What would Jaws have been without its iconic two-note theme? Music enhances the visual, leaving an everlasting impression on viewers—and listeners. The following lesson material is taken from Berklee Online instructor Ben Newhouse’s Music Composition for Film and TV course, which is part of the online Bachelor of Professional Studies degree program in Music Composition for Film, TV & Games. Want to learn more about earning a degree online? Contact us at 1-866-BERKLEE (USA) / +1-617-747-2146 (INT’L) or
[email protected].
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A Framework for Analyzing Scenes
3.
List of Musical Characteristics
4.
Strategies for Maximizing Licensing Usage
5.
Meet Instructor Ben Newhouse
6.
How Berklee Online Works
7.
Get in Touch
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A Framework for Analyzing Scenes Use this four-part framework as a starting point for making creative composition decisions and as a means for framing discussion with producers and directors about the creative direction of a project.
Begin every project or assignment by answering these questions about a scene. Doing so will give you concrete goals to accomplish as you write music to picture. 2
List of Musical Characteristics Maintain a list of musical characteristics that can be changed when there is a shift in a picture and refer to it when necessary while composing to picture.
Below is one possible list: Make a change in instrumentation
Make a rhythmic change
• Move melody or other musical ideas from one
• Increase or decrease the tempo
instrument to another
• Increase or decrease the rhythmic subdivision
• Increase overall instrumentation
• Change the meter
• Decrease overall instrumentation
Make a change in harmony
Miscellaneous changes
• Modulate to a new key
• Stop the music entirely
• Arrive at an important point in the progression,
• Start the music
such as a resolution to tonic or a deceptive
• Switch to a new melody or musical idea entirely
cadence
• Change the overall counterpoint structure, such as
• Increase or decrease the harmonic rhythm
move from a homophonic chord progression to a
• Change the harmonic language, such as shift from
melody-countermelody-harmony structure
a major key to a minor key
• Change the overall pitch register • Make a change in articulation, such as going from pizz strings to arco strings
Not all of these techniques need to be used simultaneously. Often, employing just one of the techniques above is sufcient for highlighting a shift in the contour of the picture.
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Strategies for Maximizing Licensing Usage Given the prominence of music libraries in the television
piece. More commonly, a given scene will require a
music business, the ability to write music that can easily
small amount of music (such as 15 seconds—or even
be used over and over is a valuable skill. Even if a
just 5 seconds), and an editor will take a full track of
composer is working directly with a production company,
2–3 minutes and cut it down to the desired duration. In
it’s not uncommon for the producers to reuse music in
many cases, it is much easier for the editor to complete
future episodes. With this in mind, there are a few basic
this task if working with a shorter piece of music in the
ideas that a composer can adopt to make his or her
rst place.
music easier to license and/or use in multiple episodes.
For this reason, providing shortened edits of pieces of music will maximize the licensing usage of a piece of
Underscores and Submixes
music.
A composer can produce multiple mixes of each
Notably, 30-second edits are extremely common,
piece of music, quickly turning one cue into two or
simply because most television ads are 30 seconds
three cues, increasing the possibility that the music
in duration. When marketing music to advertising
will be suitable for a scene in a future project. These
agencies, 30-second edits should always be included.
additional mixes are typically called underscores and/
Clean Entrances and Exits
or submixes.
Editors and music supervisors commonly want to In this context, the term “underscore” refers to a piece
use only one section of a piece of music. In this
of music with the melody removed. In some cases, an
situation, they will cut a piece of music at the end of
underscore mix may be just as useful as the full mix.
a section—and hope that edit point will sound like a
Omitting the melody can allow a piece of music to
natural musical ending. A composer can greatly assist
play more naturally under dialogue or important sound
this effort by embedding natural pauses in the music,
effects. For this reason, making available both the full
allowing for clean entrances and exits. A composer can
mix and an underscore mix gives editors and music
also create mixes of each section in isolation, providing
supervisors maximum exibility when selecting music
a clean entrance and exit point for each section.
for a television show.
Make Your Mark: Careers in Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games
An underscore is a particular kind of submix. Whenever making a full mix, a composer should evaluate whether any kind of submixes might be useful for licensing purposes.
Shortened Edits
• Film Composer
• Orchestrator
• Music Editor
• Music Copyist
• Film Arranger
When licensing a piece of music for use in a television show, it’s extremely rare to use the full duration of the 4
Ben Newhouse • Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games Online Course Author and Instructor • Berklee College of Music Distinguished Faculty Award recipient Ben Newhouse has worked as a music supervisor and composer on dozens of television shows, lms, and stage productions for media corporations including ABC, FOX, MTV, and Disney. He has arranged movie themes, sixties pop music, Broadway shows, and scored for several full-length feature lms using Digital Performer.
“The Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games online degree takes a very complex endeavor and goes through everything necessary such as music theory, orchestration, music production, music business, and industry networking, and prepares students to be able to do it in the real world.” - Ben Newhouse, Music Composition for Film, TV, and Games Online Course instructor
How Berklee Online Works
Renowned Faculty Berklee Online instructors have managed, produced, and engineered hundreds of artists and records and have received numerous industry awards and accolades. Each week you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a live chat with your instructor and receive one-onone instruction and feedback on assignments.
Award-Winning Courses Instantly access assignments, connect with your instructor, or reach out to your classmates in our award-winning online classroom. Study from anywhere in the world at a time that ts into your schedule.
Specialized Degree Program No other accredited institution offers the acclaimed degree curriculum provided by Berklee Online. Earn your degree at a cost that’s 60% less than campus tuition and graduate with a professional portfolio that will prepare you for a career in the music industry.
Like-Minded Classmates Offering courses for beginners and accomplished musicians alike, our student body comes from over 140 countries and includes high school students getting a jump-start on college, working professionals, executives at industry-leading technology and business rms, and members of internationally known acts like Nine Inch Nails and the Dave Matthews Band.
Experienced Support Every online student is assigned a Berklee-trained Academic Advisor. Each Advisor is passionate and knowledgeable about music and here to support you throughout your online learning experience.
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Questions about Earning Your Degree Online? Contact Us.
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