Search our site
Search our site

Professional and Live Aspects of Composing for Film and Television

  • Module code: MU7009
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 7
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: None
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

The module allows the student to develop further understanding of a range of professional roles undertaken by media composers /composers for F&TV within a more industrialised context. The teaching and learning experience of the module introduces the opportunity to work with live musicians, composing and arranging for a small instrumental ensemble and conducting their performance to the moving images, in a state-of-the-art modern recording studio environment. The student will also be required to engage in post-production mastering and mixing, to achieve a fully professional result. A degree of recording theory and practice is included, which will present information from professional sound engineers, composers and producers. Module content also includes in-depth study of real-world aspects of composition, production and exploitation of music in the media. The assignments set reflect these areas of study - for example, dealing with project management, copyright and budget issues.

Aims

  • To develop the student's ability to be creative in a commercial context, working within a budget and understanding the fundamentals of relevant copyright law;
  • To develop the student's skills in composition and arranging as applied to writing for a small live instrumental ensemble performing to picture;
  • To develop professional, personal and time management skills, focusing on how to work as part of a team within a creative environment;
  • To explore disciplines associated with composing to animation and CGI.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  • Compose and professionally produce a variety of pieces of music to picture, to emphasise the creative versatility of the media composer
  • Construct a comprehensive and accurate budget to enable the production of a film score;
  • Demonstrate a professional understanding of the business and legal issues involved in writing music for broadcast.
  • Write imaginatively for the given instrumental group;
  • Demonstrate knowledge of orchestration techniques for working to picture in the context of the given ensemble;
  • Create an accurate score and parts for others to perform at sight;
  • Self-critically analyse the composer's role from beginning to end of the process.

Curriculum content

  • Constructing and controlling a budget
  • Copyright law
  • Management of musical resources (to include the development of pre-production and time management skills, and the optional use of other student musicians to help play and record compositions within a notional budget)
  • Music for animation: historical and contemporary perspectives, and the evolution of associated technology
  • The recording session; understanding the key personnel and their roles in helping the composer achieve the best result
  • Creating and using professional level masterscores and individual charts
  • Auditioning ‘demos'
  • Applying conducting and listening skills
  • Contemporary recording practices and the challenge of capturing "the take"
  • Post-production mastering and mixing
  • The nature of the live ensemble may change from year to year
  • Analysis of applied musical techniques - for example, the production of library music and music for advertising campaigns
  • Composer case studies

Teaching and learning strategy

This module will be taught through lectures, seminars and workshops as well as through a series of wholly practical sessions conducted within a professional recording studio. These involve the auditioning of demos and the proof-reading of scores by the group, as well as demonstrations of contemporary recording practices.

Lectures introduce the subject matter (e.g., copyright law).  Workshops provide practical demonstrations of techniques.  Seminars provide the opportunity for follow-up discussion, for analysis and critical evaluation of music listened to and for the provision of formative feedback on independent work.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Lectures, seminars and workshops 33
Guided independent study 267
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

The assessment for this module is designed to test the students' understanding of the requirements of being a film and TV composer in a commercial environment, of project management, copyright and legal issues, and of creating music to picture to be performed at sight and recorded by a live ensemble. The module will be assessed through two assignments, consisting of compositions to picture of approximately 8 minutes duration in total. A 1500 word written commentary will accompany each assignment. A budget and project plan will also be submitted with the first assignment.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
1) Compose and professionally produce a variety of pieces of music to picture, to emphasise the creative versatility of the media composer Assessed summatively through the compositions
2) Construct a comprehensive and accurate budget to enable the production of a film score Assessed summatively through the budget submitted within the written documentation
3) Demonstrate a professional understanding of the business and legal issues involved in writing music for broadcast Assessed summatively through the written commentary.
4) Write imaginatively for the given instrumental group Assessed summatively through the score.
5) Demonstrate knowledge of orchestration techniques for working to picture in the context of the given ensemble Assessed formatively in feed-forward seminars and summatively through the score
6) Create an accurate score and parts for others to perform at sight Assessed summatively through the score
7) Self-critically analyse the composer's role from beginning to end of the process Assessed summatively through the written commentary

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
Coursework Composition to Picture and Commentary on Budget 50
Coursework Composition for Live Ensemble and Commentary 50
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module

Bibliography core texts

Baxter, G. (2005) Music Copyright: in Film & Television. Richmond: Medialex.

Karlin, F and Wright, R (2004) On the Track: a guide to contemporary film scoring. 2nd edition, New York: Routledge.

Smith, J. (1998) The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music.   New York: Columbia University Press

Sonnenschein, D (2001) Sound Design: the expressive power of music, voice and sound effects in cinema. Studio City, CA: Weise Productions.

Bibliography recommended reading

Chion, M ed. and trans. Gorbman, C (1994) Audio Vision/Sound on Screen.

New York: Columbia University Press.

Frith, S & Marshall, L (eds.) (2004) Music and Copyright, 2nd editionEdinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Goldmark, D and Taylor, Y eds. (2002) The Cartoon Music Book. Chicago, Ill: Lancaster

Harrison, A. (2005) Music - the Business: the essential guide to the law and the deals London: Virgin.

Kenny, T (2000) Sound for Picture: film sound through the 1990s (2nd edition).  Vallejo, Calif: Mixbooks.

Northam, M & Miller, L A. (1998) Film and Television Composer's Resource Guide: the complete guide to organizing and building your business.  Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.

Massey, H (2000) Behind the Glass – top record producers tell how they craft the hits Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard             Corp.

Prendergast, R. M. (1992) Film Music: A Neglected Art New York: W. W. Norton.

http://www.leeandthompson.com/our-expertise/music/

                                               

Find a course

Course finder

Find a course
>