On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring

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ISBN: 9780415941365 | 0415941369
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 1/8/2004

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On the Track offers a comprehensive guide to scoring for film and television. Covering all styles and genres, the authors, both noted film composers, cover everything from the nuts-and-bolts of timing, cuing, and recording through balancing the composer's aesthetic vision with the needs of the film itself. Unlike other books that are aimed at the person "dreaming" of a career, this is truly a guide that can be used by everyone from students to technically sophisticated professionals. Plus, it contains over 77 interviews with noted composers, illustrating the many technical points made through the text.

Foreword

xiii

John Williams

Preface to the First Edition

Preface to the Second Edition

xvii

Acknowledgments for the First Edition

xix

Acknowledgments for the Second Edition

xix

Introduction

xxi

How to Use This Book

xxv

I PRELIMINARIES

The Filmmaking Team

(12)

Meeting the Filmmakers

The Director

Communicating with the Director

Support and Guidance

Two-Way Dialogue between Director and Composer

The Producer

The Producer's Power

Communicating with the Producer

The Film Editor

The Music Editor

Music Executives and Supervisors

The Script, Meetings, and Screenings

(6)

The Script

The First Meeting before Screening the Film

The First Screening

First Cut, Fine Cut, and Assembly

The First Discussion after Screening the Film

Composing before the Film Is Finished

Role Models and Temp Tracks

(12)

Specific Film Scores or Cues as Role Models

Specific Film-Scoring Styles Used as Role Models

Specific Classical Pieces or Styles Used as Role Models

The Composer's Use of Role Models

Evoking a Role Model Inadvertently

Role Models and Plagiarism

Temp Tracks

Music Editors and Temp Tracks---How It's Done

Why Filmmakers Use Temp Tracks

How Composers Work with Temp Tracks

Spotting the Film

(18)

Talking It Over

Making Decisions

When To Use Music

Starting a Cue

Ending a Cue

Short Cues, Transitions, and Long Cues

The Importance of the Acting

The Director Communicates

Spotting Notes and Timing Notes

Changes in the Spotting after Scoring

Score Lengths

Budgets and Schedules

(12)

Cost Factors

Figuring Costs

Working with a Small Budget

Scoring Union or Nonunion

The Assumption Agreement

Working with the Contractor

Composing Fees

Budget Estimates

Time to Compose

Copying Time

II CONCEPTUALIZING

Developing the Concept

(38)

Characterization

The Central Character

The Single Dramatic Theme

Two Dramatic Themes

Ethnic/Geographic Considerations

Musical Styles

Combining Two or More Stylistic Elements

The Process of Elimination

Scores for Study

Demonstrating the Score: Mockups and Electronics

101

(10)

Electronic Mockups

Mockups for Communication

Changes

III TIMINGS

Timings and Clicks I

111

(10)

Free Timing

Using Clicks and Clock

Metronome Equivalents

When Timings Don't Sync

Requirements on Extremely Accurate Hits

Ritards, Fermatas, Accelerandos

Timings and Clicks II

121

(8)

Music Editors

Cut Back Cues and Split Chases

Tempo and Mood Changes within Cues

Meter Changes within Cues

Timings with a Calculator

Using Videorecorders, Digitized Video and SMPTE Time Code

Drop-Frame or Non-Drop-Frame?

Avoiding Confusion in Math Problems

Hardware and Software

IV COMPOSING

Playing the Drama

129

(50)

Audience Expectations

Don't Tip the Story

Tone

Main Titles

Whose Point of View to Play?

Playing the Overview

Playing What the Scene is Really About

Getting Inside the Character's Feelings

Playing the Environment or Location

Playing the Situation

How Intensely to Play the Drama

Less Is More/Understanding the Drama

Avoiding Emotion

De-emphasizing a Scene

The Power of Silence

Playing through the Drama

Phrasing the Drama

Hitting the Action

Highlighting

Red Herrings

Scoring the Film Like a Ballet

Underscoring the Dialogue

Scores for Study

Genres and Source Music

179

(10)

Genres

Action

Comedy

Documentaries

Historical and Period

Horror

Source Music

Interweaving Source and Score

Scores for Study

Composing

189

(8)

Creative Considerations: Work Process

Intuition and the Subconscious

Writer's Block

Preparation

Planning the Score

Organizing the Score

Unity and Variety

Research

Tempo or Pulse

Personal Taste and Style

Beginning the Sketch

Using Melody

197

(26)

Motifs

Multiple Motifs

Unaccompanied Melody

Two-Voice Texture

Giving the Melody Character

Adapting a Theme

Hit Records

Scores for Study

Using Harmony

223

(56)

Harmonic Languages

Harmony Resulting from Linear Writing

Harmonic Pedal Point and Ostinatos

Using Harmony for Characterization

Using Harmony as a Theme

Tension

Scores for Study

Using Rhythm

279

(18)

Tempo and Pulse

Sketching the Rhythms

The Percussion Section and Electronics

The Orchestra as Rhythm

Rhythm as a Thematic Idea

Rhythmic Ostinatos

Uneven and Changing Meters

Polyrhythms

Scores for Study

Using Orchestration

297

(36)

Characterizing the Film's Dramatic Theme

Suggesting Locale with Color

Symphonic Orchestration

Fresh Sounds and Interesting Combinations

Change the Color, Change the Emotion

Orchestral Effects

Small Budgets

To Orchestrate or Not to Orchestrate?

Sketches

MIDI Sketches

Transposed or Concert Pitch-Scores?

The Art of Orchestration

The Composer/Orchestrator Relationship

Orchestrating from MIDI Sketches

Using Synths and Orchestra Together

Typical Orchestra Setups

Know the Instruments

Short Cuts

Orchestration Schedules

Changes

Other Practicalities

The Business Aspects of Orchestration

Scores for Study

Technical and Practical Considerations

333

(8)

Technical Considerations

Streamers

Recording

Practical Considerations

Preparing to Record

Save Your Music

Checklists

V RECORDING

Recording: The Scoring Stage

341

(18)

The Scoring Stage

Underscoring, Prerecording, and Set Recording

Scoring Primarily or Completely with Electronics

Prerecording Electronic Tracks

Prerecording Acoustic Tracks and Soloists

Planning

The Mixer

Producing the Music

Conducting

Conducting Aids

Film Sound

Recording Format

Headset Mixes

Rehearsal Protocol

Creative Responses

Working with the Director

Changes on the Scoring Stage

Recording

Working with the Mixer

Playbacks

Overdubbing (Layering or Stacking)

Prerecording an On-Screen Performance

Time Pressures on the Stage

Recording Away from Home

Timing Corrections while Recording

Postmixes and Sound Processing

Using Samples in Final Mix

Remixing for a Soundtrack Album

Dubbing: The Final Mix

359

(10)

The Composer on the Dubbing Stage

The Dubbing Stage and the Participants

Preparing the Music for Dubbing

Predubbing

The Music Mixer

Dubbing Stage Sound

First Adjustments during the Mix

Overall Music Levels

Changing/Losing Cues

As the Director Sees It

Dubbing Stage Protocol

Dubbing with Dialogue

Losing a Score

Dubbing Schedules

Previews

Scores for Study

VI ELECTRONIC AND CONTEMPORARY SCORING

Using Electronic Music

369

(12)

Electronic Instruments as Acoustic Re-creations

Electronic Instruments for Unique Sounds

Blending Electronic and Acoustic Instruments

Scoring with Electronics

Recording Electronic Music

Scores for Study

Using Contemporary Music

381

(44)

Using Contemporary Rhythm Sections

Contemporary Scores

A Closer Look at Three Contemporary Scores

Scoring with a Solo Artist

Scoring with a Group

Contemporary Source Music

Scores for Study

Scoring for Television

425

(14)

Television Series

Main Title Themes

Composing

Working with the Producers

Dubbing

Scoring with Orchestra

Scoring Long Form

The Use of Songs

Television/Film Differences

VII SONGS

Musicals and Prerecording

439

(4)

Prerecording (Prescoring)

Prerecording Grease and Fame

Postrecording (Postscoring)

The Classic Musicals and Beyond

Songs

443

(16)

The Functions of a Song

Content

Songwriting Collaboration

Syncing the Lyric to the Visuals

Rewriting, or Writing Another Song

Demonstrating the Song

The Artist

Hits and Big Business

Footloose: An Original Compilation Song Score

Yentl: An Original Song Score by One Team of Writers

VIII THE BUSINESS

The Business

459

(12)

Getting the Job

Moving from Television to Films

Demos

Being Heard

Agents

Film and Television Deal Points

Commercials

ASCAP and BMI

Music Budgets

Licensing

Soundtrack Albums

Music and Business

Epilogue: On the Track

471

(2)

The Interviewees and Authors

473

(12)

Appendix A. Study Assignments

485

(6)

Appendix B. Footage/Timing Conversions

491

(2)

Appendix C. Calculator Method for Timings

493

(2)

Appendix D. Drop-Frame

495

(2)

Glossary

497

(6)

End Notes

503

(3)

Bibliography

506

(2)

Web Sites

508

(1)

Music Excerpts

509

(4)

Index

513

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On the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials