock-inspired forms & syntax in media scoring. COMEDY genre.

FORM: pop & rock-inspired forms & syntax in media scoring. COMEDY genre.

Analysis:
Neal Acree – Revelation fantasy video game
Thomas Newman – Elemental (Animation feature film)
Mark Orton – The Holdovers (comedy)
Mark Orton – Twelve Mighty Orphans (Americana)
Zimmer / Balfe / Slavov – Crysis 2 video game
Kouneva – Dragon Age: Absolution Netflix animated series

7. ANALYSIS OF GENRES: DRAMA.

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 & Pandora Ascension).

Analysis: Sharon Farber – Brainwashed documentary

Nathan Barr – House With Clocks In Its Walls

Alexandre Desplat – Eiffel

Christopher Young – The Core soundtrack

Anthony Willis – Saltburn OST

8. ANALYSIS OF GENRES: HORROR & THRILLER.

Tropes & musical signifiers.

Score a 1:00-2:00 Horror-SciFi cue to picture (ENC Magnetic play or Applewood Book Reading).

Analysis: Bear McCreary – 10 Cloverfield Lane

Marco Beltrami – A Quiet Place #1 and other Beltrami scores (orchestral design)

Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans – The Gift

Drum & Lace – Cobweb

Penka Kouneva – Legends of Runeterra – Shadow Isles; Applewood

9. ANALYSIS OF GENRES: SciFi, FANTASY, SUPERHERO.

Score a 1:15-1:30 cue to picture (choose from SciFi OR drama theme – PAN sizzle, G5 game, AoC game).

Analysis of genres: tropes & emotional signifiers.

Analysis: Atli Orvarsson – Silo Season 1

Marco Beltrami – Hellboy

Benjamin Wallfisch – Shazam

Steve Jablonsky – Ender’s Game

Gareth Coker – Ori and the Will of Wisps

10. ORIGINALITY & INNOVATION in media scoring.

Analysis: Hans Zimmer Dune

Hildur Gudnadottir – Joker

Stephanie Economou – Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken

Neal Acree – World of Warcraft Shadowlands

Johann Johannsson – Arrival

Blizzard – Diablo 4 OST